fee, divided into thoufands of fmall freeholds and fupports millions. As we proceeded, my attention was arrested by fome inclofures that 1 perceived at a little diftance from the road, which from several spots of earth newly turned up, and a few upright ftones fcattered here and there, I imagined to be burying grounds. True, faid Othono, they are the burying-grounds belonging to Euthus-town, fo called from my worthy friend, where we thall foon arrive; and the few upright ftones that you fee, are the remains of the old fuperftitious practice of monuments, which fome people cannot yet forfake. The Makarians think it unwhole fome to bury their dead in towns amongst the living, and therefore carry the bodies to a distance. Your having mentioned fuperitition, Othono, brings to my remembrance a question that I have for a long time been defirous of afking you. Pray, what is the religion that chiefly prevails among the Makarians? Every kind of religion, Planetes, being admithble, you may readily fuppofe that various opinions are held among us. Some men for inftance believe in the existence of two Gods, others in that of three Gods and a Goddefs, and there are fome who believe in two Gods and a half; but all thefe opinions are in their wane, and the prevalent belief is that there exifts only one Supreme, whofe nature is totally unknown to men, and from whom are fuppofed to be derived the primary laws which direct and regulate the univerfe. It is believed that prayers, facrifices, offerings, and fupplications, are of no avail, and that the only road to happiness is, to practife juftice and benevolence to our fellow-creatures. And have you, faid I, no priefts nor bithops? No! thank truth! replied Othono, nor creeds, nor colle&ts. The Makarians are too wife to hamper their intellectual faculties by fuch clogs. Why furely, you must perceive, Planetes, that religion, like all other things, has hitherto been perpetually varying; and to what cause can you attribute fuch variation, but to fynods, and state politics? where the interference of thefe is annihilated, religion will foon find its proper ftation. But priefts and bifhops are not the only beings whofe political exiftence is deftroyed. That arch-enemy of freedom, and friend of ufurpation and ariftocracy, the political Schum of evil, Connanoo, finding no fupport in a government founded on the rights of man, has abdicated his throne for ever. As the difcourfe now began to grow unpleafant, I was not a little re joiced that Euthus-town appeared in view. It was market day when we entered; and if I was pleafed with the cleanlinefs and regularity with which every thing was conducted, I was quite charmed with the honefty and integrity of the people. No one demanded either more or lefs for his goods than their juft value, nor was a man to be found that would receive two-pence for a dozen of yams when they worth - only one penny. Surely, faid I, things are not always thus; you must undoubtedly, Othono, have fome examples of dishonesty and injustice. Dishonesty and injuftice, Planetes, are looked upon as wonders, and I do not fuppofe that there are ten inftances to be found in the whole nation of vicious or depraved perfons. We have prifons, it is true, but they are empty. Among a people that are taught from their infancy to love and practile truth, where do you think difhonelly can ret hertelf? If any man were fo unprincipled as to commit an act of injustice, C 4 injuftice, he would meet with a monitor in every perfon he faw; and if he were not altogether dead to a sense of shame, he muft either inftantly reform or quit the country. Just heaven! faid I, and is human nature capable of fuch perfection? Capable! Planetes, abolish unjust and oppreffive laws, leave mankind to themfelves and virtue, and the work is half done.' The ftyle of this volume is throughout fimple and pure; and the typography is very neat. ART. IV. The Adventures of Telemachus, the Son of Ulyffes. From the French of Salignac de la Mothe Fenelon, Archbishop of Cambray. By the late John Hawkefworth, LL D. Corrected and revised by G. Gregory, D. D. Author of Effays Hittorical and Moral. With a Life of the Author, and a complete Index, Hiftorical and Geographical. Embellished with Twelve elegant Engravings. 4to. 2 Vols. pp. 260 and 220. Small Paper 11. 6. large 31. 35. Boards. Kearfley. 