sions, and other prodigies of direful dreams of a man who had never stu.
import. That a people, beset with died nature.
such real and imaginary bugbears, What is the reason, Madam, that
should fancy themselves dreaming, the poetry, and indeed the whole
even when awake, of corpses, and phraseology, of the eastern nations
graves, and coffins, and other terrible (and I believe the same thing holds
things, seems natural crough ; but of all uncultivated nations) is so full
that their visions ever tended to any of glaring images, exaggerated meta-
real or useful discovery, I am much phors, and gigantic descriptions? Is
inclined to doubt. Not that I mean it, because that, in those countries
to deny the existence of ghosts, or where art has made little progress,
to call in question the accounts of nature shoots forth into wilder mag.
extraordinary revelatiocs, granted to niticence, and every thing appears to
individuals, with which both his. be constructed on a larger scale? Is
tory and tradition abound. But in

But in it, that the language, through defect all cases, where such accounts are of copiousness, is obliged to adopt entitled to credit, or supported by metaphor and similitude, even for extolerable evidence, it will be found, pressing the most obvious sentithat they referred to something which ments ?

Is it, that the ignorance it concerned men to know; the over- and indolence of such people, uili hrow of kingdoms, the death of friendly to-liberty, disposes them to great persons, the detection of atro- regard their governors as

of

supernacious crimes, or the preservation of tural dignity, and to decorate them important lives.

with the most pompous and high

sounding titles, the frequent use of ORIENTAL POLTRY.

which comes at last to infect their I have never seen Mr Jones's imi. whole conversation with bombast? tations of the Asiatic poetry. From Or is it, that the passions of those what you say of them, I am sure people are really stionger, and their they will entertain me ; though I am climate more luxuriant ? Perhaps all entirely of your opinion, that, if they those causes may conspire in produhad been translations, they would cing this effect. Certain it is, that have been much more valuable, and Europe is much indebted, for her the more literal the better. Such style and manner of composition, to things deserve attention, not so much her ancient authors, particularly to for the amusement they yield to the those of Greece, by whose example fancy, as for the knowledge thoy and authority that simple and natuconvey of the minds and maeners of ral diction was happily established, the people among whom they are 'which all our best authors of sucproduced. To those who have feel- ceeding times have been ambitious to ings, and are capable of observation, imitate ; but whence those ancient that poetical expression and descrip- Greck authors derived it, whether tion will be most agreeable, which from imitating other authors, still corresponds most exactly to their more ancient, or from the opération own experience. I cannot sympathise of physical eauses, or from the nature with passions I never felt; and when of their language, particularly its une objects are described in colours, rivalled copiousness and flexibility; shapes, and proportions, quite unlike or from some unaccountable and peto what I have been accustomed to, culiar delicacy in their taste ; or from I suspect that the descriptions are the force of their genius, that, connot just, and that it is not nature scious of its own vigour, despised all that is presented to my view, but the adventitious support, and all foreign

Sept. 1806.

ornament-it is not perhaps easy to dining at Richmond, we all returned determine.

to lown about eight o'clock. This

day I had a great deal of conversaSOLITUDE,

tion with Sir Joshua Reynolds' on In my younger days, I was much critical and philosophical subjects. attached to solitude, and could have I find him to be a man, not only of envied even the shepherd of the excellent i ute in painting and poetry, “ Hebride isles, placed far amid the but of an enlarged understanding, “ melancholy main.” I wrote Odes and truly philosophical mind. His

. to Retireinent; and wished to be notions of painting are not at all the conducted to its deepest groves, re. same with those that are entertained mote from every rude sound, and by the generality of painters and from every vagrant foot. In a word, critics, Artificial and contrasted ai. I thought the most profound solitude titudes, and groupes, he makes no the best. But I have now changed account of; it is the truth and simmy

mind. .: Those solemn and ioces- plicity of nature, which he is ambie sant energies of imagination, which tjous 10 imitate ; and these, it must naturally take place in such a state, be allowed, he possesses the art of are fatal to the health and spirits, blending with the most exquisite and tend to make us more and more grace, the most animated expression. unfit for the business of life: the He speaks with contempt of those, soul, deprived of those ventilations of who suppose grace to consist in erect passion, which arise from social in. posture, turned-out toes, or the friptercourse, is reduced to, a state of pery of modern dress. Indeed, stagnation, and, if she is not of a ve. whatever account we make of the jy pure consistence indeed, will be colouring of this great artist, (which apt to breed within herself many some people object to) it is impossi" monstrous, and many prodigious ble to deny him the praise of being things," of which she will find it no the greatest “ designer of this, or easy matter to rid herself, even when perhaps of any age. In his pictures she has become sensible of their nox- there is a grace, a variety, an expres. ious nature.

sion, a simplicity, which I have never

seen in the works of any other paint. SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

