this time pretty well exhaufted, and he only told Gordon, that, as he had not been punctual to his time, he was very lucky in being fo far behind it." For," added he, "I am already fufficiently fatigued with beating these fcoundrels; and I understand that a Scotch "conftitution does not agree well with a drubbing." The private infliction of the knout feems to be the legitimate offspring of this ready difcipline. The Ruffian fceptre has, you know, been held, fince the days of Peter the Great, only by women, except during the fhort reign of Peter the fecond, and the few months which Peter the third furvived his aunt. Although fome of the Princeffes who have fucceeded to the throne of Peter the Great, have showed themselves qualified to fway his fceptre, none of them have been able to wield his cudgel. Hence this duty has devolved on the knout master genera!. pline is lefs atrocious, and excites lefs abhorrence, than you feem to imagine. When an instance of it occurs, those who hear of it thank their good fortune that they were not the victims, and continue to treat the fufferer with the fame confideration as before. I must also add, that the inftances of it which now occur are very rare. How far the nation has loft or gained by the change, I fhall not pretend to guefs. But it feems to be owing to the refpectable origin of this mode of caftiga tion that there is lefs of difgrace connec. ted with it than could easily be imagined. It is well known that chaftifements which Peter the Great inflicted with his own hand were never fuppofed to difgrace those who suffered them. When a courtier was foundly drubbed, or pulled by the nofe, or had a tooth tornout by the Emperor, at all which exercises Peter was remarkably dextrous, he fuffered only the bodily pain of the operation. His honour was not in the leaft affected. And as it feldom happened that his mafter put lefs confidence in him after fuch an accident, than he had done before it, his credit fuffered as little as his honour. Menzikoff ufed to appear in all his native haughtinefs and prefumption, even when his countenance bore the most unequivocal marks of his mafter's refentment. In like manner the private infliction of the knout is hardly fuppofed to difgrace a Ruffian gentleman more than flagellation does an English school-boy. On thefe accounts this fpecies of difci Yet with all the alleviations I can fuggeft (and I am willing to fuggeft all that truth will allow) you will fay, that the vernment must be abominable which authorifes fuch enormities. I fhall not difpute this point with you; for I think little can be argued in favour of that system of legislation which is held together only by the fear of corporal infliction, which muft degrade before it can govern, and make of the human fpecies bad men, in order to render them good fubjects. But, although I cannot furvey without abhorrence the fyftem of defpotiẩm that prevails in this empire, I think there are infuperable difficulties in the way of fpeedily introducing any confiderable improvement. The corruption of the people feems to keep pace in every nation with the vices of the government. Perhaps tyranny in the people act mutually in producing one another; juft as, in certain difeafes, the derangement of the body induces mental debility, and the debility thus induced increases the bodily diforder from which itarofe. Whatever there may be in this fuppofition, che fpirit of the Ruffian government and the manners of the Ruffians are well adapted to one another. A free government would hardly be relifhed by the nation in its prefent ftate, and a more enlightened nation would not tamely fubmit to fuch a government. I have often, indeed, heard bold theorifts propofe to annihilate at once whatever is vicious in the government of this empire, and to create a free conftitution in its ftead. A furgeon might as well cut off a limb in order to remove the pain of a corn on the toe. The cure might, to be fure, be in both cafes accomplished; but I acknowledge, I fhould not choose to truft either my perfon to fuch radical practice, or my political quiet to fuch active the ory: ory. Such men feem to confider the fcience of legiflation as analogous to mechanical art, in which, from previoufly calculating the power of every constituent part, you can deduce with mathematical certainty the general effect of the whole But legiflators have not like mechanics inert matter to act upon, which they can mould into whatever fhape they please. They have for the object of their science, beings refractory to the hand of the manager-unreafonable in their prejudices, in their predilections and antipathies, and who retain the original impreffion and bent of their character with an obftinacy proportioned to the force that is applied to change them. It is impoffible to calculate the effect