Twere sweet to banish worldly pain, Afk pow'r to thank, and kill to praife." "Son," faid the Hermit, "Man is frail; Boundlefs as fpace his wishes rife, Wealth, Fame, and Pow'r, ye vainly truft! Unhappy in their happiness. Secure I dwell amid these shades, Thefe fhelter'd groves, thefe woody glades; The whole is in the fame ftyle, and will enable the lover of poetry to spend an hour with fatisfaction. The conclufion is very animated and beautiful. ART. NOVELS. ART. 23. The Travels of Lycurgus, the Son of Eunomus, of Sparta, to Crete, Tyre, and Egypt, in fearch of Knowledge. 12mo. Vernor and Hood. 1809. 3s. 6d. PP. 221. Thefe fictitious Travels are modelled rather after Ramsay's voyage of Cyrus, or Fenelon's Telemachus, than that of Anacharfis by Barthelemy. It is pure fiction, related in rather poetical lan guage, for the fake of introducing certain fentiments on wifdom and policy; not a narrative formed to illuftrate ancient manners and cuftoms, and corroborated every where by reference to the original authors by whom fuch manners and cuftoms have been recorded. The account is fuppofed to be given by Lycurgus, after his return to Sparta. It is divided into four books, of which the firft defcribes Crete and the adventures of the traveller in that island; the fecond conveys him to Tyre, which is in like manner de fcribed, while the defcription of Babylon is given to him by the Tyrian master of a veffel. Egypt is the fubject of the third book, and in the fourth Lycurgus returns to Greece. Here is alfo intro duced an account of Perfia. None of thefe accounts are corrobo rated by references to authors, but they are in general fufficiently correct for the purpose of the work, which was, fays the author, "to connect such portions of ancient history, in the form of travels, as to make an inftructive, and, at the fame time, an amufing book for youth." The most exceptionable parts are certain preternatural events, fuch as appearances of the heathen gods, which deftroy probability, without anfwering any good purpose. ART. 24. The Royal Exile, or Victims of Human Paffions, an Hiftorical Romance of the Sixteenth Century. By Mrs. Green, Author of Romance Readers and Romance Writers. 12mo. 4 Vols. 11. Stockdale. 1811. This tale is founded on a portion of English history in the fixteenth century, and exhibits perfons, characters, and incidents, partly real and partly imaginary. The ftory of Perkin Warbeck is well introduced, and the whole difplays confiderable powers of imagination, and is more entertaining than the greater number of productions of the kind which have lately come before us. is, indeed, but faint praise, for we have, for fome time, been annoyed with a prodigious deal of trumpery, under the names of Novels and Romances. The ftory of Edward Courtney entitles this writer to refpect, and it appears that fhe is qualified for better undertakings. This ART. ART. 25. Frederick, or Memoirs of my Youth, interfperfed with Occafional Verfes, in Two Volumes. 12mo. 12s. Miller. 1811. We have, in these volumes, a notable example of refpectable talents employed to no beneficial or honourable purpose, of much reading wafted, and much time loft. There can be no doubt, that he who wrote thefe volumes could have produced fomething, both creditable and, ufeful. He exhibits fome skill in the delineation of character, and a confiderable knowledge of life, but we cannot recommend the perufal of "Frederick," for there are many things offenfive to modefty; nor can we praise the general execution, for among fome fenfible, and fome judicious obfer vations, there is a medly of abfurdity and nonfenfe. The young author, for fuch we have no doubt he is, will perhaps take this hint, and we add by way of admonition, that for fome time to come, he will do well and wifely, to read more and write lefs. An apothegm which we recommend to all thofe who, without fome maturity of experience, feel the pruriencies of authorship. The verfification is in part, at leaft, very respectable, and the Ode to the Ocean, very poetical. We hope we may meet this writer again, under circumftances, when we fhall not have occafion to pafs cenfure upon him for mifapplication of talents, which are obviously valuable. INUNDATION. the ART. 26. A Short Account of the late Inundation in the Neighbourhood of Bofton; occafioned by a violent Gale of Wind, an extraordinary high Tide, and breaking of the Sea Banks: with a Statement of the Lefs and Damage occafioned thereby; and of the Relief obtained by public Subfcription, and diftributed among Poor Sufferers diftreffed by the faid Inundation. To which are added, an occafional Prologue and Epilogue, to a Play acted at the Theatre in Boston, in aid of the faid public Subfcription. By the Vicar of Bofton, affifted by feveral Gentlemen. I 2mo. 21. pp. Bofton, printed for the benefit of the poor fufferers. Rivingtons, London. 