ift, "Dialogues upon the dignity were to enter into a difquifition upon of the Republick," 8vo. Cremona, 1556. 3d, "Synodical Conftitutions, Letters, and fome other Profe Writings," lefs interefting than his Poetry. The edition of Vida's Poetical Works, printed at Cremona, 2 vols. 8vo. 1550, is complete, as well as thofe printed at Oxford, 1722, 1725, and 1733, in three volumes, Svo. The Art of Poetry, though it is not thought to hold the highest rank among ft Vida's Poetical Works, difplays a lively genius, ftrong judgment, and cultivated tafte. The style of it is eafy and flowing, and charms by its facility. The precepts which it gives to Poets are diftinguifhed by juftnefs and taste. And what he fays of Portical Elocution is delivered with as much energy of thought, as graceful, appropriate, elegance of expreflion. But Vida's "Art of Poetry," as well as that of Scaliger, is rather the art of imitating Virgil, than the art of imitating nature. The "Poem upon Silk worms" is the beft of Vida's productions; it is more correct, more polifhed, and finished with more care, than his other works; and it contains a greater difplay of Poetical Images. The "Poem upon Chefs" is allowed to hold the fecond rank amongst Vida's poetical writings. "Chriftiados, Libri fex" is a Poem which has been much applauded; but Vida had been cenfored for having promifcuoufly mingled facred and profane matters together; the fictions of the Heathen Mythology with the infpired Oracles of the Prophets. Vida's profe works are much in ferior to his poetical productions. Lord Rofcommon, in his "Effay on Tranflated Verfe," has fometimes been indebted to Vida: but unless I the marks of imitation, and to prove, But here, c'en bere, avoid th' extreme of Who with excefs of care correct too much. VIDA, Book III They who too formally on names infist, Rather create than dilipate the mist'; And grow unjut by being over nice, (For fuperftitious virtue turns to vice.) Rofcommon's Effay on Tranflated Verft. Ton fon's Edition, line 1084. Avoid extremities; and fhun the faults of fuch As ftill are pleas'd too little or too much. Pope's Efay on Criticism, line 386. The following couplet of Pope is a nearer imitation of Rofcommon, than that of Rofcommon, juft quoted, is of Vida A little learning is a dangerous thing; Pope's Efay on Criticifix, line 217. Rofcommon's Efay on Translated Vast,p. 5. Pope, in his "Art of Criticifm," has made much ufe of Vida; but he has imitated him in his ufual ftyle of imitation; for his fuperior genius taught him to feize every beauty, and his intuitive tafte to avoid every defeet or impropriety of his author :fometimes he would amplify a thought into a ftriking and beautiful fimile; or condenfe a too diffufe one into a pointed aphorifm. Like the Bee, he felected with wonderful fagacity (weets hidden from the unfk.lful, which, in paffiog through his mind, became a delicious repaft; and of fuch fpecimens we may fay, "What oft was thought, but ne'er fo well exprefs'd." Pape's Effay on Criticifm, line 300. Pope's attention, in the "Effay on Criticism," was bent upon giving information; Vida's mind, in the "Art of Poetiv," was fixed upon establish ing his favourite fyftem of Virgil's fu- › periority. Pope is terfe and elegant; Vida is diffufe, didactic and correct. Pope drew from every fource; Vida only from Virgil's fpring. Pope feled and created beauges for himself; Vida, the eulogist of Virgil, Arove to find every excellence centered in him, Pope feems to promulgate the law like a Judge; Vida to comment upon it like a Reporter. Pope is the more elegant and pleasing inftructor ; Vida the more patient and elaborate teacher. REVIEW. Abstract of the Evidence delivered before a Select Committee of the House of Commons, in the years 1790 and 1791, on the part of the Petitioners for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 8vo. 155 pages. Philips. THE HE attention of the public has, for feveral years paft, been turned to the fubject of the Slave Trade; the humane exertions of Mr Sharp, Mr Ramfay, and, above all, the indefatigable Mr Clarkfon, have awakened the curiofity, and routed the feelings, of many in different parts of the kingdom, to examine, with fome care, the nature and proceedings of this difgufting traffic, and the confequences with which it is followed, both in Africa and the Weft Indies. Inquiries in confequence were fet on foot, facts were coll. &ted, and practices, formerly unnoticed or unknown, were brought into public view. The refult was, that numbers, both of individuals and bod es of men, ftruck with the enormity of the guilt & mifery fuperinduced by this trade,took up, with a zeal that did them much honour, the caufe of the oppreffed and injured negroes; focieties were form. ed, and numerous petitions prefented to Parliament, for the abolition of a traffic that feen.ed the opprobium of human nature. Influenced by thefe reprefentations, the Miniftry thought it neceffary to inftitute inquiries, and many witneffes on both fides were examined before the Privy Council. This evidence was printed, with a view to its being made ufe of by the Members of Parlament in forming their opinions on the fubject : but the House of Commons very properly refuted being bound by any evidence that had not been taken by their own authority, and therefore refolveď to examine witneffes on the fabject before a Select Committee appointed for that purpose. The Slave Mer chants and Planters accordingly brought forward veral perfons as witneffes; the firt in behalf of the continuance of the Slave Trade, the latter in defence of Colonial Slavery. Thefe were heard and examined in the years 1789 and 1790. Several perfons were atterwards called on the fide of the