movers, and the faving of labour, together with the advantages of a patent monopoly, were fufficient to render him one of the most opulent of our manufacturers. "The historical facts appear to be the following: about the year 1767 Arkwright came to Warrington, at which time he had quitted the profeffion of a barber, and went up and down the country buying hair. He had at that time a scheme of fome mechanical contrivance, of the nature, as it is faid, of a perpetual motion. A clockmaker of that place, whofe name was John Kay, became acquainted with him and diffuaded him from it; but remarked that much money might be gained by fpinning cotton, which Kay faid he would defcribe to Arkwright. Arkwright objected, that many gentlemen had ruined themfelves by that fcheme; but the next morning he came to Kay's bedfide, and afked if he could make a fmall engine at a small expence. This John Kay had been employed as a workman to make a cotton fpinning engine for a Mr. Hayes, who was brought in evidence on the trial for fetting afide Arkwright's patent, and proved that he had invented an engine of this kind, but not that he had brought it to perfection. Kay and Arkwright applied to Peter Atherton, Efq. now of Liverpool, to make fuch an engine, but from the poverty of the ap pearance of the latter, Mr. Atherton refufed to undertake it, though afterwards on the evening of the fame day he agreed to lend Kay a fmith and watch-tool maker, to make the heavier part of the engine, and Kay undertook to make the clock-maker's part of it, and to instruct the workman. In this way Mr. Arkwright's first engine, for which he afterwards took out a patent, was made. Mr. Arkwright foon afterwards joined in partnership with Mr. Smalley of Prefton in Lancashire, but their property falling fhort, they went to Nottingham, and there met with rich individuals, by the help of whom they erected a confiderable cotton-mill turned by horfes. The fame Hayes had also employed himself in making cylindrical carding engines. This is an outline of fome of the facts flated on the behalf of Mr. Arkwright's opponents who fet his patent afide. The ftory current in the manufacturing countries is, that he ftole thefe inventions, and enriched himself at the expence and by the ingenuity of other men. Upon the face of the thing, however, without attending to other evidence which might perhaps be brought, it appears that the cotton fpinning was no new attempt, when Mr. Arkwright took it up, but an object much laboured at, and as it had not fucceeded, it should of courfe follow that there were difficulties to be overcome, and matters of fubordinate invention (which ufually caufe the failure of new fchemes) to be matured, digefted, and brought into effect. In the hands of Mr. Arkwright the carding and cotton fpinning became a great national manufacture. Before he undertook it, it appears to have been nothing. In his Cafe, as drawn by himself, he states, that about 40 or 50 years before his time, one Paul and others of London invented an engine for fpinning cotton, and obtained a patent for their invention, after which they removed to Nottingham and other places, expending much money and time in the undertaking, and that many families who had engaged with them were reduced to poverty and distress by the failure of the fcheme; that about twenty or thirty years back, various various engines had been conftructed by different perfons for spinning cotton, flax, wool, &c. into many threads at once, but they produced no real advantage; and that in 1767 one Hargrave of Blackwell in Lancashire, conftructed an engine, that would at once fpin 20 or 30 threads of cotton into yarn for the fuftian manufacture, but that, after fuffering the deftruction of his engines by popular tumults in Lancafhire, and removing to Nottingham, where he practifed for a time under a patent, an affociation was formed against him, by which his patent right was overthrown, and he died in obfcurity and great diftrefs that he, Arkwright, had invented engines for carding and fpinning, in the advancing of which more than five years, with an expence of 12,000l. had been confumed before any profit accrued to bimfelf and partners. And as it must be admitted he did not bring his project to bear at once, as a pirate might have done, he muft of right be confidered as the man who, after embarking in a great national undertaking, where many others had failed, did exhibit enough of perfeverance, skill, and activity, to render it of value to himself and the public. "After this statement of the cafe, which is the best that could under the prefent circumftances be procured, it feems that the merits of Sir Richard Arkwright may be fummed up by obferving, that the object in which he was engaged is of the highest public value; that though his family is enriched, the benefits which have accrued to the nation have been incalculably greater; and that upon the whole he is entitled to the refpect and admiration of the world. "He was knighted by his prefent Majefty at St. James's on the 22d of December, 1786, on prefenting an Addrefs from the high-fheriff and hundred of Wirksworth; and died at his works at Crumford, in Derbyshire, Aug. 3, 1792.