Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

the antient edifice, as better adapted to the purpose of public worship; which, poffibly, is faying little more than that antiquity presents an appearance fomething more venerable and folemn than what is recent and modern: but be it remembered that things must be new before they can be old.

No engravings accompany this work.

A pretty quotation from Addifon, which Mr. P. has chofen for a motto, may ferve as a proper conclufion for this article: "When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate defire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents on a tomb-ftone, my heart melts with compaffion; when I fee the tombs of parents themselves, I confider the vanity of grieving for those whom we must quickly follow."

ART, VII. A Syftem of Divinity, in a Courfe of Sermons; on the Firft Inftitutions of Religion; on the Being and Attributes of God; on fome of the most important Articles of the Christian Religion in Connection; and on the feveral Virtues and Vices of Mankind: with occafional Difcourfes. Being a Compilation from the best Sentiments of the polite and found Divines, both ancient and modern, on the fame Subjects, properly connected with Improvements particularly adapted for Families and Students in Divinity. Vol. I. By the Rev. W. Davy, A. B. 8vo. PP. 327. leigh, Devon. Printed by himself, pro bono publico. 1795.

TH

Luft

'HIS volume is offered to the public under peculiar circumftances. It is a fpecimen of a republication of a systematic courfe of fermons compiled from various authors, which made its appearance in the year 1786. The compiler, as appears from the title, is himself the printer of the prefent edition; and he iffues forty copies, only, of this volume, in order to learn how far the public is likely to encourage the completion of his defign. From our account of the first publication in the Rev. for June 1787, our readers will perceive that we approved of the practical nature of the compilation, and were difpofed to encourage the editor to expect a favourable reception from the public. We learn, however, from a Latin addrefs to the reader, that the fuccefs of the first publication has been fo far from correfponding with the author's expectations, that many, very many, of those whofe names appeared in the lift of fubfcribers have not yet paid their fubfcription. This circumftance, with fubfequent expences, has involved Mr. Davy in difficulties, which will render it imprudent for him to proceed, without the folid fupport of a diftinguished and liberal subscription, or other BENEFICEnt affiftance.' Whether the peculiarly delicate hint, thus given in eight-tenths of a word, will be thrown away,

13

ог

or whether the editor will be furnished by any other means with the neceffary aid, we cannot predict :-nor would we difcourage any laudable undertaking:-but it would be unkindness to the worthy editor not to tell him, in plain terms, that his type is too bad, and his skill in the art of printing too defective, to leave him any hope of fending out the work with credit from his own prefs. It must also be added that the fpecimens of style given in the prefatory addreffes, both Latin and English, and the new matter which is pretty freely hazarded in these fermons, will not be likely to prejudice the reader in the editor's favour; neither are the fubjects, except the laft, of a kind particularly adapted to attract attention. The fermons in this volume are, on baptifm in general; on re-generation in baptism; on infant baptifm ; on confirmation; on the being of God.

ART. VIII. A Tour to Milford Haven, in the Year 1791. By Mrs. Morgan. 8vo. pp. 439. 7s. 6d. Boards. Stockdale. 1795. A LTHOUGH this volume be not remarkable for elegance of style, nor for uncommon acuteness of observation, it may be read with pleasure and advantage. The fair writer feems to poffefs a talent for defcription, and a tafte for the beauties of nature, joined to great fenfibility of temper and difpofition. Good fenfe, chearfulness, and philanthropy, pervade the whole work; and Mrs. Morgan has a vivacity and good humour in her manner, which engage the attention and frequently in tereft the heart of the reader.

The following incidental observations on the admired story of John Gilpin do honour to the writer's difcernment, at the fame time that they strongly indicate a mind liberal, generous, and humane :

