obferves-Histo

Hiftory, in whatever manner it is written, gives delight." And this fentiment Mrs. Piozzi has adopted to the most extensive latitude, in the amusing medley fhe has compiled, chiefly, as the profeffes," for the benefit of young beginners." For we defy the moft learned Critic to decide, to what clafs of literature this pretty piece of female patch-work belongs.

The title, however, is admirably fuited both to the portrait and to the perform ance, as they look backward to things that once had an existence, but of which fcarce a fhadow of refemblance now remains. The portrait is not what was once the gay, the sprightly, the admired Mrs. Thrale, nor yet the maturer features of Signora Piozzi, as they were viewed by the writer at Bath in the year 1787; to be fure, fome allowance must be made for thirteen years of health impairing lucubrations; for the wide range she has taken through the fields of ancient and modern literature, in order to cull the fweets from its various flowers, to fill the present hive of induf. try, could not have been executed, by day-light alone, within that space. Yet, after every allowance for the depredations of time, we cannot discover in the plate before us the likeness of anything, but of a cunning looking woman, with enormous large eyes and nofe, wrapt up in a non defcript* drefs..

in many inftances left fo unfinished, that they cannot poffibly afford either information or instruction to young readers-anecdotes breaking off the thread of hiftory, intruded without order or connexion; interlarded with scraps of poetry, the very accufation the brings against other compilers-" Hiftory," fays the, "is voluminous; and fashionable extracts are fo perpetually feparated from each other by verfes, or by effays, that they leave little trace of informa tion upon the mind: a natural confequence and manifeft difadvantage attendant upon all felections, where no one thing having any reference to another thing, each lofes much of its effect by standing completely infulated from all the reft." Preface, page vii. Such is the character given by this Lady of fome of her contemporary writers: and they, in their turn perhaps, having travelled through her compilation, "ftretched to two quarto volumes"we use her own words-will retort, that, like a careful houfewife, who keeps by her Atrings of dried orange and lemon peels, to give a zeft to her culinary compofitions, fo has the hoarded up fhreds of poetry, to entwine with the annals of the Roman Emperors, and the religious contefts of the early Chriftians. Take for inftance the following passages in the narrative of the tranfactions of Conftantine the Great :

"Under Imperial protection now rofe up, on every fide, majestic edifices, that vied in all exterior ornament with pagan temples, dedicated to tutelary faints belide, as they were to fubordinate divinities. Saints who had fung their hymns in hollow catacombs, or, wandering houfelefs among barbarous nations, had diffeminated with diligence that faith they were prepared to die for, propagating the most dangerous of all truths from the moit difinterefted of all motives. Among these Kebius, son to a Duke of Cornwall, and pupil to Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, is thought to have given the name of Hilary Point to a protuberance of rock near Holyhead, in Anglefea, ftill called Caergybi by the Welch inhabitants, meaning the camp, or castle, or refidence, of Kebius. Thefe taught a ftrenuous rejection of Arianism in the North, spite of all courtly terrors -but other fnares from that hour compaffed Christianity around, and the Seducer took another method:

"For Satan now is wifer than of yore, And tempts by making rich, not making poor."

We leave the reader to judge if these lines are relevant in any respect to the preceding fubject; and we can affure him, they bear no affinity to any thing that follows-for in the space of half a page more, the jumps into a difcuffion upon the afbeftos or linum vivum said to have been Jefus's fwaddling bands; and displays the most profound erudition upon this, as upon all other occafions, by quoting the authors of various nations and languages, with whofe names (and works no doubt) fhe is familiarly acquainted. In a word, female vanity never fet itself forth more confpicuoufly, nor more abfurdly, than in the affumption of univerfal knowledge which runs through the whole compilation.

We have two remaining defects to point out, before we attempt to balance the account by ftating its merits more amply. The firft is, a defertion of the elements of English grammar, the more unpardonable, as the may thereby miflead the young people the intends to inform and inftru&t; it cannot be from her caro fofo that he has learnt this eccentric affectation, for the Italian language will not allow the omiffion of a fingle article prefixed to their nouns —No, the learned Lady is so attached to the Latin tongue as to introduce fragments of Latin fentences in every part of

4

her Retrospection; and as the cafes of Latin nouns are diftinguished by their terminations inftead of articles, he has thought proper to omit the definite and indefinite articles the and a in various English fentences in the body of her work, yet, in the table of contents, the preferves them we confefs ourfelves unable to account for this innovation, on any rational ground, more especially as fhe was the pupil of that accurate grammarian and critic, the late Dr. Samuel Johnfon. In juftification of our cenfure, we quote a few of the many paffages in question.

