He is ever relating ftories, which Horace calls ANILES, or the tales of old women. Merely for an oftentatious difplay of erudition, he digreffes beyond all reafonable limits. His idea of drawing parallels was excellent; and he has fometimes drawn them admirably, though, as the critics fay, not without a partiality to his own countrymen. They have convicted him of this unphilofophical attachment in the comparison between Tully and Demofthenes, Cato and Ariftides, Sylla and Lyfander, Marcellus and Pelopidas.

They who are willing to allow him every other merit, give up his ftyle as harsh and inelegant. Though certainly an ufeful, he cannot be efteemed a fine writer; and whatever merit he poffeffes, his inftance does not refute the affertion, that biographical has never yet equalled civil hiftory.

The long and diffufe accounts of Plutarch have been compared to coloffal ftatues; the concife hiftories of Cornelius Nepos, to medallions. Cornelius Nepos has a claim from the age he flourished in, from his language, and from his fidelity, to the rank of a claffic; but by no means to the firft rank. It is fufpected by many, that as Trogus was epitomized by Juftin, fo Nepos was abbreviated by a writer, who flourished under Theodofius in the decline of polite literature. The life of Atticus, if we may pronounce from internal evidence, continues unaltered, and reflects great honour on its writer, as a fine picture of a beautiful original.

Diogenes Laertius chose a subject well adapted to difplay ingenuity. The lives of the wifeft men whom the world ever produced, if well written, would have been a moft valuable acquifition to ancient learning, But, with a fine fubject, he was a poor writer.

It is to be wifhed, that Tacitus had more frequently exercifed his talents in biography. His life of Agricola is, perhaps, the beft biographical work that was ever compofed. It is written in that beautiful energetic ftyle, which characterises this fpirited hiftorian; and it is more pleafing than his other works, because it exhibits not a deformed portrait. Mallet's Life of Bacon is a good imitation of it.

Suetonius

Suetonius probably drew his pictures from the life, and they are loathfome to behold. They are, however, ufeful to the philofopher, as they enable him to form a more complete idea of human nature in all the gradations of degeneracy and perfection. They are alfo well written. Concife, nervous, fimple, they please by their perfpicuity, and their freedom from ambitious To the honour of their author it must be faid, that he appears to have advanced nothing through flattery or refentment, nor to have fuppreffed any thing through fear, but to have paid an undaunted regard to veracity. Erafmus obferves, that he wrote as freely as the emperors whom he described had lived.

ornament.

It is matter of furprise and regret, that we have not more biographers. Thoufands and tens of thousands, eminent in every accomplishment, whofe examples might have instructed the world, are become as though they had never been. In our own country, it is true that there are many biographical compilations, but they are for the moft part incomplete. Wood's Athenæ, though a book that does honour to the most celebrated univerfity, has no merit as an elegant compofition. But I must not omit the tribute of praife to the writer of the life of Cicero; who has given us a moft accurate account of one of the greateft men that ever lived, in a ftyle truly claffical and manly. The public is alfo indebted to the author of the Rambler for many biographical attempts. His portraits would be more univerfally and permanently pleafing, if he had not too often indulged his fpleen, and converted a harshness of feature into abfolute caricature. I never could admire either the writings or the life of the chief object of his panegyric, the unfortunate Savage.

Worth is often unknown, or known imperfectly, till after death; till that period, when it is too late to learn particular circumftances with accuracy. Hence it has happened that many of our fecond-rate authors and actors in every department of life, though richly deferving a place in the annals of fame, are recorded only in thofe volumes, where to be born and die, as Pope fays, makes all the hiftory.

D

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To preferve their' own actions from oblivion and mifreprefentation, fome writers have been their own biographers. The task requires great delicacy. The very attempt indeed implies a confiderable degree of felf-value; but it has been juftified by the examples of Thuanus and Hume.