How any thing that is the cause of uneasiness to one human being can occafion pleasure to another, was always aftonishing to me, ever fince I came to be capable of reflecting, or of making a comparison between one fituation in life and another. I have often feen people, not deficient either in good fenfe or good nature, fit at their windows in London, and amufe themselves for hours, by watching the citizens of both fexes, as they went home dripping wet after taking their weekly walk in the park, or making their Sunday's vifit to a friend; but one circumitance furprizes me even more than that, which is, that Mr. Cowper, who fays, he would not give pain to any thing breathing, and who proves himself, in every line he writes, to be alive to all the minute delights of social and domestic life, could fo far forget what belongs to thofe feelings, as to hold out poor John Gilpin, (whether he be a real or imaginary character it matters not,) as an object of ridicule; and for what reafon? Because he was fo unfortunate as to meet with many accidents, in the first day's relaxation from business that he had taken for twenty years. What adds to the impropriety,

impropriety, I had almost faid the cruelty, of raising a laugh at his expence, is, that even those difafters were occafioned by his attention to bufinefs, his œconomy in borrowing a horfe rather than be at the expence of hiring one, and his not being too proud to carry the bottles of wine himself: for these things, which in fober profe a tradefman of John Gilpin's order ought to be commended for practifing, he is made the laughing-ftock of his neighbours, and the joke of a whole kingdom; and to heighten the folly of his character, he is defirous too that his wife and children fhould partake of his pleafure. You will deem one too ferious, when I affert, that this poem, innocent as it may feem, is capable of doing a great deal of harm, in an age where perfons in bufinefs are much more cenfurable for an aukward imitation of fashionable life, than they are for too strict an attention to their fhops; it may make many an honeft citizen afhamed to return back to ferve a good cuftomer, to borrow a horse of a neighbour, or to take his wife and children out with him, from the mere dread of being called John Gilpin, who had no fault, that I can fee, but that of not going out of his fphere.'

A fimilar turn of fentiment prevails in this lady's obfervations on the romance of Don Quixote; concerning which the obferves (and the remark does honour to her feelings,) that, with refpect to that hero's mistakes and confequent diftreffes, fhe was always affected with tenderness by those parts at which others profeffed to laugh the most heartily.'

In the fifth letter, we have a very pleafing description of Sandleford near Newbury, the feat of Mrs. Montague; and the fixth contains a character of that celebrated lady, with her habits and mode of life.

Five letters are filled with a defcription of Oxford and Blenheim, places too well known to render an extract neceffary. The account of Malvern wells, in the 16th letter, is on the whole juft: though we are of opinion that Mrs. M. rather degrades the fine profpect from thofe hills over a fertile, variegated, and highly cultivated country, by comparing it to a map. The 19th letter, which contains an account of the journey from Brecknock to Trecaftle, will give the reader a favourable fpecimen of the work.

• The afternoon looked rather lowering, and fomewhat like rain; but we thought a ten-mile ftage, and that very fine road, would foon be run over: fo off we fet: we had not gone above two miles, before the fky grew thick, and dropt fmall rain; we debated whether we fhould not return; for though the road was good, it was extremely hilly, and we knew not a ftep of the way; however, our evil genius prompted us to proceed: every yard we drove the heavens darkened, and it rained more heavily; instead of its being only ten miles, it appeared to us to be twenty; and we began to fear we were got out of the road.

We travelled about feven miles in this miferable manner, the rain beating in upon us fo much, that we were entirely wet through. I

had

had ftrained my eye-balls till they were ready to drop out, in watching for mile-ftones; even that poor confolation was now denied me; for the sky became totally dark on a fudden. The rain fell in torrents; and the wind blew fo violently it was difficult for Mr. M. to keep the reins in his hand. While we were in this deplorable condition, we felt ourfelves defcending fome fteep place, and could just perceive that there was a great number of trees below us; we believed that we were going down a precipice into a deep dell, for in this country there are many of them, where the wood grows prodigiously thick; in our distress we doubted whether we ought not to stop on the spot where we then were, and wait till day-light.

At this critical moment, to add to our terrors, we heard the clinking of chains. We did not expect a ghoft; yet in such a fituation it would have been almoft pardonable if we had; however, we proceeded flowly, expecting the event in awful filence. As the noile approached, we thought we heard the found of wheels and the feet of horfes. We then concluded there must be fome being in the carriage. It might be the coach of death, drawn by horfes without heads, or witches driving through the air, delighting themselves with the horrid ftorm they had railed: but whether they were fpirits of health, or goblins damned, we refolved to fpeak to them; and Mr. M. called out, as loud as he could, how far is it to Trecaftle? Nobody anfwered. He again called, how far is it to Trecaffle? Still all was filent as the grave: but as fpirits must be hailed thrice, he called the third time, how far is it to Trecastle? when a poor harmless Welfhman, who had not heard for the noife of the elements, and who did not perfectly understand our language, replied in half Welsh and half English, "Tree milfh, tree milfh."

