mature concessions to bloody revolution.) "When I was Professor of Chemistry, (says Dr. W.) I dissected a subject which I had procured from London, in order to "We are (1809) obstinately prosecuting perfect myself in Anatomy; my Laborathe chimerical project of restoring the ha-tory was my Theatre, and Professor Warlance of power in Europe, when every child ing, known to Europe by his mathematical in politics sees that it is overthrown by the publications, and my old friend Preston genius of Buonaparte! We are madly aim-afterwards Bishop of Ferns) were my ing at the glory of restoring the equilibrium, assistants. When we had finished the busiwithout adverting to the probability that ness, we put what remained of the body our pride will be our ruin. Many will ap- into a box, and commissioned an old soldier plaud ministers for their activity in makto bury it in the fields. The man thought ing a common cause with Spain. Eventus the box was worth something, and, instead rerum stultorum est magister. I do not of burying it, he opened it, and poured the judge from the event; but from the first I contents into the Cam; and as there hapthought that we had not sufficient assurance pened then to be a great flood, some of of the Spaniards being so united among them were drifted on shore, and excited a themselves as to wish for our assistance. great suspicion of murder having been We mistook the solicitation of a few for the committed; but as no person was taken call of the whole; without considering that up or suspected of it, we carefully kept our an insurrection of the common people, unsecret, and thus probably escaped being supported by persons of rank and wealth, stoned, like anatomists of old, by a superseldom ends successfully." stitious populace." If these were warranted predictions, The Doctor relates, on the authority thank Heaven, they need now no refu-of a third person, that his Majesty did tation: they stand, and may every future prophesy of evil to Great Britain resemble them, diametrically contradicted by events. Dr. Watson died on the 4th of July, 1816, in the 79th year of his age, shewing by this his latest work, like the Archbishop of Toledo in Gil Blas, how imprudent it is for aged men to write at all; and how doubly dangerous it is to write their own history. Yet was Dr. Watson, in addition to what we have said of his great talents, a good and upright man; an ornament to the age and country to which he belonged. His frailties were human; his intentions, we firmly believe, were divine. That he acted from honest conviction, is apparent throughout; and though his want of worldly prudence cannot be conceded to him either as a virtue, or as founded on a virtue, still it is evident that he was no timeserver, nor backslider from those prin · ciples which his conscience dictated to him as right, either as a man, a christian, or a prelate. "Even his failings lean'd to virtue's side." not respond to the Athanasian Creed as writes: :- Though levee-conversations are but silly things in themselves, and the silliest of all possible things when repeated, yet I must mention what happened to myself at the king's levee, in November 1787. I was standing next to a Venetian nobleman; the King was conversing with him about the republic of Venice, and hastily turning ་ he says of a republic. My answer was, "The Chancellor Thurlow was an able and upright judge, but as the Speaker of and insincere. It was said of him, that in the House of Lords, he was domineering the cabinet he opposed every thing, proposed nothing, and was ready to support any thing. I remember Lord Camden's We might parody this line in offer-saving to me one night, when the Chaning any farther remark on the book cellor was speaking contrary, as I thought, before us :-even its faults augment its to his own conviction, There now, I interest; or rather, those disclosures could not do that; he is supporting what which commit the author, tend greatly he does not believe a word of." to increase the attractions of his work. asked the Duke of Rutland if his friend "On the day I did homage he (the king) It affords indeed a fund of useful infor- the Bishop of Landaff was not a great mation, and agreeable reading. From enemy to the influence of the crown; saya multitude of passages which presenting, at the same time, that he wished he themselves for selection, we subjoin a had not a place of two hundred a year to few which partake of the anecdote give away." form. The great objects which Bishop Wat son pursued with so much perseverance through life, may be summed up in the annual training of all the youth of the country to arms (by the by he claims much merit for improving the manufacture of gunpowder, thereby saving the country 100,000l. per annum); the payment of the national debt; the equalization of English bishopricks, and the support of the Catholic clergy in Ireland; the repeal of the Athanasian Creed; the repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts, and the free admission of Roman Catholics and Dissenters to Buonaparte, and abstain from all conthe government; to make peace with tinental alliances; a civil reform, the abolition