THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, For APRI L, 1817. Mr. URBAN, Temple, March 31. HE greater part of your Readers cessive volumes of the new" General Biographical Dictionary" with pleasure and advantage. They must have marked with surprize the speedy and faithful fulfilment of the Editor's engagement; and, at the close of his long and meritorious labours, cannot but be willing to offer that tribute which is due to talents and industry so well and so successfully applied. But few years have elapsed since Mr. Chalmers conducted through the press an edition of our English Poets -a gigantic labour-which, from its extent and general accuracy, would alone seem a sufficient occupation for the life, and that not a short one, of one individual. These proofs of intellectual industry furnish the best evidence of what may be accomplished by habits of perseverance, and a due apportionment of our chief talent time. We are told, and with truth, that "the labour we delight in, physics pain;" for how many works of magnitude, like the Dictionary of Johnson, have been digested" amid inconvenience and distraction, in sickness and in sorrow!" nor could a better lecture be read to men of genius, "whose fastidious indolence sits still, because it disdains to do little," than by pointing to those volumes of merit and industry, which within so short a period have resulted from a single pen. It would be time mispent, at the present day, to enlarge on the dig To From what class of Literature do the generality of Readers derive more essential benefit? in what study do we take a more lively interest, than in that which "gives us what comes near to ourselves, what we can turn to use?" The productions of the illustrious individual I have named would alone vindicate its claim; yet, with the deepest reverence for the talents of Johnson, it must be confessed that his model is a dangerous one. copy it, would not only be hazardous; but, were it generally adopted, the utility of Biography would be lessened. In his " Lives of the Poets" Johnson appeared rather as a Critick than a Biographer. Satisfied with gleaning a few of the most striking incidents in the Life, he exerted the whole force of his genius in an elaborate criticism on the Writings of an Author; and, neglecting himself the due labour of research, he too often rested content with a few facts already recorded, or which friendly aid or accident threw in his way. The digressions into which he wandered, interesting and delightful as they are, in a series of critical essays, would nevertheless be misplaced in a body of biography, where facts are alone sought for *. Still, in offering these remarks, they must be qualified with one most important exception. Johnson's personal intimacy with Sa - *There is a passage in Dryden's Life of Plutarch which closely applies to this striking feature in the Lives of the Poets. "I have always been pleased," says the Author, "to see him and his imitator, Montaigne, when they strike a little out of the common road; for we are sure to be the better for their wandering. If we mark him more narrowly we may observe, that the great reason of his frequent starts is the variety of his learning; he knew so much of nature, was so vastly furnished with all the treasures of the mind, that he was uneasy to himself, and was forced, as I may say, to lay down some at every passage, and to scatter his riches as he went." (Works, Scott's edit. XVII. 63.) No writer has more forcibly pointed out the peculiar excellences of Biography than Dryden in this Memoir; nor has he failed to notice, as an indispensible requisite, that " descent into minute circumstances, and trivial passages of life, natural to this way of writing, and which the dignity of Commentaries and History will not admit.” vage enabled him to fulfil duties more important than those belonging to the Critick. As the Moralist, he sought "to instruct, admonish, and reform;" and never has the portrait of a glowing, but neglected genius, of a strong, but ill-directed understanding, been more powerfully or more impressively drawn, than in the narrative of that unfortunate man. For these reasons, and many others that might be urged, it cannot be lamented, although a subject of regret to himself, that Johnson did not engage in the later edition of the Biographia Britannica. Such an occupation must necessarily have most materially diminished the num ber of his original compositions; and as the minuteness of Biography furnishes its greatest charm, and the extent and accuracy of the research employed contribute so mainly to its utility, it is evident that men less highly gifted, but of greater indus try, were better qualified for so vast an undertaking. It will be obvious, that of a body of biographical matter no judgment can be formed from extracts; nor can an analysis of Mr. Chalmers's Work, however confined, be expected within the present limits. Of its extent some idea may be collected from the following statement: The last edition of this Dictionary, completed in 1798, was comprised in 15 volumes. The present one occupies no less than 32 volumes; it has been augmented by 3934 additional failed), a due consistency has been observed. These are valuable improvements, and would alone stamp the superiority of this undertaking over all contem porary productions of the same class; nevertheless it prefers higher claims to public notice. Unwarped by prejudice, and free from all taint of that asperity from which Authors are said to be seldom exempt, the Editor has pursued his labours with