Mansion House, Jan. 7. The Lord Mayor presents his compliments to Lord Radstock, and will do all in his power to forward his benevolent intentions.

The Lord Radstock, Shirley
Cottage, Croydon.

Copy of a Letter from the Right Hon. Lord RADSTOCK to the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor.

Portland Place, Feb. 3, 1817. My Lord, I had the honour of addressing your Lordship on the 2d ultimo, soliciting your powerful aid in favour of the circulation of my hand-bills; at the same time clearly demonstrating that the scheme which I had the honour to lay before your Lordship, was calculated not only to remove a very pressing temporary evil," but also to establish a “ permanent good."

66

Your Lordship's reply was concise, manly, straight forward, and well befitting an upright benevolent heart. Your words, my Lord, were: The Lord Mayor presents his compliments to Lord Radstock, and will do all in his power to forward his benevolent intentions." What more could reason and the most sanguine expectations desire?

The measures which your Lordship may have since pursued in order to carry into execution your "benevo lent intentions," I am utterly ignorant of, your Lordship having made no further communication to me on the subject. But this silence on the part of your Lordship, I have considered as what might reasonably have been expected, as every man of common sense must feel that your incessant ar

duous labours must entirely preclude you from minutely attending to the current forms and ceremonies that are usually practised among the higher orders. In fact, my Lord, I was not seeking from your Lordship fine speeches, and flowery (and but too often unmeaning) professions, but I wished you to ACT, for "Ye shall know them by their fruits." I am sure that it will be nearly as gratifying to your Lordship as it was to myself, to learn that upwards of 8000 of the hand-bills have been circulating during the last month, and that the demand for them is rapidly increasing. This fact is decisive as to public opinion; and I am confident that your Lordship will fully agree with me in thinking, that in all cases, whether moral or political, or schemes of any kind for promoting the happiness of our fellow-creatures, we cannot do better than suffer ourselves to be guided by the opinions of the great majority of the wise and good.

I do not consider myself at liberty to divulge to your Lordship the names of certain individuals who have profited by the circulation of the hand-bills; sufficient to say, that they are of a description of persons who have known better days.

What an additional motive have we here, for at least endeavouring to promote to our utmost, the circulation of the hand-bills! I have the honour to be, my Lord, &c. RADSTOCK.

Answer.

The Lord Mayor presents his compliments to Lord Radstock, and begs to inform his Lordship, that he has distributed his papers by sending severai into Devonshire, and other places. The Lord Mayor lost no time in making a trial of giving soup to the poor instead of bread, after the receipts which Lord Radstock favoured him with. TheLord Mayor is now delivering soup (made from one of his Lordship's receipts) twice a week, instead of bread, as he did for the last year; it is made in the Mansion-house, and gives satisfaction. The Lord Mayor thinks it a most excellent plau, as it serves both for meat and drink, and is extremely nutritious; and returns Lord Radstock many thanks for his communication.

Mansion House, Wednesday.

30. The Vision; or, Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, of Dante Alighieri. Translated by the Rev. H. F. Cary, A.M. In three Vols. 24mo. Barfield.

I the spirit of ori

N Mr. Cary's translation of this

ginal is kept up in terrific grandeur.

