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were intended rather for a god than a man. The chiefs never approached the king without prostrating before him; and, in addressing him, Dewo (God) was an expression that they commonly used. His own proclamations were very characteristic;"The most wealthy, the protector of religion, whose fame is infinite and universally spread, and of surpassing excellence, exceeding the moon, the unexpanded jessamine-buds, the heavenly river, the white chanks, and the stars ;whose feet are as fragrant to the noses of other kings as flowers to bees;-our most noble patron and god by custom,-like Sakreea, who subdued the Assooriabs, sitting on the precious throne of the mag nificent and prosperous city of Sengadagalla, that possesses the beauty and wealth of all kingdoms, and is like the heavenly kingdom of Sakreea.-Ordered, &c.'

Thus commenced a deed of gift of the late king, in which he assigned

certain confiscated lands to one of his ministers, as a reward for his fidelity and good conduct; and, as we can scarcely finish better, here we leave off for the present.

(To be continued.)

With spawn, before it grows to fish,

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The History of Madeira.

With eggs unhatch'd, with calves unborn; (Concluded from p. 593.) Devour, with gusto, glee, and laughter, The present, past, and coming fruits,THE portion of this beautifully embellished work which we have reservBequeathing, to the times hereafter, Our empty casks and faded suits. These games and gambols, past believing, ed for our present notice, has an immeOur dull and sonibre souls call "thieving." diate reference to the engravings, which But we, who play these jovial pranks, are, both in point of design and co(Praise to our fertile wit, and thanks!) louring, of a very superior description; To hush complaint and stifle groans, Refine them down to "raising loans." they give a very striking and familiar author pursues the subject, and pro- with the aid of the letter-press, render In a note of considerable length, the view of the costume, manners, and occupations of the inhabitants;' and, jects (for what is an author without a project!), a plan of relief for the dis- the natives of Madeira and their varied tressed peasantry. He proposes that pursuits almost as familiar to us as our fellow countrymen. From the deall the waste lands, when inclosed and brought into cultivation, should be di- scription the author gives of the several classes of the inhabitants and their vided among those who possess nothing, in parcels of from four to five peculiarities, we shall make a few exacres for each family. The advantages tracts; and, first, of the country's arising from this plan, he says, would pride,' the peasantry :—

be that,

"The cottages in Madeira, the habitaBesides the amelioration of charac- tions of the labouring peasantry, are built of stone, with roofs composed of thatch, ter to the man, the land would pass from the rudest agriculture into a state of which are annually thickened with the horticulture in its minutest detail. In- same material, in order to render them stead of curious instruments and refine-more impervious to the heavy rains of the ments, manual labour would force the winter season. They consist, generally, of one room, which is subservient to every soil to do its duty. domestic purpose. Here the victuals are cooked, and the household occupations pursued during the day; while, at night, it is divided by a curtain or straw mat, to answer the purpose of sleep. Their culinary furniture seems to be confined to a very few articles. The principal of these is a large iron pot, in which their food is prepared, which does not offer any abundant variety, as it consists chiefly of a kind of porridge, composed of rice and Indian corn. Sometimes, indeed, though it is considered as a luxury, not being often seen on the cottage table, the rural people enjoy a meal of salt pork or salted

St. George and St. Denys; a Dia- Were a considerable proportion of the
logue. By Hugh Melros. 8vo. pp.
labourers proprietors, the price of labour
113. London, 1821.
could not be fixed by the party whose in-
terest it is to undervalue it. The concur
THIS is one of those productions on
rence of the employed would be neces
which it is difficult to offer a decided sary to sanction the terms proposed by
opinion, Its merits are certainly too the employer.-Again, the occasional
low for a high praise, too small for a avocation of the peasant to cultivate his
great praise; but if it affords little to own estate would enhance the value of his
praise, it contains nothing to condemn, services; he would gradually be accessi-
The author, with the feeling of Gold-ble to a feeling of pride; and when once
sinith, whom he considers as possessing
that feeling was awakened in him, his ad-
vance in decency and honesty would be
'more practical policy than a whole
rapid.
privy council of men merely versed in
the routine of office,' laments, in terms
somewhat lachrymose, the decline of
the peasantry, and the rise of specula-
tors and monopolists. The following
extract, contrasting present and former
times, is one of the best passages in