1795. THE high eftimation in which the admirable poetical romance of Telemachus has been always holden, and the univerfal approbation with which Dr. Hawkesworth's tranflation was received, render it needlefs for us to enlarge much on the prefent edition; which does not require to be examined as a new tranflation, but merely demands notice as the correction and revifion of Dr. H.'s performance. In this point of view, we need only place before the reader Dr. Gregory's fhort account of the alterations which he has made : In order that the prefent publication might be prefented to the public in as perfect a form as poffible, the editor has carefully compared it with the original; and, to the beft of his ability, has rectified whatever appeared capable of correction. In the courfe of this revifal, a few mif- tranflations were found; and wherever the language of the tranflator appeared affected or turgid, the editor has endeavoured to reduce it to the fimplicity of the author.' The biography of Fenelon, prefixed to the volumes before us, is written by a friend of Dr. Gregory, and is compofed with elegance and fpirit. It therefore deferves our attention; for, to a well regulated mind, no pleasure can be greater than the contemplation of the life and conduct of the man who was eminent for his virtues as well as for his talents;-both of which were remarkably difplayed in the viciffitudes to which his life was fubject. The following particulars will probably be acceptable to the generality of our readers. FRANCIS SALIGNAC DE LA MOTHE FENELON was born at the Caftle of Fenelon, in the province of Perigord, in the year 1651. His father, Pons de Suiignac, was Marquis of Fenelon; * See Rev. Vol. xxxix. p. 237. his mother was Louise de la Cropte, fifter to the Marquis de St. Abre. He received the rudiments of his education at home, where the native sweetness of his temper, and the delicacy of his fentiments, were fondly cherished and improved. The early dawn of his genius proved an unerring prognoftic of his future reputation. He might, indeed, be faid to have inherited both, from a long roll of illuftrious ancestors; his own being the ninth literary name that has reflected luftre on the houfe of Salignac. At the age of 24, Fenelon was ordained a priest, and engaged in the duties of the facred office with exemplary atten tion. We find him not long afterward fent by Lewis XIV. at the head of a miffion for converting the Proteftants in Saintonge and Aunis. That unfortunate fect had experienced all the rigours of perfecu-" tion, under the influence of old Tellier, the Chancellor, and Louvois, bis fon. The fcaffold, the gallows, and dragenade, inceffantly dif played the barbarous impolicy of the French court, and the conftancy of the martyred Hugonots. The king, perceiving at laft the pernicious effects of this depopulating cruelty, difpatched Fenelon to combat herefy in thofe provinces, with the gentle arms of eloquence and ability. This amiable ecclefiaftic, therefore, having obtained a promife, that the bloody arm of coercion fhould be fufpended within the precincts of his miffion, preached peace and good-will to the long perfecuted Calvinifts. His converts, it is true, were not numerous, but they were the converts of conviction or of perfuafion at least. Even fuch as rejected his doctrine, could not help efteeming the man, and wondering how fo much charity and benevolence could be united with. fo unmerciful a religion.' We pass over the events of Fenelon's life from this period to the year 1689, when, having juft completed the thirtyeighth year of his age, the king appointed him preceptor to the Duke of Burgundy, the prefumptive heir to the crown. Some of the most amiable and accomplished men in the kingdom were affociated with him, in forming the mind of a young prince, on whofe propenfities, whether good or evil, the fate of millions was afterwards to depend. The celebrated Fleury was fub preceptor; Langeron, the faithful friend of Fenelon, was reader, and Valois, an honest and learned Jefuit, was confeffor to the Duke of Burgundy. Among all the members of this affociation, the most perfect unanimity prevailed. They feemed actuated by one mind, and labouring only for one object, the improvement of their royal charge. Though the foil on which thefe virtuous fellow-labourers were employed was not ungrateful, it yet abounded with rank weeds, produced or cherished by early indulgence and flattery. The Duke of Burgundy, then in his eighth year, was quick, penetrating, and remarkably diligent for fo early an age, but he was alfo choleric, impetuous, haughty, and capricious. The good fenfe and tenderness of the instructors, as well as the elevated lank of their pupil, forbade the adoption of corporal chaftife chaftifement in eradicating his foibles. They ufed a more gentle and effectual method, which might perhaps in fome measure be introduced into every family, and into molt feminaries of private or public education. Whenever any thing deferving of reprehenfion appeared in the prince's conduct, a fevere filence prevailed throughout the householdeven the loweit domeftic was taught to fignify his difapprobation by a melancholy referve. The royal tranfgreffor, fenfible and ingenuous, abandoned thus to folitary reflection amidst the general gloom, foon bart into tears, and implored forgiveness, which was never fternly refuled. The vices of habit thus gradually corrected, thofe of temper were occafionally reproved with delicate raillery, or their deformity reflected from the moral mirrer of fome tale or fable. Sullennefs and obtinacy were noticed with more direct reprehenfion, and fometimes punished by the privation of an amufement or a favourite ftudy; for by their converfation, which was not lefs entertaining than inftructive, they had infpired him with fuch a relish for mental