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have made but little ufe of it for that reafon, and becaufe the quantity of meal ground in a given time, I think, does not recompence the labour required to produce it; and I do not believe that any faving is made from ufing machines for this purpose on fo fmall a construction. I remain, very respectfully, Sir,

Your moit obedient fervant, Exeter, Feb. 8, 1800.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

HE reinvention of the Telegraph is

THE
claimed in your magazine for De-

cipal actions of his life are reprefented in
fome fine pictures in the cathedral church
of Mechlin. I am, &c.
London, Feb. 7, 1800.

Y

J. WATKINS,

For the Monthly Magazine.

difconnu, in the third volume of the Reliques, R. 28. This might direct the attention of rifing poets to the traditional achievements the platform of fome truly national epopœa. of our own heroic ages, and prepare perhaps

YOUR correfpondent H. C. R. defires fome account of the old romance M. B. whence the fable of Wieland's Oberon is in great part derived; happening to poffefs it, I haften to comply with the request. Allow me in my turn to exprefs a wish that whoever has accefs to any one of the old romances of chivalry, would furnish some fuch cember, by Don Salvador Ximenes Coroanalyfis of it as Percy has given of Li beau nado, who tried experiments on this fub. ject in 1786. In a former number the revival of the telegraph is attributed to Citizen Chappe. Whoever will take the trouble of looking into the Memoirs of the Royal Irish Academy for the year 1796, will find that Mr. Edgeworth revived the invention of telegraphic correfpondence in Berkshire, fo long ago as the year 1767 In the fame paper it is recorded that intelligence was conveyed by Mr. Edgeworth's telegraph across the fea from Ireland to England and back again in July 1796. With telegraphs of the common construction this could not be effected. The portable telegraph that folds up like an umbrelia, is described in the fame pa

per.

This is a fimple invention, which at fome time or other will force itself into common ufe. Your conftant reader,

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I'

N anfwer to your Correfpondent Allafilius; Vol. viii. page 365, who inquires for an account of St. Rombald, I fend you the following.

St. Romuld, commonly St. Rombauld or Romuldus, patron of the church of Mechlin, was a zealous Anglo-Saxon, who, in the eighth century quitted his cell to preach the Golpel in the unconverted parts of Europe. He laboured with St. Willibrord and many other pious miffion. aries in this good work, and was confecrated an itinerant bishop, that is, one who has not a fixed diocele. He converted great numbers of heathens in the vicinity of Mechlin and Antwerp; and died a martyr to his zeal, June 24th, 775. His body was thrown into the river, but was refcued from thence, and honourably interred by the Count of Adon. The prin

Hiftoire de Huon de Bordeaux, Pair de The title of the romance in question is, France, Duc de Guienne: it is printed at fion appended, fome copies were probably Troyes, but undated. From the permififfued in 1723, and fome others in 1726; it is therefore a recent republication of the in Gothic or black letters, before the year old romance, which was no doubt printed 1550, as the annotators of Shakespeare mention an English tranflation of it exereign of Henry VIII. Not only the type, cuted by Lord or Lady Berners, in the the spelling also has been modernized.

The introduction places the event to be narrated in the year of the crucifixion 75%, and under "the very glorious and victorious Prince Charles the Great furnommé Charlemagne," and after the death of his nephews Roland and Olivier. The first chapter defcribes Charles as defirous of refigning his crown, not to Louis "who is too young" but to Charlot who had killed Baldwin the son of Oger le Danois. II. Amaury, the friend of Charlot recommends to the emperor to feize the eftate of the late Sevin, Duke of Bordeaux, to the prejudice of his minor fons, Huon and Gerard, and to endow Charlot with it.. III. The Duke of Naimes having diffuaded this confiication, obtains leave to fend for the two fons of Sevin to ferve Charles, IV. The duchefs promiles to fend her two fons the enfuing Eafter. V. Amaury and Charlot plot the affaffination of thefe fons. VI. The fons of Sevin, in company with the Abbé of Clugny travel toward Paris. VII. Amaury and Charlot waylay the young men: Amaury wounds Gerard; and Charlot is killed by Huon. VIII. Huon