I have heard some persons approve of a little plot of land to employ the labourer after his working hours, in what they are pleased to call his spare time. His working hours, I reply, are already too many for his strength; and his return from them should be greeted by a nutritive meat supper, the conversation of his family, and rest. A mere garden (fastidiously cultivated, as the peasants usually keep their gardens) is yet totally inadequate to giving them any importance, or Their children's children here might breathe; securing to them those comforts, without

the poem:

"Our foolish fathers sowed and planted Trees, which they never used nor wanted, In hope, with them when all was dark,

Carve future Sylvias on their bark,

Quaff future vintages beneath; With billets from their giant boughs, Might cheer their halls coeval too, Or shape them into future ploughs,

To cut the valleys where they grew. And haply philosophic pride

which human nature sinks and is undone.'
There is a good deal of benevolence
in the author's project, and it would
certainly do much good, but it would
not be a panacea to heal all the real
and imaginary evils which he, with mi-

fish.

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Religious duties occupy much, if not the greater part, of the leisure that labour can spare them. The picture of their tutelary saint is seen in a conspicuous part of their dwelling, and to gain whose protecting favour their prayers are seldom omitted, when the opportunity offers to The rosary is also a conrepeat them. stant associate of their intervals from labour, and the more public exercises, as demanded by the church, are constant objects of habitual devotion.'

There is a beautiful engraving, entitled Rural Toil.' It represents an old woman sitting under a banana-tree, winding thread from a reel, while a young woman near her, is engaged in

Might muse where centuries broke their rage croscopic eye, sees overwhelming poor spinning from the distaff, which is usu

And rosy infants run and hide

Beneath their hollows, scooped by age. But we, their sons, a wiser race, Bequeath to those who take our place, Nor tree, nor branch, nor trunk, nor root, Nor seed, nor saplin, graff, nor shoot, Enjoying still-we fill our dish

With blades before they swell to corn,

old England. Something, however,
might certainly be done to ameliorate
the condition of the peasantry, and we
know nothing so likely to facilitate this
object as giving them small farms or
plots of ground for individual cultivation,

ally employed in warm countries, »s it is not confined, like the spinning wheel, to a sedentary situation, but may be exercised either standing or walking.

One of the singularities in the toil of the Madeira peasant, consists in his

but moderate revenues; and the poorer ones are maintained by the ingenious industry of their inhabitants in making artificial flowers, which they do with great taste and imitative power. They also excel in preserving fruits, and various branches of confectionery.'

The Portugueze ladies of Madeira very seldom walk out but to attend their devotions: when they visit one another, it is usually in a palanquin. Its only furniture is a cushion, with a silk or chintz curtain. But,

carrying every thing on his head, with- The inhabitants of Madeira are ge-
out the least assistance from the shoul-nerally stout, but inore particularly so
ders. The unequal surface that prevails the dignitaries of the Romish church,
through the island, renders the use of who appear to fatten abundantly on the
the plough impracticable, as it equally good things of this island. One en-
forbids the use of animal labour; cul- graving represents a prior of the
that
Francis, with
tivation is, therefore, principally pro- order of St.
duced by manual labour. Spades are kind of bulk which monastic fasting
not in use, but the instrument employ- and prayer does not always discourage.
ed in breaking up the ground is a kind He is as jolly as Falstaff, and forms a
of long pointed hoe. Indian corn is striking contrast to the lean and lugu-
ground by a stone in the open air, brious lay brother by the side of him.
principally by women. Of the cos- Iu auother engraving there is a brother
tumes of the natives, we are told that, of the same order, (not a lay brother,
"There is a manifest difference between but one fat enough to be a prior,) col-
the southern and western natives of the lecting donations for his convent. He
island of Madeira. It is not necessary to
attempt a philosophical inquiry into the appears surrounded with luxuries, and
is receiving a loaf from a beautiful
causes of this variety. It is sufficient for
The friar
these pages merely to state its existence. female who is kneeling.
Those of the western side lay claim to, as looks very amorous, and is patting the
they indeed possess, a decided superio- cheek of the fair damsel. All the or-
rity over those of the southern part of the ders of St. Francis are mendicant; that
island. Their manners and habits are is, they are not allowed to possess any
more simple and natural; their figures property beyond the walls of their
present a more regular proportion, and cloister:-
their skin a finer complexion. They are
described, also, as remarkable for the
brightness of their eyes, the growth of
their hair, and the beauty of their teeth.
They frequently go barefoot; but when
their feet are clad, they wear boots made
of goat-skins, which are light and durable,
and being white, have a pretty appear
ance. The whole dress of both sexes has

