ing, by their having an equivalent given them for the losses they then sustained at the time of making the Union. If therefore the populace have been very blameable in this affair, those who were chiefly concerned in it, will, in all probability, be punished, which will make the people more careful for the future; and I question not but this will be done in such manner as will implant in the minds of the nation a reverence, not an aversion, of the present Government. Thus much, Sir, as to the tumult at Edinburgh, and the spirit of the Scots. Turn we now to the present state of that nation, and the advantages she enjoys. In order to have a right idea of these matters, we must cast our eyes back on the state of Scotland, before its kings became monarchs of the whole island, and its state since, to the Union of the two kingdoms. The ancient kings of Scotland were not absolute, 'tis true, but the major part of their subjects were far from being free. The lairds of Scotland resembled in those days the noblesse of Poland; that is, they had too much liberty, and their vassals scarce any: These, with the nobility, awed their sovereigns, and oppressed the people: Citizens and tradesmen grew by degrees considerable, but it was by slow degrees; for trade for a long time was thought dishonourable here, as it still is in Poland. Their wars with England kept them almost in continual ferment, and their leagues with France did them, as a nation, little service, whatever use they might be of to their kings and to some of the prime nobility. These distractions, together with the troubles about religion, lasted as long as the Scots had a Sovereign among them; occasion'd Queen Mary's flying for shelter into England, and made King James uneasy till he was called to the succes sion of this crown. During the reign of this monarch there were continual jars at court between the Scotch and English favourites; and in Scotland there being neither court nor army to awe them, cabals were formed against the Government, and of consequence the people were diverted from pursuing their true interest, and made the tools of a few artful and wicked men. Whoever would have a just idea of those times, must read the Scotch and English historians of all perswasions; and if he would penetrate still farther, he must peruse the original letters and private memoirs of persons who lived under that reign, particularly those of the Viscount St Alban's, Sir William Drummond of Hathornden, and the political tracts of the famous Osborne. The life of King Charles the First was spent in beholding the miseries of his native country; an enthusiastic passion for liberty distracted the major part of the nation, and a romantic loyalty turned the heads of the rest: Never were civil wars more cruel than those in Scotland; never was a country more effectually ruined by its inhabitants than it: Cromwell's conquest, which the Scots looked on as the last stroke of their destruction, proved an advantage to them: Monk's administration did them much more good than they knew how to do themselves: He is generally characterized as a man of slow parts; but it is certain, that while he govern'd Scotland, he shewed himself to be a person of strict justice, and of the greatest humanity. On the Restoration, things quickly went wrong in this kingdom; the Episcopal party were elate, and the Presbyterians were discontented; the Cameronians were distracted, and began to commit the greatest outrages, under colour of godly zeal. The truth of this will appear from Bishop Bur net's Dialogues; which, though the least common, are far from being the least valuable of his writings. The Duke of Lauderdale and his brother's administration encreased the dissensions in that kingdom, which, instead of being appeased by the presence of the Duke of York, were thereby carried to the utmost height. The scandalous proceedings against the Earl of Argyle, for barely expressing the sense in which he took an obscure oath, amazed the nation in general: The executions which followed on the Duke of York's becoming king, had no better effect; and as to the spirit which reigned at the Revolution, I have given you an instance of it already. In the reign of King William, the Scotch finding themselves a little at ease, began to think of trade: In consequence of which, they set up an India Company, and settled a colony at Darien, both under the sanction of Parliament; and yet the king was prevailed upon to send such orders to the West Indies, as defeated the de signs of the former, and miserably ruined the latter. There was scarce a family in that part of this island, which did not lose some of its substance, and some of its members, in this unfortunate business; which, however, produced this good, that it made way for an equivalent in the next reign, as that did for the Union. From this sketch of the Scottish history, it is clear, that, as a nation, they were never in thriving circumstances till the year 1707; because they never enjoyed till then an uninterrupted peace, or