すぐす! " Salim received us was his haram, or Before " the fpleen, a diforder not uncommon in that country, and frequently cured, agreeable to the Arabian practice, by the actual cautery, He was inceffant ly chewing pieces of the Areca nut with fhell line; a culom borowed, Ifurpofe, from the Indians, who great ly improve the compofition with pices and betel leaves, to which they or merly added camphor all the na tives of rank chewed it, but not I think to so great an excefs. Prince Salim from time to time gazed at himfelf with complacency in a picce of broken looking-glafs, which was glued on a fmail board, a fpecimen of wretchednefs which we obferved in no other houfe, but many circumftances convinced us that the apparently low condition of his royal highnefs, who was, not on bad terms with his father, and e we returned, Alwi was defeemed not to want authority, pro- firous of fhewing me his books; but ceeded wholly from his avarice. His the day was too far ar advanced, and I brother Hamdullah, who generally promiled to visit him fome other morato co refides in the town of Domoni, has a ing. The Governor, however, prevery different character, being efteem- vailed on us to fee his place in the ed a man of worth, good feufe, and country, where he invited us to dine learning; he had come the before the next day; the walk was extremeto Matfamudo, on hearing that an En- ly pleafant from the town to the fide glifh frigate was in the road; and I of a rivuler, which formed in one part having gone out for a few minutes to a fmall pocl very convenient for bathread an Arabic infcription, found him ing, and thence, through groves and on my return 'devouring a manufcript alleys, to the foot of a hill; but the. which I had left with fome of the dining room was vas little better than an company. He is a Kadi, or Moham- open barn, and was recommended one medan judge; and as he feared to ly by the coolness of its fade, Ab have more knowl thau his coun- dullah would accompany us on our retrymen, I was extremely concerned, turn to the fhp, together with wo that I had fo little converfation with Muftis, who fiske Arabic indifferents him. The King Shaikh Aknied, has ly, and feemed cager to fee all my ma a younger on, named Abdullah, whofe uiual refidence is in the town of Wani, which he feldem leaves, as the fate of his health is very infirm. Since the fucceffion to the title and apthority of Sultan is not unalterably fixed in one line, but requires confirma- melenget tion by the chiefs of Tand, it is not improbable that they may hereaf ter conferred on Prince Hamdul, Jah. W nufcripts; but they were very node- Early the next morning a black with a tawny lad as his interpreter, came from Prince Salim; who, having broken his perfpecie glafs, withed to procure another by purchase o barter: a polite anfwer A little beyond the hole in which was returned, and feps taken to gra tify fince the allufion would not generally known, and fince the title of Allu'dín, or Eminence in Faith, might have offended his fuperiors, I thought it advifable for him to keep his African name. A very indifferent dinner was prepared for us, at the houfe of the Governor, whom we did not fee the whole day, as it was the beginning of Ramadan, the Mahommedan Lent, and he was engaged in his devotions, or made them his excufe; but his eldest fon fat by us, while we dined together with Mufa, who was employed jointly with his brother Hufain, as purveyor to the Captain of the frigate. · tify his wishes. As we, on our part, in the Arabian tale, I defigned to give expreffed a defire to vifit the king at him that name in a recommendatory Domoni, the prince's meffenger told letter, which he preffed me to write, us, that his mafter would, no doubt, inftead of St Domingo, as fome Eulend us palanquins (for there was not ropean vifitors had ridiculously called an borfe in the island), and order a him; fufficient number of his vaffals to car- have b ry us, whom we might pay for their trouble, as we thought juft: we commiffioned him, therefore, to afk that favour, and begged that all might be ready for our excurfion before funtife, that we might escape the heat of the noon, which, though it was the middle of winter, we had found exceffive. The boy, whofe name was Combo Madi, ftayed with us longer than his companion; there was fomething in his look fo ingenuous, and in his broken English so simple, that we encouraged him to continue his innocent prattle. He wrote and read Arabick tolerably well, and fet down at Having obferved a very elegant my defire the names of feveral towns fhrub, that grew about fix feet high in in the island, which, he firft told me," the court-yard, but was not then in was properly called Hinzuan. The flower, I learned with pleafure that it fault of beging for whatever he liked, was binna, of which I had read fo he had in common with the governor much in Arabian poems, ard which poems, and other nobles, but Fardly in a European botanifts have ridiculously greater degree: his firft petition for named Lawsonia. Mufa bruifed fome fome lavender water was readily grant of the leaves, and, having moistened ed; and a fmall bottle of it was fo ace them will with