the fuperficial fophifts of the new school in France, and their humble imitators. Doctor Paley, fpeaking of Grotius's claffical quotations, had faid, "To propose them as ferious arguments; gravely to attempt to establish or fortify a moral duty by the teftimony of a Greek or Roman poet, is to trifle with the attention of the reader, or rather to take it off from all juft principles of reafoning in morals." Grotius, fays our author, quotes the opinions of poets or orators, of hiftorians and philofophers, not as thofe of judges, but "as witneffes, whofe confpiring teftimony, mightily ftrengthened and confirmed by their difcordance on almoft every other fubject, is a conclufive proof of the unanimity of the whole human race on the great rules of duty and the fundamental principles of morals. On fuch matters, poets and orators are the most unexceptionable of all witneifes; for they addrefs themfeives to the general feelings and fympathies of mankind; they are neither warped by fyftems, nor perverted by fophiftry; they can attain none of their objects; they can neither please nor perfuade, if they dwell on moral fentiments not in unifon with those of their readers." But Grotius's work is liable, the author obferves, to a more ferious objection, though not before made : He has inverted "His method is inconvenient and unfcientific. the natural order. That natural order undoubtedly dictates that we fhould first fearch for the original principles of the fcience in human nature; then apply them to the regulation of the conduct of individuals; and, laftly, employ them for the decifion of thofe difficult and complicated questions that arife with refpect to the intercourfe of nations. But Grotius has chofen the reverfe of this method. He begins with the confideration of the ftates of peace and war, and he examines original principles only occafionally and incidentally, as they grow out of the queftions which he is called upon to decide. It is a neceffary confequence of this diforderly method, which exhibits the elements of the fcience in the form of fcattered digreffions, that he feldom employs fufficient difcuffion on thefe fundamental truths, and never in the place where fuch a difcution would be most instructive to the reader." Mr. Mackintosh next proceeds to Puffendorff, who, without the genius of his mafter, and with very inferior learning, has yet treated the subject with found fenfe, with clear method, with accurate and extenfive knowledge, and with a copioufnefs of detail, though fomewhat tedious, always inftructive. His treatife is a mine in which all his fucceffors muit dig. Neither the work of Grotius, nor of Puffendorff, has fuperceded the neceffity of a new attempt to lay before the public a Syftem of the Law of Nations. In the first place, the language of fcience is fo completely changed, in what both Grotius and Puffendorff have written, that their philofophical vocabularies are unintelligible to many, even literary readers; or, if intelligible, not fo without a labour beftowed on the expreffion which ought to be exclufively devoted to the subject. In modern times a more modeft, fimple, and intelligible philofophy has enabled us "to difcufs with precifion, and to explain with clearnefs, the principles of the science of human nature, which are in themfelves on a level with the capacity of every man of good fenfe, and which only appeared to be abftrufe from the unprofitable fubtleties with which they were loaded, and the barbarous jargon in which they were expreffed." Since that time, also, vaft additions have been made to our stock of knowledge of human nature.— "We can," fays the eloquent and philofophical author, "examine almost every imaginable variety in the character, manners, opinions, feelings, prejudices, and inftitutions of mankind, into which they can be thrown, either by the rudeness of barbarism, or by the capricious corruptions of refinement, or by thofe innumerable combinations of circumstances which, both in these oppofite conditions, and in all the intermediate ftages between them, influence or direct the course of human affairs. Hiftory, if I may be allowed the expreffion, is now a vaft museum, in which fpecimens of every variety of human nature may be ftudied. From the great acceffions to knowledge, law-givers, and ftatefinen, but, above all, moralifts, and political philofophers, may reap the most important inftruction." In the prefent century, a flow and filent, but very fubftantial mitigation, has taken place in the practice of war, and very great improvements have become part of the law of nations. In the fame period many important points of public law have been contefted. Recent events have accumulated more practical inftruction