"Fayre and pleafaunt fhe was in fight, "All men her loved, bothe yonge and olde; Alfo in that lande was a Knyght bolde, "All men fpake of his hardyneffe, He goes then to the Lord of Faguell, and falls in love with the Lady, and fhe with him. This Lady, of whom I fpake before, She fet on hym her herte and minde. "His paramour fhe thought to be, Hym for to love wyth herte and minde, As chyldren that together are kynde. "This Knight alfo curteyfe and wyfe, Lovyd this Lady wythouten vyfe, Whyche tyll they dyed dyd ever lafte. "Both night and day thefe lovers true "This Knight was in a garden grene, With that he fell downe to the grounde, BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXIV. SEPT. 1804. ** The "The Ladye in a wyndowe laye, With herte colde as any stone; She wyft nat what to do nor faye When the herde the Knightes mone," Vol. iii. p. 193. The Lady then goes into the garden, and falls in a swoon upon the Knight, being fo much affected with his grief. When they both recover, they vow a mutual love, but of the Platonic kind, which nevertheless is fealed with kiffes. Thus begins this curious tale, which is extended to 500 lines. This chafle amour, however, which begins fo prettily, concludes very tragically, like another famous tale; for the Lord of Faguel, a dull man, not approving or comprehending the Platonifm vowed between the lovers, kills the Knight, and gives his heart to his wife for food, who dies confequently of grief. The notes to these Romances difplay, as thofe of Mr. Ritfon ufually do, much curious research, and much accuracy, but a violent love for contention. In a note on the Romance of Lybeaus, p. 257, he feems to prove, that the name of Termagaunt, fo often coupled by our old poets with that of Mahoun, or Mahomet, is corrupted from the French Tervagaunt, and not the contrary, as had been thought by fome acute critics. But he is fo unfuccefsful in his attempt to find an etymology for Tervagaunt, as a good deal to weaken the conviction of his reader. We fhall now fpeak briefly of the other work, which appeared at or about the fame time with the former, the "Bibliographia Poetica". It is a Dictionary of names, divided into five feparate alphabets, for five fucceffive centuries, beginning with the twelfth. The only deficiency appears to be the want of a general alphabetical Index, to affift the enquirer who is not fure of the age of an author. In the three first centuries, he names, of courfe, are few; but in the fifteenth and fixteenth they are numerous. The author has here exerted all his ufual diligence; and his Bibliographia, which might almost have been called a Biographia*, will be a standard work of reference for perfons who delight in literary research. One of his efforts, in the twelfth century, is to explain the non-existence of a fuppofed English poet, called Hamillan. We shall infert his remark, which is curious. "HAMILLAN is a name introduced merely for the purpose of correcting the mifrepresentation of Winstanley. "Should we", says Not quite, becaufe names are often inferted when nothing is known of the life. that 6 that ill-informed and inaccurate writer, "forget the learned Hamillan, our book would be thought to be imperfect; fo terfe and fluent is his verfe, of which we fhall give you two examples; the one out of Mr. John Speed, his defcription of Devon,-the other out of Mr. Weever, his Funeral Monuments". Thefe examples are doubtless aftonishingly terfe and fluent for the age alluded to; being, in fact, good tranflations, in the Alexandrine metre of Drayton, and very probably by that poet himself, from the Latin hexameters of Hanvillan, or Hanvil, quoted in Camden's Britannia, and more at large in his Remains." P. 6. Befides thus extinguifhing an imaginary poet, Mr. R. has brought multitudes to notice, whofe names were never seen before in literary history, being authors merely of commendatory verses to other writers, or of obfcure tracts known to very few collectors. His diligence in these researches is very fingular; and he has been affifted occafionally by the enquiries and information of Mr. Park, whofe merits as a literary antiquary are now becoming generally known. Ritfon, however, was as difficult to deal with as a friend, as in any other relation of life; and because Mr. Park, in tranfcribing a title-page, had omitted a word, and inserted it above the line, he not only refufed him a copy of the book, but accused him of making a knavifh interpolation. This anecdote, though we did not receive it from the first hands, we have reason to believe perfectly true. The prefent work, however, muft remain as a monument of useful diligence, from which we could with pleasure take feveral fpecimens, were it not difficult where to choose in fuch variety, and had we not already expatiated at great length on the former of these two works. It is rather a fingular circumftance, that the unfortunate author grew more whimsical as he proceeded in the printing of this book. At p. 6, whence we cited the article on Hamillan, and long after, there are hardly any words disfigured by peculiar fpelling; but, towards the latter end, we have verfees, undertakeën, Engleifh, and all the abfurdity of the edition of the Metrical Romances. To the labours of Mr. Ritfon the friends of English literature muft owe perpetual obligation, and we much wish to fee his industry and accuracy imitated; but his character, life, and death, we hope will never find parallels. By ART. IV. The Trial of the Spirits, a feasonable Caution against Spiritual Delufion; in Three Difcourfes, addreffed to the Congregation affembled in Christ Church, Bath. the Rev. Charles Daubeny, Minifter of Christ Church, Bath. 8vo. 78 pp. 2s. Rivingtons. 