water, applied them to our cep able to him, that, if we had Tuffer- nails, and the tips of our fingers, which ed hini, he would have kiffed our feet; in a short time became of a dark obut it was not for limfelf that he re-rar ge fearlet. I had before conceived joiced fo extravagantly, he told us, a different idea of this dye, and imawith tears farting from his eyes, that gined that it was used by the Arabs his mother would be pleafed with it, to imilate the natural redness of thofe and the idea of her plea fure feemed to parts in yourg and healthy perfons, -fill him with rapture: never did I fee which in all countries muft be confi. filial affection more warmly fel, or dered as a beauty; perhaps a lefs more tenderly, and in my opinion un- quantity of hinna, or the fame differaffectedly expreffed; yet this boy was ently repared, might have produced not a favourite of the officers, who that effect. The old men i Arabia E thought him artful. His mother's "ufed' the fame dye to conceal their he and importuned us to vifit her; conceiv-dar, while their daughters were their lips and gums black, to ing, I fuppofe, that all mankind must fet off the whiteness of their teeth; fo love and admire her: we ponifed to univerfal in all nations and ages are gratify him; and, having made him fe- perfonal vanity, and love of diguifveral prefents, permitted him to re-ing truth; though, in all cafes, the turn. As he reminded me of Aladdin' farther dur fpecies recede from nature, the the farther they depart from true beauty; and men at leaft fhould difdain to ufe artifice or deceit for any purpofe or on any occafion: if the women of rank at Paris, or thofe in London who wish to imitate them, be inclined to call the Arabs barbarians; let them view their own head-dreffes and cheeks in a glafs, and, if they have left no room for blufhes, be inwardly at least afhamed of their cenfure. In the afternoon I walked a long way up the mountains in a winding path amid plants and trees no lefs new than beautiful, and regretted exceedingly that very few of them were in bloffom, as I then fhould have had leifure to examine them. Curiofity led me from hill to hill and I came at laft to the fources of a rivulet, which we had paffed near the hore, and from which the fhip was to be fupplied with excellent water. I faw no birds on the mountains but Guinea-fowl, which might have been eafily caught: no infects were troublefome to me but mufquitos; and I had no fear of venomous reptiles, having been affured that the air was too pure for any to exift in it; but I was often unwillingly a caufe of fear to the gentle and harmlefs lizard, who ran among the fhrubs. On my return I miffed the path, by which I had afcended; but having met fome blacks laden with yams and plantains, I was by them directed to another, which led me round, thro' a charming grove of cocoa-trées, to the Governor's country-feat, where our entertainment was clofed by a fillabub, which the English bad taught the Mufelmans to make for them. (To be continued.) Obfervations on the Writings of Vida. vigilance, and where he instructed his flock as much by his eloquence, as by the ftriking example of his fuperior virtues. This prelate died A. D. 1566, having attained to the great age of 96 years. Amongit the different poetical works which we owe to Vida, we must distinguish, rft, "The Art of Poetry," publifhed at Rome, 1527, 4to. which was reprinted at Oxford, 4to 1723. 2d," A Poem upon Silk worms," printed at Lyons 1537, and at Bale, in Swifferland, in the fame year. 3d, "A Poem upon Chefs." This Poem is in the edition of the Art of Poetry, printed at Rome in 1527. 4th, "Hymni de rebus Divinis,' printed at Lovain, 4to. 1552. 5th, Chriftiados, Libri fex," printed at Cremona, 4to. 1535. The other writings of Vida are, Obfervations on the Writings of Vida. of the Republick," 8vo. Cremona, 1556. 2d, Difcourfe against Churls," printed at Paris, 8vo. 1562. This work is very fcarce. ん 327 ift, "Dialogues upon the dignity were to enter into a difquifition upon the marks of imitation, and to prove, "that coincidences of a certain kind, and in a certain degree, cannot fail to convict a writer of imitation," I could bring only a few inftances, which would not perhaps be thought too remote, and turned from their original application, to be called Imitations.→ To trace an idea to a latent fource, fometimes requires labour from a writer, and more attention than most readers are difpofed to beftow. The following Imitation, however, will not come under the above objection. 