1811. IS. This is a plain and fimple narrative, the principal facts of which are contained in the following paffage. "On the 10th of November 1810, 'being the day before the full moon; a tide fomewhat high was expected in the evening. But, in addition to this circumstance, a very strong gale of wind. from the east north east, accompanied with rain, began early in the morning, and continued during the whole day; the form being moft violent in Bofton, from five to feven o'clock. Veffels lying between the Bridge and Skirbeck-quarter, rolled gunnel under; under; a circumftance never before witnessed in that part of the river Witham. The tide, in Bofton, was ftationary nearly an hour; on account (as it feems) of the flood running off another way; and began to ebb about eight. It far exceeded any remembered upon this coaft. The ancient fea-banks were, in many places, overflowed; and were broken down, by the washing away of the foil on the land fide: many boats, and other pieces of wreck, were carried over them: the banks lately conftructed, on the inclosure of falt marshes, were deftroyed: and a great portion of the adjoining country being fuddenly inundated, feveral houfes and other buildings, many horfes and cattle, an immenfe number of theep; ftacks of hay, corn, &c. and fome perfons, were fwept away. But happily, the perfons who perifhed, were found to be much fewer than was at first apprehended." When the damages came to be eftimated, which they were by a very careful investigation, it appeared that the loffes fuftained by individuals amounted to 16,8401.10s. of which about 8000l. was loft by perfons who are either totally ruined, or materially dif treffed by their loffes. To remedy this calamity, as far as might be practicable, fubfcriptions were undertaken, and collected through. out Boston, from houfe to houfe. In March last, the fubfcriptions, from many different fources, amounted to 3,3051. The 8000l. was by further enquiry reduced to 62011. Ss.; and, the fufferers being divided into four claffes, (of which the first included 82 families, who had loft all their property, the other three, thofe who had fuffered in different degrees) relief was given, as far as it could be afforded, according to the proportions of the loffes. It is much to the credit of Mr. Robertfon, manager of a company of comedians then at Boston, that he gave the entire receipts of his theatre on one evening, amounting to 391.11s.; more than half of which he muft himself have disbursed in the ordinary ex. pences of the houfe. The Prologue and Epilogue adapted to the occafion are printed in this tract. If the public at large would view the cafe at all in the fame light, and extend even a moderate affiftance. the fufferers would foon be completely relieved. We cannot fufficiently commend the zeal of Mr. Partridge, the excellent Vicar of Bolton, for the exertions he has made, both perfonal and literary, in behalf of his poor neighbours, and we cordially hope that he will be rewarded by the complete fucccefs of his efforts. EDUCATION. ART. 27. late late Fellow of St. John's College. 8vo. 36. pp. 2s. Hatchard, &c. 1809. We feel much regret that we have fo long overlooked this very important tract. The Chriftian Advocate, fince fucceeded in his very honourable poft, by a divine of great eminence, has here thrown together fome very valuable fuggeflions on a fubject of the highest public concern. The prefent dangers of the church, and the caufes of them, are stated with much perfpicuity, and as a remedy for fome of them, an improvement is recommended in the mode of conferring honours and advantages in the Univerfity of Cambridge. We cannot undertake to abridge the reafonings by which this valuable writer has enforced his opinions; fince they are already as briefly ftated as is at all confiftent with utility. We fhall merely tranfcribe the regulations which the author recommends, as the result of his various obfervations. First, that the ruling members of the Univerfity fhould be more circumfpect in granting teftimonials for orders, and fhould promulgate fome general and irrefragable law on that important fubject. Secondly, to increafe the neceffity of religious ftudy among the under-graduates, by granting no degrees to those who are void of ecclefiaftical information; Thirdly, to offer fome ftimulus to Bachelors, to induce them to proceed ardently in such pursuits : Fourthly, to require a real ferious examination, very much on religious topics, from all incepting Masters of Arts; Fifthly, not to grant fellowships at fo early a period as at prefent; Sixthly, to allow none to retain their fellowships above twelve years." P. 34 Various opinions will of courfe be formed on thefe propofed regulations, nor will we attempt to offer a decided opinion on matters which require fo much confideration. But this we can fay, without the fmalleft doubt or hesitation, that the whole deferve attention in a very high degree, together with the reafons and opinions by which they are enforced. Mr. Cockburn is a true friend to the church, who feeing what its dangers are, is ftudious to provide the most effectual remedies. We should obferve, that he allows, that his fecond regulation is already introduced in the univerfity of Oxford. A note on page 12 reprefents a moft alarming fact, with refpect to a confiderable Parish in the metropolis. "The late Duke of Portland," he fays, "as Rector of Mary-le-bone, has for many years rejected all applications for leave to build more chapels in that parifh, though it is fuppofed to contain 200,000 inhabitants, and though the church and existing chapels, will not hold one tenth part of the number. What has been the confequence ? Diffenting meeting-houfes are built and building in every corner of the parish chriftians know that it is their duty to affemble together in public worship, and as they are unhappily reftrained from going to church, they are compelled of neceffity to profefs, E e BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVII. APRIL, 1811. diffent, |