"In the years 1805 and 1806," he says, "I published the first part of the following translation with the text of the origi nal. Since that period, two impressions of the whole of the Divina Comedia, in Italian, have made their appearance in this country. It is not necessary that I should add a third: and I am induced to hope that the Poem, even in the present version of it, may not be without interest for the mere English reader. The translation of the second and third parts, The Purgatory' and 'The Paradise,' was begun long before the first, and as early as the year 1797; but, owing to many interruptions, not concluded till the Summer before last. On a retrospect of the time and exertions that have been thus employed, I do not regard those hours as the least happy of my life, during which (to use the eloquent language of Mr. Coleridge) my individual recollections have been suspended, and lulled to sleep amid the musick of nobler thoughts;' nor that study as misapplied, which has familiarized me with one of the sublimest efforts of the human invention. To those who shall be at the trouble of examining into the degree of accuracy with which the task has been executed, I may be. allowed to suggest, that their judgment should not be formed on a comparison with any single text of my Author; since, in more instances than I have noticed, I have had to make my choice out of a variety of readings and interpretations, presented by different editions and commentators. In one or two of those editions is to be found the title of The Vision,' which I have adopted, as more conformable to the genius of our language than that of The Divine Comedy.' Dante himself, I believe, termed it simply The Comedy;' in the first place, because the style was of the middle kind; and in the next, because the story (if story it may be called) ends happily. Instead of a Life of my Author, I have subjoined, in chronological order, a view not only of the principal events which befel him, but of the chief public occurrences that happened in his time: concerning both GENT. MAG, March, 1817.

of which the Reader may obtain further information by turning to the passages referred to in the Poem and Notes. H.C."

As a specimen of the Translation we select a part of the thirteenth Canto. "Ere Nessus yet had reach'd the other bank,

We enter'd on a forest, where no track Of steps had worn a way. Not verdant there

The foliage, but of dusky hue; not light The boughs and tapering, but with knares deform'd

And matted thick: fruits there were

none, but thorns [than these, Instead, with venom fill'd. Less sharp Less intricate the brakes, wherein abide Those animals that hate the cultur'd fields,

Betwixt Corneto and Cecina's stream. Here the brute Harpies make their

nest, the same [band Who from the Strophades the Trojan Drove with dire boding of their future

woe.

[form Broad are their pennons, of the human Their neck and count'nance, arm'd with talons keen [wings. The feet, and the huge belly fledge with These sit and wail on the drear mystic wood. [began : The kind instructor in these words Ere farther thou proceed, know thou [thou come I' th' second round, and shalt be, till Upon the horrid sand: look therefore [behold, Around thee, and such things thou shalt As would my speech discredit.' On all [could see

art now

well

sides

amaze

Thy

I, letting fall the bough, remain'd as Assail'd by terror, and the Sage replied: If he, O injur'd spirit! could have heliev'd [scrib'd,

What he hath seen but in my verse deHe never against thee had stretch'd his hand.

now

But I, because the thing surpass'd belief, Prompted him to this deed, which even [wast; Myself I rue. But tell me, who thou That, for this wrong to do thee some amends,

In th' upper world (for thither to return Is granted him) thy fame he may revive.' That pleasant word of thine,' the trunk replied, [speech Hath so inveigled me, that I from Cannot refrain, wherein if I indulge A little longer, in the snare detain'd, Count it not grievous. I it was, who held [the wards,

Both keys to Frederick's heart, and turn'd Opening and shutting, with a skill so sweet,

That, besides me, into his inmost breast Scarce any other could admittance find. The faith I bore to my high charge was such, [my veins, It cost me the life-blood that warm'd The harlot, who ne'er turn'd her gloating eyes [and pest From Cæsar's household, common vice Of courts, 'gainst me inflam'd the minds

of all; [flame, And to Augustus they so spread the That my glad honours chang'd to bitter

the wind so n

Chang'd into sounds articulate like these: 'Briefly ye shall be answer'd. When The fierce soul from the body, by itself departs Thence torn asunder, to the seventh gulf By Minos doom'd, into the wood it falls, No place assign'd, but wheresoever chance [spelt, Hurls it, there sprouting, as a grain of It rises to a sapling, growing thence A savage plant. The Harpies, on its leaves, [the pain Then feeding, cause both pain, and for A vent to grief. We, as the rest, shall

come

[them

For our own spoils, yet not so that with We may again be clad; for what a man Takes from himself it is not just he have. Here we perforce shall drag them; and [hung,

throughout

The dismal glade our bodies shall be Each on the wild thorn of his wretched shade."