---

The community, which is numerous, is entirely supported by charitable contributions. There are three branches of the principal institution at Funchal, which are settled in different parts of the island, to collect support from the country people, particularly at the time of the vintage. The charity thus obtained consists generally of a loaf of bread, or other

The palanquin, which is the common conveyance of the town, is too weighty to be carried with equal ease over the rugged unequal roads, that form the communication from one part of the country to For this purpose a hammock the other. is employed, made of strong net-work, fastened at each end to a considerable bearing such a weight as the design inlength of bamboo, which is capable of tends to express. In this way the country parties are formed; nor is sleep refused in the passage, to which the posture is peculiarly inviting; the gentlemen also frequently prefer it to riding. Por, ters follow the hammocks with the neces sary baggage.

The travelling bearers of these machines possess not only the strength adequate to the load, but display all the agility which the unequal surface of the roads requires, as well as a curious expertne s in shifting the bamboo from one shoulder

a picturesque character, both as to shape article of sustenance, with some small to the other, in order to relieve them

and variety of colours, For its materials, the wearers are solely indebted to their own domestic manufacture, in which the female hands are more particularly employed.'

Itinerant musicians are common in

Madeira:

piece of money, for which the mendicant selves, without any risk to the person.s
friar returns his holy benediction. No whom they carry, or causing the least
place escapes their solicitation, which as-apprehension for their security, Indeed,
sumes a different form, according to the accidents of any kind are altogether un-
character of those to whom the eleemo- heard of in this mode of travelling.'
synary applicant addresses himself.
Places of refreshment are very numer-
ous in different parts of the town as well
as of the country, where stalls present
bread, fruit, and wine for sale, as repre-
sented in the plate. These never escape
the friar's application, and as seldom fail
of adding to the contents of the conven-
tual sack.'

The nunneries of the island of Madeira are confined to Funchal, and consist of four conventual establishments for females :

It may be naturally expected, in a country where the love of music and the practice of it is so universal, from rank and opulence to the lowest classes of every denomination, that there would be such a profession as that which the plate so characteristically displays. These itinerant musicians assist at the religious festivals and the private entertainments of the capital, while they entertain the more humble audience of the village. Indeed, as they travel from one end of the island to the other, they may be considered as occasionally enlivening and delighting the whole of it. To the song and the instrument they add the dance. They excel also in extemporaneous compositions. Their music is suited to the occasion; and their dancing is not devoid of grace, but slow in its movements. Their occupation is to afford pleasure to others; but, as they are in continual motion, and never stationary, their's is a life of no common labour. They are represented as sleeping little, and eating less; but, though they support their fatigue chiefly by drinking, they are never seen to in-church of Rome. dulge in it to excess.'

'One of them is formed upon the same
system as that of La Trappe, in Norman-
dy, as it existed previous to the French
revolution. Among other rigorous and
unsocial regulations, these cloistered la-
dies are not only forbidden the use of
speech themselves, but even of hearing
that of others. All conversation, there-
fore, is prohibited when the gates of this
are once closed upon
silent mansion
them. It is presumed, that there never
was another institution of this character
for the female religious, under any regu-
lation, or in any jurisdiction of the

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The independent nunneries here have

To what we have already said in praise of this work, we shall add nothing further than recommending it as a necessary and elegant appendage to every good lib.ary.

A Supplement to the Pharmacopeia; being a Treatise on Pharmacology in general: including not only the Drugs and Compounds which are used by Practitioners of Medicine, but also those which are sold by Chemists, Druggists, &c. for other purposes. Together with a Collection of the most useful Medical Formule; an Explanation of the C'ontractions used by Physicians, &c. &c. &c. A New and Improved Edition, considerably enlarged. By Samuel the Frederick Gray, Lecturer on Materia Medica, &c. 8vo, pp. 480. London, 1821.

