no farther concern on fuch fubjects, but to look out for a fimilar one when his fhop, or warehouse, or counting-house are shut up, through the neceffity of complying with the laws and cuftoms of the country. It may be faid, that though a tafte, formed by the pure models of Greece and Rome, may reprobate the frothy ftyle, yet, fince it is found to entertain the vulgar of a great capital, fometimes ufefully, and always innocently, it ought not to be exploded. But perhaps we are not able to grant, that it does entertain them either ufefully or innocently. It certainly gives them wrong ideas of religion, and teaches them to neglect and defpife the difpaffionate fuggeftions of reason. But it is one of the principal objections to this popular or frothy preaching, that it allures men from their own parish churches, and induces them to defert the pulpit of a modeft and regularly educated clergyman, for fome noify and bold, fome ignorant and hypocritical pretender. It leads them from the light of the fun to thofe meteors and vapours, whofe dancing and uncertain gleam often conducts them into quagmires. There are few parishes in the metropolis which do not contain fome thousands of inhabitants ; but you will often find in their respective churches not more than one hundred, and fometimes fcarcely half that number. Whither are they gone? Many, indeed, are caroufing in the delectable retreats of the rural Hoxton; but many are alfo gone to the new built chapels, or the crowded churches, where fome filver-tongued orator is preaching himself, with all the pathos of a white handkerchief, the fplendor of a diamond ring, the fmartnefs of a well-dreffed head, and the deceitful grimaces of an impoftor. Religion, however, muft lófe much of her venerable air, when, inftead of the decent clothing of a chafte and honourable matron, fhe is reprefented in the taudry and flimfy garment, the painted cheeks, the glafs ear-rings, the falfe brilliants of the falfe Courtezan. I think I may confidently affirm, that the frothy ftyle would not be tolerated at the bar or in the fenate. It would be thought too trifling for the important fubjects of property and politics. It would be an object object of ridicule. And fhall that oratory which is hooted from the forum, not only take refuge, but lift up her head in triumph in the pulpit? It is not furprizing, that men of fenfe pafs by wagging their heads when they find an orator haranguing in a church with all the affected language and fentiments of a fashionable auctioneer. The eloquence which has diftinguifhed many of the most favourite preachers, and writers of pulpit harangues, is not that of St. Paul, of Demofthenes, of Cicero; but of those great mafters of florid defcription Meffieurs Langford and Chriftie. I believe it will appear confiftent with reason, that a peculiar degree of gravity and folidity, far exceeding that of the fenate or bar, is required to produce the due effect of pulpit oratory. Practical divinity is the graveft fpecies of moral philofophy, deriving additional dignity and force from the authenticity of revelation. The appearance of truth and fimplicity is its most becoming ornament. To apply to it the little arts of rhetoric, and the petty graces of affectation, would be like painting, in tawdry and variegated colours, thofe Corinthian columns of St. Paul's Cathedral, which derive all their beauties from their fimple and fymmetrical gran-. deur. When we go to church we hope to hear falutary truth, and to receive improvement of mind and morals. When we wish to be only amufed, we shall repair to the play and the puppet-show. I will take the liberty to hint to young and fashionable divines, who are in general fmitten with the falfe graces of ftyle and delivery, that their congregation would be much more edified, if, inftead of moral effays, in what they call fine language, they would preach fermons, properly fo called, in the plain ftyle of truth and fcripture. Let them alío take care, as they will anfwer it to Him in whofe name they afcend the pulpit, not to preach themselves, but the Gospel; not to be fo folicit ous in the difplay of a white hand, as of a pure heart; of a diamond ring, as of a fhining example. No, No. CXXXIV. ON THE GENIUS OF ERASMUS. B ATAVIA and Boeotia are by no means remarkable for the production of genius; but Bœotia may boaft her Pindar, and Batavia her Erafmus. I mean not to confider the theological opinions of Erafmus, but his learning and his genius; and of thefe 1 may venture to affirm, that if Erafmus had lived in an Auguftan age, they would have advanced him to a rank among the best of the claffics. But the theology and theologians of his times were at open war with the graces of tafte and elegance; and, confidering the authority which they poffeffed, and the scarcity of any other writings than thofe which proceeded from the cloifter, it may be pronounced almoft impoffible to have lived and written in that age, without contracting a tinge of the prevailing barbarifin. The ftyle of Erafmus is not therefore perfectly pure and claffical; but it is his own, and it has a native charm which renders it agreeable. I would not advise a young man to view it as a model; nor, indeed, to