rived their strongest arguments against him. As he enlarged his reading to fupport this conteft, he ftill difcovered fome new abuse or error in the church of Rome; and finding his fentiments eagerly adopted, he was encouraged to proceed to more dangerous lengths, than he originally meditated; fo that by fermons, writings, and conferences, he daily augmented the number of his difciples. All Saxony, all Germany, all Europe, were foon filled with the voice of this daring innovator; and men, as if roufed from a long lethargy, began to question the most ancient and most received doctrines. The elector of Saxony favouring Luther's defigns, protected him from the violence of the papal refentment; the republic of Zurich even reformed their church according to his new model; many fovereigns of the empire fhewed a favourable difpofition to it; and Luther, naturally inflexible, could never be prevailed on, either by promifes or threats, to relinquish the glory of heading fo formidable an oppofition to papal tyranny, and of dictating religious faith and principles to multitudes. Henry VIII. of England, who had not then quarrelled with the pope, wrote a Latin treatife against the principles of Luther; for which Leo conferred on him the title of Defender of the Faith: Luther, without regard to the dignity of his antagonist, retorted fharply; and this treatment, added to the circumftance of his having publicly entered the lifts against him, were fufficient to withhold Henry from receiving his doctrines, when other motives might have fo difpofed him. Neverthelefs Henry's book, which for a king was not contemptible, and Luther's advantage over him in argument, gave the reformer fresh luftre, fo that the attention of mankind was ftill more turned to him; and the Lutheran doctrine gained new converts in every part of Europe. In 1524, Luther flung off the monaftic habit, and the year after married Catharine de Bore, a nun, who fometime before had escaped from her convent with eight more fifter profelytes to a tract he had wrote against vows of virginity: he confeffed, among other reafons, that this choice of a wife was partly made as concurring with his grand scheme of oppofing the catholics; and this fpiteful union was probably in her favour, by endearing her to him, for he found himself extremely happy in his conjugal ftate; efpecially when his wife brought him a fon, and he had three in all, Important as the events of Luther's life were in their confequences, our limits will not allow defcending to particulars. Keeping therefore to generals, it need only be added, that at the latter part of his life he had little to do but fit down and contemplate the mighty work he had effected! for fuch it might be deemed, that a fingle monk fhould give the haughty church of Rome fo rude a fhock, that there needed but fuch another to overfet it totally. The remainder of his life was spent in exhorting princes and ftates, and universities, to confirm the reformation; and in publishing from time to time fuch writings as might aid and encourage them fo to do. He died in 1546, and was buried at Wirtemburg with the greatest pomp that perhaps was ever beftowed on a private man: Melancthon pronounced his funeral oration. There is nothing extraordinary in Luther's character being reprefented in two very oppofite lights: one party foaming with rage, imputed to him all the vices of an infernal being; while the other, warmed with admiration and gratitude, afcribed to him perfections beyond human attainment. From his 2 conduct conduct we may however credit him with a zeal for truth, intrepidity in afferting it, abilities to fupport it, and industry in propagating it: his manners were pure even to aufterity; and his difinterestedness may be pleaded in favour of his fincerity: he left honours and emoluments to his difciples, remaining fatisfied with his original appointments of profeffor in the univerfity, and paftor of the town of Wirtemburg. It would have been strange if he had been exempt from the paffions of human nature, and his adverfaries put them to a fufficient trial; but he manifested no corruption or manevolence of heart; and we must always be just enough to eftimate men by the maxims and manners of their own times. In confequence of Luther's ftrenuous endeavours to expofe the crafty ufurpation of the church of Rome, the kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, England, Scotland, and nearly one half of Germany, renounced the jurifdiction of the pope; and in those countries which did not openly revolt, the difaffection broke out with different degrees of violence, or rankled fecretly. Lastly, befide difmembering the dominion of the Roman pontiff, he even effected a reformation in their fyftem of politics, and taught them to govern the nations that ftill adhered to them upon milder maxims, and with a more lenient hand.' Although we acknowledge the utility of this work, we can- ART. V. The Matter of Agiftment Tythe of unprofitable Stock, in the Giftment tythes are fuch as are due upon the pafturage of unprofitable cattle; and unprofitable cattle are fuch as, having neither been brought to the plough nor to the pail, yield no tytheable produce.-To thefe may be added sheep, from the time they are fhorn, to the time they are fold to the butcher, or otherwife difpofed of. What is most material to the clergy in the prefent cafe, is the mode of paying thefe tythes. Dean Watfon, and, if we mistake not, Gibson and Burn, and other writers of ecclefiaftical law, have propounded that the tenth of the total, or of the improved value, fhould be paid to the parfon, that is, if an ox bred by the farmer, and never used in the plough is brought to market, the tythe of what he is fold for fhall be paid; but if he has been brought A ar at I ев at a certain age and afterwards fold, the tenth of the improved value fhall then be paid. This was a vague and uncertain method; and, in fact, not founded on any legal principle. For it is not the tythe of the value of the cattle, (which might be more or less according to the skill or ignorance, the good or ill fortune of the farmer) which is due de jure to the parfon it is the tythe of the produce of the earth confumed during the time fuch cattle are kept in an unprofitable ftate, that is primarily and ab origine due. This then must be the mode of payment. A farmer breeds an ox, and at three years old fells him to a grazier for feven pounds.