of brilliancy and elegance, not to the able arrangement of the materials, to the energy of the portraits, the depth of the views, or the acuteness of the observations, but to the authenticity of the important pieces which it contains, the exactitude and novelty of the details which it discloses, and the striking truth of the simple, unadorned narrative, which have sufficed to bestow upon this book the character of a great historical authority; in other words, no one can henceforth speak or write of the Inquisition, without consulting and citing the testimony of this honest and impartial annalist.

But though no one has ever yet been able to level a blow at intolerance and fanaticism with 'impunity, the generous men who have attempted it possess particular claims to our esteem and regard; as it was easy for them to foresee the long responsibility which such attempts would entail on them. M. Llorente presents a new and melancholy example of the implacability of those who call themselves the disciples of a Master who taught nothing but Peace and Love. Scarcely was the History of the Inquisition published, when the Tribunal of Penitence, where he consoled some exiles of the most Catholic nation, was shut up against him. He had been in the habit of celebrating mass in the church of Saint Eustache, and the small pittance which a pious charity had attached to the service contributed scantily to provide for the necessities of his old age. The ecclesiastical superiors of the diocese of Paris caused it to be signified to him, that he was forbid to celebrate the holy mysteries of his religion. In a word, he who had been a dignitary of one of the richest churches in the Romish Communion, Counsellor of State to the brother of Napoleon, Director of the National Property, and Distributor of the Royal Bounty, considered himself fortunate in gaining

honourably a very moderate income, by instructing young Frenchmen, in a boarding-house of Paris, to repeat the accents of that fine Castilian tongue, of which Raynal has said, "Qu'elle est éclatante comme l'or et sonore comme l'argent." Will it be believed that intolerance was sufficiently powerful, and legislation sufficiently cruel, to interdict M. Llorente, in the name of the University of Paris, from giving lessons in Spanish in a private institution! The director of that establishment exerted himself to obtain the recall of the prohibition, but his efforts were fruitless. In spite of his enemies, however, M. Llorente continued to find, in the treasures of his own erudition, in his laborious industry, in the public favour, and in the solicitude and zeal of esteem and friendship, the conveniences which his frugal and temperate habits required, and of which the unfeeling brutality of power would have deprived him.

The publication of the Political Portraits of the Popes, filled up the measure of those resentments which the writings of M. Llorente had already accumulated against him. This performance is a work of vast erudition, and unhappily furnishes matter of amusement and derision to those whom the abuses engrafted on the Catholic religion, together with the vices of its ministers, have rendered its enemies. But besides that, the author has collected a mass of particulars of more than doubtful authenticity, (as, for instance, the story of the pretended Popess Joan, the apocryphal character of which is now pretty generally admitted.) The reader, if a Catholic, will remark, with sorrow and regret, that the subject, the aim, and even the tone of the work, are little consonant with the character of a Catholic priest, whose honour is, in some sort, inseparable from that of the Apostolic See, whatever reasonable liberty he may

take in exposing the errors which pretend to shelter themselves under that grave authority. But having frankly stated our personal opinion of the work, we may be permitted, at the same time, to express the honest indignation with which the severity exercised towards its author has filled every truly Christian mind. In the beginning of December 1822, he was ordered to quit Paris in three days, and France with out delay. After the Revolution of 1820, M. Llorente might have returned to his native country; but as he could not recover the property and the honours of which preceding events had despoiled him, and as, moreover, he enjoyed at Paris that security and consideration which his period of life required, he had resolved to finish his days in that capital. His abrupt and violent expulsion from his adopted country was therefore to him like a second exile. Efforts were made by the friends of M. Llorente to suspend at least the execution of this arbitrary order, which could not fail to prove fatal; but these were unsuccessful, and the venerable Septuagenarian set out, consoled with the marks of esteem and affection, and the generous succours tendered to him by several praise-worthy citizens, always ready to brave calumny, in order to remain faithful to misfortune.