settled form of Government. Besides the advantages derived to them from the act of Union, they have reaped high emoluments from various laws made by the parliaments of Great Britain, in the late and in the present reign. Glascow is become the third trading city in this island; and there are several ports in North Britain which have more trading vessels belonging to them at this day, than belonged to the whole kingdom at the demise of Queen Elizabeth. The estates of gentlemen in the south and west of Scotland are so much changed within these thirty years, that one would think there was an alteration in their soil and climate; in a word, it is only those who are unacquainted with Scotland, that look upon it now as a poor or a barbarous country: Its native commodities are as valuable as those of its neighbours; and its highlanders are, perhaps, the most civiliz'd peasants upon earth. I have dwelt the longer upon this subject, because, by an unaccountable fatality, we know less at London of the state of Scotland and Ireland, than of Iceland or Japan. besides, a thousand prejudices, false sentiments, improper feelings, and wise rules misapplied, which fly loose both in books and conversation, and which, perhaps, can be best hit in this manner; and even an assailant, who comes against us with more formida ble preparation, may chance to receive a stunning blow from a hand dexterous to sling the smooth stone. It is required only that weapons of this kind, either for defence or attack, make up in impetus or solidity, in point or in polish, for what they want in bulk and quantity. From the Pro verbs of Solomon to Rochefoucault's Maxims, we have various works which are proofs either of the usefulness of collections of this kind of remark, or at least of the estimation in which they are held. They seldom occur, I fancy, to persons who look for them on purpose, viewing human life în this respect like viewing nature. To those who remain at home, or within a narrow range of the same scenes, every thing is so uniform, as seldom to communicate a new impression. It is, when you look from lofty eminences and distant points, that, besides what is under your eye different from the common view, the most familiar scenes present themselves with new aspects and in new relations. It was when engaged in interesting speculations of a very different nature, that many of the remarks which I have been in the habit of writing down, occurred to me on the most common subjects. In these occupations the mind has sometimes an elasticity and activity which every thing excites, when the most trite repetition in conversation suggests to you a new thought, the most frequently recurring incident a singular association. I hope some day to write a book. But a person who is building a house may have fragments and spare materials to dispose of, for which he finds not use in his plan. I have by me a small collection of this kind, of which I send you a specimen. If it serve your purpose, I may afterwards at different times send you more. My collection consists of remarks, moral, political, critical, in short, on love and murder, and religion, and every subject. I shall send you those which I think most suitable to your work. I am, &c. SYLVANUS. Maxims and Reflections. It requires no Attila to make war the scourge of God. He who does his work keeps pace with time. Procrastinate enjoyment if you please, not duty. There is no name which so much excites the idea of a state destitute, and an object of compassion, as that of an orphan. And yet such are many parents, that it would have been the greatest blessing that could have befallen their children, to have been left orphans. He is a wretched economist who grudges the seed, a wretched spendthrift who throws away the harvest. Nature has denied to woman the power of asking, because man could not refuse her. The mole sits under his heap, and feasts on the worm. It is nothing to him that he bury the precious seed, or root up the sweet flower, or that he see not the beauteous sky. Such is the man sunk in mean gratifications. The lottery cheats many to give to a few: it robs industry, skill, temperance, content, to give to the love of idleness, to discontent, and luxury. It separates its gifts from all qualification to enjoy them. It gives an unnatural force to extravagant desires, by seeming to make that accessible which is not so by any proper channel. If a man marry a woman without knowing what she has, so much the better, without knowing what she is, so much the worse. There is a perseverance arising from stupidity, which, like the butterfly trying to get through a glass window, perceives not the impossibility of its suc cess. Why are our fine folks so fond of cottages? Is it that they are delighted with innocence and retirement? that they wish to associate with the cottager in sharing their feasts with him or in soothing his toil? With other things suited to the cottage style, recollect that pride, and ostentation, and luxury, are here quite out of taste. Unless peace and