be much converfant in the works of Erafmus, or any modern writer of Latin, till his tafte be formed, and a judgment regulated, by Terence, Virgil, Cæfar, and Cicero. But he, whofe mind is mature, and whofe comprehenfive powers are capable of grasping all pre-eminent authors, whether antient or modern, will receive pleafure and improvement in a great degree from the writings of Erafmus. They have ufually been ftudied only by divines, and for theological information. But I warmI recommend them to the lover of philology, or of claffical learning, as furnishing a difh for fuch a palate, both plentiful and highly feafoned. Erafmus was born to cultivate the Litere Humaniores, or the politer parts of learning; and I have often lamented, that he fhould have been diverted from thofe flowery paths into the rough roads of controverfial divinity. The The colloquies, or dialogues of Erafmus, are often ufed to initiate boys, at an early age, in the ftudy of the Latin language. They are uncommonly lively, entertaining, and inftructive; and as there is not much danger of corrupting the ftyle of a very young boy, there are, perhaps, few books better adapted to the purpose. Indeed we must not do Erafmus the injuftice to affert, that he is devoid of elegance-in ftyle, for though, wherever he expreffes theological ideas he is almost under the neceffity of using words unknown to the writers of a better age; yet on other occafions, he really abounds with phrases of the pureft and sweetest Latinity. Neither are his dialogues to be confidered as fit only for boys, fince they abound in wit, humour, good fenfe, and in allufions which ftrongly mark the fertility of the mind from which they originate. In a comparative eftimate of genius, according to its kinds and degrees, I fhould not hesitate to place Erafmus in the fame clafs with Lucian. There is, indeed, a feafoning of falt in all his writings, in which the neceffity of being grave did not forbid him to be facetious. The Ciceronianus is an admirable fpecimen of judgment and pleafantry. His Praife of Folly is a moft humorous fatire, and reflects no lefs honour on the inventive powers, than on the good fenfe of its author; as it was written, if I mistake not, in the space of one week, for the amusement of himself and Sir Thomas More, at whose house he was upon a vifit. It made its author many enemies; but his genius rofe like the arm of a giant against a hoft of pygmies, and defeated them all after a fhort conflict. His forgiveness of the vain and angry Dorpius who first attacked him, evinces his magnanimity and goodness of heart. Spite and envy may fecretly undermine, but can never make an open and fuccefsful attack on the fortrefs of true genius. But the epiftles of Erafmus will, perhaps, be found to furnish the ftudent in philology with more amufement than any other of his works. They are, indeed, a valuable treasure of curious information. Their clear and lively language, their poignant wit, and goodnatured humour, render it difficult to lay them afide when when once we are engaged in the serious perufal of them. They are very numerous, but they are by no means all which Erafmus wrote. He complains, indeed, of being obliged to write fo many, that there was not a poffibility of taking copies of them all. A great fhare of knowledge of the world, and of human nature, as well as of letters and literary characters, may be collected from them by the attentive reader. But, indeed, to whatever part of his voluminous works we turn our attention, we can fcarcely avoid the fentiments of pleasure and furprize. He has written more than many ftudents were ever able to read. He has written fo excellently, that all the learned, except a few envious contemporaries, from his own times to ours, have uniformly confidered him as a prodigy. And let it never be forgotten, that, under Providence, he owed his education and fubfequent improvements entirely to himself. He was ufed ill and neglected in his youth. He abounded neither in books nor in inftructors; but he poffeffed a genius and a love of letters, before which all obftacles ufually give way, like the Alps to an Hannibal. It adds greatly to our wonder, in contemplating his large and crowded tomes, when we recollect that he fpent his life in a most unsettled ftate, and in conftantly travelling from city to city, and from kingdom to kingdom. But his mind was employed in study whereever he went, and he compofed many parts of his works as he rode on his horfe. He was also attacked by many enemies; and though he was placable, yet as he was alfo irafcible, much of that time and attention, which, would otherwise have been devoted to calm contemplation, was neceffarily loft in controversy.. He was certainly the greateft man of his time. Popes, kings, archbishops, bifhops, and cardinals, hide their diminished heads in his prefence. One is, indeed, almoft tempted to laugh when one furveys a groupe of ftupid perfonages, with crowns and mitres, riches and titles, fitting on their thrones and in their cathedral, yet bowing with an homage at once abject and involuntary, to the perfonal merit of the poor Erafmus. He, indeed, was permitted, by Providence, to pass through his pilgrim age |