3d," Synodical Conftitutions, Letters, and fome other Profe Writings," lefs interefting than his Poetry. The edition of Vida's Poetical Works, printed at Cremona, 2 vols. 8vo. 1550, is complete, as well as thofe printed at Oxford, 1722, 1725, and 1733, in three volumes, 8vo. The Art of Poetry, though it is not thought to hold the highest rank among ft Vida's Poetical Works, difplays a lively genius, ftrong judgment, and cultivated tafte. The tyle of it is eafy and flowing, and charms by its facility. The precepts which it gives to Poets are diftinguifhed by juttnefs and tafte. And what he fays of Poetical Elocution is delivered with as much energy of thought, as graceful, appropriate, elegance of expreffion. But Vida's "Art of Poetry," as well as that of Scaliger, is rather the art of imitating Virgil, than the art of imitating nature.. The Poem upon Silk worms" is the best of Vida's productions; is more correct, more polifhed, and finished with more care, than his other works; and it contains a greater difplay of Poetical Images. The " Poem upon Chefs" is allowed to hold the fecond rank amongst Vida's poetical writings. “Christiados, Libri fex" is a Poem which has been much applauded; but Vida had been cenfured for having promifcuoufly mingled facred and profane matters together; the fictions of the Heathen Mythology with the infpired Oracles of the Prophets. Vida's profe works are much inferior to his poetical productions. Lord Rofcommon, in his "Effay on Tranflated Verfe," has fometimes been indebted to Vida: but unless I * But here, e'en bere, avoid th' extreme of fuch, Who with excefs of care correct too much. VIDA, Book III, They who too formally on names infist, Rather create than diffipate the mist; And grow unjuft by being over nice, (For fuperftitious virtue turns to vice.) Rofcommon's Effay on Tranflated Verfe. Tonfon's Edition, line 1084. Avoid extremities; and fhun the faults of fuch As ftill are pleas'd too little or too much.. Pope's Effay on Criticifm, line 386., The following couplet of Pope is at nearer imitation of Rofcommon, than that of Rofcommon, juft quoted, is of Vida A little learning is a dangerous thing; Pope's Effay on Criticism, line 217. Refcommon's Effay on Tranflated Vefs,p. 5• Pope, in his Art of Criticifm," has made much use of Vida; but he has imitated him in his ufual ftyle of imitation; for his fuperior genius taught him to feize every beauty, and his intuitive tafte to avoid every defect or impropriety of his author :— fometimes he would amplify a thought into a ftriking and beautiful fimile; or condenfe a too difffe one into a pointed aphorifm., Like the Bee, he. felected with wonderful fagacity, fweets. hidden from the unfkdful, which, in paffing through his mind, became a delicious repaft; and of fuch spec mens we nay fay, “What oft was thought, but ne'er fo well "exprefs'd." Pope's Effay on Criticism, line 300. Pope's attention, in the "Effay on Criticism," was bent upon giving in formation; Vida's mind, in the “Art of Poetry," was fixed проп establish ing his favourite fyltem of Virgil's fu periority. Pope is terfe and elegant ; Vida is diffufe, didactic and correct. Pope drew from every fource; Vida only from Virgil's fpring. Pope selected and created beauties for himse!f; Vida, the eulogift of Virgil, trove to find excellence centered in him. every Pope feems to promulgate the law like a Judge; Vida to comment upon it like a Reporter. Pope is the more elegant and pleafing inttructor; Vida the more patient and elaborate teacher. REVIEW. Abstract of the Evidence delivered before a Select Committee of the Houfe of Com mons, in the years 1790 and 1791, on the part of the Petitioners for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 8vo. 155 pages. Philips. THE attention of the public has for feveral years paft, been turned to the fubject of the Slave Trade; the humane exertions of Mr Sharp, Mr Ramlay, and, above all, the indefatigable Mr Clarkfon, have awakened the curiofity, and routed the feelings, of many in different parts of the kingdom, to examine, with some care, the nature and proceedings of this difgufting traffic, and the confequences with which it is fol lowed, both in Africa, and the Weft Indies. Inquiries in confequence were fet on foor, facts were collected, and practices, formerly unnoticed or unknown, were brought into public view. The refult was, that numbers, both of individuals and bodies of men, ftruck with the enormity of the guilt & mifery fuperinduced by this trade,took up, with a zeal that did them much honour, the cause of the oppreffe, and injured negroes; focieties were form ed, and numerous petitious prefented 10 Parliament, for the abolition of a traffic that feemed the opprobium of human nature. Influenced by thefe reprefentations, the Miniftry thought it neceffary to neceflary to inftitute inquiries, and many witneffes on both fides were examined before the Privy Council. This evidence was printed, with a view to its being made use of by the Members of Parliament in forming their opinions on the fubject: but the Houfe of Commons very properly refufed being bound by any evidence that had not been taken by their own authority, and therefore refolved to examine witneffes on the fubject before a Select Committee appointed for that purpofe. The Slave Merchants and Planters accordingly brought forward feveral perfons as witnefies, the first in behalf of the coutinuance of the Slave Trade, the latter in defence of Colonial Slavery. Thefe were heard and examined in the years 1789 and 1790. Several perfons were aiterwards called on the fide of the petitioners, to fubftantiate the foundation of their feveral petitions, and to to invalidate fevefeveral points of the evidence which the others had offered. Thefe were examined in the years 1790 and 1791." The mafs of evidence which thefe |