of tithes, the extinction of pluralities, the enforcement of residence: and, in short, a general reform in church and state. These are matters of too much weight to admit of discussion here, and having been induced by the character and nature of this publication to extend our criticism to the utmost limit, we take our leave of it without regret, as it is calculated to be too generally read to render our omissions of any consequence. Narrative of my Captivity in Jepan, during the years 1811, 1812, and 1813; with Observations on the Country and the People. By CAPTAIN GOLOWNIN, R.N. 2 vols. 8vo. &c. &c. The copious account of this publication, which we gave in our last Number, has, we trust, excited sufficient interest its contents acceptable. We proposed to render a further acquaintance with to ourselves to make some extracts respecting the learning, the division of time, the punishments, the commerce, and the opinions of the Japanese; and we now proceed, without preface, to fulfil that intention. * ex "The Japanese make use of two kinds of characters in writing: 1st, a character which is the same as the Chinese, and by which every word is of course pressed by a distinct mark. The Japanese state, that they borrowed their hieroglyphics several thousand years ago from the Chinese, so that the name of any object, Japanese and Chinese languages, is exthough pronounced quite different in the pressed by one and the same sign in both. This character is made use of for works of the higher order, for official papers, and for the correspondence of persons of su *This is not " of course."-ED. which he was perfectly familiar. The The academician also shewed his ac perior rank. 2d, The Japanese alphabet, The Japanese write with hair-pencils instead of pens. They are exceedingly fond of reading; even the common soldiers, when on duty, are continually engaged with books. This passion for literature, however, proved somewhat inconvenient to us, as they always read aloud, in a tone of voice resembling singing; much in the same style in which the psalms are read at funerals in Russia. Before we were accustomed to this, we were unable to enjoy a moment's rest during the night. The history of their native country, the contests which have arisen among themselves, and the wars in which they have been engaged with neighbouring nations, form the subjects of their favourite books, which are all printed in Japan. They do not use metal types, but print with plates, cut out of pieces of hard wood. the study of philosophy, and the instruction of young persons, some of whom reside in the Institution, and others merely attend at the hours of instruction: for the receiving of which, however, the consent of the government is necessary." "Having drawn a figure with a pair of compasses on paper, he cut out the three squares, folded the squares of the two short sides into a number of triangles, and also cut out these triangles; then laying the several triangles on the surface of the large square, he made them exactly cover and fit it. “The acadamecian assured us, that the Japanese calculate with great precision the eclipses of the sun and moon. This is not improbable, for they have a translation of De Lalande's Astronomy, and a European astronomer resides in their capital.” In the capital of the Japanese Empire The natives displayed insatiable cu(Yeddo) there is an Institution resembling riosity about the books belonging to the our Universities or Academies. The mem-voyagers, and there was no end to their bers of this institution devote themselves to inquiries respecting their contents. The Physics of Libes, with the imperfect mode the parties had of communicating their ideas, was a sore subject for both. The mechanical powers represented in the plates, the Japanese said, were long since well known to them; but one of the prints explanatory of the refraction of rays, was a puzzle beyond solution. The anecdote attached to this plate is ludicrous and characteristic; they One of these academicians visited the prisoners toward the close of their captivity, and endeavoured to extract all the information he could from them. Indeed, however disguised, and under whatever pretence attempted, it is evi- "Asked what it meant, and whether it dent, that to obtain intelligence of every did not relate to the distance between the sun and the earth? I thought it would be kind was the main object of all the indifficult to make Alexei comprehend this terrogatories, conversations, and corfigure, and asked him whether he had not respondence in which they bore a part. observed that when the end of an oar was The academician evinced considerable in the water, it had the appearance of being knowledge of arithmetic. In other broken. O yes,' he said, I have obsciences, from the want of interpreters, served that, though I do not know how it it was not easy to ascertain what pro-hin the refraction of rays, he asked us happens.' When we tried to explain to gress had been made. He once asked, "Whether the Russians, like the Dutch, reckoned according to the new style. When I (Captain Golownin) replied, that the Russians reckoned by the old style, he