-According to the above-mentioned authorities, the parfon would be entitled to fourteen fhillings, but it shall appear that he is not; for, upon the fame principle, he would have been entitled to the tenth part of the carcafe, had the farmer killed him,— whereas he could have no fuch right, his claim being founded exclufively on the tenth of the produce confumed by the animal. He must therefore be paid thus, Tenth 0 10 When the ox is in the hands of the grazier, a fecond tythe arifes, probably to another parfon in another parish. He keeps him twenty weeks and fells him to the butcher for ten guineas. The improved value is 3. 10 s. but the parfon fhall not be intitled to feven fhillings for agiftment tythe; for then he would avail himself of the fkill, addrefs and judgment of the grazier, who, for ought he knows, may have over-reached the butcher, and fold the animal for more than he will yield. It is the tenth of the price of keeping him twenty weeks that he may claim, which amounting to forty fhillings, leaves him four. And fo it is with respect to colts and other animals coming under this denomination; and this is the legal and equitable mode of payment. The matter, however, is not fo clearly fet forth in this pamphlet. L.. ART. VI. The Fingal of Ofian, an ancient Epic Poem, in Six Books. Tranflated from the original Gallic Language by Mr. James Macpherfon, and now rendered into Heroic Verfe. By Ewen Cameron. 4to. 15 s. Boards. Robfon. 1777. O SSIAN is fallen with the mighty. His beard is like the thistle of the paftures, when the northwind whiftleth on the hills. Ewen hath mowed it with his cutlafs, as the wild goat goat croppeth the flower. The beard of Offian was as the foam of waters, white with the multitude of moons. The thin down ftreameth through the air;-it falleth on the hunter in the morning, when the red dog howleth on the heath. He moveth it not from his cloak. The beard of Offian was facred! Dire was thy cutlafs, Ewen, Ewen of recent times : Dire was thy cutlafs, Ewen, Ewen that coupleft rhymes. So much by way of dirge on this melancholy occafion! We fhall now attend to the ancient bard's misfortunes in humble profe. An attempt to reduce the defultory manner and wild measures of Offian's poetry to the tame and regular march of the couplet, fhewed fuch an entire want of tafte and judgment, that we could not poffibly hope any thing from this performance, and, of courfe, we were not disappointed. On perufing the first couplet, By Tura's lofty wall Cuthullin lay, Beneath the fhadow of a rustling tree [tray]. We concluded that the tranfpofer had written in blank verfe, but we foon found that this was nothing but the Brogue [for the Brogue is not peculiar to Ireland] of which here are many curious inftances: Innumerable foes the land invade, And Swaran feems determin'd to fucceed [fuccade]. Bright from their fides of fteel a thousand beams [bames] We have proceeded no farther than the fifteenth page, yet might we, furely, without impeachment of our candour or 'mercy, pafs fentence on the book without opening another fheet-But in publications of confiderable fize and expence, we generally fuffer an arreft of judgment, and in compaffion to a poet's pocket, at leaft, try all we can to fave him. To proceed, then ; Mean time afcends the crashing din of arms, The gray dogs howl amidit the loud alarms. This is a happy mixture of the fublime and the familiar, and conveys a perfect idea of a battle between two butchers' dogs and their mafters (which is not rarely the cafe) at the fame time. Roar through the pride of Lochlin's thick array, And routed drive them headlong to the fea [fay]. This is addreffed to a chief, previous to his attacking the enemy; and neither is the language nor the idea common; for he is taught to attack them with roaring. Now this implies a fimilitude, which, being barely understood, heightens the furprize. The latitude of the idea too is extenfive; the chief may attack them either as an hyæna, a bull, a lion, or an afs: For For novelty's fake, which is the foul of the furprifing, we will fuppofe the laft. Fatigu'd, reply'd the chief, I ftepp'd in here. An inftance of the easy and familiar-I ftepp'd in, Mistress, to warm my fingers and my toes. Concerning a difpute between two heroes for a pied bull, the Author fays, About this beaft arofe fuch fierce debate, That often fword in hand the heroes met. This, too, is eafy and familiar, but feems to be exceeded in that way by the following, For I a valiant chief nam'd Comal knew, Who inadvertently his miftrefs flew. As the poetical gardener faid of the ftatues of Cephalus and Procris, He bent his bow and shot at random, And kill'd his wife for a memorandum. Mr. Macpherson endeavoured to make Homer speak like the English Offian; this Writer has attempted to make Offian fpeak like the English Homer: both have failed: but fome refpect was due to the former, as to a man of genius, whose labour was mifemployed; the latter, equally void of talents and taste, has no claim to our attention. * ** A former tranflation of Fingal was published in 1772; fee Review, vol. xlvii. p. 71. Of this, a new edition has juft made its appearance. It is by no means fo defective a performance as the work which is the subject of the present Article; but we cannot give it our approbation. ART. VII. The Goat's Beard: A Fable. 4to. 1 s. 6 d. Dodfley. F 1777. ABULISTS, in verfe or profe, are moral preachers. The text of the fermon before us lies in the 4th book and 14th chapter of Phædrus, where it is thus written: Barbam Capellæ quum impetrâffent ab Jove, Quod dignitatem fœminæ æquâffent fuam ; Hoc argumentum monet ut fuftineas tibi The purport of the above Fable is this. When the She-goats had, by their intreaties, obtained of Jupiter the privilege of having Beards as well as the Males, the He-goats grew angry; and complained, that he had degraded their dignity by admitting the females to equal honours with themselves. Το |