They are in general well-written, and though they do not contain much that is original, they are not without merit. Let the reader judge from the two following fpecimens:

LA VINI
A FRAGMENT.

"Will not the torch of love burn bright, unlefs 'tis dipt in gall? (rejoined Anna:) degrade not the dignity of fuch a paffion with corroding jealoufy; that baneful compound of diaruft, envy, and refentment, each of which is fufficient to debafe the mind, bat uniting their feveral poifons, muft burn up every finer feeling of the foul, and, like a lamp in a fepulchre, imperfectly discover but the fhadows of the virtues, which had once exiftence there." Charming maid (faid Albert) I will offend no more, thou henceforth fhall guide me; but proceed with poor Lavinia." "Oh! Albert! may we never love as these have loved!" replied Anna.“ Where could be the danger of their mutual attachment?" added Albert, gazing with unutterable fondnefs at her. "There never was a more destructive proof (faid Anna) of the peridy of man, than in the pitiable, fequel of Lavinia's fufferings. I told you yellerday what matchlefs tendernes was manifeft at their interviews: Lavinia, at the ufual hour of Edward's, vifit, had retired to the garden, where fhe was foon joined by Edward. The preparation for their nuptials formed an interefting, if not the greater part of their converfation, and they already fancied themfelves in their fettled habitation. Every thing fmiled around them, the autumnal evening, beautifully departing with a glowing fky.

We have already ftrayed too far (fad Larinia) they will expect us within. Edward, unwilling too foon to be fettered by joining the company, prevailed on her to indulge him longer with her charming converfation. She fatally confented; I fay fatally, for how shall my heart fuftain itfelf in the recital?--Too fecure was the retire ment at which they had infenfibly arrived--too foft were the moments that preceded defolation-too flattering the calm, unconfcious of the approaching

ftorm. By a combination of delufive indulgencies, fhe found herfelf of innocence, of character, of peace, at once bereft; nor could the unhappy youth afford reparation to her foul. The day appointed for their nuptials drew nigh, and though this furnished her in a degree with confolation, yet could fhe not diveft herself of a fettled melancholy, which had alarmed her friends. The dreadful forebodings of the poffibility of that day never ar riving, almoft drove her to despairat length the difmal tidings of Edward's fudden and dangerous illness too much juftified her prophetic fears.Edward died; and Lavinia found the evidence of her fhame was not long to he concealed. Edward had, imprudently, revealed to his friend Philinthus, the day before his death, the fuppofed fitua tion of his beloved Lavinia, and withal enjoined him, as he valued his memory, to lock the fecret fafely in his breaft, and, if cruel neceffity fhould call for itto be her friend. Philinthus, after his decease, renewed a paffion he had fecretly entertained for Lavinia, with this humiliating difference, foliciting her to the unhallowed couch of adultery, inftead of his bridal bed. To this end he cruelly intimated to her, his knowledge of their illicit amour. Stung to the quick at the bafe proposal, fhe bade, him depart; and, with the moft towering fuperiority, upbraided him with treachery to his departed friend. (faid fhe) unworthy of my Edward's confidence; go, barter with the fervile wretch who will reward thee with her licentious converfe, and feaft thy fen-. fual hours with unblufhing wantonnefs, Think not, becaufe I am unfortunate, I know not to diftinguish between the purity of Edward's flame, and the wild fallies of a brutal fuft. I was his bride! by every dearest tie, that only union, by which the fouls of lovers can be joined, the bond of facred and inviolable truth! Had he livedgracious Heaven! thy will has fnatched him from me, yet left me his affection, which I will never violate! you may fpare me, Sir, your upbraidings, I am not the guilty wretch you take me forboat no more the participation of his

I

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fpotlefs

fpotlefs friendship-you are no friend of Edward's, who, to gratify your paffion, would plunge into eternal mifery, one, whofe happiness it was to boaft her Edward's love, whofe only crime was an unguarded tendernefs, but whofe privilege it fhall be never to dishonour his memory!' Philinthus, confounded. at this unexpected rebuke, endeavoured to ftifle his refentment, and retired. The bitter effects were, however, too visible to mistake the caufe. Her father being apprifed of her difhonour, with an implacable fiat, forbid her ever to fee him more; and with a temporary fcanty fubfiftence, launched this beauteous, once beloved, of his happieft hours, into the remorfelefs world, an helplefs victim to flander, oppreffion,

and famine.

