following paflages, we fhall offer them to the more extensive inveftigation of our readers:

I proceed next to the monuments in this cathedral. The piety of our ancestors was fuch, that they were not content to rely on their daily devotions and other religious acts in their lifetime for the fafety of their fouls, but they made what they fimply thought a provision for their fouls after their deceafe, by establishing chantries, obiits, &c. whilft their children have receded fo much from the ways of their fathers, that negligent too often of their religious duties to their God, they feem to pay too, too little attention or care for their fouls even in their lifetime, much lefs take any thought for their fouls or thofe of their departed relations or friends after their death. But they have been more folicitous about depofiting the dead bodies of their relations and friends, and erecting tombs over them; whether it be from a defire of conveying to poterity the names of their family, or from a religious perfuafion and hope of meeting them again in another life, fuch monuments or memorials have their ufe and must not be condemned, as is too much the cafe in this age of levity and affectation of more enlightened understandings than their ancestors.' (p. 294.)

In what fpirit is this paragraph compofed, catholic or proteftant? Has it any or no meaning? Let us examine whether the following paffage will furnifh a key to it:

Thefe are the principal monuments and memorials of the dead whofe remains lie depofited in the facred manfions. Our ancestors were very earnest in paying all due honours to good men departed, by erecting monuments and tombs over their bodies, and tranfmitting to lateft pofterity for our imitation the characters of the deceased, their piety toward God and charity to their fellow creatures, by infcriptions to their memories, many of which as they are very learned, most of them inftructive, and all convey fome good leffons of piety, charity, religious devotion, &c. have their ufe in improving the minds of the living: though there may poffibly be a mixture of flattery and human foible in fome of thofe compofitions. As monuments exprefs our belief of an immortality by hewing a regard for our departed friends, they fhould not be accufed of vanity and ambition who pay that grateful regard to thofe whom they wish to meet with in another and better world: though this feems to be one reason why many worthy men and good fami lies lie now a days almost unnoticed in the repofitories of the dead: a tacit confeffion alfo of the flight impreffion death and immortality make now on the minds of their fucceffors.' (p. 308.)

Alas! we feem rather more bewildered now than we were before. In the former paffage, the piety of our ancestors provided maffes for the fouls of their relations; while we, negligent in religious duties, and prompted by vanity, content ourselves with raifing tombs over their bodies: for as to any religious perfuafion of meeting them again in another life, it has no more connexion with a want of piety in an age of levity, than with the raifing of tombs; and yet it feems that notwithstanding

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ftanding tombs betray a decay of religion, to condemn them is an affectation of wifdom! In the latter paffage, the erecting tombs to the dead, is afcribed to the earnest defire of our anceflors to pay due honours to the deceafed, and to ferve as leffons to the living, with a mixture of flattery and human foible; while worthy men and good families are now-a-days fuffered to lie without tombs, from our want of religious impreffions! Such is the confequence of writing without clear conceptions of what we mean to exprefs.

This work has been neatly printed in the city which it defcribes but the cuts do no credit to any place. If fuch a quarto volume, abounding with fuch various matter, had been furnished with an index, it would have proved no flight additional recommendation to the hiftory.

N.

ART. X. The Obferver: being a Collection of moral, literary, and familiar Effays. Vol. V. 8vo. pp. 309. 3s. 6d. Boards. Dilly.

1790.

THE writings of Mr. Cumberland are too well known to require any laborious criticifm on our part: it will be fufficient to fay that the fifth volume of the Obferver is like thofe which preceded it; frequently inftructive, though never very deep; always eafy, though not always accurate; conftantly endeavouring, with the best intentions and the best humour, to promote happinefs; and generally endeavouring with fuccels. The topics on which it treats are various: most of its papers are in the form of fhort hiftories and details of striking characters; and in drawing thefe, confifts the principal excellence of the author: the remainder either treat, in a light manner, on moral fubjects; or, in purfuance of Mr. CumberJand's plan of compleating the literary annals of Greece, give an account of the drama within that period of time, which commences with the death of Alexander of Macedon, and concludes with that of Menander.-To general readers, thefe Jaft effays form the leaft entertaining part of the volume; and to others, who, from their acquirements in literature, may be fuppofed to relifh them, they may appear to be misplaced. To open the hidden ftores of Grecian poetry to the inspection of the unlearned, may be pleafing and even useful: but to pafs judgment on the merits of ancient writers, from the tranflation of a few mutilated fragments, is neither judicious nor beneficial. What then fhall we fay of the attempt to prejudice the minds of thofe, who are unable to inveftigate the truth for themselves; and which, on the faith of idle tales founded on mifreprefentations, and credible only to those who are unjustly

partial,

partial, ftrives to defame a character, which, for ages, has been defervedly revered ?-It will eafily be perceived, that we allude to Mr. Cumberland's attack on Socrates, which we were forry to find in a former volume, and a renewal of which we little expected to fee in the prefent.-We will pafs, however, from a difagreeable fubje&t.

