ject, which I was not fortunate enough to attain; and upon the access, with which I was honoured at a very early period, to the presence of men, high in academical rank, and conspicuous for literary excellence, often have I reflected with the pleasure and with the pride of an ancient writer, who has more than once recorded his own intimacy with the poets and the statesmen of the Augustan age. The unreserved conversation of scholars, the disinterested offices of friendship, the use of valuable books, and the example of good men, are endearments, by which Cambridge will keep a strong hold upon my esteem, my respect, and my gratitude, to the latest moment of my life. Never shall I have the presumption to "disclaim her as a mother," and never may she have just occasion to "renounce me as a son”ἔτι δὲ ἐχ ὗτος ἀχάριτος μόνον, ὅστις ἐν δρᾶ κακῶς ἢ λέγει, αλλα καὶ ὅστις σιωπᾶ καὶ αποκρύπτει, λήθη παραδίδους καὶ ἀφανίζων τὰς χάριτας.” Julian, Orat. II. page 172, edit D. Petavius, 1614.

It is, however, confessed that the system of education in our Universities requires some improvement; and this, indeed, is a point that is generally admitted, because these institutions, which commenced in the Monkish ages, have not advanced with the general progress of science. Bishop Hurd hoped that a time would come when "their physics will be facts, their metaphysics common sense, and their ethics human nature."

ART. V. Thoughts occasioned by the perusal of Dr. Parr's Spital Sermon, preached at Christ Church, April 15, 1800: being a Reply to the Attacks of Dr. Parr, Mr. Mackintosh, the Author of an Essay on Population, and others. By William Godwin. 8vo. PP. 82.

THE

2s. 6d. Robinsons. 1801.

HE author of the "Enquiry concerning Political Justice" ought not to wonder that the singular tenets, which that book contained, should excite opposition: but we may allow him to feel something more than surprize, when the quondam friend of his bosom proclaimed open hostility against him, and by the epithets which he employed, certainly visited his doctrine too roughly." Mr. Godwin has unquestionably some reason for complaining of the manner in which the attack on his system has been conducted; and for considering the departure of his opponents from philosophic calmness into the regions of cutting sarcasm, and of acrimonious invective, as not more honourable to their minds than advantageous to their argu

ment.

He first takes notice of the asperities levelled against him in Mr. Mackintosh's Lectures at Lincoln's Inn; after which he proceeds more particularly to examine Dr. Parr's Spital Sermon (see the preceding article): first enumerating the wounding personalities, and then entering into a consideration of

the

the merit of the reasoning, or as he terms it declamation. He tells the Doctor that utility, the criterion of virtue, is not once mentioned in the whole Sermon, and that he (the Doctor) lays his principal stress on the motives of virtue; I, however, on the contrary, (adds Mr. G.) regard it as the proper and eminent. business of the moralist, to call the attention of his fellow men to the criterion of virtue.' To this remark is annexed the following candid and ingenuous confession of error:

My mind, indeed, in writing the Enquiry concerning Political Justice, was so deeply and earnestly bent on this, as to lead me to throw an undue degree of slight and discredit on the ordinary, and what I would now call the most practicable motives of virtue. I am certainly sorry that the treatise I wrote is affected by this error; I feel, since Dr. Parr is so pleased to express it, "some degree of contrition," that the detection of this oversight" had not occurred to the writer" before the book was given to the world.'

The great object of this pamphlet is to shew, in opposition to Dr. Parr, that the doctrine of Universal Philanthropy, even as stated by the author, is not accompanied by so long and portentous a train of evils as the Sermon represents. Philanthropy (says Mr. G.) is a bank in which every creature that lives has an interest; the first and preferable tallies being, by the very nature of the case, in possession of those who are nearest to us, and whom we have most opportunity to benefit.' He then states his doctrine, without a figure, in these words: I would desire to love my children; yet I would not desire so to love them, as to forget that I have what we were accustomed to call, higher duties. Against this hypothesis, no reasonable objection can be made: it is the Benevolence taught by Christ, in the parable of the good Samaritan. Dr. Parr remarks that our Saviour justified the deed of the Samaritan: but, says Mr. G. Christ did not " justify the deed." He applauded it; he has immortalized it; he has bidden all his followers go and imitate that deed, which Dr. Parr thinks he has barely justified.'