arrives

arrives at court. IX. Huon accufes Charlot. X. Amaury arrives with the dead body of Charlot. XI. Amaury accules Huon. XII. Appeal to the judgment of God. XIII. The duellifts appear in the lifts. XIV. Both fwear the truth of their charges. XV. Huon conquers, and is endeavouring to obtain a recantation, when Amaury aims a treacherous blow which provokes Hnon to kill him on the spot. XVI, Charles banishes Huon. XVII. Charles is induced by his peers to modify the fentence, and to permit the return of Huon, in cafe he brings "a handful of the beard and four double teeth" of the Emir Gaudiffe, whofe daughter he is to kifs in prefence of her father," and to bring with him to France," with a dower of a thousand hawks, a thousand bears, a thoufand vultures, a thousand boys, and a thousand girls. XVIII. Huon undertakes the exploit. XIX. Huon arrives at Rome, confeffes himfelt to the pope, and meets with his uncle Garin, who agrees to go with him. XX. Huon and Garin arrive at Jerufalem, and pay their devotions at the tomb of Godfrey of Bullion: they fet off for Babylon, and in a foreft meet with Gerofme, an old fquire of Hoon's father, who tells them of a wood near, in which king Oberon, who is three feet high, humpy, but of angelic countenance dwells." The words of the dwarf are so pleasant to hear that none can get quit of him, and if he fees you avoid fpeaking, he will caufe it to hail and thunder, in order to compel you to go with him." Huon refolves to cross the enchanted wood. XXI. Huon and his attendants halt in the wood. Oberon approaches "clad in a rich robe sparkling with jewels, a bow and arrow in his hand, a rich bugle horn on his neck," which "the faries of the ifle Chifalonia" had made; "Gloriana had endowed it with the power of curing diieafe, Tranfelina with that of affuaging hunger and thirst, and Marafafa with that of exciting to fing and to dance." The dwarf accofts Huon and his fourteen attendants. XXII. Oberon, angry at Huon's filence, raites a form. XXIII. Oberon founds his horn, which compels Huon and his comrades to ftop and fing. Oberon twangs thrice his bow-ftring, when four hundred men appear and furround the travellers. Oberon pretends to order their execution as a punifhment for their filence; but Glorian, one of the fairy-foldiers, pleads for them, and invites Oberon to address them once more. Huon now converfes with Oberon. XXIV. Oberon fays he is a fon of Julius

Cæfar by the lady of the hidden ifle, fruce called Chifalonia, who was formerly beloved by Florimon of Albany. A fairy who had not been invited to the birth of Oberon, bestowed on him," the gift that after three years of age he should grow no taller:" another fairy, Tranfelina, the gift to read the thoughts of others: a third the gift to pais inftantly from placeto place. Oberon adds, that he is king of Mommur, and is one day to die and be buried at Paris. Oberonthen builds a palace inftantaneously, and offers a grand repaft to the travellers, during which he produces "a cup which fills itself with wine in the hands of every one who has not committed a mortal fin." XXV. Oberon gives Huon the horn and the cup, and difmiffes him with ominous but affectionate tears. XXVI. Huon arrives at Tourmont, and lodges at the mayor's, who is a fecret Chriftian, to whom he intrufts his horn and his cup. XXVII. Huon gives a fupper to all the poor of the place, whom he ferves with wine out of his cup. XXVIII. The Duke of Tourmont is uncle to Huon, but an apoftate. The cup remains dry in his hand; and he plans treachery against Huon. The prifoners whom he arms go over to Huon. XXIX. Huon is engaged in combat with friends of the Duke, and in jeopardy. XXX. The mayor brings the horn: Huon founds it; the Duke's people begin to sing and dance. Oberon, who was then in the city of Mommur, cried aloud, faying, I heard the horn of my friend Huon, and know by its found that he wants my help; I therefore with myfelf in the place where the horn was founded, accompanied by a hundred thousand men." This army foon decides the victory, and all the people of Tourmont fubmit to be baptized. XXXI. Oberon advifes Huon to avoid the tower of the giant Angulaffer," two brazen men with fils ftand over threshing at his gate." Huon chooses to go there, and finds the damfel Sebille, therein confined, to be his own coufin. XXXII. Huon wakes the giant and defies him. XXXIII. Huon kills the giant and takes his ring. XXXIV. Huon arrives at the fhore of the Red Sea Malebron, a tairy of Oberon's train, approaches, and in the form of a triton carries Huon acrofs. XXXV. Huon lands in a river which flows from Paradife, clofe to Babylon. XXXVI. By means of Angulaffer's ring Huon enters the palace. XXXVII. Huon ftrikes off the head of the fultan's right-hand neighbour, k ffes the beautiful Efelarmonde, is attacked, overpowered, and led to prison. XXXVIII.

