Though it is not easy to afcertain the exact period of the Voyage of Hanne, Mr. Falconer, by very ingenious arguments, urges the probability, that it took place about the year 570 before the Chriftian æra. This was a very flourishing period with Carthage, as appears from the vaft exertions the was able to make when Xerxes invaded Greece. He also conjectures who the Hanno was that made the voyage. "As all the Punic names have a peculiar fignification, fo likewis has that of Hanna. It may be tranflated gracious or kind. Of all the Carthaginians who have borne this name, and of whom history makes any mention, I can discover only two who lived in the courfe of the first period. The lateft is the father of Amilcar, who was overcome by Gelo in the plains of Himera, in the year 480. If this Hanno was the author of the Periplus, we cannot afcend higher than the year 510. I prefer another Hanno, to the father of Amilcar, who was more ancient by fome generations; I mean the Hanno who flourished about the time of Solon, and to whom Anacharfis, a contemporary of the Athenian legiflator, addreffed a letter, which Cicero has preferved. The time of Solon is determined in the year 594. The arrival of Anacharfis at Athens anfwers to the year 589. His travels were extenfive, and he did not return to his own country till he had vifited all Greece and Afia Minor. If this letter is genuine, the fynchronifm between the times of Hanno and Anacharfis will not allow us to place the voyage and the narrative below the year 570 before the Chriftian æra. Carthage had then exifted 333 years, and had time to become extremely flourishing. That Hanno, who, according to Plinyt, was the first perfon who tamed the lion, and, according to Æliant, converted this formidable animal into a beast of burden, and accustomed it to carry a confiderable weight, is apparently the author of the Periplus. I recognife him, as Bochart has dones, in that Hanno who, according to Elian, wishing, either from vanity or policy, to take advantage of the fuperftitious ignorance of his countrymen, had privately inftructed the birds to fay, in the Punic language, that he was a God. Thefe birds were certainly Parroquets. (Why not Parrots? Rev.) If thefe anecdotes have any foundation, they agree too well with the discoveries made on the coaft of Africa, and in the interior part of the country, not to belong to our author." P. 87. As an additional argument in favour of the period here affigned for the Voyage, Mr. F. remarks, that it is thus placed The first period of Carthage. From 883 A. C. when it was founded, to 480, when Xerxes invaded Greece. The fecond Mr. F. 'takes from 480 to 264 A. C. when the wars with Rome began. The third, from thence to 146 A. C. when Carthage was deftroyed. In all, 737 years: according to Cato, apud Solinum. Rev. Hift. Anim. v. 39. + 1. viii. 21. Chanaan. i. 37. between between two undoubted voyages round Africa. The firft, forty years prior to it, fent by Necho king of Egypt, which might have fuggefted the idea; the fecond about a century after, in the reign of Xerxes, probably originating in the expectations raised, and the light given by Hanno's voyage. In illuftrating this fhort but valuable remnant of antiquity, Mr. Falconer has certainly done all that could be expected from a claffical scholar and he has fully deftroyed the credit of Dodwell's Differtation, which has been protected hitherto rather by its length and forbidding pedantry, than by any intrinfic merit. ART. VI. A Charge, delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of London, in the Years 1798 and 1799. By the Right Reverend Beilby, Lord Bifhop of that Diocefe. 8vo. 47 PP. Cadell and Davies. 1799. IS. THE Bishop begins by explaining the causes of the delay of one part of his vifitation for a year; and recommends an increased attention, both in the clergy and the laity, to the fund for the relief of the indigent clergy and their families, within the cities of London and Weftminster, and the county of Middlesex, under the direction of Sion College. He then reminds his hearers of the fubftance of his laft Charge in 1794, concerning "the state of religion in foreign countries, the rapid progrefs which infidelity had for fome years past been making on the Continent, and the effects which this might naturally be expected to produce in our own ifland." P. 7. "But, thanks be to God, the effects of all this fury and malignity, have been much lefs formidable and lefs extenfive than could have been expected. A few men of unfettled minds or weak understandings, may have been gained over to the caule of infidelity, but the bulk of the people, though rudely and roughly affailed, have