petitioners, to fubftantiate the foundation of their fereral petitions, and to invalidate feve feveral points of the evidence which the others had offered. These were examined in the years 1790 and 1791." The mafs of evidence which there thefe examinations produced was printed for the ufe of the Members of the Houfe of Commons; but as it formed fix folio vols. it was almoft impoffibie for the public at large to derive much information on the fubject from the publication. Exclufive of the difficulty of obtaining a copy, the very bulk, of the work was fufficient to repel even the most zealous from perceiving what would require fo much time to go through. The only mode, therefore, by which the important and interetting facts contained in that publication could be generally circulated; was by concentrating them as far as posible, ftripping off unneceffary repetitions, and prefenting them in a form acceffiole to the bulk of readers who wished to examine the fubject. This has been done, fo far as relates to one fide of the caufe, with great accuracy and ability in the publication before us, in which, befides the abridgement of the evidence, we have it likewife arranged and methodifed, fo as to exhibit the cleareft and moft interefting view of the various points to be attended to in the difcufcuffion of the complex, though interefting topic. It cannot be expected that we fhould be able to give an exact account of all the particulars contained in this work; an abridgement of an abstract muft in most cafes be ufelefs. All that can be done is, to state a few of the particu. lars on which the evidence here detail ed or given has established, and the general conclufions that may fairly be drawn from them: to thofe who are interested in or wish to understand the fubject, we earnestly recommend the perufal, of this fmall tract; and can affure them that they, in doing fo, will find no caufe to regret their labour, The picture, indeed, exhibited in this difclafure of the fecrets of the prifon-house" is far from pleafing. Scenes of cruelty, injustice, oppreffion, and mifery, crowd upon us. For the honour of humanity we could have T VOL. XIV. No. 82. wifhed it otherwife, but while truth guides the pencil, the portrait must be of ufe. Secrecy and concealment appear to have been all along aimed at by the friends of the Slave Trade; they knew that deeds of darkness would not bear the light: now that the enormities of the traffic are drag-, ged into open day, it is much to be wished that they may no longer be fuffered to remain the difgrace of a polished age. The preface to the Abstract contains fome judicious remarks on the characters and credibility of the evidences on each fide of this caufe. Of thofe brought forward by the Slave Merchants and Planters, it is obferved, there are few who are not deeply inte refted in the teftimony they had given, and the event of the decifion.-Of those who fall not under this defcription, the evidence is unfatisfactory and inconclufive;-unfatisfactory, from the want of opportunities of information; and inconclufive, from its going only to a few particular inftances, which might probably take place, though the general facts were in all refpects as ftated by thofe on the other fide. The evidence again adduced by the petitioners for the abolition, comes from perfons whose opportunities of information' were abundant,-who can have no poffible intereft to bias them in giving their teftimony; and many of whom came forward as witneffes, from a sense of duty alone, even against their apparent intereft, and under the profpect of fuffering by their zeal. From this statement of the characters of those who have given evidence in the cause, -a ftatement, which feems indeed fully established in the preface, and undeniably confirmed, fo far as regards the witneffes for the abolition, by an alphabetical lift of them, with their defignations, and means of information, fhortly pointed out, there seems to be little room for determining to which of them molt credit is to be given. given. It must indeed be fatisfactory to the reader, to find that he can truft, with implicit confidence, to the facts here fpoken to, the character of the witneffes being fufficent to preclude all dubiety. The Abstract is divided into fixteen chapters the two first relate to the manner of procuring the Slaves in Africa; the third, to their fituation in the Middle Paffage-the fourth, to their condition and treat. ment in the West Indies; the fifth, to the characters of the Africans;—the fix h and feventh, to the praticability of establishing and carrying on a trade with the natives of Africa without dealing in Slaves;-the eighth and ninth, to the effects of the Slave Trade on the failors employed in it ;-the tenth, to the comparative fituation of the Africans in their own country and the West Indies;-the five follow ing, to the poffibility of keeping up a fufficient flock of Slaves from their own increafe by population, without further importation, and the regulations neceffary for effecting this-and the laft chapter, to the policy of extending the cultivation of fugar colonies by fresh Slaves, in place of waiting for a fupply by natural increase. Such is the comprehenfive plan of this work. The reader will perceive that it embraces every queftion that can be agitated on the fubject of the Slave Trade. It is but justice to add, that on every one the evidence is pointed and decifive, the facts convincing, and the natural conclufions from them (tho' not drawn exprefsly in this work, which gives only facts) plain and inevitable. In regard to the manner of procuring the Slaves, it appears that this is done by war, as it is called, by accufations of crimes, and by