on every fubject of politics than could have been, in other times, acquired by the experience of ages. Even the fundamental rules of moralifts themselves, have, for the first time, unfortunately for mankind, become the fubject of doubt and difcuffion. # 66 By the recent difcoveries of travellers and navigators; by the extended intercourfe with remote nations, and the refearches of philofophers into the ancient state of thofe countries which have preferved Literary monuments. Ex. gr. the efforts of Sir William Jones." NO. VIII. VOL. II. U "From "From thefe reflections," fays the author, it appears, that fince the compofition of those two great works on the Law of Nature and Nations, which continue to be the claffical standard works on that fubject, we have gained both more convenient instruments of reafoning, and more extenfive materials for fcience; that the code of war has been enlarged and improved; that new questions have been practically decided; and that new controverfies have arifen regarding the intercourfe of independent ftates, and the firft principles of morality and civil government." His obfervations on Puffendorff, he observes, will apply to Wolfius: : "No writer," he obferves, "fince the time of Grotius, of Puffendorff, and of Wolf, has combined an inveftigation of the principles of natural and public law, with a full application of thefe principles to particular cafes; and, in thefe circumftances, I truft, it will not be deemed extravagant prefumption in me, to hope that I fhall be able to exhibit a view of this fcience, which fhall, at leaft, be more intelligible and attractive to students than the learned treatifes of these celebrated men. I fhall now proceed to ftate the general plan and fubjects of the lectures in which I am to make this attempt." We are perfectly convinced that a work on the propofed fubject is very much wanting, to complete moral and political fcience; and, from our previous knowledge of Mr. Mackintofh's powers, as friends to literature and philofophy, we rejoiced to hear that he was about to undertake fuch a task: now that we have read this work, and examined his reafons, we are more ftrongly than ever impreffed with the importance of the object. The erudition, the genius, and the wifdom of the author; but, for our opinion, and its grounds, we fhall have an ample field of illuftration in confidering the plan of the work, which fhall be the fubject of our next ART. VII. A Collection of Trifles in Verfe. By the Rev. Edward Charles Stewart, A. M. Rector of Wakes Colne, Effex, and Chaplain to the Earl of Upper Offory. 4to. Pp. 98. Burkitt, Sudbury, 1797 N the author of this collection we recognize a writer, from whofe profe publications we have, at different times, received both pleafure and inftruction. Nor are his poetical effufions lefs calculated to amufe and to improve the mind. His mufe, when light, airy, and sportive, displays no small portion portion of wit, humour, and claffical tafte; and, when ferious, combines, with poetic fire, the higher excellence of feeling, gratitude, and piety. We fhall felect fome fpecimens, both grave and gay, in fupport of our judgement. Our first extract is taken from an epiftle to Mr. Burke, on his celebrated Reflections written in 1791. "Price thanks his God, that he has liv'd to fee And new-born knowledge lighting all mankind; "When in God's houfe the venerable Secr "And canft thou, hypocrite, with tongue profane And change, what fcarce impiety would dare, When two brave youths, by rebels doom'd to die, And ftuck on pointed fpears each well-known head He, fallen king, his agonizing queen, And helpless infants form'd a dreadful scene. A band of female fiends around them throng, Six lingering hours of torture and diftrefs, "Is this a theme for triumph? fhall we raife } Aim'd Aim'd at his blafphemy a mortal blow, Laid the vile preacher and his doctrines low. "In this free country, where we wifely prate I do not like the conduct of this play. Her fond "remember twelve" and tender fears, Soon as the precious fecret is her own, And leaves, while fhe preferves a worthless fire, "Such is their fecrecy, and fuch the way, In which the fair our confidence repay. } You'll find where Sampfon fhew'd more strength than wit; "Indeed all authors, facred and prophane, Faft from your lips let gentle nothings flow, By any female, widow, wife, or maid."-P. 44.-45. We fhall conclude our extracts with a copy of verfes fent to Mr. Burke, on the lofs of his fon, foon after the author himself had sustained a fimilar lofs, which he appears to have felt as a man, and to have borne as a Chriftian. May heaven in mercy blessings pour On Burke's declining years, Peace to his wounded mind restore, |