"It was he who threw the beautiful bridge over Danube"-Why not over, the Danube, or rather the river Danube, for the benefit of young beginners. See Vol. I. P. 39. "Nor were his fuccef. fors (of Commodus) ephemeron Monarchs, likely to fupport the dignity of that dominion which dropt from the hands of five or fix pretenders in courfe," instead of in the course, "of only eight months," p. 57. time," for in the time, of Auguftus Cæfar," p. 58. The fame liberties are taken with the articles a and an.

The second striking defect is, the want of a regular feries of dates, effentially neceffary for the fame clafs of readers. Can it be fuppofed that young beginners are fo verfed in chronology, which Lord Chesterfield justly calls "one of the eyes of hiftory," as to be able to arrange and connect events related in a defultory manner, and interrupted by verses and other foreign digreffions, for the long space of forty or fifty years. A few marginal dates would have elucidated her historic facts. We therefore earnestly recommend this improvement in a new edition, which we also recommend to be printed in small octavo or duodecimo volumes: in that form, they will bid fair to fupplant thofe trifling and injurious publications with which our circulating libraries abound, fince they will be as conveniently carried under a cloak, or in the pocket, by our ever-reading females. Pompous quartos ferve very well as ornamental furniture in a Nobleman's fplendid library, but are ill adapted to volatile youth, who take up and lay down a book with the fame carelers facility as they change a coat, or a drefs.

Laftly, the following analyfis of the work, as given by our Author in her preface, being a tranflation of the

French

French motto to the title-page, fupports the propriety of our advice-for fragments are much lighter to carry about from place to place, from the townhoufe to the villa or cottage, than maffy edifices" This work, I grant you, is at best a fragment; but what elfe fhall we find in the most finished labours of man? The biography of one particular Sovereign is a mere fragment, broken off from his own Dynalty. The revolutions of a peculiar State form but a larger fragment: one piece, one page, torn from the great book, the general account of mankind; which is itfelf, at laft, no other than one fpecies, one genus rather, among thofe uncounted millions that animate and people the earth, air, and water, of our terraqueous globe. That globe a fragment too, a trifling fpot, of which the most exact and faithful narration would be found bat a fhort chapter in the grand hiftory, the univerfal volume of our Creator's works, containing the changes and chances of fyftems without number, rolling in illimitable space, at diftances not to be judged of by humanity."

It is now high time to give a fummary account of the Contents of Vol. I. from which we fhall prefent to our readers fome very curious and entertaining extracts, and then clofe the prefent Review with a promife of Retrofpection in our next of Vol. II.

RETROSPECTION then, Vol. I. Chapter I. contains the first century; from Tiberius to Trajan-history, anecdote, learned difcuffions, all comprised in thirty-fix pages! Happy art of abridgment, how much indebted is modern literature to thy potent aid! Chapter II. The Second Century, from Trajan to Caracalla, in twenty-two pages. Chap. III. From Caracalla to the Death of Alexander Severus, firit portion of the third century. Chap. IV. From the Death of Alexander Severus to A. D. 300, the Retreat of Dioclefian. Chap. V. From the Death of Dioclefian to the death of Conftantine the Great ; part of the fourth century. Chap.VI. From Conftantine to Theodofius, A.D. Chap. VII. From Theodofius the Elder to the death of Attila, about fifty years. Chap. VIII. From the death of Attila to A.D. 500. Chap.IX. To the expulfion of the Gothic Kings; first portion of the fixth century. Chap. X. From the expulfion of the Gothic Kings by Belifarius, to A. D. Chap, XI. From good St. Gre.

400.

600.

gory to the birth of Charles Martel A.D. 700. Chap. XII. From the birth of Charles Martel to Charlemagne. A. D. 800. Chap. XIII. From the crowning of Charlemagne to the death of Alfred. A. D. 900. Chap. XIV. From the death of Alfred to the foundation of the Turkish Empire under Trangolipix. A. D. 1000. Chap. XV. From Trangolipix to the firft Crufade. A. D. 1100. Chap. XVI. From the firft Crufade to the middle of the twelfth century. A. D. 1150. Chap. XVII. To the year of Our Lord 1200. Chap. XVIII. From 1200 to 1230. Chap. XIX. Second portion of the thirteenth century. Chap. XX. To the year 1300. Chap. XXI. From A. D. 1300 to 150, or nearly fo. Chap. XXII. Ending with A. D. 1400. Chap. XXIII. From A. D. 1400 to the year 1425. Chap. XXIV. To the facking of Conftantinople, A. D. 1455, and its immediate confequences. End of Vol. I.