-N." P. 389. The prefent volume extends to Barbofa (Auguftin) and comprehends 560 pages; in the progrefs to which, Dr. Enfield, one of the editors, has paid the debt from which neither authors nor critics are exempted. We are however informed, that his lofs has been fupplied, and that the future volumes will be conducted, as nearly as poffible, with the fame spirit as that now before us. Each article concludes with a reference to the authorities from which the information was obtained, and with the initial letter of the compiler's name. There appear to be no partial omiffions, or, what is of as much confequence, partial amplifications. The Trojan and the Tyrian feem to receive equal attention; and though the principles of the writers do, as they muft, occafionally appear, we have not difcovered any offenfive and invidious diftinétions of fect, politics, or party. The profecution and accomplishment of the work will probably depend upon the fuccefs of this specimen ; which, however, can hardly be doubted, Авт. ་ ART. III. Literary Hours, or Sketches critical and nårrative. By Nathan Drake, M. D. 8vo. 529 pp. 125. Cadell and Davies. 1798. DR. Drake has long manifefted a laudable defire to make the Mufes the companions of his leifure. A quarto volume of his Poems was reviewed in our fecond volume, p. 261, and the prefent publication announces not an unfuccefstul perfeverance in the fame purfuits. The collection confifts principally of Effays, among which, to alleviate the drynefs of difcuffion, are interfperfed fome original poems, and other works of fancy. Our commendation of the Doctor's former publication, was accompanied by fome admonitions to which he appears not to have been inattentive, and though a few blemishes might yet be pointed out, his taste and judgment are evidently improved. The Sketches contained in this volume are thirty in number; fix of them, the author informs us in a note, were published fome years ago, but have fince undergone a material revifion, the rest are now first offered to the public. To examine minutely fo large a collection of compofitions, would lead us into too extensive a field of criticism; we fhall therefore content ourselves with a few remarks on the more prominent articles. The author begins with "Obfervations on the Writings and Genius of Lucretius," one principal object of which Effay is to recommend a tranflation in blank verse, now nearly or quite completed, by Mr. Goode. In his ftrong commendations of the original author we perfectly agree with Dr. D. and think alfo, that to render his Poem into blank verse, is a judicious undertaking. On Creech he is fomewhat too fevere; but the fpecimens which he produces of the new translation, are certainly calculated to convey a favourable impreffion of it. It is curious enough, that a paffage in his first citation, which he prints in italics as eminently beautiful, has lately been attacked by conjectural criticism, as to fuggest a material change. Et mæftum fimul ante aras adftare parentem Senfit, et hunc propter ferrum celare miniftros. At her fide She faw her weeping fire; a band of priests Wakefield, in his fplendid edition, contends for "ferrum celerare," which we can by no means approve. As long, however, as celare ftands its ground, no tranflator ought cer tainly to omit the force of "hunc propter." The beft fpecimen here produced, is that from b. i, v. 272; but it would be foreftalling a future critique, to introduce any part of this tranflation at prefent. The fecond paper," on the Government of the Imagination, and the Frenzy of Taffo and Collins," is interefting, and concludes with the following deduction, which is worthy of being tranfcribed. He, therefore, who early poffefies the characteristics of genius, and is defirous of placing before the public eye, its more happy effufions, fhould be affiduously taught the probability of ridicule, or neglect. Let not his with to claim admiration be repreffed, but let him be trained to expect it from a chofen few, and to defpife the malignancy, or the apathy of the many. The moft beautiful works of imagination are the leaft understood, nor can an author, until he become fashionable from the recommendation of a few leading critics, meet with general applaufe, nor, indeed, fhould he either hope for or value it. Of the multitudes who pretend to admire a Shakspeare, or a Milton, not one in a thousand has any relifh or