M. Llorente rapidly passed through France at the moment when the whole of its surface was covered with snow, and was not even indulged with a few days' rest at Bayonne. From the moment he entered the confines of his native country, he was received with the most marked expressions of public regard; and, doubtless, he would not have failed to receive more substantial proofs of the esteem and veneration of his countrymen, which might perhaps have induced him to relinquish the intention he had formed of accepting a chair which had been offered him in

the University of St Domingo. But a few days after his arrival at Madrid, namely, on the 5th of February 1823, he fell the victim of the extraordinary fatigues to which he had been so cruelly condemned. His obsequies took place on the 8th, in the church of San Pedro, with becoming pomp, and his body was deposited in the cemetery of Funcarral, after a model of his bust had been taken in plaster. Before he died, M. Llorente pronounced his forgiveness of his persecutors: God, who knows the secrets of all hearts, may also pardon their crime, if they repent; but on earth they will never be forgiven, because men of a high moral superiority acquire an inviolable right, which affixes an indelible stain on those by whom they have been proscribed.

Religion, politics, and history, were, in their turn, indebted for important services to M. Llorente; sometimes, also, they had to regret his errors. Without doubt, he has deserved well of religion, in unmasking the sanguinary fanaticism by which its purity has so often been sullied and dishonoured. He has been able to rally, under its banners, many generous spirits whom odious and false interpretations bad estranged, and he has contributed to disengage it from that leprosy of superstition which so frequently attaches to its works; but too exclusively devoted to search into modern abuses, he has sometimes offended against those traditions of apostolical origin, which the true Catholic venerates as much as the dogmas of his faith. The errors committed by M. Llorente, in his political career, present also a point of view in which they may be extenuated or excused. He was one of the first individuals in Spain who adopted and disseminated the liberal and philosophical opinions of the age. In 1808, Buonaparte was still the Revolution to many foreigners, who had had no opportunity of appreciating the character of the one,

and the true principles of the other. On the other hand, till the standard of liberty was erected at Cadiz, the party of Ferdinand appeared that of the ancient regime, with all its abuses, not even excepting the Inquisition. This last King Joseph abolished; he attacked the tree of feudality at the core; he sapped by the base the column of superstition. It was under the influence of these prepossessions that M. Llorente formed his first political connections. These motives, however, constituted only a part of the reasons which he alleged in justification of his conduct, in which he persisted to the last in maintaining that he could discover no error. When the resistance commenced, he used to say, success appeared impossible; it delivered Spain to all the horrors of civil war and devastation; and, in a word, that he had been able to do more good to his country, and his fellow-citizens, by attaching himself to the party of Joseph, than if he had followed the government of Cadiz. This species of justification will doubtless appear inadmissible; for it tends to confound force with right, and a national government with a foreign usurpation. But if M. Llorente was deceived, he was nevertheless sincere; and when, at a subsequent period, the Constitution of Cadiz had been proclaimed and recognised by a part of Spain, the perseverance with which M. Llorente adhered to the cause of Joseph ought to be ascribed

to the force of prior engagments, and the necessity of his situation. We may add here, that he saw with exultation the Revolution of 1820, and that he constantly shewed himself its zealous defender, although he had still some difficulty in freeing himself from suspicion of those persons who in 1812 saved Spain at Cadiz, and had never ceased to view the events of that period with a prejudiced eye.

M. Llorente possessed vast knowledge, particularly in subjects of an ecclesiastical or historical kind; but his erudition wanted that rigorous precision required by the learned in England, France and Germany. Though his mind was not deficient in clearness and method, yet the art of arranging a book, such as it is now understood in France and England, was unknown to him. In his vernacular language, his style, as far as we may be permitted to judge, was correct and perspicuous, but distinguished by no brilliant quality: he spoke French with difficulty, seldom accurately, and wrote it accordingly. Like his countenance, his conversation was animated, and full of just ideas, interesting recollections, and curious facts. He was of the middle size, his eyes black and sparkling, his complexion bronzed, his physiognomy austere, his forehead elevated; altogether presenting a type of that heroic Spanish nation, the annals of which his name and works are calculated to adorn*.

THE main object, in regard to geographical discovery, which, during the whole of this year, engrossed the attention of the public, consisted of the expeditions sent into the North, particularly the naval one under Captain Parry. As this second summer, however, elapsed, without even a rumour of its fortune, the curiosity of the nation evaporated in anxieties and conjectures, which had no basis to rest upon.