content dwell under it, in vain you will have the thatch roof. Peasant, retaliate on those who thus assume the mock appearance of your state. Cultivate the blessings of religion, of innocence and pure affection, and your cottage will become a palace far richer than most of those abodes which bear the name. How much will it add to society to remove, by the progress of truth, the prejudices which so often insulate virtuous and intelligent minds? At present, how near and how long may such persons live together without in tercourse? To be interesting, the face of youth must shew capacity; of the man acquisition. In morals the good man is the gentleman; he is always well dressed. A man of loose morals may in some things act well, and occasionally appear to advantage. He is a holiday beau; but his common attire is shabby. Worse than dirty linen, or a coat out at elbows, some vitious habit or propensity, or some offensive sentiment, is always betraying the inferiority of his cast. The cry and the depredations of the hawk interrupt not long the harmony of the fields and the wood. The blessings and the beauty of nature soon prevail over fear and loss. Many a sad tale might the lark, and linnet, and redbreast tell, and yet pleasure and love only breathe in their song. Art thou less grateful Philomel, or dost thou love more? It would be a small thing to me to possess the cap of Fortunatus, giving me only the power of transporting myself through present scenes. I must view those of every age; I must visit Eden and the patriarchs; I must witness the fall of the tyrant in the Red Sea, and his ruin prepared by the fall of the patriots of Thermopylæ. Still more do I feel interested in looking forward to times when the efforts of all the good and wise shall have their full effect. If marriage were, indeed, a lottery, considering how many of the blessings of life are independent of matrimony, and how much a bad wife may spoil them all, the chance of a good wife would scarcely be worth the risk of a bad. But it is where money, rank, or beauty, are the chief objects of preference that a good wife is a matter of chance, and such a man, if he get one, is luckier than he deserves to be. Old age, even 66 twafald o'er a rung," may have pleasures better than all the joys which youth boasts and so greedily pursues. Take care, that, in the ea gerness to seize those of the one period, you prevent not those of the other. 1818. Review.-Bright's Travels through Lower Hungary. 543 REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. Travels from Vienna through Lower Hungary; with some Remarks on the State of Vienna during the Congress, in the year 1814. By RICHARD BRIGHT, M. D. Edinburgh, Constable and Co. 1818. 4to. His THIS book is full of information respecting a country of which little has hitherto been made known to the public, but with the aspect and statistics of which we may now consider ourselves to be almost as well acquainted as with the most familiar provinces of Scotland or England. If we have any fault, indeed, to find with the work before us, it is, perhaps, that its information is somewhat too minute, and more than we care to receive about a people in whom we do not take To the any very profound interest. general reader, this circumstance may, in some degree, hurt its popularity, and he will regret it the more, that the ingenious author is so well qualified, whenever he finds a congenial subject, to bring it out in the most pleasing and engaging manner. whole account of Vienna, and of the Congress, is exceedingly entertaining, and, whenever he has occasion to describe the scenery or the inhabitants of Hungary, nothing can be more lively or picturesque. But, when he gets into that country, unfortunately, "his talk is" too much" of oxen. His love of knowledge, and the benevolent sympathy of his nature, lead him with so much keenness into all the little economical arrange ments of one Graf and another Graf, and he details at so much length every thing that can be told about their sheep, cattle, and buffaloes, that we somewhat lose our interest in the thread of his narrative. This, however, may, in truth, be the most useful part of the work, and it may only be exposing our ignorance to speak as We have no we have now done. doubt, indeed, that its statistical merits will very soon be discovered, and that the accuracy and extent of its information on the agriculture, the mines, and the political state of Hup, VOL. II. gary, will often be referred to as the highest authority on these subjects, and as replete with important practical hints for the behoof of other nations. We believe, at the same time, that we shall please our readers better by avoiding these details entirely, as it is impossible, that, within our short bounds, we could give them with any good effect, and by presenting them rather with one or two of those gay or interesting pictures of society and manners with which Dr Bright has enlivened the more substantial matter of his volume. We first find him in Vienna, and among