"The perjured wretch who caufed this unnatural feparation, with the most aggravating infult, tendered her affiftance, upon conditions the moft abject and humiliating, to her exalted and generous mind, but without fuccefs: through much feverity of forrow, and accumulated anguifli, did the lovely Lavinia linger, till the dreadful hour arrived, when the pledge of their unexampled affection was to be born. Heaven in that hour decreed her final fuffering!Unequal to the conflict, nature owned the hand of Omnipotence, and obeyed! She and her infant fpirit, together freed from the perfidy and oppreffion of man, winged their flight to thofe happy regions, which her penitence had fought.

Philinthus, overcome with the reftlefs and agonizing reflections of the mifchiefs his luft occafioned, had recourfe to a piftol, and with fuicide, the refuge only of the defperate, concluded a life, crimfoned over with crimes.'

"Enough! Anna! (exclaimed Albert) enough of forrow, lovely maid! Our loves, I trust, fhall fhare a happier fate, and if to-morrow's dawn is not deftructive to my hopes, our nuptials eftabish the purity of our at

tachment.

And though we prove not fo fevere a destiny, yet will we think it no difhonour to weep over their memory, and imitate their exemplary paffion."

PATIENCE. Animum rege, qui nifi paret Imperat: bunc fræenis, banc tu compefie catena.

"I have been endeavouring to eftablifh a fyftem of conduct, to be strictly attended to, with refpect to others; and I thould be forry to leave room for a remark, that I had omitted a very neceffary one with refpect to ourselves.

"Bleft with every attainable good which a comfortable fituation in life can procure, few men give themselves the trouble to reflect how very foon, and how very feverely, they may be fummoned to an oppofite condition. To the want of this wholesome refection, perhaps we may reasonably afcribe that indomitable pride, that unbecoming contumacy which inhabit the breafts of the profperous, to the feclufion of every fentiment of fympathy or goodnefs. Without profoundly moralizing upon the poflibility of fuch a change, L will take it for granted, that there are few, if afked the queftion, who would not readily anfwer that it may one day be their lot: and yet what little pains are we at to fortify our minds against fuch a contingency, or increase our compaffion towards thofe who are vifited with it. Abftracted from the pofitive injunctions of revelation, to patience under adverfity or affliction, we are fupplied with the ftrongeft motives from the light of our understanding.

One great confideration will be, that it is not a partial difpenfation, but that affliction in fome degree or other, is the univerfal lot of humanity. A fecond refource of comfort, is, that by a comparifon of calamity, more feverities than fall to our share, are already in the world.

in the breaft, a prefent tormentor, by immediately diflodging that peaceful tenant, content; it entirely poifons all the fources of future confolation. Never eafy, never fettled, the mind is incapable of enjoying the prefent, for fear it fhould not its future comforts. Thus employed, man rushes through a life of infanity, into his grave, without a preparation or profpect beyond it.

He, whofe misfortune it is to chill in poverty, after having feen his better days, cannot apply to his mind a more fuccefsful balm, than the recollection of the condition of millions, who with chearfulness procure their bread of carefulness, bred and accustomed to the apparent hardships of poverty. I am aware that I fhall here be accufed of preaching a doctrine, difficult to be reduced to practice, yet I believe it very poffible for a well informed mind to avoid creating uneafinefs and wants, which every day he fees are not abfoTutely neceffary, to the fupport and even fatisfaction of others, deftitute of the advantages which his understanding furnishes him with. An eminent author obferves, that the little stream which is left, will fuffice to quench the thirft of nature; and that which cannot be quenched by it, is not your thirst, but your diftemper: a diftemper formed by the vicious habits of your mind.' By a fair degree of comparifon, we must bear our fufferings with patience and refignation. The reflection of paft fufferings will greatly contribute to difarm the future. If they have been grievous, let the remembrance of them be profitable. When we confider, that Tike the forms of the natural world, they have collected their force and fpent their fury, and at length yielded to perfect compofure and ferenity, we must be comforted and encouraged. • He must blush to fink under the anguifh of one wound, who furveys a body feamed over with the fears of many; and who has come victorious out of all the conflicts wherein he received them. Let fighs and tears and fainting under the flighteft ftrokes of adverfe fortune be the portion of those unhappy people, whofe tender minds a long courfe of felicity has enervated.

Believe me, the providence of God has established fuch an order in the world, that all of which belongs to us, the leaft valuable parts can alone fall under the will of others. Whatever is bet is fafeft, lies out of the reach of human power; can neither be given nor taken away. Such is the mind of man!'

If

"It certainly lies in our own breafts whether the ftrokes of calamity fhall fall upon us, armed with excruciating pangs, or altogether harmlefs. It is the effect of our own feelings, whether they can make us miferable or not. we are broken hearted at the lofs of property, we plainly confefs, that the poffeffion of it could not have endued us with folid happiness; and fo on, with almost every occurrence in life.