We now felect a portion of hiftory in this volume, the least interrupted of any we could find by extraneous mat. ter. It relates to the death of the good Marcus Aurelius, and the acceffion of his infamous fucceffor Commodus.

"He quitted Italy, and returned to it no more; catching a fearlet fever from fome prifoners in Panonia, where the phyficians, feed by Commodus, took care he fhould never recover. Suffering, however, no dangers to controul his truly intrepid fpirit, no forrows to awaken his ftoical intrepidity, internal peace contemning outward ills, beamed on his ferene majestic countenance, till this freth proof of his fucceffor's depravity: then the fon's crime forced from the dying patriot a groan of anguish. To what a guide, said he, I leave the world! and died. When Phoebus could but with difficulty poife the feat indeed, well might light Phaeton fall headlong from the car. The Roman power thewed evident fymptoms of incipient decay; corruption could no longer be restrained; whilft opulence flowed in with every tide, and vice as certainly fapped the nowfoftened foundations of a structure, battered by invaders from undiscovered regions, and barbarous multitudes, who fought but to devour and destroy.

Commodus cared little for their acts or their intentions. Herodian def cribes with great spirit the boyish hafte he made to get to Rome, where his

uncommon

uncommon beauty fecured him admiration. Effeminate and gay, he foon difmiffed his father's mufty counsellors; furnished his Imperial houfe with fix hundred human creatures devoted to his pleafure; powdered his fine auburn hair with gold duft, to encrease its brilliancy; fpent on his toilet, in ten weeks, more than his predeceffor's whole establishment had coft the public in the last ten years; and took arms in his white hand only to kill wild beasts withal, a diverfion that difplayed his elegance of mien and accuracy of eye, and in which he was eminently skilful, cutting off the necks of oftriches, as they ran swiftly round the arena, with arrows curiously conftructed and headed with a half-moon. It seems as if tyranny and archery had fome unaccountable connexion: not only this Emperor, but Domitian, was furprifingly certain of his aim, and it had been his fport to make a child stand with his little fingers ftretched open against a wall, and then stick a dart between two of them, fhot from prodigious diftance. The story of William Tell preferves the memory of our laft renowned toxopholite and tyrant of modern times.* There was an intermediate tale of the fame kind told fomewhere about the tenth century; and our ballads celebrate their William of Cloudefclie for the fame act of heroic fkill. Truth is, hiftorians ferve the difh up again and again, and one fact gains belief in very feparate ages. Philip of Macedon pushed away a woman who was troublesome to him with fome petition as he journeyed along: Be not our King, then, if you will not hear us, replied the woman: the Monarch then granted her request. Auguftan history relates this of Adrian, and it was told me for a truth, at Vienna, of Jofeph II. Query, Was it ever true at all? One thing is fure, however, that the Church of Chrift gained firmnefs under the reign of this lighthearted profligate, whofe best praife is, that he first inftituted a Company of Corn Merchants for the prevention of

famine at Rome, where a medal, ftill, extant, was ftruck on the occafion: Africa prefenting the Emperor with ears of wheat, and a Greek infcription, that all were happy under the reign of Commodus, who, among his numerous new titles, took the name of Fælix, and faid he would renew the golden age. This Sovereign erred lefs through malice than mere wantonnefs; and when he flit an old Senator's ear, under pretence of having his hair cut fathioanbly, we must needs know that half Eton School would play the fame trick, were they, like this boy, invefted with illimitable power. Making Aurelius's worthy old Præfect dance naked among his young concubines, and letting them hoot and ridicule, and at length throw him in the mote to feed tame lampreys, was a little warfe. That poor fellow found his no golden age. Oppian, the Poet, in these times, projected his wellknown poem on the chace, as likely to recommend him to Commodus's favour, who was fo fuccefsful in the deftruction of wild beafts: he afterwards dedicated it to Caracalla, the dreadful hunter, whofe chief game was man; while Julius Pollux compofed his Onomafticon, of which Pinelli poffeffed a fine edition, A. D. 1786; and fome Sclavonian tribes laid the first ftones of Utrecht. Nor were the schools of religion and learning discouraged, though whim, and gaiety, and filly pranks, were all the Emperor thought of. In order to fupport fuch profufenefs, all places of truft were fet to fale, and treafures quite inconceivable were lavifhed upon the Prince's diffolute companions, among whom all his fifters were comprised, except Lucilla, widow of Lucius Verus: her husband, a Roman Senator of ancient mould, and friend to Marcus, refufed her company. to Commodus's command; the next day, of course, faw him and his wife expire on a fcaffold."