1804. THIS HIS is indeed a feasonable caution; and, if those to whom it is given, do not profit by it, the fault will be their own. After a preliminary address, pointing out the danger to be apprehended from the zeal of enthufiafts and fchifmatics, the excellent author enters upon his subject in a manner calculated to prevent those mifreprefentations of his doctrine, which experience must have taught him to expect from some of the fraternity ycleped true churchmen. From John iii. 8, he proves the fact, that Chriftians are directed in working out their own falvation by the powerful, though not irresistible, influence of the Spirit; and fhows that no objection can be confiftently urged against the truth of this fact, from our ignorance of the manner in which the Spirit of God operates on the mind of man. His illuftrations of the argument from the phænomena of nature are judicious and fatisfactory; though we could with that, to prevent the cavils of the modern philofopher, he had, on one or two occafions, either expressed himfelf with greater accuracy, or obferved that he took words in their popular acceptation. There is no good reafon to believe, that "of all bodily things wind is the leaft bodily", or that it really" comes nearest to the nature of a spirit." P. 20. This has indeed been the vulgar opinion in all ages; and hence, in most languages, perhaps in all, the word employed to denote Spirit, in its original fenfe fignifies breath or air; but Chemistry fhows it to be at least probable, that the moft folid fubftance may be rarefied into air, or as it is now called a gas, by heat; and that the most fluid body may be condenfed into a folid by cold. The general opinion, however, at the time when languages were formed, is fufficient to authorize the use which Mr. Daubeny here makes of thefe expreffions; and it is only to fhut the mouths of those, who, in reasoning as well as in action, ftrain at a gnat and fwallow a camel", that we have ftopped to make this obfervation. "The union of our fpiritual and corporeal part in the fame fubftance", a phrase which occurs in p. 29, is undoubtedly a typographical error, which the reader will correct by fubftituting the word perfon for fubftance. The The fecond and third Difcourfes are from 1 John iv. 1; and in them the author explains what the Apostle meant by the fpirits to be tried; points out the difference as well as the agreement between the trials to be made in the earliest ages and now; proves that in every age no correct judgment can be formed, but by comparing the effects of the Spirit with a fteady and well-known ftandard; and then shows, that modern fanatics not only "bear witnefs of themselves", but also reverse the method of trial prescribed in the Scriptures. Truly fpiritual men, and pretenders to the Spirit, in forming an eftimate of their refpective condition, adopt a very different process of judgment. The falfe pretender argues forward from the caufe to the effect; and fuppofing his premifes indifputable, proceeds in confidence to his conclufion. Confidering himfelf, from the teftimony of his private feeling and experience, to be the chofen of God, and as fuch under the peculiar guidance of the Spirit; he concludes himself to be poffeffed of what conftitutes the reality of the character he affumes. Thus his actions, whatever they may be, derive a fanction from the principle, of which he fuppofes himself in poffeffion. A deception which has led, and is at all times capable of leading, to the most fatal extravagancies. "Whereas the truly spiritual man proceeds on much furer ground; by arguing backwards from the effect to its caufe. Confidering that all holy defires, all juft works, and all Chriftian graces, proceed from the Holy Spirit; fo far as, upon impartial examination, he can trace these characteristic marks of a regenerate mind in his own character; so far he concludes himself to be living under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit of God. Thus whilft the falfe pretender proves his practice by his profeffion; firft prefuming that he has the Spirit, and thence concluding that his ways are fpiritual; the truly fpiritual man, proves his profeffion by his practice; by firft bringing himself to the ftandard of the Gofpel, and from the conviction that his life corres ponds with it, thence concluding himself to be in the number of God's faithful people. And fhould he be asked to give a reason for his faith, he may adopt, in a qualified fenfe, the language addreffed by our Saviour to the Jews: "If I do not the works, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works." For thus Nicodemus reafoned with our Saviour on a fimilar point; "No man can do the works that thou doest, except God be with him.” P. 56. From this fpecimen, we trust that the reader will perceive, that these three Difcourfes are worthy of the author of a Guide to the Church, and that he will therefore peruse them with the moft ferious attention, |