improvement, that the temporary fufpenfion of it became fomething more than a negative punishment. His ftudies were directed neither by constraint nor by rule. He was generally left to the guidance of his own tafte; but if they wished to direct his application to any particular branch of fcience, it was enough to introduce the fubject in a favourable light; he immediately became impatient to acquire it. The dry morality of the fchools was exploded by thofe judicious inftructors, and the charms of virtue were engraved on the tender mind of the pupil by the finger of tate. The most exalted virtues of humanity were agreeably exemplified to him from hiftory or fable. Even new works were produced, in order to inculcate thefe leffons with more facility and fuccefs; for this were compofed, the Dialogues of the Dead, and the Adventures of Tele machus*. Our readers will doubtlefs agree with us in thinking that this plan of education can never be praifed more than it deferves. Fenelon was rewarded for his fervices in forming the mind. of the young prince, first with the Abbey of St. Vallery, and afterward with the Archbishopric of Cambray. In the course of this biographic hiftory, we are brought acquainted with Madame Guyon, a woman of weak understanding and wild imagination. After the death of her husband, the gave herfelf up to exercifes of devotion, and indulged ftrange vilions of myftic and divine love. From the fafcination of youth and beauty, the pronenefs of the human mind to embrace error, and the unaccountable attachment which mankind generally difcover for mad people and for enthufiafts, Madame Guyon made many converts; and, among the reft, ftrange to relate, the new Archbishop of Cambray. Fenelon's biographer takes great pains to vindicate the partiality which he manifefted for this lady and her opinions: but, without altering the nature of things, it could hardly, one would imagine, be thought See anecdotes of this Prince, Rev. vol. Ixxx. p. 155, &c. decent decent in the Archbishop to encourage the maintainer of doctrines at once abfurd and fanatical; and which have a tendency to i flame thofe appetites and paffions which it is the object of religion and morality to regulate and restrain :-for that there was a portion of fenfuality in the devotion of Madame Guyon was never difputed by the rational part of the public; and, as the openly afferted her nuptials with Jefus Chrift, it would be difficult to defend her from the charge of impiety. Let us turn our eyes from this unfavourable part of the Archbishop's conduct, and follow him to his diocefe, where he fhone forth a bright example of piety and virtue. In the words of our author: His vifitorial and inftructive labours throughout fo large a diocefe were inceffant. In his diftribution of appointments and preferments, it is remarked that he never patronized a fingle perfon from the influence of the court, or of any great man whatever, but made learning and merit the fole recommendation to his favour; and in the courfe of his miniftry, he introduced to public notice and diftinction, a greater number of eminent literary characters, than the whole epifcopacy of France. Impartial and affable, yet ftrict in all the concerns of his diocefe, he infpired his vicars and inferior clergy with the fame benign and confcientious fentiments. The poor revered in him the active piety of the ecclefiaftic, and bleffed the difcerning liberality of the prince. They always had free accefs to him. He heard, pitied, and relieved their diftrefs. But his cares were not merely epifcopal. Temporal as well as religious beneficence was included in the wide fphere of his philanthropy. The fevere winter of 1709, having blafted the hopes of the husbandman, the French army in Flanders were greatly ditreffed in the fucceeding fummer, for the want of forage and magazines. The Archbishop of Cambray fet an example of patriotifm and humanity to the provinces around, in gratuitoufly fupplying the wants of thofe troops; thoufands of whom mult otherwife have fallen the famished victims of their fovereign's criminal ambition. Though Fenelon fincerely lamented that deftructive and unchriftian fpirit in Lewis XIV. he did every thing in his power to relieve the unhappy inftruments of it. After the hard fought battle at Malplaquet, he converted his palace and diocefan feminary into hofpitals for the wounded officers and foldiers: but these not being fuficient for all that stood in need of his humane affiftance, he hired houfes, in which he lodged and visited the rest with paternal tenderness and care. In the courfe of that ruinous war, his military guests were generally fucceeded by crowds of diftreft fugitives from the country, who, on the approach of an hoftile army, lought fecurity within the walls of Cambray. Neither the fqualid appearance of poverty, nor the contagious breath of difeafe, deterred him from perfonal attendance on the most loathfome objects among them. Furnished with cloathing, food, and medicine, at his expence, they alfo received daily confolation and inftruction from their noble benefactor.' This |