Though at that juncture the found of a human voice was mafic in our ears, yet having three miles more to go funk my fpirits to the lowest ebb; but I had the fortitude not to utter any complaints, because I knew they would be fruitlefs, and only tend towards making Mr. M. more unable to attend to the horse. It was fo extremely dark that we could not see the animal, or even our own hands, when we put them out of the chaife; but we took courage on meeting this waggoner. The noife which to us appeared fo alarming and fo melancholy, was nothing more than the rattling of the chains of the waggon, and the precipice we feared was a prodigious fteep hill, by the fide of which was really a deep dell full of trees; but we providentially got fafe to the bottom of the hill without approaching the dell. We refolved to encounter no more fuch untried dangers, and agreed to ftop at the first cottage we came to, and beg the people to take us in; if they had not a bed for us, they might at least be prevailed on to make a fire to dry our cloaths, and let us fit by it till the form abated, or till the morning arrived.

We had not gone far before we efpied the wifhed-for afylum. This was easily difcernable, though the night was fo dark; for all the cottages in Wales are perfectly white, the flates on the roof as well as every other part of them, and may be feen at a confiderable distance, which is of infinite ufe to travellers. They have often appeared fo luminous, that I have taken them for the moon fuddenly

burfling

[ocr errors]

bursting from behind a cloud. We stopt, and called very loud, but here again no foul answered; and having called repeatedly, till our throats were dry, we were obliged to fet forward again.

After driving tree milfh, we faw a glimmering light a confiderable diftance off. Had a diamond of the first water fhone before me, I fhould scarcely have thought it worth ftooping for, of so much more value did the light, which this little candle afforded, appear in my

eyes.

• As we drew near the houfe to which it directed us, we conjectured it to be the inn we were bound for. Mr. M. who had been there fome years ago, recollected that there was a dangerous defcent not far from it, and therefore thought it most prudent once more to halt upon plain ground, and make another effort to get affiftance, by calling to the people within; but, contrary to the driver of the waggon or the cottagers, before we called, the minute they heard the foot of a horfe, three or four people ran out, crying "Stop! ftop! for God's fake ftop! don't come any farther without a light, or you will be over." A beautiful nut-brown girl, about twelve years old, ran through the mud in the pouring rain, without hat or cloak, and laid hold of the reins, whilft another of two or three and twenty, thrufting her neck forward and peeping into the chaife, exclaimed,

[ocr errors]

Dear madam, how glad I am you are come, and that we heard you before you went down the hill! I am fure you would have been fadly frightened if you had; we have got a charming fire for you, and a nice fupper; I was fo glad to hear your voice, you can't think it." You can hardly conceive how much I was aftonished to receive this kind of falutation from a perfon whofe face I could not at all recognize. At the first inftant I believed that fome of our friends had either fent their domeftics to our comfort, or apprized the people of the inn of our coming; but I immediately recollected it was impoffible this should be the cafe, for there was not a perfon in the world who knew our intention of being at Trecastle that night; or if they had, how fhould they have forefeen the ftorm, and all the confequent difficulties it would occafion us? The little girl led the chaife round to the door by a gradual defcent.

[ocr errors]

We alighted, wet and numbed with the cold, and found as they told us, a charming fire in a very fpacious old-fashioned parlour. The damfels ran about with all the chearfulness and alacrity imaginable to dry our cloaths, and get us fome refreshment. We fupped upon a very large ham, which was rather falt, and not very delicate; neither did I much relifh the bread and butter, but it was the beft they had; and it would be the height of ingratitude to find fault with any thing, where kindness and humanity were fo predominant. I was fo fatigued last night, that I could scarcely fpeak, to exprefs my fatisfaction at their treatment of us; but this morning I did not omit to admire a fire-fcreen in my bed room, that was compofed of feathers the good girls had put together with great pains.

The walls were ornamented with fome very old portraits. The communicative girl told me they were likenefies of the former poffeffors of the house, which in days of yore belonged to a great and rich Welsh family. This was probably fact, and that they lived in

folitary

« AnteriorContinuar »