that may be produced by an attempt to introduce a great and fudden change into the fituation of a nation of fuch beings; because it is impoffible to foresee the various accidents that may and must occur to accelerate, or retard, or change the motion you have communicated to the national fpirit. (To be continued.) LITERARY HISTORY OF THE PRESENT PERIOD. ITALY. EVERY one knows that, on the revival of letters, Italy was their firft, fofter-mother; and the golden age of Leo will ever be accounted a remarkable æra in the hiftory of human knowledge. For a century, at least, it retained its fuperiority; and although it has fince been vifibly finking in the public fcale, yet it ftill holds a confiderable rank in every branch of science, where religion is not directly or indirectly concerned. It has produced excellent hiftorians, moft ingenious poets, and fome tolerable orators; it has greatly embellished its fine melodious language, and was the first modern nation that bad a good lexicon. In mathematics and experimental philofophy, it is not below its neighbours; and it has always been deemed the best school for mufic, painting, and fculpture. Divinity alone (and philofophy in as far as it is connected with divinity) has been bound in fetters by monachifm, fuperftition, and inquifitorial tribunals. But thefe fetters will probably foon be fhaken off by that ingenious people: God grant that they may not at the fame time shake off religion herself, under the idea that she had forged their chains: this is no uncommon procefs in national revolutions. Some change in the religious creed of Italy, appears to be inevitable. The fcriptures are more generally ftudied, and have been tranflated into the vulgar tongue; the bishops of particular diocefes, fupported by their refpective fovereigns, begin to exercife a jurifdiction independently of Rome; papal infallibility is fcouted every where, fave in the papal territories, and even there feebly defended, perhaps not believed; fuperititious rites and usages are daily diminishing, and freedom of thought pervades all ranks of men who have any fort of liberal education. What may we not augur from fuch symptoms? SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. Although thefe nations have, for almost two centuries, made very little figure in the field of science, it is not hence to be concluded, that this has been owing to want of capacity: they are naturally a thinking and acute people, and, in the fixteenth century, held a refpectable rank among the nations of Europe; but here the inquifition, more rigid and bloody than at of Italy, has ftifled every fpark of genius that has come within its reach, and plunged the inhabitants into an ignorance hardly to be credited. The time, however, seems to approach, when that diabolical tribunal must be abolished; and, to do juftice to this and the laft reign, its power has already been greatly curtailed : still, however, it has power enough to prevent a general diffemination of knowledge; and few, comparatively, are the works of value that have yet been writ ten ten on the other fide of the Pyrenees. from fo difmal a profpect, and cherish a hope, that the genius of France may yet trim his withered bays, and rife to his former renown. Yet the Spanish language feems peculiarly formed for fine compofition, whether in profe or verfe; and they have now a national dictionary that vies with any in Europe. FRANCE. Unhappy France! Thou waft once a nation of learned men. Although thou did not embrace the mufes fo early as thy fouthern neighbour, thou. receivedst them with not leis tendernefs, and cultivatedft them with more induftry. In what fpecies of writing (Epic poetry excepted) didft thou not excel? what art or fcience didit thou not improve and adorn? what charms didft thou not give to one of the most barbarous tongues in the univerfe? Thy Gothogallic jargon, embellifhed by the fkill of thy grammarians and orators, became the language of the world, and the vehicle of knowledge to the ends of the earth. "Ab! how are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of learning perifhed?" Reader, we mean not, by this apoftrophe, to debafe the French nation, nor to throw any flur upon their late exertions to fhake off the yoke of defpotifm, and vindicate their juft rights; we are only penetrated with forrow and regret, that the vindication of thofe rights fhould be attended with confequences fo fatal to Learning, and we fear to liberty itself, at least for a long portion of time. But is France at prefent without learned men? are the arts and fciences there totally neglected? Neither the of nor the other! But,, aias! the, number of truly learned men in France, at this moment, are like the gleanings of the field: old age, exile, or the guillotine, has fwept the great harvelt away; and it