ftood firm and unmoved. This has probably been owing to various causes, to the na. tural good fenfe, the found judgment, and fteady character of the people in this land; to the over-ruling influence of the Holy Spirit upon their hearts; to the purity in which Chriftianity is here profeffed and taught; to the excellent liturgy we have conftantly in our hands, to direct and animate our devotions; to the mafterly defences of Scripture and of Revelation which have lately iffued from the prefs; and I may add alfo, I truft, to the vigilance and attention of the parochial clergy, each in their respective departments. But to whatever caufes the prefervation of our people from the contagion of infidelity may hitherto be afcribed, we must not be too fecure: the danger is not over, nor the hope of finally accomplishing their purpofe abandoned by our cnemies. Enemies. They are ftill active and alert, ftill enterprifing, and intent upon their great object. In fo righteous a caufe they are deterred by no difficulties, they are difcouraged by no defeats. Unabating perfeverance, unconquerable hatred, and eternal enmity to the name of Chrift, are their ruling principles. Whether there are in this country any of the fect called Illuminati, and other infidel Myftics, that have been fo long diffufing vice and atheifm over the reft of Europe, I do not undertake to fay; but that there are focieties among us inftituted for the very purpose of propagating infidelity and profligacy through the ifland, more efpecially among the lower claffes of the people, 1 can have no doubt. Publications of the moft impious and indecent nature have, I know, been diftributed with infinite activity and induftry, not only in the metropolis and its neighbourhood, and in large manufacturing towns, but in little obfcure villages in the remoteft parts of the kingdom; nay they have even found their way into the very bowels of the earth, among the mines of Cornwall, and the colliers of Newcastle, fome of whom are faid to have fold their bibles in order to purchase the Age of Reafon. This very extenfive circulation of fuch tracts, from one end of the kingdom to the other, cannot be the work of a few unconnected individuals; it must be the combined effort of a confiderable body of men, united together for the purpose of corrupting the morals, and perverting the principles of the people, and contributing each their fhare of labour and expence to fo honourable and meritorious an undertaking. We have then ftill a hoft of enemies to oppose, and it highly behoves us to confider how we shall most effectually counteract their artifices, and repel their malevolent attempts." P. 10. The proper means of rendering this laft injunction effective, are then pointed out; namely, making a ftrict inquiry in each parish whether any irreligious publications have been difperfed among the people; ftating, in fermons or lectures from the pulpit, the principal facts and evidences of Chriftianity; removing the doubts and difficulties of perfons ftaggered in their religious principles, either by friendly converfation, or by putting into their hands the best books and tracts in defence of Revelation; and, laftly, amending and reforming the hearts and lives of the people, by the doctrines, exhortations, and admonitions of the clergy, by an unceasing attention to all their paftoral duties, and, above all, by the purity and luftre of their own examples. Some excellent obfervations next follow, fhowing, that "infidelity is in general a difeafe, not of the understanding but of the heart." "By far the greatest part of those who reject Revelation are against the Gospel, because the Gospel is against them; because it condemns and prohibits certain practices, gratifications, and purfuits which they are determined not to relinquith." P. 18. "In general it may fafely be afferted, that whatever pretences may be fet up for renouncing Revelation, the real and substantial, and most prevalent impediments to it are, vice, prejudice, indolence, indifference, partial examination, or none at all, felf-conceit, pride, vanity, love of fingularity, a difdain to think with the vulgar, an ambition to figure at the head of a fect, and to be confidered as fuperior to the rest of mankind in genius, penetration, and difcernment." (p. 19). The clergy are then ftrongly exhorted to counteract, to the utmost of their power, thefe predifpofing caufes of Infidelity; particularly by laying before the people, with plainnefs and force, the great fundamental doctrines of the Gofpel; and by calling their attention to, and frequently explaining to them, the Sacred Writings. An earneft and eloquent admonition is given to the