requested me to explain to him the distinction between the old and new styles, and what occasioned the difference between them, which I accordingly did. He then observed, that the new mode of reckoning was by no means exact, because, after a certain number of centuries, a difference of 24 hours would again arise. I readily perceived that he questioned me merely to discover how far I was informed on a subject with what a ray was? No sooner had we made Some whimsical stories connected Among the Russian words which the Japanese had set down in the lexicon made at Matsmai, was DOSTOINY (worthy), which we had translated to them by meritorious, respectable, &c. We never entered into critical illustrations of words, knowing that it would be no easy task to make our pupils comprehend them. When the Japanese came to the word digne, which in the musgassi kodoba!-A difficult language! One of Captain Golownin's examinations furnish another amusing instance of this kind. He was asked his name and family name. "The question (says he) gave us not a little trouble. Alexei, who expressed himself very imperfectly in Russian, asked what tail has your name? (In the Kurile language there is only one word for tail and ending.) We could not comprehend what he meant, until at last, by a happy thought, he explained himself by an example:- I am called Alerei,' said he, but my name has the tail Maksimytch, what ytch have you got?' We had great difficulty with other questions, and often, after an hour's explanation with him, we remained just as wise as we were at first. proper names; but the former are always "The Japanese have family names and placed before the latter. For instance, Wechara is a family name, and Kumaddschero a proper name; yet our interpreter was called Wechera-Kumaddschero." With regard to the Japanese division of time, it is extraordinary: we find it stated: "At this time (1812) the Japanese new As they reckon by lunar years, but supply year commenced on the 1st of February. the difference between the lunar and solar reckoning by adding a thirteenth month to each year of the proper number, for that intercalation, their new year's day corres ponds every nineteenth year with the solar new year. We find, on proceeding thus far, that what we have marked out as deserving of extract from this curious work, would extend this notice to a length inconsistent with that variety which we endeavour to impart to our Numbers, and therefore beg permission to postpone the conclusion to our next. In the middle of August there is a | is nailed to the stake, and his body is abangreat children's festival, in which the doned as a prey to the wild beasts and The Japanese occupy an entire month boys play, sing, dance, wrestle, and birds." in celebrating the new year; though the The crime is considered next in enorperiod of the festival, strictly speaking, is fence in the presence of the governor only from the new to the full moon, or a and all the officers of state. None mity to parricide. fortnight. During this period the courts appear but such as are well dressed; and are closed; all labour and business sus- girls are never admitted, as the Japanpended, and nothing except visiting and ese laws prohibit females from entering feasting is thought of; but in the remain-fortified places. According to the same ing half of the month the more industrious laws, no foreigner can be condemned resume their occupations. The new year is the principal festival in the calendar of to suffer corporeal punishment, except the Japanese. They, therefore, make exthose who attempt to induce Japanese traordinary preparations at its approach, subjects to embrace Christianity. With and procure new clothes for it, as we do at regard to the punishment of native Easter. Custom requires that each person offenders, Captain Golownin mentions should visit all his acquaintances in the only two cases; one that of a fellow place in which he resides, and send letters prisoner, whom they found in one of of congratulation to those who are at a distance. the cages is the Ro, or city gaol, on being retaken in their endeavour to escape. This companion in misery assured them when they became his chums, that he would be liberated in six days; but the sequel proved that he had reckoned without his host. The author says, "The Japanese divide the day into twelve hours, reckoning six from sun-rise to sun-set; consequently the hours are not always equal: when the day is longer than the night, the day hours are the longest, and when the night is longer than the day, the night hours are longest. To measure time, they employ a small beam of wood, the upper part of which is covered with glue and whitewashed; a narrow groove is made in the glue, and filled with a vegetable powder, which burns very slowly; on each side of this groove, at certain distances, there are holes bored for the purpose of nails being put into them. By these holes the length of the day and night hours is determined for the space of six months, from the spring to the winter equinox. During the other six months the rule is inverted, the day becoming night hours, and the night day hours. The Japanese