31. Narrative of a Journey in Egypt, and the Country beyond the Cataracts. By Thomas Legh, Esq. M. P. 4to. Murray.

THIS Publication reminds us of an old and homely Proverb, "Great cry and little wool." It is of much parade, but of little substance, exciting considerable expectation, but communicating little to satisfy the curiosity of the reader. The title is not perfectly correct: it should have said, the Country beyond the FIRST Cataract. It is very true that these Gentlemen penetrated farther than any European had done before them. Norden, the most enterprising, and the most accomplished Traveller, acute to remark, and qualified to describe and delineate all that he saw, was not able to proceed beyond Derri. somewhat further, and advanced as Mr. Legh and his companion went far as Ibrim. But barbarian rudeness, rapine, and imposition, compelled them hastily to return.

It is not intended to depreciate the labours which these gentlemen voluntarily endured, or to speak with any thing like contumely of such intelligence as will be found in the Volume. But, if the really interesting part of the work were extracted from the rest, it would be comprehended in a small number of pages, and the publication itself only extends to about one hundred and forty.

Curiosity will ever be directed with an eager and an anxious eye to the Banks of the Nile; every step in Upper Egypt, more particularly, is in a manner sacred; and though so much has already been communicated illus trative of its antiquity and local distinctious, this curiosity is not at all abated.

The first chapter conveys the travellers as far as the first Cataract, to which the passage up the Nile is not now attended with any very formidable difficulty, and with such guides and finger-posts as Norden, Bruce, Denon, and Hamilton, the trouble of finding out the objects more immediately deserving their attention, could not have been very great.

Having arrived at Debr, the Derri of Norden, they obtained an interview with the Chief (the Cacheff), and entreated his permission to advance further up the country. They met with a most rude reception, and a positive refusal. The barbarian was softened in the usual manner, and permission granted to advance to Ibrim, the extreme limit of their excursion. Here they accordingly arrived, and this is the remotest point of Nubia hitherto reached.

The description is subjoined:

"In about five hours we arrived at Ibrim, situated on the East side of the Nile at the Southern extremity of a ridge of mountains, which for nearly two miles rise perpendicularly from the Nile, scarcely leaving space for the road which lies between them and the River. The town lay on the Eastern slope of the mountain; and the citadel, which was built on the summit, must have formerly been a strong position. Its height may be estimated at about 200 feet above the River that washes the foot of the rock on which it stood, and which is at this point about a quarter of a mile broad. We were, however, so far deceived by the extreme perpendicularity of the precipice, that standing on

Ibrim, it appears, is also memorable as being the last spot where the Manielukes made a stand against the Pacha (Pasha) of Egypt. They have

now established themselves at Don

gola, laid aside their old habits of magnificence, and commenced Agriculturists. They are also said, to have some large trading-vessels on the Nile.

"We remained (says the Author) at Ibrim a few hours; and, giving up the idea of proceeding to the second or Great Cataract, which, we were told, was situated three degrees to the South, finally resolved to retrace our steps. We received no encouragement to penetrate into a country where money began to be of little use, and provisions very

scarce."

Such are the reasons given for making no further attempts to proceed; but we are subsequently informed that Captain Light, of the Artillery, has since visited Ibrim, and that Mr. Bankes has succeeded in going still higher.

On the return of the party, they met with a most disagreeable, and what might have proved a fatal adventure. They procured some Arab guides, to assist them in examining the Mummy Pits at Thebes, of whom two were suffocated in the windings of the labyrinth. The Travellers were accused of killing them by magic; the matter, however, was finally compromised by the payment of a small sum of money.

A few interesting anecdotes, and but a few, are interspersed. One, at p. 28, is rather disgraceful to the agents of the British Government who were employed to purchase corn in Egypt for the use of the troops in the Peninsula. Another, p. 129, of a Scotchman, who having been taken prisoner, became a Mussulman, and in the progress of seven years had forgotten, or nearly forgotten, his own language, and had no desire to receive his liberty. His name was Donald Donald, and he came from Inverness. An Appendix is added, containing an Itinerary through Syria by Shekh Ibrahim, a person who is still travelling under the protection of the African Society.