There has appeared in our times and country a biographical work on an extenfive plan. The first edition of the Biographia Britannica was well defigned, yet unequally, and, upon the whole, indifferently executed. Many diftinguished lives are totally omitted; many infignificant lives tedioufly defcribed. Though there is fometimes much labour and fagacity exerted, yet there are few mafterly remarks. Most of the articles were furnished by writers of no great repute.; and there was every reafon for the new edition now undertaken. If I might prefume to fuggeft an improvement, I would advife, that elegantly engraved heads fhould be prefixed to every life, whenever they can be procured; and that the materials fhould not be collected from books only, but from the traditionary reports, and the manufcript letters remaining in the families of defcendants. The names of the living perfons who communicate the hints should be added, both to fecure and to confirm their authenticity.

I believe none of thefe improvements are made in the fecond edition of the Biographia. I attribute the omiflion to the want of pecuniary affiftance. It is greatly to be lamented, that any kind of affiftance fhould be wanting in a work in which the national honour is highly interested.

No.

No. XCV. ON HOSPITALITY, AND THE CIVILITIES OF COMMON LIFE.

N the days of Horace, our countrymen were re

Wtrangers.

Though in the prefent age the charge would be unjust, yet it must be owned, that there is a referve in the manner of an unadulterated Englishman, which feems to confirm the opinion, that he inherits a portion of that unfocial fpirit which difgraced his ancestors. But whatever may be his natural propenfity, it is certain, that, in the liberal intercourfe and comprehenfive education which prevail in the prefent times, there is fcarcely any country in the world where a more cordial hofpitality is difplayed, than in England.

The days of Elizabeth have been extolled as the days of genuine hofpitality. The doors were thrown open, and, at the found of the dinner-bell, all the neighbouring country crowded to the fmoking-table. Thefe were times indeed, fays the railer againft modern refinement. Yet it has been juftly doubted, whether this indifcriminate hofpitality was laudable. There was fomething generous and magnificent in the idea, and it gave the nobles of the land the influence of kings over their neighbourhood. Yet if its motive and its moral effect are confidered, it will appear to be juftly exploded. It proceeded from the love of power and from oftentation, and it produced gluttony, drunkennefs, and all their confequent vices.

Confidered in a charitable light, as affording food to the hungry, it will be found a lefs ufeful mode than the modern inftitutions. It did not felect its objects: it confidered not the degrees of indigence or of defert. The confequence was, that it increafed indigence, and leffened defert; for experience has proved, that unneceflary alms, however amiable the motive of them, do a real injury where they mean a benefit. They pro

mote

more idleness, by teaching poverty to rely on other aid than the efforts of an honeft industry.

The great number of houses established for the reception of travellers in every part of the kingdom, and the expeditious modes of travelling, which render delay unneceffary, have contributed to reftrain that general hofpitality which opened the door to all who came. Such hofpitality is no longer wanted; but there never was a time when judicious civility, of all kinds, was more liberally fhewn to ftrangers than the present. And whatever the old Romans or the modern Gauls may affert of British ferocity of manners, no Italian or Frenchman of character ever came to our feparated thore, without having felt delight at his hearty reception, and regret on his departure.

It feems probable that hofpitality keeps pace with civilization. As the minds of a people are enlarged by improvements in knowledge, and communication with their neighbours, the felfish and morofe affections gradually lofe ground. In feveral parts of Europe, where focial improvements have not yet reached, the traveller is either confidered as lawful prey, or else totally difregarded. On the other hand, we find the natives of the Society Ifles, feparated as they are from all the reft of the world, and by no means far removed from the favage ftate, remarkably hofpitable. Though fear might in fome degree caufe their civility to Europeans, yet it was not the fole motive of it; for we find their good offices, after all apprehenfions were removed, evidently proceeding from the tenderest and most generous affection. On the first appearance of the English on their coafts, they naturally confidered them as enemies, and boldly oppofed their invafion. Many of them exhibited acts of heroifin, in defence of their country, fcarcely exceeded in the annals of antiquity. But no fooner was the branch of peace held out, than they received their wonderful vifitors with open arms; with a humanity that reflects difgrace on the maritime villages of Europe, where a fhipwrecked fellow-creature, and fellow-countryman, has been destroyed for the fake of plundering his veffel. In other iflands difcovered

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