fearlessness, candour, and impartiality he has trodden upon ashes under which the fire is scarcely extinguished, with a delicate yet firm step; and whilst the purity of his taste has prevented injudicious commendation, the rectitude of his principles forbade the palliation of those qualities, which a high-toned moral feeling will neither pardon nor disguise, Of a Work likely to be so generally diffused, it is scarcely necessary to add more; a sense of its intrinsic va lue has alone prompted this imperfect testimony. In the applause which the present age and posterity will not fail to bestow upon his labours, and in the honest pride resulting from a faithful discharge of his duty to the Literature of his country, Mr. Chalmers will derive his best and most enviable reward. S. D. D. Tour through various Parts of the NETHERLANDS and GERMANY in 1815. (Continued from page 200.) Y two last letters, the fruit of a Lives, and of the remaining number, Mrang lavring at a village inn, 2176 have been re-written; and the whole revised and corrected. The total number of articles exceeds 9000. To have attempted to leave no source of information unexplored, and no error corrected, would have been vain and hopeless; yet, from a careful and unprejudiced examination of the several volumes, it may be safely averred, that the general fidelity of Mr. Chalmers's labours stands conspicuous and unimpeached. Appended to each article are pointed out the sources whence the materials were derived in the Memoirs of Authors their Works are enumerated, with the date of publication, and other useful particulars; and in proportioning the len, th of an article to the quality and interest of the subject (wherein certain Writers have most lamentably contained some sketches of the History of Hainault, from the 10th century until the death of the unfortu nate Princess Jacoba in 1436, when that beautiful and rich Province merged in the House of Burgundy, That aspiring family had already, by a rare concurrence of fortunate events, obtained a preponderating weight in the Netherlands. In the early part of the fifteenth century they were in possession of Mechlin, Flanders, Artois, Brabant, and Limburg; and the base and unjust conduct of Philip Duke of Burgundy towards Jacoba the heiress of Hainault, led to the acquisition of that Province, together with Holland and Zealand. Hainault remained under the dominion of the Burgundian Princes, and of the Spanish Monarchs of the Austrian line, until the reign of Louis the XIVth, when a considerable branch was lopped off, and annexed by that ambitious monarch to his own dominions, under the name of French Hainault, with Valenciennes for its capital; a town which has been rendered memorable by the seige which it sustained in 1793. I heartily wish that this, as well as every other branch of the Belgian Provinces, which has been lopped off by France at different periods, could be annexed to the new kingdom of the Netherlands, which I trust will be enabled to maintain its independence. There were few events during the Revolutionary War which gave me more real concern, as a lover of my country, than the subju gation of the Low Countries; and on the downfall of Buonaparte, I hailed the establishment of the kingdom of the Netherlands, under the Prince of Orange Nassau, as a master-stroke of policy, although I lament that the wings of France were not then more effectually clipped in that quarter. Let us be thankful, however, for the incorporation of the Austrian Netherlands with Holland, not only as strengthening the barrier against the power of France on that side, but as opening prospects highly advantageous to the naval and commercial interests of Great Britain. There is no doubt that France will always have her eye upon those fair and flourishing Provinces, the pos session of which would add so bright a jewel to her crown; and it will be the interest of Great Britain to prevent, if possible, her gaining so for midable an accession of power and influence. The dismantling of the Barrier Towns by the Emperor Joseph the Second, betrayed a palpable want of political foresight; the fatal effects of which were felt at the commencement of the late war. It is to be hoped that the present Sovereign of Belgium will learn wisdom from the romantic folly of Joseph, and avail himself of the season of peace to secure his frontiers by a strong chain of fortresses; and above all, that the Netherlands will be made happy in the possession of a well-regulated system of civil and religious liberty, which will prove a better security to the country, than a Wall more formidable than that which separates China from Tartary. A distinction has prevailed from a remote period in those Provinces which used to be known by the name of the Austrian Netherlands-namely, that some of them are called Flemish and others Walloon, a distinction originating in the difference of language, and which is thus explained by a judicious Writer whom I have often quoted: "The Walloon tongue, which is spoken in the Provinces bearing that name, essentially different from the Flemish language spoken in the other Provinces, is that antient French language which arose out of the ruins of the Latin tongue in the age of Charlemagne, and was spoken in France, as well as in the Walloon Low Countries, in the ages succeed. ing the reign of that monarch. This old language was named Romance, or Gaulois, and from the word Gau lois, corrupted into Wallois, has arisen the name Walloon. Whilst France, by gradual refinement, has improved the old Gaulois into that softer and