will be yet a long, long winter, before fuch another crop can appear. The arts and sciences are not altogether extin&; but they fhed only a faint light: the rays of which ferve chiefly to fhew what Vandalic devaftation has been made among their beft productions. Let us turn cur eyes GERMANY, HOLLAND, &C. A petulant French Jefuit once made it a queftion, Whether a German was capable of wit? And not lefs petulant was the obfervation of an Englishman, that the Dutch carried their genius in their backs. Odious affertion! The German Luther had at least as much wit as Father Bouhours; and the Colloquies of Erafmus, of Rotterdam, contain more Attic humour than can be collected from the whole mafs of Englifh writers, from Chaucer to Swift. That the French, a vain and jealous. nation, fhould contemn German literature, is not much to be wondered. They have fometimes affected to defpife their mafters, the Italians: But that we, a Saxon colony, fhould join in the affront, is certainly a matter of furprife. The truth is, that, although the German be the parent of our own tongue, or at least a fifter dialect, we have not, until very lately, paid any attention to German books, unless they were written in Latin. Yet Germany has, in the courfe of the prefent century, produced as many good works, in German, as any country in the world. We know not even if it be faying too much, to affirm, that more German books are annually publifhed than in one half of the world befides: they are not all excellent, to be fure, but most of them are good, and few intolerable; and there is not a branch of fcience which is not highly cultivated, efpecially in the Proteftant univerfitics. Formerly, the Germans wrote in various dialects, as numerous as their various provinces; and still there are fhades of difference in the languages of Berlin, Leipfic, and Vienna : Put having now an excellent lexicon, and feveral good grammars, they feem to aim at feme fort of uniformity, both in fiyle and phrafeology. Their poetry is greatly improved, and every day im proving; in novel writing, they are more more natural than we; of their oratory we cannot fay fo much; in mathematics, natural hiftory, phyfic, experimen tal philofophy, they are fecond to none; in rational theology, they have made great progrefs: and in biblical criticifm, hold the very first rank. What we have faid of Germany is more or lefs applicable to Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and the other northern regions that border on Germany, and Speak Teutonic dialects. To them the German has been chiefly the great vehicle of knowledge, which they have generally diffused into their own tongues; but in Sweden, of late, many very learned men have arifen, who, in philology, and every specics of critical knowledge, are not inferior to the Germans; and they have one of the best tranflations of the Bible that has been made into modern languages. The literature of Holland is, in fome meafure, peculiar to itself. Although their language be a German dialect, it has not been much written in; their principal works are in Latin or French. This latter was imported by the French refugees, who fled from the perfecution of Louis XIV. and, through them, foon became familiar to the Dutch themfelves; almost as many French works have iffued from the prefies of Amfterdam, Rotterdam, and the Hague, as from thofe of Paris and Lyons. We Speak not at all of the Netherlands, becaufe we know no works of any great merit in the Flemish dialect. It has, for many years, been giving place to the French, which now bids fair to extinguish it. The language of Lifle is become the language of Bruffels; and, in half a century more, perhaps, there will be no other dialect spoken on this fide the Rhine. It might be expected that we should fay fomething of Polish and Ruffian literature; but we confefs we are little acquainted with either, except through the medium of German reviews. We know only that the Ruffian language has been improved in later times, and is faid to be copious and harmonious: if any works of great importance fhall appear in it, we will endeavour to give an account of them. The number of Polifh publications is not great; and now, we imagine, that unfortunate nation will be taught to lifp in the refpective language of its new mafters. GREAT BRITAIN. Having thus made the grand tour as rapidly as moft of our modern travellers, we return with pleasure to our native foil; and are happy in the thought that it has not been lefs productive of every fort of knowledge, than climes that enjoy a warmer fun. Montefquieu was wont to fay, "That England was a country to think in ;" and this conceffion from a French writer is no fmall eulogy. In fact, we are a thinking, more than an ingenious nation: we have feldom been guilty of invention; but we are bold and