Mr. G. is most embarrassed by the objections to his system which are advanced in an Essay on Population*. He admits the ratios of the author of that work in their full extent, and confines himself to repelling their conclusions; and here a very aukward task is imposed on him. We, however, shall leave it to the inhabitants of the millenial state, when wars shall cease and when population shall have reached the utmost limit of subsistence, to determine whether it will be most advisable to expose children, as is the practice in China, or to dispatch the old and useless, according to the custom of the Hottentots.

* See M. R. N. S. vol. xxvii. p. 1.

Our

Our readers will recollect that the principle of the Essay on Population is that Population, left to itself, increases in a geometrical, while subsistence can only increase in an arithmetical, ratio.

ART. VI. Remarks on the local Scenery and Manners in Scotland, during the Years 1799 and 18co, by John Stoddart, LL. B. 2 Vols. Large 8vo. pp. 650. 21. 2s. Boards, with the Plates tinted; or 31. 38. Boards, with the Plates coloured. Miller. 1801.

י

IT is rather unfortunate for the writer of these Remarks, that the practice of reading Prefaces has been recommended by the inimitable author of Gil Blas; and that the recollection of the soul of the Licentiate prevents us from ever passing over any prefatory matter: for we should certainly have entertained a more favorable opinion of Mr. Stoddart's abilities, had we rushed at once in medias res, than we formed on perusing his Introductory Observations. In his account of the tour itself, though his language be not simple, his descriptions are in general accurate, his narrative is amusing, and his remarks are sometimes ingenious. If others, then, like ourselves, should be displeased at the very threshold, we advise them to persevere, and to examine the interior of the building; and we promise them that their dissatisfaction will be succeeded by pleasure.

The author's observations on Edinburgh and its vicinity are perfectly just but we shall not detain our readers with any account of them, because the subjects have been frequently described. We could have wished that Mr. S. had abstained from the following reflection on Mr. Hume, which was unprovoked, and wears the appearance of great illiberality :-'ascending by a winding and picturesque road up the Calton Hill, you reach the church-yard, where the monument of David Hume is placed, conspicuous in its situation, but very simple in its design; it is said to be his own choice, and is copied from the antique with more taste than might have been expected from such a writer.'-The taste of Mr. Hume and that of Mr. Stoddart are unquestionably very different; and it is not in the power of such a writer' as Mr. S. to remove the historian from the eminence which he deservedly occupies.-From this part of the work, we shall extract what has been advanced on the meaning of the term picturesque. As it is an epithet which the author is fond of attributing to a variety of objects, it is just that he should have an opportunity of explaining his own ideas of its import:

'Arthur's Seat, when seen detached, as it is here, presents, perhaps, too lumpish and formal an appearance for the painter; yet it would

be

be wrong to infer that it is totally incapable of picturesque management. It may either combine with other objects, which take off its formality, as in most of the western views of Edinburgh; or it may come so near, as to fill the eye by its magnitude, and form a picture of itself. In the latter case, it suffers much by a want of the wood, with which it is said to have been formerly covered, and still more by the raw appearance of the stone-quarries which have been carried along its cliffs; yet with these defects, it is incredible, how grand and beautiful it may be made to appear, by a happy choice of situation, and favourable circumstances of effect. He is but a young student in the picturesque, who does not know, that mere form is a very subordinate consideration, in the objects of Nature. If she has opportunities of scattering her gay colours, of spreading her aerial veils, of distributing her bold lights and shades; but above all, if she has great magnitude to work upon, there is no asperity of form, no staringness of feature, which she cannot chasten or subdue.

"Curse on the pedant's jargon" [says Mr. Knight], "which defines

Beauty's unbounded forms [by] given lines."

Yet this is a pedant jargon, from which few writers, on such subjects, are wholly free; and something very like it may be found in this poem itself, applied to the most striking objects of English. landscape.