more elegant tongue which is now spoken in that kingdom, the Walloon Provinces in the Low Countries have retained their antient language, more rude, but in its rudeness bold and energetic." Hainault is one of the Walloon Provinces, although it must be remarked that the old dialect has, since the middle of the last century, been gradually giv ing way to the language of France: as the broad Scots of the Lowlanders, North of the Tweed, has, during the same period, been giving way to the pure English standard. Nevertheless, the Muse of Froissart alone will preserve the old Gaulois from sinking into oblivion, as the dialect in which Allan Ramsay sung will continue to be studied as long as the yellow broom waves on the Cowden Knows, or the rapid stream flows down the vale of Yarrow t." I would also observe, that the Flemish language has fallen much into disuse in many parts where it was pretty generally spoken half a century ago; and it is not unlikely that in the course of another half century it will be found only in the Dutch Provinces. Hainault possesses various elegant manufactures, in common with the * Shaw. + The above passage is quoted by memory from the Biography of the Poet Burns, neighbouring Provinces of Flanders and Brabant; and I was informed that it contains valuable mines of iron, as well as strata of coal, which require only a spirit of enterprize to render them sources of great commercial advantages. It seems to be universally allowed that agriculture has been carried to a greater degree of perfection in Flanders than in any other part of Europe. The natural fertility of the soil, and the happy temperature of the climate, are highly favourable to the industry of the husbandman; and there can be no doubt that the small extent of the farms throughout this Province has powerfully contributed to the flourishing state of its agriculture. I recollect to have heard, when I was in Flanders upwards of 20 years ago, that the farms there rarely exceeded 50 or 60 acres, and were frequently of less extent; and that long experience had given such convincing proofs of the utility of the system, as to induce some of the neighbouring Provinces to set about imitating their example. It appears that, about 60 years ago, the States of Hainault passed a law for limiting the extent of farms, whereby it was expressly ordained, that no farm should exceed 150 acres; the good effects of which regulation have since been experienced in various points of view, essentially connected with the best interests of the community. The bad effects of a contrary system in England, in our day, are too palpable to all who have eyes to see, and ears to hear, to require proof. Agriculture is the most solid and permanent basis of national strength and prosperity; there is nothing so bountiful and generous in its returns as land; and the true secret of rendering the soil a source of national wealth, as well as of individual comfort, is to let it out in small farms, calculated to afford a decent and comfortable maintenance to a plain, temperate, hardy race of men, removed from the seductions of luxury. "Hanc olim veteres vitam coluere Sabini, Hanc Remus et frater; sic fortis Etruria [Roma." crevit, Scilicet et rerum facta est pulcherrima I now resume the narrative of my Tour. We travelled from Halle, the Jast town in the Province of Hainault, to Brussels, through an enchanting -2 country, where Nature and Art conspire to fill the mind with delightful emotions. On our arrival at Brussels we drove to a spacious and elegant hotel called the Duke of Wellington, which stands in that delicious spot called the Park, the varied beau ties of which surpass the descriptive powers of my pen. In a former Tour I communicated a variety of particulars concerning Brussels, for which I refer your Readers to the pages of your Magazine in the months of October and November 1804. I made some additional observations during my last visit, which must be postponed until the Reader has been conducted over the plains of Water, loo.-We proceeded thither the day after our arrival at Brussels in a carriage which we hired for the day, and which commodiously held the party-with whom I had travelled from Lille; and from whose society and converse I had derived so much rational gratification, as made me deeply regret that the hour of bidding, perhaps, a final adieu, was so near at hand. We set out at an early hour in the morning, with the view of breakfasting at Waterloo, and dedicating the rest of the day to a minute survey of the field of battle. That celebrated spot is situated near 10 miles to the South of Brussels. Soon after leaving the suburbs, we entered the extensive and magnificent Forest of Soigny, which extends over an immense tract of country from East to West; and from North to South (the direction in which it is traversed by the road from Brussels) it extends to a distance of six or seven miles. The whole scene was solemn and grand-it was, to borrow the words of one of our Poets, "Pan's own umbrage dark and deep ;" and well calculated to inspire the mind with mingled emotions of admiration and awe. The road is very wide, perhaps not less than between 40 and 50 feet, with a paved chaussée in the middle, along which our carriage rolled. I could not help contrasting the stillness of our journey, interrupted only by the chirping of birds and the sound of the woodman's axe, with the scenes of noise, confusion, and horror, which were exhibited on this very road for some days before and after the battle. Soon after emerging from the gloom of the Fo rest, |