perfevering imitators, and have generally perfected what had been invented by others: of this our various manufactures are a fenfible and ftriking proof. "Vos machines font mieux montées," said to us an intelligent Frenchman, whom we met fome years ago at Birmingham; and this is pure truth. The employers of our artifts fpare no coft; and our artills, patient and well paid, leave nothing unfinished in their varieus operations, from the mill that grinds the fugar cane, to the fcrew that draws a cork. Hence the great demand for our wares all over the globe. If our learning and science had but kept pace with our mechanics, we should have been the most learned and enlightened people under the fun as it is, we have no, reafon to blush. Let us fee what we have done in the lapfe of a hundred years. In the first place, we have confiderably polished and, at the fame time, perhaps, enervated our language; wo write more grammatically, but not more forcibly nor clequently; we have a good dictionary of our language, but får from being a perfect one, or even equal On oratory and elocution, feveral ufeful tracts and lectures have appeared, but there is very little new in them. Dr Campbell's Philofophy of Rhetoric, and Mr J. Walker's Melody of Speaking delineated, are the only works of the kind that poffefs originality; yet they have been little read. Hiftory has had a better fate. We have many good hiftorians; but Hume and Robertfon fhine among them like the moon among inferior ftars. to thofe of fome other nations, though genious fyftems have been broached, we are sometimes apt to boaft the con- which have not yet received the fanction trary. Its defects are great and nu- of public approbation. We avoid menmerous; and we cannot but lament, that tioning names, that we may avoid the a gentleman *, who has long laboured imputation of partiality. to improve it, and fupply its deficiencies, In theology, a wonderful revolution has not met with that encouragement has happened in this country. The to which he had a claim; and without principles of Calvin, which were once which he could not carry on fo expen- common to Prefbyterians and Epifcopafive an undertaking. lians, are now, in a great measure, exploded by both; and Arminianism has had a complete triumph over the gloomy fyftem of Gomarus.-There were fome few Socinians in the days of Charles II. and in every fucceeding reign; but they were individuals, who had no public conventicles, nor oftenfible communion. At prefent, they are a numerous and refpectable body, and are daily increafing. The acrimonious oppofition which they have met with from the established church and the obftinate refufal of government to repeal the teft and corporation acts, have not a little contributed to this increafe. Sanguis martyrum femen fandorum, is an axiom that will always be found to be true, whatfoever be the principles of the perfecuted. We fay perfecuted; becaufe we are thoroughly convinced, that every fort of reftraint, in matters merely religious, is a fpecies of perfecution; although it be not perfecution unto death. This latter, indeed, is happily abolished, or, at leaft, gone gradually into dif ufe. We no longer hang a Popish pricft for faying mafs, nor bore the tongue of an Unitarian with a hot iron for denying the Trinity. The times will not bear fuch feverities; yet we have no hesitation in afferting, that as long as a fingle Briton is, on account of his religious tenets, excluded from any place which bé is capable of filling, genuine liberty he does not enjoy. To oblige men, by penal laws, to think alike, is to renew the bed of Procruftes, which philofophy ought to have broken in pieces for ever. Difference in opinion is as natural as difference in complexion ;` and one may be as juftly perfecuted for Leing black, brown, or fair, as for be From hiftory to novels, the tranfition is fhort and here, if number prevail, we are invincible. Since the fertile pen of Richardfon poured forth its fentimental torrent, a thousand ftreamlets have emulated its courfe, and purled away, with an uniform fimilarity through the enchanted plains. An inundation of pretty poetry has alfo deluged the land; but the grand, the fublime, the Shakesperian, and the Miltonic, feem beyond the grafp of modern bards. Two or three good comedies have graced the ftage; but the Tragic Mufe has been in a deep lethar for gy many years. Natural hiftory and experimental philofophy, more especially botany and chemistry, have made great progrefs among us; but the Swedes and Germans led the way. The chair of Newton has not been refilled; and this is no matter of aftonifhment, fince academical honours have been made the reward and badge of a party. Politics have been cultivated with uncommon ardour, efpecially fince the French Revolution; and fome new in * Mr Herbert Croft. |