kidnapping. The wars are not, as it has often been afferted, contefts of ambition, or fuch difputes as, in the natural courfe of events, frequently arife between neighbouring nations, when prifoners of war are taken and fold, to prevent their being put to death;-no, they are mere marauding, predatory expeditions, excited by the European traders, frequently practifed by the petty princes against their own fubjects, and carried on folely for the purpofe of getting Slaves. Facts in proof of this are given by many witneffes who faw the parties go out on the horrid errand, were eye-witneffes of the burning and defolated villages, and learned from the unfortunate captives the fat ftory of their woes. The Criminal Accufa tions are charges of crimes, fometimes impoffible and abfurd, and fometimes committed by the culprits in confequence of feductions used for the purpofe of getting them reduced to captivity: in both cafes, the family frequently all fuffer for the fake of their children. The real criminals, against whom their punishment of captivity is juftly awarded, amount not perhaps to the thoufandth part of the Slaves carried from the coatt. The kidnapping is practifed by the natives on one another, excited by the too powerful temptations of European luxuries, to a degree that excites horror. Friends, neighbours, even relations, deceive, entrap, and fell one another :-murders without number are the cenfequence, and conflant fufpicion reigns through the country. The Europeans are not inferiour to the natives in these acts of iniquity; the traders make no fcruple of kidnapping, where it can be done without danger; the natives are marked when attending their bufinefs, or they are enticed on board the veffels, and detained, and forcibly carried off. From this aufpicious commences ment of the traffic; the mode of conducting its fubfequent affertions may be conjectured. Of these we have next an account in the abstract. The Africans come on board the veffels dejected and in defpair;-hey are immediately Slave catchers, or the hard-hearted barbarity of their tranfporters. To talk of regulating fuch a trade is idle; to teach decorum to a band of mani. acs; to train the tyger to the spaniel's movements, or fet to mufic the cry of hell hounds, would be fully as practicable as to regulate the Slave trade by the laws of justice or humanity. From the mode of procuring and tranfporting the Slaves, the Abtract goes on to their treatment in the West Indies. The Africans are confidered there "as a fpecies of in immediately ironed, two and two together, and crowded in the fhip's hold in a manner the moft fhocking that can be described. Of this last particular we have an occular demonstration given by the draught of a Slave fhip, and the manner in which the cargo is ftowed; a more ftriking proof, perhaps, was never given of the length to which avarice and cruelty can go, in violating the feelings and aggravating the diftreffes of our fellow creatures. Tortures of every kind, and under every form, are common on the mid-ferior beings, whom the right of dle paffage-fometimes thefe are ap- "purchase gives the owner a power of plied to force the unhappy captives to "ufing at his will." Their labour is take food, fometimes in punishment mott fevere, and urged on with the for an attempt to escape. Some of whip by inhuman and wanten drivers, thefe fpecies of torture are here men- who feem to take pleasure in their fuftioned; and that heart must be cal ferings;-little refpite is allowed them, lous indeed that does not hudder at even Sunday 'fhines no Sabbath day' the defcriptions. Even without thefe, to them. Their food is in general the corrupted air, the stench, the fcanty, and often unwholefome; their dirtinefs, and the horror of their con houfes are miferable hovels, almost finement, carry off the Slaves in mul- deftitute of furniture. Of all thefe titudes. The march of death is ac- facts the most fatisfactory evidence is celerated to a degree almost incon- here adduced; it is unneceffary to enceivable. The mode in which the ter into particulars, which would lead furvivors are fold on their arrival, is into too copious extracts; ut one not lefs fhocking to humanity than fort of the work exacted from the netheir treatment during the voyage. groes we cannot help fpecifying, as a proof at once of the light in which thefe people are regarded by their opproffors, and of the lengths in depravity to which avarice and tyranny will go. It appears that it is a practice (and from the manner in which it is Spoken of it would feem not uncommon) for women, women too not mentioned as of difreputable characters, but we fuppofe "good as in thefe countries deem'd," to keep female negroes, whom they turn out for proftitution, and oblige to bring home the wages of their in quity !-On this fact we fhall make no comment, but leave our readers to imagine, if they can, what must be the ftate of manners and of morals in a country where fuch women are not banifhed from all creditable fociety. T{2 Such is the nature of what proper ly conftitutes the Slave Trade-a trade begun in murder and robbery, carried on in cruelty, and ending in moft galling oppreffion. After the Evidence here brought, together we ean farce believe, or feriously imagine, that any Regulation of the Trade can make it confiftent with juftice or humanity, "It can never, as juftly here obferved, cure melancholy, or a difeafed mind; it can never prevent an injured people from rifing, if out of irons; nor can it take away corrupted air, unless it reduce the number to be carried fo low, as not to make it worth the while of the Slave Merchants to tranfport them." We will add, as little can it cure the unfeeling avarice of the The |