"The lofs of relatives or friends, muft in a mind of fenfibility, occafion the keenest forrow; but nevertheless, when we reject all confolation, and imagine our own fufferings are dealt out to us with a merciless hand; or that the common feelings of humanity are diffimilar on this point, we offer a violence to that majefty of reafon, which is to feparate us from the rest of the creation.

graze

"Again, with refpect to pain or ficknefs, our earlieft acquaintance with human nature furnishes us, if not with a remedy again, at leaft with a check to our repining. From the dawn of life to the elofe of ir, we find uneasiness of mind or body, the invariable condition of our itation: the darts of adverfe fortune are always levelled at our heads. Some reach us, fome against us. Let us, therefore, impofe an equal temper on our minds, and pay without murmuring, the tribute which we owe to humanity. The best refolution we can take, is to purfue, without repining, the road which Providence, who directs every thing, has marked out for us: for it is not enough to follow: and he is but a bad foldier who fighs and marches on with reluctancy.'

Why should we grieve, when grieving we must bear, • Or take guilt, what guiltlefs we might share ?"

health and fafety are in perpetual alarm.By oppreffion, by disappointment, by fraud, by violence, by treachery, our property, we cannot pofitively call our own. By relation, by connection, by fociety, our affections are irrefiftibly engaged in fuch a multitude of enjoyments, that the frequent demands of death muft deprive us of fome of them, If we fum up then this variety of difafters approaching in their multitudinous forms, and take into the account the plurima mortis imago, with refpect to ourselves, what is there left of fuch ineftimable tenure, as to occafion thofe extravagant repinings and fretful difpofitions of mankind, which fo effectually leffen the confequence of

our nature?

But above all other confiderations, the fatisfaction of a good confcience will provide us with conftancy and equanimity t.

Hic munus aheneus efto ⚫ Nil confcire fibi, nulla pallefcere culpa!" "Thus much with refpect to the light of our understanding: how much lefs excufeable muft we account ourfelves, indulged as we are with the mildelt perfuafives to refignation, under the calamities of life, in the oracle of Omnifcience and Truth? We are without excufe, if we are not to be won by fuch precepts, and animated by fuch examples.'

The

Cadell.

OF thefe letters the following are contents: 1. The Force of Cuftom. 2. On Riches, Cards, and Duelling. 3. On Languages. 4. On judging by the Perceptions of others. 5 On Painting. 6. On Painting. 7. On temporary Tafte. 8. On mufical Expreffion. 9. On the Parenthefis, and Anticipation. 1o. On Catches. 11. On the English Language. 12. On Homer's Scale of Heroes. 13. On the different Manners of Reading. 14. On Shakspeare. 15. On Writing-hand. 16. On the Want of accurate Views. 17. On the Analogy of the Arts. 18. On bad Affociation. 19. Criticifm on Quarles, 20. On warm Colouring. 21. A falfe Principle in Painting expofed. 22. Paffages in Shakspeare explained. 23. Petition of To and The. 24. On Self-production. 25. Some Phrafes explained. 26. Obftructions in the Way of Fame. 27. On Alliteration and Literation. 28. On common Superititions. 29. Wrong Reprefentations of the Solar Syftem. 30. Criticifin on Quarles concluded.

We fhalll felect fome of thefe for our readers entertainment, in order to enable them to form an idea of the author's power of ftyle for themfelves.

LETTER XII. On Homer's Scale of Heroes. I fometimes provoke you by LOND. MAG. Mar. 1785.

* Vir. Æneid. lib. ii. 369.

fporting with what you deem facred matters. Homer I know is one of your divinities-may I venture to tell you that I never could find that scale of heroes in the Iliad which critics admire as fuch a beauty?

"Hector is fuppofed in valour fuperior to all but Achilles-upon what authority? Ajax certainly beat him in the fingle combat between them; and there are fome inftances, though I cannot recollect the paffages, of his inferiority to others of the Greeks.

"It is furely a blindness worse than Homerican, not to fee many inconfiftencies in the Iliad, and it is ridiculous to attempt to make beauties of them. From many which might eafily be pointed out, take one or two as they occur to my memory. After defcribing Mars as the most terrible of beings, and to whom whole armies are as nothing; what poetical belief is ftrong enough to fuppofe he could be made to retire by Diomed? If Minerva's fhield is fo vaft (the fhell of a Kraken, I fuppofe) can one help wondering why fhe does not ufe it as the King of Laputa does his ifland, when his fubjects on Terra-Firma rebel? It is not the hyperbole that offends, but the inconfiftency. The poet had a right to form, and to endue his gods with what properties he pleased he made them

E e

+ Hor. Epift, lib. i.

all