the royal personages of the Congress. On the very evening of his arrival, he visited a place of public amusement called the Redoute, where, he was told, that, in all probability, he would see many of the distinguished persons at that time in the Imperial city. "We entered the room about nine o'clock in the evening. It is a magnifice nt saloon, finely lighted, surrounded by a gal lery, and forming a part of the large pile of building called the Bourg or Imperial Palace. Never was an assembly less ceremonious; every one wore his hat; many, till the room became heated, their greatcoats; and no one pretended to appear in an evening dress, except a few Eishmen, who, from the habits of our country, and some little vanity, generally attempt to distinguish themselves by an attention to outward appearance. Around the whole circumference of the room were four or five rows of benches, occupied, for the most part, by well-dressed females; while the other parts presented a moving multitude, many of whom were in masks, or in dominos, and were busily engaged in talking and laughing, or dancing to the music of a powerful orchestra. My companion squeezed my arm, as we passed a thin figure with sallow shrunken features, of mild expression, with a neck, stiff, bending a little forwards, and walking badly. That is our Emperor.' I shook my head, and smiled. He was alone, and dressed like the rest. 'Pray allow me to doubt a little till I have some farther proof.' There, do you see that little man with white hair, a pale face, and aquiline 1 ose? He wa almost pushed down as he passed the cor. 4 B ner;-that is the King of Denmark.' Again I shook my head in disbelief. Here the Emperor of Russia approaches.' I looked up, and found the information true. His fine manly form, his round and smiling countenance, and his neat morning dress, were not to be mistaken; they were the saine which, some months before, I had seen enter the church at Harlem, to the thundering peals of the grand organ. I soon recognized the tall form, the solemn and grave features, of the King of Prussia; and afterwards seeing these two in familiar conversation with the two monarchs, whose pretensions I had disputed, was satisfied their claims were just. That short, thick, old gentleman, is the Grand Duke of Saxe Weimar. That young man near him, the Crown Prince of Wirtemberg. Here, turn your eyes to that seat. The large elderly man, with a full face, he looks like an In this agreeable and dramatic manner, our author paints to us many of the scenes which Vienna displayed at this busy and important period; but we shall rather make our next quotation from the description of a rustic funeral, which he witnessed soon after his entrance into Hungary. The scene contrasts well with the gaiety of that which we have now exhibited,-it is connected with it too, by the striking passage at the close,—and there is a beauty and a tenderness in the reflections of the author which are very characteristic of a traveller, “qui nihil humani a se alienum putet." "When I got to Léva, the whole yard was full of people, and I learned that the postmaster having lost his wife, was on the point of following her corpse. This, I plainly saw, would put a stop to my jour ney for the day, and did not feel much disappointed, as it afforded me an opportunity of attending a ceremony which no one ought to neglect in a foreign country. Af ter three priests, with crosses and incense boxes, followed by the coffin, and accompanied by a numerous train of mourners, and boys with wax-lights,-had moved with solemn singing towards the burying-place, I went quickly to the inn, dismissed my waggon, and joined the procession. The place of burial was considerably elevated, at the distance of half a mile from Léva,— a solitary spot of ground, adorned only by crosses raised by the hands of affection over departed friends. As the body was laid in the ground, I thought I perceived more emotion in the spectators than is usual. The rite being performed, the assembly se parated during the performance of a solemn chant. The greater part retired to a still higher ground covered with vineyards, on the summit of which a temple is erect ed as a memorial of our Saviour's death upon Mount Calvary. I remained a little longer than the rest, and beheld a most affecting and beautiful scene. It was the tribute paid by mothers, by children, and by friends, to the remains of those who were gone before them. Tears flowed in torrents from the eyes of a mother and a daughter, who kneeled at the side of a tomb which seemed to have been long the abode of him over whom they prayed. In another spot two little children cried aloud, as they lay with their faces upon a heap of earth, whilst others kissed the mould which had been lately raised.-The loneliness of the spot, the Carpathian chain stretched out in the distance, the obscurity of ap proaching night,-the stillness of nature, interrupted only by the cries of widows and of children, were sadly, yet harmonious ly combined; and he must have been cold |