His portraits are distinguished Sunday, 15th August, we propo. from all others, by this, that they posed (Dr and Mrs Beattie) to have exbibit an exact imitation, not only gone yesterday to Arno's Grove, but of the features, but also of the chaSir Joshua insisted on it, that we racter of the person represented.should stay till tomorrow, and par. His picture of Garrick, between tratake of a haunch of venison with him gedy and comedy, he tells me, he to-day, at his house on Richmond finished in a week.” Hill. Accordingly, at eleven, Mrs Beattie, Miss Reynolds, Mr Baretti,

LORD LYTTELTON. and Mr Palmer, set out in Sir Jo. Mrs Montagu is greatly afflicted shua's, coach, for. Richmond. At at the death of our great and good twelve, he and I went in a post. friend, Lord Lyttleton. This event chaise, and by the way paid a visit was unexpected; it is little better to the Bishop of Chester, who was than a fortnight, since I received a very earnest for us to fix a day for very kind letter from him. The loss dining with him : but I could not to his friends, and to society, is unfix one just now, oo account of the speakable, and irreparable: to him. present state of my affairs. After. self his death is infinite gain ; for

er.

a

a

a

a

whether we consider what he felt are both used to denote the i speech here, or what he hoped for hereafter, of the Scotch Highlanders ; and are we must admit, that no man ever as much synonimous (at least in many had more reason to wish for a dismis- parts of the kingdom,) as Scotch and sion from the evils of this transitory Scottish. Irish is generally thought life. His Lordship died, as he lived, the genteeler appellation, and Earse a most illustrious example of every the vulgar and colloquial. His reChristian virtue. His last breath was marks on the trees of Scotland must spent in comforting and instructing greatly surprise a native. In some his friends. " Be good and virtu. of our provinces, trees cannot be ous,” said he, to Lord Valencia *, reared by any method of cultivation “ for know that to this you must we have yet discovered ; in some, come." The devout and chearful where trees flourish extremely well, resignation, that occupied his mind they are not much cultivated, because during his illnesss, did not forsake they are not necessary : but in others, him in the moment of dissolution, we have store of wood, and forests of but fixed a smile on his lifeless coun. great extent, and of great antiquity. tenance. I sincerely sympathise with I am sorry to see in Johnson some your Lordship on the loss of this asperities, that seem to be the effect excellent man. Since I came last to of national prejudice. If he thinks town, I have had the honour and himself thoroughly acquainted with happiness to pass many an hour in his the character of the Scots as a nacompany, and to converse with him tion, he is greatly mistaken. The on all subjects; and I hope I shall Scots have virtues, and the Scots be the better, while I live, for what have faults, of which he seems to I have seen, and what I have heard, have had no particular inforination. of Lord Lyttelton."

I am one of those who wish to see

the Erglish spirit and English manJOHNSON'S JOURNEY. ners prevail over the whole island : I have just finished a basty perw. for I think the English have a gene. sal of Dr Johnson's journey. It rosity and openness of nature, which contains many things worthy of the many of us want, But we are not author, and is, on the whole, very all, without exception, a nation of entertaining. His account of the cheats and liars, as Johnson sems Isles" is, I dare say, very just : I ne. willing to believe, and to represent ver was there, and therefore can say

Of the better sort of our peonothing of them, from my own ple, the character is just the reverse. knowledge His accounts of some I admire Johnson's genits; esteem facts, relating to other parts of Scot. him for his virtues ; I shall ever land, are nor unexceptionable. Ei. cherish a' grateful remembrance of ther he must have been misinformed, the civilities I have received from or he must have misunderstood his him: I have often, in this country, informer, in regard to several of his exerted myself in defence both of remarks on the improvement of the his character and writings : but there country. , I am surprised at one of are in this book several things which his mistakes, which leads him once I cannot defend. His unbelief, in or (wice into perplexity, and false regard to Ossian, I am noć surprised conjecture :--he seems not to have at ; but I wonder greatly at his creknown, that, in the common lan. dulity in regard to the second sight. guage of Scotland, Irish and Earse I cannot imagine, on what grounds

he could say, that, in the universities * His son in law. of Scotland every master of arts may

be

I ne,

be a doctor when he phrases. cal discipline, and at a distance from ver heard of such a thing, and I have their parents or guardians, are too apt been connected with our universities, to forget, that it was for the purpose ever since I was a boy. Our method of study, not of amusement, they of giving doctor's degrees I do not were sent into this country. approve of; but we proceed on a All, or most of these inconvenienprinciple quite different from what cies, may be avoided at an English Dr Johnson mentions,

university, provided a youth have a

discreet tutor, and be himself of a SCOTS AND ENGLISH UNIVERSITIES. sober and studious disposition. There,

I must confess, I am strongly pre- classical erudition receives all the atpossessed in favour of that inode of tentions and honours it can claim ; education that takes place in the and there the French philosophy, of English Universities, [ am well

course, is seldom held in very high aware, at the same time, that in those estimation : there, at present, a reseminaries there are, to some young gard to religion is fashionable; there, men, many more temptations to idle. The recluseness of a college-life, the ness and dissipation, than in our col. wholesome severities of academical leges in Scotland; but there are also, discipline, the authority of the uniif I mistake not, better opportunities versity, and several other circumstanof study to a siudious young man, ces I could mention, prove very and the advantages of a more respec- powerful restraints to such of the table and more polite society, to such youth as have any sense of true hoas are discreet and sober.