"King

Efclar

Efclarmonde vifits him in prison. XXXIX. returns to his wife, who is brought to bed

She repeats her attention. XL. Gerofme and his companions arrive at Babylon. XLI. They plot with Efciarmonde in behalf of Huon. XLII. The giant Agrappart comes to afk tribute at Babylon. XLIII. Huon offers to fight the giant. XLIV. Huon takes the giant prifoner. XLV. The giant fubmits to baptifm. XLVI. Huon founds his horn, and by Oberon's affiftance maffacres al the Babylonians who will rot turn Chriftians, cuts off the fultan's head, then his beard, and at laft draws his teeth. Oberon conceals the hair and teeth, in poor Gerome's fide. Oberon forbids Huon to have carnal commerce with Esclarmonde before they arrive at Rome and are regularly married: preTents him with a yacht, and leaves him with ominous tears. Huon marries his fair cousin Sebille to an emir. He fets fail, and is tempted to infringe the chatte inJunction of Oberon. XLVII. A tempeft wrecks them on a defert ifland. Pirates carry off Etclarınonde. Huon is left bound to a tree. XLVIII. Admiral Galaffre, of Anfalerme, takes the hip of the pirates. XLIX. One of the pirates prevals on King Yvoirin to order GaJaffre to give up his prize. L. At the requeft of Glorian, Oberon fends Malebron to deliver Huon in the form of a triton this fpirit twims with him acrofs the fea. LI. A minfirel informs Huon of the fortunes of Efclarmonde. LII. Huon offers his fervices to King Yvoirin. LIII. Huon wins a game at chefs of King Yvoirin's daughter, but declines, from fility to ward Efclarmande, to avail melt of the conditions of victory. LIV. Huon joins the expedition against Anfalerme. LV. Huon kills Sobrin the nephew of Galaffie. LVI. Huon receives great honours from Yvoirin. LVII. Geroime arrives at Anfaleime and enters the fervice of Galaffre. LVIII. Huon and Gerolme fight, and d f cover each other on the field of battle. LIX. Efclarmonde is recovered by Huon. LX. Huon and his company arrive at Rome, and he is married by the pope.

The fecond part proceeds to narrate how the younger brother of Huon, Girard, endeavoured, after his return, to ouft him of his heritage, to pillage his property, and to prejudice Charlemagne against him. By the interference of Oberon, the emperor is reconciled; but Raul of Auftria falls in love with Efclarmonde: Huon pursues him to Mayence, and kills him, is waylaid at Cologne, fights a battle with the Emperor of Almaigne, and at length

of a girl called Clairette. This Emperor Thierry leads an army against Bordeaux; Huon, defirous of affistance, fwims out to fea in fearch of it. He arrives at an island of loadftone, where he kills a ferpent, Meanwhile the emperor takes Bordeaux, kills old Gerofme, and carries into captivity Efclarmonde. This news Huon learns from the bishop of Lisbon, who lants with fome pirates on the island. Huon is carried away through the air by a griffin, which he kills: he then meets in a garden an angel who gathers three apples reftorative of youth. He enters a random boat which floats him to Tauris, in Perfia, where his Gafcon coufin Ber nard, who had been in fearch of him, meets him very luckily. Bernard produces five jewels. One is an antidote againft poifon, burning, and drowning; a fecond against hunger, thirft, and age; a third against wounds, it alfo blinds an enemy, and reftores eyefight to a blind relation; a fourth annihilates fetters and prifon-bolts; a fitch confers invifibility. Huon takes thefe ftones; and having given one of them and an apple of youth to the emir, he is hand fomely received, and fupplied with an army to make war on the Emperor Thierry. On the road they take the town Angora and arrive at Colandres, which Oger le Danois afterwards deftroyed. Hav. ing taken this town, they vifit the holy fepulchre at Jerufalem, and the emir with many promifes of aid, quits Huon who returns lafely to France, and lands at Marfeilles. Meanwhile the Abbé of Clugny had been waging unequal war with the emperor for the captive lady Eiclarmonde, which to irritates Thierry that he determines to burn Efclarmonde alive. The day on which Eiciarmonde was to burned, "King Oberon was holding court in his palace of Mommur; his mother, the lady of the hidden ifle, was there: and queen Morgana, the fairy, and Tranfelina her neice, and many other fairies." The two fairy knights, Glorian and Malebron, obtain permiffion to go to the relief of Efclarmonde: they appear together to the emperor, and command him in Oberon's name to release the beautiful prifoner: the emperor promifes, and they vanish. The emperor repents and imprifons Efclarmonde again. Huon finds up the Abbé de Clugny and his daughter Clairette; and gives the old man an apple of youth. Huon next appears at Mayence, makes peace with the emperor, and carries back Efclarmonde. Huon and Efclarmonde then fet off to wifit

