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his friend, Admiral Smith +, as far as the Mole St. Nicholas,) is was driven under the walls of Cape François, and in that ftate compelled to wait the relief of the brigands, an appellation which the fuperior policy that already appeared in this extraordinary republic, had not yet obliterated from its members. To avoid the fufpicion in which, notwithstanding the recent treaty, the English yet continued to be viewed, and to prevent the probability of injury to his companions, the writer was induced to affume the character of an American, which was eafy to be effected, as the veffel was ultimately bound to that continent. The crew were permitted to land after certain ceremonies, and the first object which excited their attention, was no less than the hero of this novel empire. Touflaint was converfing with two privates of his forces on the batteries, and when he faw the Europeans ap proaching, immediately walked towards them, and, addreffing them in French, inquired the news, from whence they came, and their destination. One ferved as refpondent for the whole, who fpoke in fuch terms as his character demanded, and the General civilly took his leave.

"The number of Americans at this port could not fail to attract particular notice, and every attention feemed to be paid to the accommodation of their commerce, and a ftriking degree of interest in every occurrence that concerned them. Eyen the women feemed to renew a fondnefs long repreffed for the whites, in favour of the meaneft of the American failors. The prefent writer, however, requiring fome reft after his recent voyage, haftened, on receiving his directions to the purpofe, to the Hotel de la Republique, the principal houfe, ufually reforted to by Americans, an edifice of rather elegant appearance; and on his way, except the preponderancy of the black complexion, perceived but "little difference from an European city. On entering the house, however, he immediately perceived that the ufual fubordinations of fociety were entirely difregarded, and that he was to witness, for the first time, a real fyftem of equality.

"Here were officers and privates, the colonel and the drum-mer, at the fame table indifcriminately; and the writer had been fcarcely feated at a repaft in the first room to which he was con ducted, when a fat negro, to initiate him in the general system, helped himself frequently from his difh, and took occafion to fea fon his character by large draughts of the wine, accompanied with the addrefs of "Mon Americain." The appearance of the houfe, and its accommodations, were not much inferior to a London coffee-houfe, and on particular occafions exhibited a fuperior degree of elegance. Touffaint not unfrequently dined here him

+ The liberal reception which the military always met with on board the Hannibal, is too well known to require any compliment on the prefent occasion.

Telf,

felf, but he did not fit at the head of the table, from the idea, (as was afferted,) that the hours of refection and relaxation fhould not be damped by the affected forms of the old regimen, and that no man fhould affume a real fuperiority in any other place than the field. He was in the evenings at the billiard-table, where the writer converfed and played with him feveral times; and he could hot help, on fome occafions, when a want of etiquette disturbed him for a moment, congratulating himself, that if he experienced not the refinement of European intercourfe, he faw no room for infincerity and that if delicate converfe did not always prefent itfelf, he was free from the affectation of fentiment.

"In traverfing the once fuperb city of the Cape, though prefenting a tolerable appearance from the fhore, defolation every where prefented itself. On the fite where elegant luxury had exhaufted its powers to delight the voluptuary, all was magnificent ruin! and to mark the contraft ftronger, of the wrecks were compofed temporary houfes for the American merchants, and petty fhops inhabited by the natives. Several fpacious ftreets towards the centre, difplayed the walls of fuperb edifices of five and fix ftories, with gilded balconies, of which the beautiful ftructure exhibited the devaftation that had occurred, with additional horror. Nor was this all, for in different parts of these ruins the fad remains of the former poffeffors were visibly mingled with the crumbling walls:

There heedlefs of the dead,

The fhelter feeking peafant rears his fhed,

And wonders man could want the larger pile.*

"Having been informed of a review which was to take place on the plain of the Cape, the writer availed himself of the opportunity, accompanied by fome Americans, and a few of his own countrymen who refided there under that denomination. Of the grandeur of the fcène he had not the smallest conception. Two thoufand officers were in the field, carrying arms, from the general to the enfign, yet with the utmost attention to rank; without the fmallest fymptom of the infubordination that existed in the leifure of the hotel. Each general officer had a demi-brigade, which went through the manual exercife with a degree of expertnefs feldom witneffed, and performed equally well feveral manoeuvres applicable to their method of fighting. At a whistle a whole brigade ran three or four hundred yards, then feparating, threw themfelves flat on the ground, changing to their backs or fides, keeping up a strong fire the whole of the time, till they were recalled; they then formed again, in an inftant, into their wonted regularity. This fingle manoeuvre was executed with fuch facility and precifion, as totally to prevent cavalry from charging them in bufhy and hilly countries. Such complete fubordination, fuch promptitude and dexterity, prevailed the whole time, as

4

would

would have aftonifhed any European foldier who had the fmalleft idea of their previous fituation.

"The pleafing fenfations infpired by the ability manifested in this review, were checked by the additional monuments of human ferocity which prefented themselves on his return to the city; the conflagration of which, and of the furrounding plantations, was' till in the memory of feveral Americans, who defcribed the effect, as awfully grand beyond conception.