"Lightning now ftruck the Capitol at Rome, and the great library collected by Arian, of immenfe value. was burnt to the ground. Two thoufand people

:

died in one circle of twenty-four hours, from a new peftilence, caufed by the heat and crowd in this thick-thronged metropolis. Plagues raged at home, and famines wafted the limits of the em pire; whilft the young Sovereign, intent on a new frolic, purpofed to fence naked in the amphitheatre, and there exhibit his fymmetric form to forty thousand admirers at once. This fhameless project, this unheard-of folly, revolted the delicacy of his moft favourite female, Marcia, and prompted her to reprefent the meannefs of fuch conduct in terms her uncontradicted paramour was little likely to forgive. He wrote her name on the dead-lift immediately but a fondled baby pick. ing up the paper as he played about the apartments, and bringing it to the lady by mere chance, the refolved to prevent her own death by her master's; and easily engaging his Chamberlains afftance, who faw themfelves marked down with her for execution, threw her zone round his undefended neck, while bathing, and, helped by two affaffins, foon destroyed a Prince, who, had he met with any other death, had fcarce deferved compaffion." Now let us aik our author, why he deferved it in any degree, with refpect to his actual fate. Had the parties he condemned to die deferved to perish by the abfolute command of a tyrant? But this is the man whom he had be fore characterised as erring lefs from malice than wantonness; and whom we muft needs know that half Eton School would have imitated. Admirable Hif torian !

"Commodus feems to have ap. proached modern exuberance more than any other Sovereign we have mention ed yet he had a genius for mechanic arts" (one of our modern exuberances). "Unlike Flavius Vefpafian, to whom, when fome one prefented a machine for useful purpofes, the Fmperor faw him rewarded, and the mechanifm burnt: for how, faid he, muft my fubjects live by labour, if all their work is to be done by engines? the contrary, this youth, elaborately voluptuous, gave immenfe fums to the inventors of umbrella-chariots, which, I believe, had fprings to them befides."

On

As an Appendix to this choice fcrap of history, we fubjoin two or three anecdotes to recommend the work to the lovers of thofe amufing compofi

tions, which befides furnifh ample matter for retailing at fecond or third hand in converfation, a practice much in vogue with our ephemeron wits.

OF HELIOGABALUS. S. c.

"This Emperor inftituted a Senate Houfe for female debates, and entertained troops of Bacchante girls and empty parafites with feafts which coft fixty thousand guineas of our money each, for many nights together, making a hair-dreffer head of the privy council, a dancing-boy præfect (mayor) of the city, and at length forming a proceffion through the degraded streets, drawn by four women, the most beautiful that could be found, in honour of an idol, to which he facrificed rarities of quite inordinate expence, while he himself and his immediate favourites were diverted by weighing the cobwebs of the capital, in order to judge the better of its population. Many of his tricks and whims are recorded. The dinner fet for eight blind men, eight deaf, and eight fo fat they could not fit at table, was given in the true spirit of licentious childhood, laughing at hu man infirmity; and poffibly it might have been from his caprice of fuffocating people with perfumes for fport, that modern ladies in Italy have such a dread of fcented powder, and every kind of vegetable fragrance. Till his time fweets were fathionable in Rome. Otho had fo flung perfumes about the chamber, when Nero dined with him, as to endanger his own fafety from the tyrant, who had efteemed himself happy in procuring a fmall phial of this ineftimable odour, perhaps the now well-known otto of roses, extracted from thofe flowers in the East even then. The eating-rooms, we know, were ftrewed with lilies, a very powerful and overbearing fmell, and they fate with garlands of flowers on their heads at fupper, throwing them into the bowl of wine for frolic and convivial merriment."

OF CARAUSIUS. S. c.

"The Anglo-Italian Caraufius called himself Emperor, and killed Alectus, though fome defer the exploits he did to Dioclefian's day. The medalists are beft to fettle thefe difputes: they have preferved his effigies; who, finding that maritime ftrength was the true vis Britannica, built thips, and befieged Boulogne-fur-Mer, the new-born daugh

ter