Of Captain Franklin's land expedition, the peculiarly interesting and disastrous fortunes became known before the close of the year; but the full narrative was not published till 1823. This indeed need not have prevented us from introducing it here, were it not that, by delaying, we hope to combine it with Captain Parry's new voyage.

We may also join to both Captain Scoresby's discoveries on the coast

of Greenland, which, though announced in the autumn of this year, were not fully developed till the following.

The African Institution this year published a volume by the late celebrated Burckhardt, containing the result of several of his journeys through Syria and Palestine. In two of these he traversed the country of Haouran, (anciently Auranitis,) characterized in Scripture by the appellation of the country beyond Jordan. This territory, when protected, as under the Romans, against Arab invasion, was exceedingly flourishing and fertile, covered with splendid cities. The ruins of these have been lately surveyed in part by Seetzen and Buckingham; but Mr Burckhardt has afforded us more full and authenticated views of them.

In Mr Burckhardt's first tour from Damascus, he proceeded along the

outer border of Haouran, nearest to the Desert. Here he found Ezra, the ancient Zarava, containing ruins three or four miles in circumference, and many ancient edifices. It contains now about 200 Turkish, Druse, and Greek families. Shobha, now the seat of the principal Druse Sheikhs, contains also lofty ruins, the remains of a wall with eight gates, and a theatre in good preservation. Souedia, formerly one of the largest cities in Haouran, contains ruins four miles in circumference. Kanouat, a fine old town, presents remains of antiquity, which, though not particularly extensive, surpass in beauty those of any of the cities now enumerated.

In a second tour, Mr Burckhardt visited that part of the plain of Haouran which lies nearest to Syria. The capital of it, and of the whole district, is Boszra, (the ancient Bostra.) He found here a ruined temple, with four columns entire, which were equal to the finest in Palmyra or Baalbec. The most beautiful remains of architecture are here and at Kanouat. Our traveller surveyed also Djerash, the ancient Geraza, and describes more precisely than former travellers, the splendid variety of its edifices and columns.

The stationary inhabitants of the Haouran consist chiefly of Fellahs or cultivators, who live in a style of great simplicity, there being scarcely any difference between the richest and poorest, unless in the mode of entertaining strangers. The success of their agricultural labours depends entirely upon irrigation; if this is either afforded naturally, or can be procured artificially, the fields yield ample crops of grain. The wealth, however, which this is capable of affording, and anciently did afford, is much curtailed by the exactions to which they are exposed. The severity of these consists not only in their amount, but in their arbitrary imposition. The first is the miri, a

species of capitation, or rather property tax, levied from all the subjects of the Ottoman Empire. The Pacha fixes the amount for each village, and the Scheik of the village for each individual; but both with much inequality and uncertainty. As there is no landed property, the wealth of each individual is estimated according to the number of Fedhams or yokes of oxen which he possesses; the average is always 500 piastres per Fedham. Then they are obliged to maintain all the troops which pass through the country, and who will not be content with the usual fare, but must have fowls and meat, and not unfrequently contrive to carry something off. But the heaviest imposition of all is the Khone, synonymous with our blackmail, which must be paid to the Arab tribes for the singular favour of not robbing them of every thing they possess. This Khone the Arabs lay claim to as a long-established right; and the Pachas, who could easily put a stop to it by stationing a small body of troops in the Haouran, are propitiated by a share in the proceeds. The consequence of these discouraging circumstances is, that this very fertile region has not attained such a degree of improvement as to render land valuable as property. Every two or three years, all the grounds round a village are divided among those who possess the means of cultivating them, and there is said to be always more land than there are cultivators. In winter, all the open plains of the Haouran are covered with flocks and herds, driven down by their possessors from the ranges of Lebanon. The Fellabs, as already observed, live with great simplicity, particularly as to house accommodation. Some, indeed, who inhabit the ruins of ancient cities, find in these durable edifices more ample lodgment, and possess several apartments; but those who dwell in mansions of their own erection, are