ascertain the length of a day hour, and mark it off with nails; they then fill the groove with powder, set light to it at noon, and thus measure their time. The beam is kept in a box, which is laid in a dry place; but the changes of the weather have, notwithstanding, a great influence on this kind of time-keeper. Tales of Wonder, of Humour, and of There are some advantages in Tales which would be hopeless in works of a larger size. They are brief; and thus allow the whole vigour of the incident to exhibit itself free of the incumbrances of lengthened narrative. Their brevity implies their variousness, and pictures of all the passions may succeed each other, strong and separate, in the same space which a novel would have loosely filled with one. Their variety supplies "Our neighbour, the Japanese, who remained with us much longer than the six days which he told us would terminate his imprisonment, underwent the punishment to which he had been adjudged in the new sources of interest, and the same court-yard. The crime which this man volume may bear us through half the had committed was as follows:-Having visited a public bathing-house, he changed climates of the earth, and in each place his old clothes, as if by mistake, for a us in the centre of the story. Their better suit, belonging to some other indi- distinctness of place admits of the vidual. He was several times conveyed powerful contrast in which the mind before a judge with his hands tied behind delights.when it can be made probable. his back. At length he received twenty- The farce that follows the tragedy five stripes, and the same punishment was often relieves the spirit by a gaiety repeated after the lapse of three days. What instrument was used in the infliction which no happy catastrophe of the play of this chastisement we know not, but we could communicate. New actors, new distinctly heard the stripes, and the cries scenes, new interests, leave us open to of the offender. He returned with his back full exhilaration. The original sombrenaked and bloody to prison. The attend-ness of the pathetic novel cannot be ants spat on his shoulders, and rubbed the scattered by its occasional humour: saliva over the lacerated parts, and thus the predominant colour ence covering cured him. His hands were afterwards marked, to shew that he had been punished, the spirit, cannot be completely disand he was then sent to the northern charged; and its levities look like the Kurile Islands, in the possession of the Ja- phosphoric foam of the ocean, only panese!" proofs of the deeper disturbance of the storm. Yet all this is said with a reserve. The virtues of the tale may touch too closely on their corresponding defects. A certain space must be allowed for the developement of passion; adue distinctness for the sketches of climate; a natural and uncramped progress for the narration. How far the Misses PLUMPTRE may have realized the beau ideal of tale, must be decided by the readers of the present volumes. Their stories have all the advantage of number and various locality. The first volume contains, Zelis, or Which is the Way to be This infliction seems dreadfully severe; but the Russians were informed that a still more horrible fate awaited criminals guilty of arson, an offence, it appears, by no means uncommon. The Japanese day begins at midnight, at which time the clock strikes nine, after having given three strokes, as it were to denote the being about to strike. These three strokes precede every hour. One hour after midnight the clock strikes eight, the next hour seren, at sunrise siæ, then fire and four, and at noon again nine. One hour after mid-day eight, two hours after mid-day seren, at sunset six, then fire, and finally four. At midnight the new day commences. The hours are struck in the following manner: first, one stroke; The offender, on being conducted to in a minute and a half, a second stroke; the place of execution, which is usually and immediately a third. These three without the walls of the city, is stripped and warning strokes announce that the hour is tied to a stake, round which, at a short about to be struck. In the space of a distance, piles of lighted wood are placed. minute and a half after, the striking of the The criminal is thus slowly burnt to death, hour begins. The strokes succeed each and endures the most unspeakable torture. other at the intervals of fifteen seconds, ex-On the flames being extinguished, a tablet, cept the two last, which follow more rapidly, as if to notify that the hour is struck.” on which are inscribed his name, and an Happy, an Indian Tale ;-The Weathercock, or, My lust Stay in the Country, a Burgundian Tale;-and The Magic Dollar, an Alsacian Tale. The Second gives, The Spectre of Presburg;- The Fair of Beaucaire, a Provençal Tale ;— and Tsching-Quang, or the True Philosopher, a Chinese Tale. The Third completes the series, with The Family of Valencia, a Spanish Tale;-Fanny, a Tale of Lorraine ;—Omar and Zemida, or the Temple of True Love, a Peruvian Tale; and Philosophy and Love, a Milesian Tale.