THIS work, though under the modest

title of a 'Supplement' to the Pharmacopœias, is of more general and extensive utility than the Pharmacopoeia it

as flat as possible. The paper should be
changed every two or three days, and the
weights increased until the plants are
thoroughly dry. A number of plants may
be submitted to the same press at once,
placed one upon another, with two or
three sheets of blotting paper between
them.

self. Its object, says Mr. Gray in his same, and a board being laid upon the
preface, is to give a concise account whole, to prevent the leaves, &c. from
of the actual state of our knowledge of curling up, weights are put upon the
drugs in general, using that term in board, and the whole exposed to the air
its most extensive signification, as in- in a dry place. If the stalks or other parts
of the plants are very thick, the lower
cluding not only those natural sub-part may be pared, so as to lay the whole
stances and compounds which are em-
ployed by physicians or private practi-
tioners in the practice of medicine, but
those other substances and compounds
which, from their analogy to these, are
usually sold by the same retailers as
sell medicines for the
of being
purpose
used as dyes, paints, perfumes, cos-
metics, liqueurs, &c.; and upon this ac-
count the work appears under the title
of Supplement to the Pharmaco-
poeias,' as that book contains only the
medicines which are at present most
generally used by the physicians of
London and its environs. Still, how-
ever, the medicines form the greater
bulk of the work.'

We shall not follow the author in his division of medicines into enporista, officinals, and nostrums; but on this point shall merely observe, that the subjects of the volume are all systematically and scientifically arranged, and so accompanied with explanations as to render them easily understood by those who are out of the profession; and though no inedical student should be without this supplement, yet Mr. Gray contemplated a more extensive field of usefulness than merely writing for the initiated.

be remarked, that as the higher classes, of society require their usual medical adviser to possess their manners, so do the lowest; and although the poor may accept of the advice and medicines given them by practitioners who rank above them in society, yet they do it with a latent suspicion that they are made the subjects of experiments, and never cordially. bestow their confidence but upon those of their own rank; nor is this peculiar to the poor in civil life, for Hamilton, in his Regimental Surgeon, mentions the reluctance with which soldiers report themselves sick, and accept the proffered aid of their medical officers, choosing rather to purchase medicines out of their scanty allowance, and follow empirical advice, until overpowered by disease, and no longer able to conceal it.

A still better way is to have a box the size of a sheet of paper, and about nine inches or a foot deep, then strew some sand about an inch thick at the bottom, over which place a sheet of blotting paAs to the power of suppressing homeper, and upon this, as many of the plants as will conveniently lie upon it, carefully bred or even unlearned empirics altogeexpanding and smoothing them; thenther, the trouble and expenses of a law-` put a sheet of blotting paper over them, suit, and the obloquy that attends those and the thickness of about half an inch of who attempt to deprive a man of the sand, upon which another sheet of paper, fruits of his industry and skill through the another layer of plants, paper, and sand want of technical formalities, are so great, may be placed, thus continuing till the that it is only the strongest stimulus of perstock of plants is exhausted, or the boxsonal enmity, or a feeling that their own filled, observing to have a layer of sand at interest is deeply involved in getting rid the top; the box is then to be put into of a more popular neighbour, that would a dry airy place, or near a com:non fire, originate a prosecution; hence, while the till the drying is complete; when the grossest ignorance and real unskilfulness plants are dried, they may either be past- would escape, by being clothed in the ed down on sheets of paper, or otherwise garb of poverty, especially considering the fastened by thread, or slips of paper past-facility with which the poor slip from the fangs of the law by changing their reed through slits in the sheet. 'Instead of flattening the plants for the sidence, as it would never be worth while purpose of placing them in books, they in such a case to hunt them out, even if are sometimes dried in their natural form, it were possible, it is only the active and by suspending them in a tin-box of suffi- intelligent practitioner, like Sutton the incient depth, then carefully filling the box noculator, that would be prosecuted, be In addition to the many thousand with sand, and placing it in a warm dry cause by his neighbourhood alone could recipes which the work contains, in-place for a few days; after which the sand prosecutors be injured, or from him alone eluding almost every species of com- is to be taken out carefully, and the dry could they look for a reimbursement of pound, infusions, decoctions, emul- plants' may be either made into nosegays any portion of the expenses that must be and covered with a glass case, or stuck in incurred; and here the prosecutors sions, syrups, varnishes, tinctures, powders, pills, plaisters, patent medi-pots, and scented with a few drops of a would, as in Sutton's case, have to encines, &c. &c. &c. there is a variety of counter every discouragement that could other useful information, too tedious to be put upon the affair, and have to fight their way through all the mazes and inmention.' The last branch of the work is tricacies that the law could interpose, by no means the least interesting: it with a court and jury decidedly hostile to contains an account of apparatus and Mr. Gray's preface, which is by no their claim, and requiring the most posimaterials for a medicine chest; a list means the least interesting part of his tive enactments and evidence in their faof the contractions used by physicians work, contains a retrospective view of your; and the want of success in any one lawsuit, or even the expenses of three or and druggists; the college list of the medical profession, with some judi-four, if so many were required, although medicines, with the usual doses in cious reflections on the inutility of the they were successful, would outweigh any which they are administered; and a late Apothecaries' Act. With a strong possible injury that could arise from letlist of native British plants, arranged feeling in favour of the profession, he ting the matter rest as it was. Moreover, as to the real justice of ataccording to the uses to which they are points out the futility of attempting to applied.-From a volume which em- protect or even assist it by severe en- tempting the forcible suppression of em braces a field so ample, we shall con- actments, which do not prevent empi-pirics, however mortifying it must be to the pride of the philosopher or the intent ourselves with one extract, for the ricism, and often oppress deserving tense labours of the scholar, truth will benefit of our botanical readers. It is judividuals. On this subject we per- oblige the historian of the practice of medirections for preparing dried plants fectly agree with him in the following dicine to confess, with a sigh over the va nity of human learning, that our choicest remedies, and our most approved modes of cure, are generally, if not universally, derived from empirics, and those the most unlearned; and that, however the metho