Obeson

Oberon, who, with the confent of the barons of Fairy-land, refigns his crown to Huon and Efciarmonde; immediately after which King Arthur, who hoped for the fame appointment, arrives "with his fifter Morgana, the fairy, and his neice Tranfelina." Arthur brings with him the infant, Mervin, a fon of Morgana by Oger le Danois, who had married her. Arthur is at firft angry, but is appeafed by Oberon and by Morgana, and agrees to do homage to Huon as king of Fairy-land. Oberon, confcious that his laft hour draws nigh, now calls around him Huon, Arthur, Glo. rian, and Malebron, makes over to Huon his power over the elves (luitons), fays his prayers, croffes himself, orders an abbey to be built at his burial-place, and dies. Angels carry away his foul: a fweet odour hovers about his corpfe, the fign of falvation. When Huon, Efclarmonde, Arthur, Tranfelina, King Caraben, Glorian, Malebron, and all the knights and ladies faw that Oberon was dead, they fhed tears. The funeral is ordered, and the monumentalabbey. "Now," fays the author, "we fhall speak no more of Huon and Efclarmonde, who will remain in the kingdom of Fairy-land until the day of judgment." A third part narrates the hiftory of Clairette, the daughter of Huon. She is afked in marriage by the King of England, the King of Hungary, and Florent, fon to the King of Arragon. She is treacherously carried off by Brohars, who drowns Bernard. The King of Grenada delivers Clairette, who becomes acquainted with Florent, and loves him. The father of Florent refufes his confent, unless the prince firft fubdues the King of Navarre. This exploit is atchieved; but ftill Clairette is withheld: and both the lovers are feparately imprisoned. They escape together, are taken by the Saracens. The valour of Florent delivers them. At their return the King of Navarre is again at war with the King of Arragon, and the latter is in imminent danger. Huon fends the two knights, Glorian and Malebron, who effet a reconciliation. Florent and Clairette are married.

The untired hiftorian next undertakes the adventures of Ida, a daughter of Florent and Clairette, who dies in child-bed. After fifteen years Florent falls in love with this daughter, and propofes before his barons this incestuous match. Sorbare, an old grandee, oppofes it. The governess of the princefs provides her with boy's clothes, and the flies from the odious marriage. As groom, fhe is employed

by a German, gets among thieves, arrives at Rome, and is at length employed by the Emperor Otho, whofe daughter Olivia falls in love with the fuppofed youth. Ida renders great fervices in the field; takes the King of Spain prifoner, and is married to the emperor's daughter. On the difcovery of her fex, fhe is ordered to be burnt alive. A deputation from Florent to afk the emperor's daughter in marriage, fuggefts a convenient folution.

Croiffant, the fon of Olivia, is now brought on the stage. He ruins himfelf by prodigality, and fets out, with a fingle fervant, in queft of adventures. He is dubbed a knight by Count Raimond, at Nice, diftinguishes himself against the Saracens, and is envied by the fon of Raimond, whom he kills in a quarrel. This difappoints his hope of mar rying Raimond's daughter, and he flies very unhappy. He gets among thieves; goes a pilgrimage to Rome, and there with a King Guimar, whofe daughter Catherine he marries. They become emperor and emprefs, and, with their coronation clofes the romance.

eets

Your correfpondent alfo folicits a tranflation of Weiland's preface; it has been almoft wholly woven into the account of Oberon contained in the Monthly Review, vol. XXIII. p. 577, and is, therefore, in fact already before the public.

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T. J.

For the Monthly Magazine. THE ENQUIRER, No. XX.

ON PREJUDICE.

