Præmiaque in gentes, pagos et compita circum, The conftruction then will be this; Thefeida pofuere præmia in gentes, circum pagos et compita. The fucceffors of Thefeus, and the people affociated by him into the form of a city, inftituted prizes (in gentes) amongst the scattered inhabitants around the villages and places of public exercife-in order to induce them to join their fociety.-That gentes often means an unaffociated people, and is put in contraft to urbes, many instances might be produced. Thus Horace; Terruit urbem; Terruit gentes And we have not the least doubt that it is used in the fame fenfe here. Thefeus and his fucceffors founded the city of Athens; and to promote its population, pofuere præmia in gentes *. [To be concluded in our next.] If the learned Editor of this work fhould differ from us in any of the above remarks, we should be glad to be acquainted with his objection. L. Paraclefis; or, Confolations deduced from Natural and Revealed Religion: in Two Differtations. The first supposed to have been comApofed by Cicero; now rendered into English: the laft originally written by Thomas Blacklock, D. D. 8vo. 5 s. Cadell. 1767. HE very ingenious Author of this work acquaints his Treaders, in a letter to a friend, prefixed to it, that his motive for tranflating the firft, and writing the laft treatife on confolation, was to alleviate the preffure of repeated disappointments, to footh his anguifh for the lofs of departed friends, to elude the rage of implacable and unprovoked enemies, in a word, to fupport his own mind, which, for a number of years, belides its literary difficulties, and its natural difadvantages, had maintained, he tells us, ar inceffant conflict with fortune. For thus, fays he, while my conftitution was almost irrecoverably shocked by a rapid fucceffion of fevere misfortunes, I kept my internal powers awake and active, without either languifhing to infpidity, or precipitantly rufhing to defpair. But finding all the aids of unaflifted reafon too weak to fem the torrent of evils which threatened to overwhelm me, I felt it neceffary to explore a quicker relief, whofe operations might be more powerful, and whofe bafis might be more folid. In this view, the Chriftian religion expanded all the treafure of her benignity to my afflicted heart: as a folitary traveller, wandering through the burning fands of Lybia, furveys at length a cool and limpid ftrean ftream to quench the intolerable fever of his thirst; fuch was the heavenly profpect presented to my bewildered foul. I approached, I tafted, I was in a great measure reftored. Thus blefied with chearful acquiefcence in the general deftiny of things, and in my own in particular, it was natural for me to with, that others who felt the fame difeafe, might participate the fame remedy; and to flatter myself, that fuch confiderations as had produced this agreeable change in my own heart and understanding, might, in fome degree, operate a fimilar effect upon others. The reason why this difcourfe was modelled as it now appears, will not protract your attention much longer. I had a view of felecting a fociety of young gentlemen, in a particular place where I refided for fome time, that I might ftimulate their intellectual powers in pursuit of truth, and prepoffefs their young hearts in favour of religion: though this defign proved abortive, yet I finished the difcourfe which was intended to be delivered to them, and now confign both to the world as you fee them. What reception they may find from tafte and learning, is neither within the sphere of my knowlege, nor the object of my concern. If these imperfect essays are in the leaft fuccessful, in foothing the pangs of diftrefs, in directing the anxious researches of understanding, in confirming the peace, or improving the piety of an ingenuous heart, thefe effects will amply reward the labours of your, &c.' In regard to the piece, which is published among the works of Cicero, under the title of confolation, it is well known that the generality of critics have queftioned the authenticity of it. Dr. Middleton, in his life of Cicero, fays, it is undoubtedly spurious: Dr. Blacklock, in the above-mentioned letter, endeavours to prove its authenticity; but what he advances in fupport of his opinion, however ingenious, appears by no means fatisfactory. Be this, however, as it may, the tranflation is an excellent one, both faithful and elegant: the Doctor's chief care, he tells us, was, not to preferve the phrafeology and idioms of the original, but to transfufe into English, as naturally and easily as he could, the fpirit and fentiments of his author; and in this, indeed, he has fucceeded admirably. In the fecond differtation, our Author fhews, first, that the belief of God's existence and government is attended with as great difficulties as thofe of the Chriftian revelation; fecondly, that the evidences which fupport Christianity are no lefs ftrong, and fill more obvious, than thofe of natural religion; thirdly, he compares the difficulties that occur in natural and revealed religion; fourthly, he endeavours to prove that the confolations derived from the former are more clearly difcovered by the latter, with others which reafon could never inveftigate; and fifthly, fifthly, he deduces a few plain and natural inferences from the whole. In difcuffing these feveral topics, though the Author fhews that he entertains fentiments upon fome doctrinal points, wherein the generality of our readers, we apprehend, will differ from him, yet his performance has a very confiderable share of merit. The ferious reader will be pleased with the fpirit which animates it, and those who read only for amusement, will often be delighted with the Author's sprightly fancy, and with his elegant and animated manner of writing, of which we shall give the following fpecimen: • Experience, fays our Author, will demonftrate, how ignorant we are of our duty, and how reluctant to perform it when difcovered. The convictions of reafon are too cool and uninterefting, to imprefs the mind with steady principles of action. Even precepts and injunctions, however authorised, have no force fufficient to command our obedience, to enlighten the darkness of our understandings, to controul the perverfity of our inclinations, to roufe and ftimulate our confciences. All the lefions of experience, and all the means of human inftruction, are frequently impotent. It were therefore greatly to be wished, that the goodness of God would interpofe for our relief upon fuch occafions, to diffipate the fhades of ignorance, to quench the flames of impetuous appetite, to excite and animate our progrefs in virtue, and to deter us from vice, by proper views of its native deformity and dreadful confequences. Hence, in the remoteft climes and most barbarous ages, a notion of intuitive communication with heaven univerfally prevailed. But the frange ceremonies by which thefe divine emanations were fought, the legendary facts which fupported their credit, the various and inconfiftent opinions which were propagated by their pretended authority, and, above all, the abfurd and immoral lives of thofe who boafted of fuch extraordinary gifts, were more than fufficient to refute the confidence with which they were entertained. One nation alone, confined in a diftant corner of the world, unknown to the rest of mankind, or despised by them, could produce fuch credentials as were proper to eftablish a principle fo generally believed, and fo weakly supported every where elfe. Dejected therefore with fuch gloomy reflections, as the abfence of the deity from the human mind must naturally infpire, how could the pious heart, involved in any dilemma of conduct, or oppreffed with unforeseen calamity, forbear to exclaim in anguifh, My God, my God! why haft thou forfaken me ?” 