for a hortus siccus:

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The plants being laid down in their. natural position as far as possible, upon some sheets of blotting paper, are then to "be covered with two or more sheets of the

proper essential oil; even mushrooms
may be dried under sand in a similar
manner. The sand should he rather
coarse, that the moisture may breathe out
the more freely.'

remarks:

'But in respect to the cant, for no other name can be given to it, of the danger of permitting home-bred and even unlearned empirics to practise medicine, it may

dics have laboured to explain the modes of action, and the reasons for the effects produced, they have done little or nothing towards the improvement of the practice. Again,

of the trial avoided.

vades the different branches of the medi-
cal profession, as they may be well assur-
ed that the mass of mankind are not so
blind as to be incapable of judging in a
matter that so nearly concerns them as
their health, or so inattentive to their own
interest, as not to prefer those practition-
ers whose success in practice shall attest
their skill.'

Original Communications.

CRITIQUE ON

authors, who are such thorough Dellacrusians in the choice of their lanwhole nation in the same pursuit, and guage, that they have engaged the diverted our minds from the search of knowledge; for we have come to pay such a slavish obedience to the equip age of a glittering phraseology, though containing no real authority within, that we are rather servants of a verbal despotism, than freemen of an intellectual commonwealth; and while we follow the pageantry of the former, desert the advancements of the latter. But to return to our subject.