T is to fpeculative people, fond of no. vel doctrines, and who, by accustoming themfelves to make the moft fundamental truths the fubject of difcuffion, have divefted their minds of that reverence which is generally felt for opinions and practices of long standing, that the world is ever to look for its improvement or reformation. But it is alfo thefe ipeculatiftswho introduce into it abfurdities and errors more grofs than any which have been established by that common content of numerous individuals, which opinions long acted upon must have required for their bafis. fyftems of the latter clafs muft at ieaft poffefs one property,-that of being practicable; and there is likewife a prefaption that they are, or at leaft originally were,ufe ful, whereas the opinions of the ip.clatit may turn out to be utterly incongruous and excentric. The fpecula i my invent machines which it is impoffible to put in

For

action,

action, or which, when put in action, may poffefs the tremendous power of tearing up fociety by the roots. Like the chemift, he is not fure in the moment of projection whether he fhall blow up his own dwelling and that of his neighbour, or whether he fhall be rewarded with a difcovery which will fecure the health and prolong the existence of future generations. It becomes us therefore to examine with peculiar care those maxims, which, under the appearance of following a clofer train of reasoning, militate against the ufual practices or genuine feelings of mankind. No fubject has been more canvaffed than education. With regard to that important object, there is a maxim avowed by many fenfible people, which feems to me to deferve particular inveftigation:" Give your child," it is laid, "no prejudices let reafon be the only foundation of his opinions; where he cannot reafon, let him fufpend his belief. Let your great care be, that as he grows up, he has nothing to unlearn; and never make ufe of authority in matters of opinion, for authority is no teft of truth." The maxim founds well, and flatters perhaps the fecret pride of man, in fuppofing him more the crea ture of reafon than he really is; but, I fufpect, on examination we fhall find it exceedingly fallacious. We must first confider what a prejudice is. A prejudice is a fentiment in favour or disfavour of any perfon, practice or opinion, previous to and independent of examining their merits by reafon and inveftigation. Prejudice is pre-judging; that is, judging previoufly to evidence. It is therefore fufficiently apparent, that no philofophical belief can be founded on mere prejudice; because it is the bufinefs of philofophy to go deep into the nature and properties of things; nor can it be allowable for thofe to indulge prejudice who afpire to lead the public opinion, thofe to whom the high office is appointed of fifting truth from error, of canvaffing the claims of different fyftems, of exploding old and introducing new tenets. Thefe muft inveftigate with a kind of audacious boldness every fubject that comes before them; thefe, neither impreft with awe for all that mankind have been taught to reverence, nor fwayed by affection for whatever the fympathies of our nature incline us to love, muft hold the balance with a fevere and fleady hand while they are weighing the doubtful fcale of probabilities; and, with a ftoicalapathy of mind, yield their affent to nothing but a preponderancy of evidence. But is this an office for a child? Is it an office for

more than one or two men in a century? And is it defirable that a child should grow up without opinions to regulate his conduct, till he is able to form them fairly by the exercife of his own abilities. Such an exercife requires at leaft the fober period of matured reafon: reafon not only fharpened by argumentative difcuffion, but informed by experience. The moft (prightly child can only poffefs the former; for let it be remembered, that though the reafoning powers put forth pretty early in life, the faculty of using them to effect does not come till much later. The first efforts of a child in reafoning refemble thofe quick and defultory motions by which he gains the play of his limbs; they fhew agility and grace, they are pleafing to look at, and neceffary for the gradual acquirement of his bodily powers; but his joints must be knit into more firmnefs, and his movements regulated with more precision, before he is capable of useful labour and manly exertion. A reafoning child is not yet a reafonable being. There is great propriety in the legal phrafeology which expreffes maturity, not by having arrived at the poffeffion of reafon, but of that power, the late refult of information, thought, and experience-difcretion, which alone teaches with regard to reafon, its powers, its limits, and its ufe. This the child of the moft fprightly parts, cannot have, and therefore his attempts at reafoning, whatever acuteness they may fhew, and how much foever they may please a parent with the early promife of future excellence, are of no account whatever in the fober fearch after truth.- Befides, taking it for granted (which however is utterly impofiible) that a youth could be brought up to the age of fifteen or fixteen without prejudice in favour of any opinions whatever, and that he is then fet to examine for himself fome important propofition, how is he to fet about it? Who is to recommend books to him? Who is to give him the previous information neceffary to comprehend the question? Who is to tell him whether or no it is important? Whoever does thefe will infallibly lay a bias upon his mind according to the ideas he himself has received upon the subject. Let us fuppofe the point in debate was the preference between the Roman Catholic and Proteftant modes of religion. Can a youth in a Proteftant country, born of Proteftant parents, with accefs, proba bly, to hardly a fingle controverfial book on the Roman Catholic fide of the queftion, can such a one study the subje&t without prejudice? His knowledge of hif

tory,

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