66 Amidst the horrors of intellectual darkness and moral depravity, which feemed to extend their baneful and portentuous hade over all the vifible works of the Creator, how comfortable and and welcome muft it have been to every foul that was confcious of its weakness, and tenacious of its duty, to learn, that the interceffion of Jefus would be employed in procuring from the Father another Paraclete, whofe intimate prefence fhould irradiate the minds, infpire the tongues, and regulate the conduct of all who fincerely implored his affiftance? By this divine Пageria, this heavenly prefence, the mind is enlightened and animated in its progrefs, confoled and fupported in its afflictions, informed and determined in its difficulties. And though the filent, yet emphatic intimations of this internal monitor, are now of a more private and limited nature; though they do not, as in ages paft, tranfport the foul in vifions of futurity, but cooperate with the natural powers of man, in a way more agreeable to themselves; ftill however the Chriftian may feel and blefs their facred influence; ftill he may hear the gentle, yet intelligible, whispers of celeftial wifdom, transfufing courage through his heart in every danger, illuminating his understanding in every doubt, and fuppreffing the agitations of his fpirit in every adverse occurrence. Numerous and fublime are the panegyrics which philofophy bestows on the mind of man; but that the living God himself should prefer the human bosom, when pure and holy, to every other temple, was a difcovery referved for him," who fpake as never man spake." Amongst all the religions dictated by nature, which admitted the doctrine of immortality, none feems to have affigned the foul fuch tafks, nor promifed fuch enjoyments, as were fuitable to the extent of her capacity, equal to the dignity of her powers, and adapted to the purity of her effence. The heathen Elyfium was capricious and fanciful; the Mahometan paradife, grofs and fenfitive. The claims of unaffifted reason to future happinefs are extremely modeft and humble. All the heaven which the mere philofopher can, with any degree of probability, anticipate, is the free and natural ufe of his focial and rational powers exempted from pain and uneafinefs. But how far does this idea fink beneath the glory and happinefs which Chriftianity promises its votaries in the world to come? If beyond the prefent life we look for focial felicity, where can a nobler fociety be found, than "the general affembly and church of the firft-born which are written in heaven; an innumerable company of angels; the fpirits of juft men made perfect; Je fus the mediator of a new covenant, and God the judge of all !" If we are enamoured of rational enjoyments, what entertainment can be more fublime, than to contemplate intelligence and truth in their original fountain, to ftudy the plan in which they operate, and to admire the various forms which they affume! If eternal and abfolute immunity from pain, forrow, danger, and death, delight us; what prospect can be more agreeable to those who navigate navigate their way through the various tempefts of this tumultuous and fluctuating life, than the harbour of profound and endlefs repofe, which Chriftianity propofes to our hopes! In this confummation of rational existence and beatitude, every defire of the foul fhall be fatisfied to its full extent, and every faculty exerted in its utmost perfection; whilft, in everlasting progress, the human being rifes to more diftinguished heights of improvement and happiness.-But in vain should we attempt to defcribe things which are unutterable and incomprehenfible. The height, the depth, the length, and breadth of these immenfe poffeffions, are only known to that infinite Liberality who bestowed them. When the beneficent purposes of virtue are frustrated by oppreffive injuftice, when detraction endeavours to involve her amiable luftre in darkness, fhe naturally anticipates a period, when her efforts will prove more fuccefsful, and her reputation be freed from the malignity of unjuft cenfure. But these agreeable prefages are rather the effect of our wifhes, than of our conclufions; as they are neither fupported by any induction of reafon, nor favoured by any analogy in the courfe of things, The few inftances in which merit is properly rewarded, or vindictive juftice afferts its authority, too rarely occur, and are of too little importance to remove all difficulties, and firmly eftablish the principle of univerfal retribution. So various are the fucceffes of vice and virtue both in public and private life, fo different from their natural tendencies are the iffues of actions, fo precarious is the tenor of human events, that reason has no fixed, no invariable data, from whence to deduce the restoration of univerfal order and harmony in the works of God. For if, in any period of the divine government, virtue be depreffed, and vice triumphant, why may not other periods, and other inftances, produce the fame unhappy catastrophes? or what grounds has the difappointed inquirer to imagine, that any fu ture circumrotation of things fhall place them in a better or happier ftate? It is therefore from the word of God alone that we can derive ultimate fatisfaction in these intricate researches. Hence only we can be informed with certainty, that there is an important era to come, when the righteous Judge of all the earth will render to every man according to his deeds; "to them who by patient continuance in well-doing, feek for glory, honour, and immortality, eternal life: but unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteouf ne's indignation, and wrath; tribulation and anguith upon every foul of man that doth evil, of the Jew first, and alfo of the Gentile. But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew frit, and alfo to the Gentile. For there is no refpect of perions with God." 7 Our |