The real enemies of the fair practitioner, whether empiric or methodic, are those persons generally educated in what is called the regular method, who, disdaining the slow and gradual progress of We shall say nothing further in industry and attention to business, endea- praise of this work, to what we stated vour to trample down their brethren, and at the commencement of our review; thrust themselves forward to public notice the rapidity with which the first edition in advertisements, under real or fictitious was sold, is a proof that our opinion names and titles, and thus make a great respecting its merits is that of the pubnoise in the world, although, from the lic; it is, however, but justice to obheavy expense of advertising, it is doubt-serve, that the second edition has been ful whether they really get as much mo considerably improved. It will first be necessary, as the acney as they might obtain by pursuing the count given of this phenomenon by the usual course; and still more those perabove author might seem to render sons who, impelled by a commercial rathis investigation superfluous, to state ther than a philosophic spirit, become my objections to his solution. The nostrum-mongers, and frequently, in deeditor of the Novelist's Library is an fiance of their better knowledge, recom author and a critic so justly celebrated, mend, in pompous terms, some inert or SIR WALTER SCOTT'S REMARKS that it is with some diffidence I vendangerous medicine to the notice of the ON NOVELISTS AND DRAMATISTS. sick, and thus encourage them to practise ture, even in the cause of truth, to dis(FOR THE LITERARY CHRONICLE.) upon themselves. The most hazardous sent from his opinions; but in such a of all experiments, to which the rashest THERE is a phenomenon, which has long cause, we are recommended even to contrials of the most ignorant village empiric, been observed to take place in our lite- front the devil to his beard, and, therewho derives the whole of his book-learn-rary system, and the observation has fore, (not meaning any particular simiing from a well-thumbed copy of some old been so repeatedly confirmed by expe- litude) why not face a mortal? My black-letter he.bal, are comparatively rience, that we are fully justified in ac- first objection, then, is that he has safe; since, in the latter case, there is counting it an effect of the pre-esta-treated this subject poetically, and not some chance that his experience may en-blished order of things, rather than an philosophically, as it demanded. able him to perceive his error in time to occurrence of a casual nature. retrieve it, and at the worst a salutary cau-this: the failure of the novelist in the tion would be inculcated, and a repetition drama. Though I had frequently obThe true method of combating this is served this in the course of my reading, not by soliciting harsh penal laws against yet I never considered it in the light practitioners who have not studied at cer- of a general law of our nature, till I tain schools, or who have not been devot-saw it proposed as such by an eminent ed to medicine by their parents. For as author, in an extract taken from his the sick, disregarding the existing differ-edition of the Novelist's Library, which dical profession, will solicit the advice of appeared in No. 121 of the Literary those persons in whose knowledge they Chronicle. To account for this pheplace confidence, the attempt only leads nomenon, i. e. to show, why from the both practitioners and patients to invent condition and nature of the human moles of evasion, and widens the breach mind, a novelist should most probably between the different branches of the pro- fail in drama, is an undertaking which fession. It would be better to throw the may afford both instruction and amuseportals of the college and the medical ment, as it introduces speculative phischools wider open, and by rendering in-losophy into an agreeable subject. 1 struction cheap, invite the poorest descendant of Apollo and Esculapius to join would, therefore, beg the assistance of the aids of science to his long-cherished any correspondent whose taste may lie secrets, and seat himself among his more in such investigations, if he thinks he 'fortunate brethren. Unless this be done, can either point out or correct any erthe only method is to let things take their ror in what I shall propose to his exaown course, and rest content with simply mination, or throw any new light on it securing their proper distinctions to those by way of illustration or addition. I who have gone through the trouble of ob- would gladly, by proposing such questaining them, and, on the other hand, be- tions to the consideration of young stowing these distinctions only on those who merit them, leaving the sick and their essayists, induce them to give a little friends perfectly at liberty to search for re- of their attention to such speculations, lief wherever they think it most likely to so that they might learn to combine be found; thus creating an honourable reflection with imagination, to be more competition and rivalry, instead of that solicitous about their thoughts than is continual bickering which at present per- the custom of the present race of polite

ences between the several ranks of the me

losophical question treated poetically, It is I am always sorry when I see a phiand that for two reasons; first, because there is little doubt, but that if the author chose to exert what he has of reasoning faculty (and some, I contend; he must have to be a real poet) in the investigation of the true answer, without incumbering and obscuring it with the technical imagery and phrase of his profession, he would find it out at the last; and, secondly, because by the same means he not only deceives himself, but his readers also; who, receiving his dicta as if they flowed from an inspired tongue, though all the time they may be little better than so many lying oracles, are convinced by a specious reasoning, though without any satisfactory perception of its conclusiveness; and when they quit the subject, (if, indeed, they have any notion at all of what they were engaged in,) it is either totally erroneous, or vague and indeterminate at best.

The solution given of the above question, by the editor of the Novelist's Library, is an instance of this. His reasoning is so enveloped in poetical language, and his arguments so disjointed, and scattered in such graceful negligence over the face of his pages, so mingled and metaphorical, that I

defy him to be satisfied of their con- 1st, when it is false; 2nd, when, though of his to be conclusive. We must, clusiveness himself, inuch less to con- true, it is nothing to the purpose for positively, either unlaurel him or conceive them satisfactory to others. I which it was intended; and, 3rd, when vict him of a false argument: many am no enemy to the application of po- it not only proves nothing to the pur-voices would be required to effect the etical language to abstract subjects un- pose, but proves the very opposite to former; for the latter, I am satisfied der proper regulations,-nay, I think that which it was brought to prove. with his own. The truth is, there is t'e combination of poetical language This is certainly the most lamentable nothing in the descriptive faculty, takand strict argument, such as is seen in predicament which the perverse influ- en generally, repulsive of the dramathe works of my Lord Verulam, neces- ence of the stars could possibly invent tical; and, unless this can be shewn, sary to the perfect consummation of to hamper an argumentator; a man it is no argument because the novelist philosophy; but not in the way it is who has fallen into a dilemma, may be possesses one more faculty than is abhere attempted, where the investigation likened to one in a company of sweat-solutely requisite to fit him for a draof the question is made a mere stalkers, but a man bringing an argument matist, that he is therefore unfit; and ing-horse for the display of the splen- to defeat himself, commits nothing in like manner of the narrative power. did trappings of written rhetoric. I short of a logical suicide. But it will be said, the editor does not am not so dry a school-man either, that assert that the power of description is I can relish nothing but rigorous arguincompatible with the dramatical; it is mentation; let the subject run the pothe perpetual tendency towards deet's gauntlet through all the flowers and scription which is essential to a novelconfusion of images he chooses, but if ist, that he asserts to be injurious to it be a philosophical one, let him treat the dramatist. it also in philosophical language, that our reason may be satisfied, as well as our fancy titillated; he is an impotent trifler else.