--To give the analysis of these narratives would be beyond our limits; but we may recommend them to our readers as having given ourselves much pleasure. Some of them have the neat and Voltaireish shrewdness, which makes one of the strongest attractions in their rank of composition; some are pathetic and moral; some excite the imagination by happy ingenuity and incident. Female literature deserves to meet with peculiar deference; and in this work our respect for the sex finds an admirable ground in the ability of the author. The Mourning Isles: an Elegy, by John D. Dwyer. pp. 15. An Epicedium: by Richard Hatt. pp. 9. Monody: by the Author of Evening Hours. pp. 22. The Grave of Hope: by W. C. Harvey. Pp. 15. The Bridal of the Isles, a Mask: and The Blighted Hope, a Monody: by Charles Knight. pp. 74. We desire to discharge a part of our obligations to the poetical mourners over the grave of the Princess Charlotte, by directing the notice of our readers to the above productions. The last is the most substantial in point of size, and is a re-publication of a Mask written on the marriage of the Princess, and now contrasted with the desolation of all the bright prospect therein anticipated. There is a good deal of poetical fancy in these poems, and their formation on the model of classic times displays talent, though we would, on this subject, have preferred nature to art. A few lines from the Blighted Hope may serve as a specimen of the youthful bard's skill : O! who shall tell what Death is like, that falls, As the red thunderbolt, on health and joyThe Death that has no soft and warning callsA sightless shaft that wings its still career Through the hushed air, and stops but to destroy! O! who shall tell the torture and the fear Of those who see the bloom of youth and bliss Drop like the leaf that winds too rudely kiss. Yet in the blue celestial cope 'twill shine, Memoir of the unfortunate John Farte, who was executed for Forgery, &c. Written by Himself. We are glad to see this little sketch in a form which ensures it a longer verbatim in several of the periodical existence, though it has appeared nearly newspapers. The example of this miserable lad is one likely to make a signal impression on the young and dissipated. Without being vicious in principles, he forgot his Creator and Redeemer in the days of his youth, and fell into the snares of the enemy of mankind. the early age of nineteen he expiated his guilt by an ignominious death. it is dreadful to think that our laws ad At The following simile is an example mitted of no other expiation: that with of his verse: The mother, on her bed of death, appears The Author of Evening Hours has been noticed in the Literary Gazette (page 311.) The present Monody is irregular in its structure, and breathes a good feeling throughout. Of its poetic merits we subjoin a specimen, though the mixed metaphor, and want of unison in the comparison, are not favourable As vanish sun-beams on an April morn, Changing a crown's reversion here Mr. Hatt has also been previously introduced in the Literary Gazette (page 324). The Epicedium is constructed chiefly on the measure of Gray's Elegy, and we observe that it has reached a third edition. The following is a specimen : O! what is life? a meteor blaze that flies Across the azure heaven's high vaulted plain, When shot 'tis gone-its beauty quickly dies, And turns to dress and common air again. In our inverse order of noticing these tributes, we now come to that of Mr. Dwyer. It concludes, as we shall, a massing barbarity they claim the sacrifice of life alike for crimes the most heinous, and crimes almost venial. Surely, in these enlightened times, a distinction might be drawn between the hardened murderer and the misguided wretch who commits a commercial enormity, the moral turpitude of which, whatever may be its atrocity in other points of view, is not so appalling to the inexperienced and unfortified mind!. Vartie was a classical scholar, and scratched the following lines on the wall of his cell : Tu, fata, quem dura hue trahunt, infelix, audi, Cali, hades ve vestibulum hic locus est ipse. A translation of these was inserted in the Literary Gazette of the 13th ult. ANALYSIS OF THE JOURNAL DES SAVANS Art. IV. The Arabian Nights, in Arabic, printed at Calcutta, under the auspices of the College at Fort William. 1811. Vol. I. containing 160 Nights. Though this book has been published nearly four years, M. Sylvestre de Ser observes, that "notwithstanding repeate inquiries, he has not been able to procure it before. It is to be regretted, he says, that for people in France, who study the Arabic language, the books in that language, which daily issue from the Calcutta press, are, as it were, lost to Europe; either because a very small number of copies comes over, or because they are of an exorbitant price; often dearer than manuscripts. If one or two copies are buried in the cabinets of amateurs, yet they do not contribute to increase the means of improvement. remedy this inconveniency as far as possible, and to induce the booksellers of London To and Paris to establish commercial relations between India and Europe, we think it our duty to make known all the original Arabic or Persian works published in the British