proper conception of the author, but [they] merely echo the opinion that reaches them, though, by a common operation of vanity, they applaud their own difcernment and tafte. In general, the most eftimable compofitions are written for pofterity, and are little valued at the moment of their production. The Gerufalemme Liberata of Taffo, the Paradife Loft of Milton, and the Poems of Collins, bear teftimony to the truth of the affertion. "It is, alfo, highly neceffary to guard against thofe delufions which an exclufive ftudy of works of imagination is apt to generate in a mind predifpofed to poetic combination. Let the young poet be properly initiated into life, and led to mingle the feverer ftudies with the vivid colourings of the mufe, and neither difappointment nor melancholy will then, probably, intrude upon his useful and rational enjoy ments. "To correct the fanguine expectations which young authors are too apt to form, or to diveft of their too enchanting hues the dangerous and delufive pictures sketched in early life, may have its ufe, but it is little to be apprehended, in the prefent day, that the wild workings of poetic imagination fhould lead to that obliquity of idea which may terminate in derangement. Philofophy and fcience have now taken too deep root for fuch credulity to recur, nor is the general character of our poetry that of enthufiafm. What we have faid may, however, account for the mental irregularities of a Taffo and a Collins, though, perhaps, little applicable or effential to any modern bard. The fubject, nevertheless, is curious, and will, probably, be thought not altogether deftitute of entertainment." P. 43. The Tale of Wolkmar and his Dog (No. 4) has little in it to demand commendation, either for the conception or execution; and the imitation of the thoughts and ftyle of Offian, in a compofition profeffedly modern, feems particularly injudicious and mifplaced. Another tale, that of Henry Fitzowen, which occupies three papers (No. 7, 8, 9) is more happily conceived and executed. Of his defign in forming it, the author gives this account. "Although fo great a difparity evidently obtains between the two fpecies of Gothic fuperitition, the terrible and the fportive; yet no au thor that I am acquainted with, has, for narrative machinery, availed himfelf of this circumftance, and thrown them into immediate contraft. In a beautiful fragment lately published by Mrs. Barbauld, under the title of Sir Bertrand, the tranfition is immediately from the deep Gothie to the Arabic or Saracenic fuperitition; which, although calculated to furprise, would have given more pleasure, perhaps, and would have rendered the preceding fcenes of horror more ftriking, had it been of a light and contrafted kind. Struck, therefore, with the propriety of the attempt, and the exquifite beauty that would probably refult from fuch an oppofition of imagery, I have determined to devote a few papers to this defign, and in the following tale, which is folely amenable to the tribunal of Fancy, much of both fpecies of the vulgar Gothic fuperftition is introduced. Entirely relinquished to the guidance of imagination, the author has not only employed the poffibilities of immaterial agency, but the more obfolete and preternatural terrors of witchcraft and enchantment; the latter are, perhaps, except in some fecluded parts of the country, nearly banished from the popular creed; but at the fuppofed period of our flory, and for two centuries afterwards, Witches were thought really to exift, and Spencer moft probably drew from nature, having actually feen fuch a fhed, the reputed abode of a witch, when he penned the following defcriptive lines; There in a gloomy hollowe glen fhe found A little cottage built of ftickes and reedes, In homely wife, and wall'd with fods around, In which a witch did dwell, in loathly weedes, And wilfull want, all carelesse of her needes. B. III. cant. 7. ft. 6. "At all events, it was thought neceffary to acquaint the reader with the machinery of the fucceeding tale, that, provided he choose not to venture among its horrors, he may pafs forward to fcenes of a more tranquil nature." P. 94. Confidered according to the intentions of the author, we think this tale conducted with skill. The tranfitions are easy, natural, and pleafing. Throughout the terrific fcenes, in which the hero, Henry Fitzowen is engaged, the imagination is powerfully arrested, and we are agreeably tranfported from the machinations of the dread agents of Hecate, to the arts of thofe fprites which are fabled to protect and fupport the virtuous maiden and her valourous defender. We object chiefly to a fuperabundance of moon-beams, from which the author feems to expect too much influence. In the tenth and eleventh Effays, Dr. Drake stands forward to protect the Ge |