Mr. Cumberland thus pleasantly introduces himself to our notice:

I am fitting down to begin the task of adding a new volume to thefe effays, when the laft day of the year 1789 is within a few hours of its conclufion, and I fhall bid farewell to this eventful period with a grateful mind for its having paffed lightly over my head without any extraordinary perturbation or misfortune on my part fuffered, gently leading me towards that defined and not far diftant hour, when I, like it, fhall be no more.

I have accompanied it through all thofe changes and fucceffions of feafons, which in our climate are fo ftrongly difcriminated; have fhared in the pleasures and productions of each, and if any little idle jars or bickerings may occafionally have started up betwixt us, as will fometimes happen to the best of friends, I willingly confign them to oblivion, and keep in mind only thofe kind and good offices, which will pleafe on reflection, and ferve to endear the memory of the deceafed.

All days in twelve months will not be days of funshine; but I will fay this for my friend in his last moments, that I cannot put my finger upon one in the fame century, that hath given birth to more interesting events, been a warmer advocate for the liberties and rights of mankind in general, or a kinder patron to this country in particular: I could name a day (if there was any need to point out what is fo ftrongly impreffed on our hearts) a day of gratulation and thanksgiving which will ever ftand forth amongst the whiteft in our calendar.

A day that heals my cares and pains,
Drives death and danger far away,

And tells me-Cefar lives and reigns."

We have faid that the most pleasant parts of Mr. Cumberland's writings, are thofe in which he defcribes the peculiarities of character, and marks their influence on the incidents of common life. As a proof of this, we were inclined to introduce to our readers Mr. Billy Simper, and the hiftory of Nicolas Pedrofa: but the tales are as long as they are pleasant ; and though they might admit of being curtailed, we were

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unwilling

unwilling to attempt the tafk; and therefore, on the whole, we reluctantly omit them.

We conclude with the words of Mr. Cumberland; and we doubt not that thofe readers who have felt equal pleasure with ourfelves, in the perufal of these volumes, will, equally with us, be anxious to exprefs their gratitude:

I am now approaching to the conclufion of this my fifth volume, and according to my prefent purpose fhall difmifs the ObJervers from any further duty: The reader and I are here to part. A few words therefore on fuch an occafion I may be permitted to fubjoin; I have done my best to merit his protection, and as I have been favorably heard whilft yet talking with him, I hope I fhall not be unkindly remembered when I can speak no more: I have paffed a life of many labours, and now being near its end have little to boaft but of an inherent good-will towards mankind, which difappointments, injuries and age itself, have not been able to diminish. It has been the chief aim of all my attempts to reconcile and endear man to man: I love my country and contemporaries to a degree of enthufiafm that I am not fure is perfectly defenfible; though to do them justice, each in their turns have taken fome pains to cure me of my partiality. It is however one of those ftubborn habits, which people are apt to excufe in themfelves by calling it a Second nature. There is a certain amiable lady in the world, in whofe interefts I have the tendereft concern and whofe virtues I contemplate with paternal pride; to her I have always wifhed to dedicate thefe volumes; but when I confider that fuch a tribute cannot add an atom to her reputation, and that no form of words, which I can invent for the occafion, would do juftice to what paffes in my heart, I drop the undertaking and am filent.'

0.

ART. XI. Silva Critica: five in auctores facros profanofq; commenmentarius philologus: concinnavit Gilbertus Wakefield, A. B. et Col. Jeju apud Cantab. nuper Socius. Pars Prima. 8vo. pp. 170. 3s. 6d. Boards. Deighton. 1789. Pars Secunda. 8vo. pp. 160. 3s. 6d. Boards. Deighton. 1790.