Now, in such a predicament do I conceive the above three arguments to stand, precisely. I think a little consideration will show us that they are every one of them false, either in their premises or their conclusion; that they are inconclusive, and nothing to the The answer to this objection is conquestion in hand; and, moreover, that tained in the proof of the falsity of his they are contra-conclusive, if I may second argument, which, if it means use that word to express a mode of any thing different from the first, reasoning, which proves the very oppo- means this: a novelist's chief talent site to that which was intended by it. lies in addressing the imagination, or, If I can do this, I shall look upon my-in other words, a perpetual use of description and narration are essential to a novelist, aud, therefore, unfit him for the execution of a work where little of either is admissible. Now, in order to see whether this argument be true of false, let us first understand the precise meaning of the words contained in it; and first of description. Does he mean scenic description or description of acts? If the former, I take it upon myself to prove, that his assertion of this kind of description being essential to a novel, is, in matter of fact, not true. Of the six great novelists, Fielding, Richardson, Smollet, Le Sage, Cervantes, and Scott, the four first are not at all remarkable for their skill in scenic description, or their tendency to address the imagination by it; if the the latter, I do not see how the ability to imagine acts and describe them for a novel, can be brought to prove the inability to imagine acts and develop them for the stage. So that thus far his argument appears to me to be false, either in its premise or its conclusion, according as he means scenic description or description of acts.

However, let us extract his arguments as well as we can from the coufusion in which they lie, and examine both them and the theory founded up-self as having performed a real service on them. The editor had, most pro- to the cause of polite literature, for it bably, a vague notion of the true solu- will show us the necessity of introduction of the question, and has accord-ing a little more accuracy into our reaingly made use of two or three expres- sonings upon this species of writing, sions, which seem to touch upon it, when we see a man of such genius and but all the arguments I can collect, abilities as the editor fall into these which he lays any stress upon, are egregious mistakes through neglect three; which, stripped of the imposing of it. vestures in which he has clothed them, 1st. They are false. It by no means and exhibited in their naked strength, follows, that because the powers of deare, in substance, as follows:-The scription and narration are essential to .powers of description and narration are a novelist, they unfit him for the draessential to a novelist; therefore, unfit ma. This would be to say, that to be him for the drama. The chief talent a dramatist, you must want these faof a novelist lies in addressing the ima- culties; which, few who have read gination, therefore he is unfit for the Shakspeare, will be ready to admit; drama. The dramatist is copartner Dover cliff and Othello's defence are with the actor in the production of his instances of description and narration, work, the novelist stands alone, there- not to speak of numberless others in fore the latter is unfit for the drama. that immortal author, which are set in These include, as far as I can see, the the very gap of such an admission. whole of the editor's arguments upon Few who have read Ivanhoe, with all the subject, and I assure my reader, their reverence for the author, will alhowever he may have felt when he pe- low descriptive and narrative powers to rused the original from whence they be incompatible with dramatical; look are taken, what with my own stupidity at the Tournament, Rebecca's account and their obscuration, I found not a of the Siege, and the dramatical dialittle difficulty in making oft even logues of the Outlaws, scarcely inferior these; it was like a blind man in a la-to those of divine Shakspeare, and who byrinth, who has not only the intricacies of the place to contend with in *finding the proper clues, but his own incapacity. However, now we have them, let us see what they are.

The most unfortunate predicament in which an argument can stand is,

We must now distinguish narration from description. Narration is the will dare to say, the eloquent editor is telling what, description, the telling not himself the overthrow of his own how, things were seen or done. Narassertion? no one will attempt thus to ration, in both these provinces, is cerunfix the triple crown, whereby he is tainly essential to a novel, and is moststamped the present sovereign of our ly out of place in a drama; whether literary dominions, which yet must be the conclusion drawn from these predone if we allow this critical argumentiuises by the editor, viz. that the habit

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