"In one of the fquares in the north-weft quarter was placed an edifice that made fome amends for the defolation appearing in its vicinity, from the elegance of its execution. It was an afcent to a canopy, or dome, of which the architecture was not perfectly regular, beneath which were two feats, and above them an in fcription, that eminently exhibited the tolerance of Touffaint. There were two centinels to guard it, who, being asked if any one might afcend the fteps, anfwered in the affirmative, but with a ftrict prohibition againft touching the cap of liberty, which crowned it. It was a tribute of respect to the memory of San thonax and Polverel, the French commiffioners, and had been erected by fome of their advocates at a time when their largeffes obtained for them what they would not otherwife have enjoyed, a tranfitory popularity. An extract from a speech of one of them formed part of the infcription, in French, and which countenanced the opinion, that the abolition of flavery was a primary object of their miffion. It was to the following effect:

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"The remainder of the infcription confifted of a selection from the proclamation for abolishing flavery. The prevailing opinion of these men, notwithstanding they had been execrated for their conduct, was favourable to their talents, and to their fpirit."

A fifth chapter defcribes the Black army, and the war between the French republic and the Blacks: and the final chapter exhibits the writer's fentiments on the establishment of the Black empire, and the probable effects of the Colonial revolution. The writer confiders the reduction of Domingo to its former ftate as wholly impracticable, and he fupports his opinion with confiderable force and plaufibility of argu

ment.

The appendix comprifes the documents referred to in dif

ferent

ferent parts of the work, with various illuftrative remarks; a neat map of St. Domingo is prefixed; but the engravings are ill chofen as to the fubjects, and of worfe execution; they feem added merely as an excufe for increafing the price of the book. An octavo voliime of moderate price would, we conceive, better answer the author's purpose, and would be generally acceptable.

ART. XII. Poems, Odes, Prologues, and Epilogues Spoken on public Occafions at Reading School. To which is added Jome Account of the Lives of the Rev. Mr. Benwell, and the Rev. Dr. Butt. 8vo. 264 pp. Richardfon, &c. 1804.

THE poems in this collection are not numerous, nor the

authors many. One prologue is afcribed to Mr. Seward; (editor of the Anecdotes, &c.); a few to Mr. Bolland, fome to Mr. Pye, others to Mr. Benwell, and to Dr. Butt. Thefe are diftinguithed by different fignatures. A few, which are without fignature ought, we prefume, to be attributed to the mafter of the fchool, Dr. Valpy. To the high character of Mr. Benwell, whofe life is here inferted from the pen of Mr. Kett, we paid a willing tribute, in reviewing his pofthumous edition of Xenophon's Memorabilia *. We were defirous, even then, to fee fome memorial of his life and character; which is here very well fupplied. Dr. Butt, with whofe merits and fingularities we were by no means unacquainted, came before us, while living, both as a writer of fermons, and as an author of poems t. Dr. Valpy has written his life, with a friendly partiality, but without much exaggeration.

One or two very zealous friends of Mr. Benwell have been rather difpleafed to fee compofitions of his brought forward, which he had not intended for publication, and which, they think, he never would have publifhed. But when we confider, that the editor is by marriage fo clofely connected with Mr. Benwell's family, that he must feel for his honour like a brother as well as a friend, and cannot be unacquainted with the wishes of the other parts of the family,

* Brit. Crit. vol. xxiv. pp. 409, and 624. + Brit. Crit. vol. ii. p. 105, and iii, P.

Ee

608.

BRIT. CRIT, VOL. XXVI. OCT. 1805,

we

we cannot but think him fully qualified to decide on this matter. No friend can be more favourable to the fame of Mr. Benwell than Mr. Kett, yet he has given full sanction to the plan, by furnishing an account of his life. Nor is any thing here publifhed which can be injurious to his memory. His poem on Columbus, when we confider what Dr. Valpy intimates in a note, " that it was produced, with little alteration, in less than a year after his first initiation in Latin poetry," is a very extraordinary performance; and though his matured judgment might have been unwilling to prefent it to the public, as a performance which he completely approved; yet as a relic preferved by friends, for the fake of marking the firft fteps of his literary progrefs, it feems to appear in this place with much propriety. This poem and the preceding have both the fault in their plan, of beginning with a poetical rather than a true account of the origin of fociety; they are modelled on the

Cum prorepferunt primis animalia terris

Mutum ac turpe pecus,

of Horace, inftead of the real hiftory of mankind. One poet fays;

Man knew no laws but thofe which Nature gave,
No arts, but thofe a worthlefs life to fave;
Wild in the woods th' unfocial creature ran,
And brutes were favage only more than man.

the other poet, almost in the same terms,

Primi hominum vitam per devia luftra trahebant,
Incultum genus, &c.

This is but too commonly the ftyle of modern writers, philofophical as well as poetical; yet we read of no fuch period in the real hiftory of mankind; and if favages have been found in a state approaching to this, it must be owing to fome accidental dereliction, in an infant or untaught state; not to their having fo fprung, as it were, out of the foil. This, perhaps, is little to the merit of the poems, nor do we wish to have it confidered as much affecting it; but we were glad to oppofe an opinion which is but too frequently repeated, for want of due confideration. Some paffages in this poem on Columbus are certainly extraordinary, for fo juvenile a performance, if they have not been more altered than the editor feems to intimate.

"Columbus, quo non præftantior alter Seu luftrare polum, ftellifque evolvere curfus,

Seu

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