TH

'HIS philological commentary, on various authors, facred and profane, is a fresh confirmation of the extent and depth of the author's erudition. The first volume is mifcellaneous, containing remarks on various paffages in the Grecian and Roman claffics, as well as in the New Teftament. The fecond confifts of a series of criticisms on detached paffages in the Gospels, and in the Acts of the Apostles; in connection with which, are introduced ftrictures on a great variety of ancient writers. The principal defign of thefe criticisms is, to elucidate verbal obfcurities, to correct fuppofed errors, or to point out latent beauties. General criticisms on the literary merit of

the

the works of the ancients, and obfervations on the fcriptures, merely theological, refpecting the doctrines controverted in the -church, are feldom to be found in this work. Some of the emendations which Mr. Wakefield propofes, will probably be thought too conjectural: but his criticifms often afford a clear and happy folution of difficulties which have hitherto proved infuperable; and they feldom fail to discover an elegant tafte, as well as great ingenuity.

That we may not too much foreftal the pleasure which the learned reader will receive from the perufal of this work, we fhall felect but one fection from each volume.

The following fection contains judicious remarks on the ufe of the prepofition maga in compofition:

SECT. XLIII.

Act. App. xiii. 50.

• Οι δε Ιεδαίοι παροτρυναν τις σεβόμενας γυναίκας.

• Verba cum præpofitione area compofita fignificationem cujufdam fecreti atque infidiofi, ut plurimùm, in fe videntur continere. Unde variis Nov; Faderis locis lux oborietur, Παροτρύναι, παρώξυναν: Hef. minùs accuratè, fi modò, quod verifimile eft, refpexerit, ad hunc A&t. App. locum.

Nec minùs felicitèr ad xv. 19. evangelifta nofter, hiftoricorum cuivis comparandus : Διο εγω κρινω μη ΠΑΡΕΝΟΧΛΕΙΝ τοις απο των εθνών επισρέψωσιν επι τον Θεόν.

Nemo autèm, qui has venuftates fecutus eft, pleniùs videtur affecutus, quàm eloquens gentium Apoftolus. Sic Rom. v. 20. Nou de ПAPEIZHAOEN. Vox aptiffima: quafi inopinatò, et præter Dei voluntatem, fi alitèr fieri poterat. Nos: Came in BY THE BYAFVENTITIOUS to the main purpose: v. Gal. iii. 19.

Similitèr Longin. de Subl. fect. 33. Пagozuaтα-Ù‰о μeyañoφυΐας ανεπισάτως ΠΑΡΕΝΗΝΕΓΜΕΝΑ.- Quam venuftatem Pearcium non percepiffe minùs miror, cùm Toupianam fagacitatem & eruditionem id effugiffe ejus verfio teftetur. Longini locum egregiè illuftrat Lucian. Diff. cum Hef. 5. Ε. τι εν τω της ποιήσεως δρομῳ ΠΑΡΑΡΡΥΕΝ hay: If any inaccuracy be INADVERTENTLY LEFT in the career of compofition. Laudandus eft etiam D. Petrus, ii. 2. 1. HAPEIZAΞΟΥΣΙΝ αἱρέσεις : et D. Judas, 4. ΠΑΡΕΙΣΕΔΥΣΑΝ τινες ανθρωποι. Ita Orator de Midia: Της δε βύλης περι τότων-σκοπεμένης, ΠΑΡΕΛΘΩΝ STO-PRÆTER DECORUM ingreffus. Et magis appofitè Plut. ii. P. 216. Τα αρχαία νομιμα εκλυομένα έωρα, αλλα δὲ ΠΑΡΕΙΣΔΥΟΜΕΝΑ Moxonga: i. e. CLAM et fenfim irrepentia. Et fimilitèr p. 239. ad imum. Vide et 2 Macc. viii. 1. Gall. ii. 4. et ità intellige Eur. Hipp. 1331. ubi et lectionem variam wapxas videtur agnofcere Scholiaftes. Confer Hefychium in Пagua.

Hinc opportunè Longino, fect. 17. fubveniri poteft.

Και πως παραληφθεισα ή τε πανεργειν τέχνη τους καλλεσι και μεγέθεσι, το λοιπον υποδεδυκε.

• Non infelicitèr Ruhnkenius-аçaxaλuσa: nec Toupius-wa

para-nifi quod hæc vox metaphoris, per quas totus procedit p.480.

locus, minùs conveniat. Videat lector, an noftra emendatio fit

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undequàque