I shall here beg leave to make a short digression,' on the meaning of the term picturesque; and as I have more respect for true etymology, than is commonly paid to that science, I shall begin with the derivation of the word. Its original, I apprehend to be, the Italian pittoresco, which, according to the general analogy of our language, we might very allowably translate painterish (for our ish, the Teutonic isc, the Greek xos, and the Italian esco, are all of the same family); and it must have been first applied to whatever seemed to belong to, or to be the exclusive province of the painter. As far, therefore, as the sublime, or the beautiful could be conveyed by the pencil, they were properly termed picturesque; and many objects, whose predominant characteristics were neither sublimity, nor beauty, being equally fit for painting, received the same denomination. But this was not all the painter is rather a man of genius, than of science; his object is not so much to instruct, as to please, and surprise. Even among the objects of his delineation, therefore, some are more congenial to his own feelings, than others; and he delights rather in the intricacy, and variety of diversified nature, or of eccentric art, than in the common, every-day productions of the former, or the regular, systematic combinations of the latter. On the other hand, the painter is also a man of taste; his love of the novel and irregular is chastened, by a certain harmony of feeling; and there are extravagances, to which, as unsuitable to his art, he refuses the title of picturesque. From these considerations, it will appear, that in judging of this subject, no principle, applying only to a part of any composition, or to a particular quality in that part, can be allowed to weigh against the combined effect of the REV. MARCH, 1802.

whole.

whole. Colour may be corrected by form, light by distance; and the soft flowing lines of beauty, the whimsical breaks and abruptnesses of the romantic, or the continuity and massiveness of the sublime, may all, by the powerful operation of nature, be rendered sub. servient to picturesque effect.'

On leaving Edinburgh, Mr. Stoddart pursued the banks of the Esk; and he notices with that enthusiasm which the scenery is well calculated to inspire, those beautiful spots that occurred in his walk to the upper part of the Clyde. Here, as was most natural, he was delighted with the Falls of that river; a scene to which no description either of the pen or of the pencil, that we have ever seen, has done full and appropriate justice. As Mr. S.'s account, however, is written in an animated and amusing manner, we shall transcribe it for the entertainment of our readers:

The beauty of the afternoon rendering us anxious to visit the falls of the Clyde before dark, we struck off the road at Ravenstruthor toll, after passing through the village of Corstairs, and by cross paths arrived at Bonnyton, the seat of Lady Ross. The house itself is a handsome modern edifice, seated on an eminence, which overlooks the banks of the Clyde, surrounded with rich wood, and commanding a great variety of noble scenery; but the chief, and almost unrivalled boast of this estate is, that it includes within its boundary two falls of so majestic a river. The liberal proprietor has, with great taste, disposed these beautiful grounds, so as to second the favourable dispositions of Nature; and with equal public spirit, has laid them open to the admiration of strangers without discrimination. Such instances cannot be too much praised, especially when compared with the selfish conduct of those, who, after torturing a beautiful spot by their miserable improvements, lock it up for their own exclusive gratification. But liberal taste, and generous sentiment, cannot be separated and there is no heavier accusation against the modern Improvers, than that their system is a system of exclusion and selfish enjoyment. They mistakenly flatter the natural pleasure which property gives its possessor, and which, in order to be virtuous, to be noble, to be true pleasure, must regard only the power of doing good. The more noble and interesting was the scene, the more did we feel impressed with gratitude to the proprietor, for the facilities afforded in viewing it. At the lodge is a porter, who will attend you to the chief points of view. As is usual with such guides, he would have first conducted us to a summer-house built in front of Cora Linn, the fall nearest the house; but unwilling to be so restrained, I made my way to the nearest part of the bank, where it burst full on my view. I had never seen any object of the kind at all comparable to it in magnitude-Lowdore, in Cumberland, when I visited it, was the mere skeleton of a fall; but here a vast swelling river poured, in one foaming sheet, from a height of eighty feet into the abyss below. The size, the roar, and fury of the cataract, at first absorbed me in astonishment: the very rapidity of the water

made