32. ARMATA: a Fragment. 8vo, pp. 210. Murray. [From THE TIMES Newspaper, Feb. 18.]

THIS Publication having excited a considerable degree of public attention, we present to our Readers two or three extracts. Rumour has assigned it to the pen of a Noble and Learned Lord, whose reputation will go down to posterity adorned with whatever praise belongs, not only to the most eminent Advocate of his age and nation, but to one whose professional life was employed in protecting the liberties of his fellowsubjects: and who enforced, with manly and successful eloquence, a more constitutional spirit than had yet prevailed among our Courts of Justice, in the construction and administration of English Law.

On the book itself we shall make no comments: its plan is not altogether new. The Reader will detect, without much difficulty, the real meaning of those fictitious names of ultra-terrestrial islands and people which the Author has applied to old subjects familiar to all classes of Englishmen; and it will remain with each individual to adopt or reject, in what concerns his own country, the sentiments here promulgated with regard

to the interests of Armata:

"This memorable "æra * in the History of Armata may, perhaps, be considered as almost the first in which her Representative Constitution exhibited any proofs of dangerous imperfection. The Crown (as I have said) was rapidly acquiring the administration of a great revenue, and a sufficient guard had not been placed upon its influence in the public Councils, without which no forms of election, however free and extensive, can secure a wise and prudent administration; but the evil must manifestly be greater when the Popular Council, erected as the balance of a Monarchical State, does not emanate from the People, but in its greater part from the Crown which is to be balanced, and from a body of Nobles, powerful in rank and property, who are to be balanced also; and who have besides a scale properly allotted to them, in which their great weight is judiciously deposited. It must be obvious to the meanest capacity, that if those very powers which are thus to be balanced can create or mate

rially influence the antagonist power which is to control them, the Constitution must at all events be theoretically

*The American War.

imperfect. I have already informed you why, for a long period, this imperfection had not been felt; and the degree of its operation, when it began to operate, and as it now exists, ought to be correctly and temperately stated; because, without a reverence for Government, whatever defects may be discovered in it, a Nation must be dissolved. The consequences of extreme misgovernment must be universally felt, and the discontents they produce are irresistible; but unfortunately they seldom arrive until the evil complained of is beyond redress. The Crown is sure in the dubious season to command the Popular Council; and through them popular opinion, until errors become palpable and destructive, when the most over- ruling influence must give way."

As it appears there were Demagogues in Armata, the following are the opinions of the Author with regard to them:

a

"There is one principle so clear and so universal, that it must apply equally to all subjects, to the affairs of all countries, and even of all worlds. The first step towards public reformation, of every description, is firm combination against rash and violent men. Very many of them (perhaps the bulk) are perfectly well-intentioned, but not, for they would support. Some of them, inall that, the less dangerous to the cause deed, one would think, were in our world set on to take the lead by those who opposed any changes, that wise men might retire altogether from the pursuit. For my own part, I would not only submit to the imperfections of such an admirable Constitution as you have described in Armata, but would consent to the continuance of the worst that can be imagined, rather than mix myself with ignorance, thrusting itself before the wisdom which should direct it, or with persons of desperate fortunes, whom no sound state of society could relieve; but such men, I think, could work no mischief, if Rank and Property stood honestly and manfully in their places.”

national debt, and detailing some of After deploring the amount of the the numerous taxes paid by the Armatian people, the Author proceeds as follows:

"But other evils must be added. To produce an annual revenue of so vast an extent, many taxes were resorted to of the most pernicious character, particularly affecting the administration of Justice; and having, thus closed the account of the taxes upon the living, I will conclude the subject with their dominion after death.

"The