possessions in India; and this induces us to give an account in this journal of the first volume of the Thousand and One Nights, though its publication is now of rather an old date." The object proposed by the College of Calcutta in studying the Arabic language, being to acquire the knowledge both of the learned language, and of the usual dialect, it is natural that it should not be content with printing only books written in a pure and elegant style, according to the most rigorous rules of grammar, and in which no word is admitted that is not authorised by the use of the learned; it was proper to put also into the hands of the students, writings, the style of which is nearer to the Arab vulgar tongue; such as the Arabian Nights. M. de Sacy takes a short review of the various MSS. and translations, hitherto known, of these tales, among which he mentions a MS. French translation in his possession, made by the celebrated orientalist, M. Joseph Von Hammer, of all those tales which are not in Galland's translation. He then compares the hundred Nights, contained in the Calcutta volume, with the MS. used by Galland. This volume seems, as far as night 93, to be like Galland's MS. only the Arabic does not contain the account of the adventures of Amine, which occupies the 67th, 68th, and 69th nights in Galland. The last seven nights, 94 to 100, contain the history of Ishak the son of Ibrahim, and of Bouran the daughter of Hasan BenSahel. This adventure is not in the translation of Galland, in the continuations by Messrs. Caussin and J. Scott, nor in the MS. translation of M. Hammer. Art. V. Jeanne d'Arc, &c. par M. Berriat- Histoire de Jeanne d'Arc, drawn from her 4 vols. 8vo. The last of these two works is the most important. It is the first French work which contains a connected, detailed, and complete history of the Maid of Orleans. M. le Brun, though, by so happily profiting by the labours of his predecessors, and was buried in the Archives of Lille, and of the beginning of Poetry. There is no Art. VI. The Latin Poem of the Count de Resty, a Patrician of Ragusa. This is a collection of Satires and Elegies; the style is imitated from Horace, and often composed of fragments of that author. The author's intentions are laudable. He avoids all personalities; and attacks rather follies and errors than vices. He is a declared enemy to the errors of the philosophy of the last century. It were only to be wished that he had kept his zeal within due bounds. He ridicules the modern chemistry, attributes to the devil the invention of printing, and his hatred of new discoveries even makes him proscribe the innocent potatoe. If this is pleasantry, he carries it rather too far. These poems have been published by his widow. The author was highly esteemed by his countrymen, but withdrew from all public affairs during the French government. He died in March 1814, having returned to Ragusa after the expulsion of the French. The ancient patrician family of Resty is extinct in him. ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. IN WHAT CONSISTS THE ESSENCE "Thoughts that voluntary move Poetry is the music of language, ex- BUONAPARTE'S BEES. Mr. EDITOR,-I have often felt a curiosity to learn what influenced Buonaparte in his choice of Bees as one of his insignia of royalty;-whether he attached any emblematical meaning to them, or was wholly actuated by fancy and caprice. An historic incident, which I lately met with in an old French work, leads me to think that Napoleon, who affected, in many instances, to take the ancients for his models, might, in the present, have thought proper to follow the example of Childeric III. one of the oldest of the Kings of France. The tomb of this King was discovered at Tournai, in 1655; which, on being opened, was found to contain (besides the ring of gold which that prince was accustomed to wear, and many valuable medals of the same metal) Bees, of the natural size, in massive gold. This circumstance gave rise to the conjecture, that these Bees, incorrectly imitated by the rude artists of succeeding times, became the Fleur-de-lys, when, in the 12th century, France, in common with every other Christian nation, emblazoned their shields, &c. with arms of dis tinction. This monument was given by the Elector of Cologne to the Emperor substituting for their essays a more per- and repeat the emotion, to bring all Leopold, who presented it to Louis fect work, he had a full right to express the gratitude which he may owe them, has made very little use of this right, but has judged them with a degree of severity which he probably does not fear. There are of course but few new facts to be ex most important is the letter written by Joan of Arc, July 26, 1429, to the Duke of Burgundy. M. Berriat de St. Prix is the first person who has printed this piece, which other objects into accord with it, and and continuous; the musical in thought XIV.; when it was placed among other curiosities in La Bibliotheque du Roi. not condescend to take the arms of Thus Buonaparte, though he would France, took, unconsciously perhaps, those from which they originated. I remain your obedient Servant, A.T.P. |