clergy, concerning the importance of their example. The Bishop mentions with honour "fome excellent writers, who have rifen up, at this critical moment, in the caufe of morality and Christianity;" (p. 35) Mr. Wilberforce, · Mr. Bowdler, Mr. King, and Mrs. H. More; and particularly the last work of this excellent woman, on Female Education. The nature of the conteft in which we are engaged, is defcribed with equal force and juftice. Laftly, prayer and supplication to Almighty God are urged, as the ftated means of obtaining the protection of Divine Providence; which protection appears to have been hitherto fignally difplayeď towards this nation; and a fervent hope is expreffed, that "this happy country is referved to be a chofen remnant from a defolated world; to be the laft refuge of the afflicted and diftreffed; the afylum of liberty, the guardian of morality, the bulwark of Chriftianity, and an impregnable barrier against that dreadful torrent which has deluged all the reft of Europe; but to which, when it approaches these fhores, the great Ruler of the Univerfe will, I truft, fay in the fublime and irrefiftible language of Omnipotence, "Hitherto halt thou come, but no further and here fhall thy proud waves be stayed." After this epitome, and thefe fpecimens of fuch an admirable Charge, we need not ailure our readers, that it well deferves, in all refpe&s, their moft ferious confideration. ART. VII. General Obfervations on the Power of Individuals to preferibe, by teftamentary Difpofitions, the particular future Ufes to be made of their Property; occafioned by the laft Will of the late Mr. Peter Thelluffin, of London. By John Lewis de Lolme, LL. D. Author of the Book on the Conftitution of England. 4to. 37 PP. IS. Richardfons, &c. THERE are few departments of fcience which are fo fecure from the attempts of authors that have neither studied nor followed them profeffionally, as that of the law. The crabbed furface furface of English jurisprudence; its technical terms; its grave and fettled forms, of which the wifdom can only be difcovered by deep investigation; its diftinctions and divifions, countless and fubtle as the atoms which people the fun's beams; its utter abhorrence of fpeculation; its cautious and frigid progrefs in the purfuit of truth; its reverential attachment to precedent; deter the generality of literary fkirmishers from engaging in an adventure, from which they can derive neither reputation nor emolument. Judging of Dr. de Lolme from his book on the Conftitution of England, we could not have anticipated his being one of thofe few who would deviate from a practice, which men, to whom we were inclined to attribute a lefs portion of judgment, have wifely followed. Unfortunately, as we should fuppofe, for him, and certainly for us who have been compelled to read his book, he has ventured upon a difcuffion of a most intricate branch of our law, with a most deplorable ignorance of its objects, and of the means by which it is enabled to compafs them. It is impoffible for us to condemn this rafh attempt more forcibly than by remarking, that not one of the author's general obfervations have occurred, either to the very able counsel who argued the cafe, or to the learned judges who gave opinions upon it. How indeed is it poffible that fuch arguments as thofe, of which we are about to give a fpecimen, fhould occur to any lawyer? Dr. de L.'s first attack upon the will is, that the condition annexed to the estate, namely, that those who take it fhall use the furname of Thellusson only, is not only abfurd, but that "the executor of the will" (as he not very correctly calls him)" has bound himfelf, by his acceptance of the truft, to do what may be illegal and impracticable," because "who knows but that the name of Thelluffon may perhaps on fome future occafion become prohibited from being ufed ?" His next attack is upon the clause which directs the trustees to pay the produce of his estate into the Bank of England, and why forfooth? "Because parliamentary leaders of oppofition may find their way into the direction," i. e. of the Bank. By certain curious manoeuvres they may engrofs the whole unemployed money of the country,fo as to leave government in a manner deprived of the means of defence in the face either of external or internal enemies. In fuch a fituation, parliament may either by way of prefent relief to the government, or of punishment upon the Bank, pafs an act, prohibiting the Bank (till leave fhall again be given them) from keeping and receiving any depofit of money from individuals." But is this "the be all, and the end all ?". Is this the greatest and most dreadful obftacle to the .execution |