The most

nour, or any regard to their real in. valuable parts of human literature, I terest, mean the Greek and Latin classics, We, io Scotland, boast of our are not so completely taught in Scot- professors, that they give regular lecland as in England; and I fear it is no tures in all the sciences, which the advantage, I have sometimes known students are obliged to attend ; a it a misfortune, to those young men part of literary ceconomy which is of distinction that come to study with but little attended to in the univerus, that they find too easy, and too sities of England. But I will ven. favourable an admittance to balls, as. ture to affirm, from experience, that semblies, and other diversions of a like if a professor does no more than de. kind, where the fashion not only per. liver a set of lectures, his young au. mits, but requires, that a particular at- dience will be little the wiser for tention be paid to the younger part having attended him.

The inost of the female world. A youth of profitable part of my time is that

A fortune, with the English language, which I employ in examinations, or

, and English address, soon becomes in Socratical dialogue with my pu. an object of consideration to a raw pils, or in commenting upon antient girl; and equally so, perhaps, though authors, all which may be done by a not altogether on the same account, tutor in a private apartment, as well to her parents. Our long vacations as by a professor in a public school. too, in the colleges in Scotland, Lectures indeed I do, and must give; zhough a convenience to the native in order to add solemnity to the student, (who commonly spends those truths I would inculcate ; and partintervals at home with his parents) ly too, in compliance with the fashion, are often dangerous to the students and for the sake of my own characfrom England; who being then set ter; (ior this, though not the most free from the restraints of academi. dillicult part of our business, is ihac

a

most

which shows the speaker to octavo volumes. He appears to have advantage) but I have aways found arrived in the French capital in the other methods, particularly the 1802, and to have left it in 1805.Socratic form of dialogue, much During three or four

years

residence more effectual in fixingthe attention, from home, it would be difficult al. and improving the faculties of the most for any man not to have obserstudent.

ved something, tho' we must confess that Mr Pinkerton's memory, what. ever he himself may think of it, has

not been so tenacious on this occa. SCOTTISH REVIEW.

sion as we could have wished ; and Recollections of Paris in the years him to recollect so little of what his

we regret that it should have enabled 1802.-3.-4 and 5. By John Pin,

readers would have been most desirous kerton, Esq. 2 vols. 8vo. Long

to have known. man and Co. London 1806.

He complains, (vol. 1. p. 74.) that

the Apollo Belvidere is only visible IN the human mind there seems.com be an irresistible propensity for from one who had been so long in

in front. This is a singular remark every man to tell his travels; and from Paris, and who must have visited the the days of Sir John Mandeville to those of Mr John Pinkerton inclu- gallery of the Louvre a hundred

times.' If Mr Pinkerton had been sive, hardly a mortal is to be found who has crossed the channel, but

permitted to step over the little seems to have been impatient to com

semicircular rail which partly inclo. municate, on his return, the strange found, that in the lower part of the

ses that divine statue, he would have things he has seen,- To tell of

back there was inserted a bar of iron, "Moving accidents by flood and field; which is fixed to a large stone be“ The Anthropophagi, and of men

hind. The statue is collóssal, being • Which each other eat.”

just seven foot high, and if Mr PinOur countryman, Mr Pinkerton, it kerton had been a little better skilmust be acknowledged, seems to have led, either in statuary or in anatomy, run no risks of this sort. He ap. he would have known, that nothing pears to have eaten of every thing at but a living creature with muscular Paris, but men, although he assures strength could possibly stand upon us that both men and women are its legs in the attitude of the Apollo, eaten there; and to have been in whose left arm is advanced support. much greater danger from Paris ca. ing part of his robe, and who is steppons and French wines, than from ping forward, after luis arrow. bayonets and grape shot. Not that

He says, (p. 76.) “ that the ladies he run no hazard on such “ solemn" " of Paris found that the face of the occasions, for we mean not to under- " Venus of Medici was' void of ex. value his social spirit ; and “plus oc- pression by those who admire the “ cidit gula quam gladius” is an an- “ shade of changing passions and the eient observation, though a modern “ play of feature which captivate a French logician of the St Cloud « lover of sensibility." But is ir school might perhaps be inclined to possible that any thing of this sort dispute the axiom.

could be expected in a block of Mr Pinkerton's “ Recollections of marble? The actor can vary the Paris” consist of no less than about expressions of his countenance from a thousand pages, forming, what is the beginning of the scene to the stiled by the trade, two handsome end. But the painter, or statuary, can

only