Her

ones are all, it is believed, of a considerably later date. earliest pieces too, as well as her more recent ones, exhibit intheir imagery and allusions the fruits of extensive and varied reading. In youth, the power of her imagination was counterbalanced by the activity of her intellect, which exercised itself in rapid but not unprofitable excursions over almost every field of knowledge. In age, when this activity abated, imagination appeared to exert over her an undiminished sway.

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"The quality which principally distinguishes the later productions of her muse is pathos. In some tempers sensibility appears an instinct, while in others it is the gradual result of principle and reflection, of the events and the experience of life. It was certainly so in that of Mrs. Barbauld. Her Epistle to Dr. Enfield," on his revisiting Warrington in 1789, is the first of her poems which indicates deep feeling; and this was dictated by the tender recollections of departed youth, and the memory of an honoured parent, the first near connexion from whom she had been parted by death. Her other pathetic pieces, the "Lines on the Death of Mrs. Martineau,” the "Dirge," the "Thought on Death," the "Lines on the Illness of the late King," those "On the Death of the Princess Charlotte," "The Octogenary Reflections,” and a few others, may easily be traced either to particular afflictive incidents of her life, or to reflections naturally arising under the influence of declining years and domestic solitude. By the reader of taste and sentiment these will not be esteemed the least interesting portion of the collection.

"The second volume of the present work contains a selection from the private correspondence of Mrs. Barbauld, her entire share of the miscellaneous pieces in prose written by herself and her brother conjointly, her three pamphlets, and several occasional pieces, some of them now first given to the world, others reprinted from periodical works where they appeared anonymously.

"It is equally true of the style of Mrs. Barbauld in prose as in verse, that it was never produced to the public till it had reached its perfect stature: the early volume of "Miscella

neous Pieces," contained specimens in various kinds which she never surpassed. In the allegory of the " Hill of Science" she tried her strength with Addison, and sustained no defeat. The "Essay on Romances" is a professed imitation of the style of Dr. Johnson; and it was allowed by that celebrated rhetorician himself, to be the best that was ever attempted; because it reflected the colour of his thoughts, no less than the turn of his expressions. Here it appears as a foil to the easy and inimitable graces' of her own natural manner. Of the "Essay against Inconsistency in our Expectations," the editor feels it superfluous to speak: it has long been acknowledged to stand at the head of its class.

"Of a different character are her "Thoughts on the Devotional Taste, on Sects and on Establishments." This piece betrays, it must be confessed, that propensity to tread on dangerous ground which sometimes appears an instinct of genius. It recommends a spirit of devotion which yet she is obliged to allow to be in some measure incompatible with an enlightened and philosophical theology. That part, however, which delineates the characteristics of sects and of establishments, and balances their respective advantages and inconveniences, evinces great acuteness and a rare impartiality; and the whole must be admired as eloquence, if it cannot be altogether acquiesced in as reason.

"Amongst her later pieces, two which first appeared in the Monthly Magazine, the "Essay on Education," and that "On Prejudice," which may be regarded as in some measure a sequel to it, have justly earned for her not merely applause, but gratitude. The first served to calm the apprehensions of many an anxious parent, - who had risen from the examination of the numerous conflicting systems of education then fashionable, alarmed rather than edified, by pointing out, that the success of the great and familiar process of fitting a human creature to bear well his part in life, depended not for its success on elaborate schemes of artificial management, such as few have leisure to attend to or power to execute; but, most of all, on circumstances which no parent can con

troul; and next, on examples such as discreet and virtuous parents in any situation of life are enabled to give, and give indeed unconsciously. The second essay encourages the parent to use without scruple the power of influencing the opinions of his child which God and nature have put into his hands, and not to believe, on the word of certain speculatists, that it is either necessary or desirable to abstain from imbuing his offspring with what he conceives to be important and salutary truths, from the dread of instilling prejudices and crippling the efforts of his infant reason. In these excellent productions we are uncertain which most to admire, the sagacious and discriminating intellect, the practical good sense and acute observation of life, which suggest the remarks, or the spirited and expressive style which rouses attention, strikes the imagination, and carries them with conviction to the heart.

"It appears from a letter of Mrs, Barbauld's, that she early read with great delight, though in an English translation, the Dialogues of Lucian. Perhaps we may remotely trace to the impression thus produced, the origin of her witty and ingenious" Dialogue between Madame Cosmogunia and a Philosophical Inquirer of the Eighteenth Century," as well as of her "Dialogue in the Shades." The allegorical or enigmatical style, however, in which the first of these pieces is composed, seemed peculiarly adapted to her genius; and the skill and elegance with which she composed in this difficult manner is further attested by her "Letter of John Bull," by the "Four Sisters," (published in "Evenings at Home,") by many entertaining riddles, a few of which are now included among her poems, and by several little fancy pieces scattered among her familiar letters. Even her conversation was often enlivened with these graceful sports of wit and imagination.

"Of the three pamphlets now republished among her prose works, the editor has only to observe, that though composed on particular occasions, these pieces were not formed to pass away with those occasions: they treat of sub

jects permanently interesting to the champion of religious liberty, to the conscientious patriot, and to the Christian worshipper, and they so treat of them, that while English eloquence is made a study, while English literature is not forgotten, their praise shall live, their memory shall flourish.

"It only remains to speak of her familiar letters. These were certainly never intended by herself to meet the public eye. She kept no copies of them; and it is solely by the indulgence of her correspondents or their representatives, an indulgence for which she here desires to offer her grateful acknowledgements, that the editor has been enabled to give them to the world. She flatters herself that their publication will not be considered as a trespass either against the living or the dead: some of them, particularly a considerable proportion of those addressed to Dr. Aikin, seemed to claim insertion as biographical records; and those written during her residence in France, in the years 1785 and 1786, appeared no less curious and valuable at the present day for the matter they contain, than entertaining and agreeable from the vivacity with which they are written. But it was impossible not to be influenced also by the desire of thus communicating to those admirers of Mrs. Barbauld's genius who did not enjoy the advantage of her personal acquaintance, a just idea of the pointed and elegant remark, the sportive and lambent wit, the affectionate spirit of sympathy, and the courteous expression of esteem and benevolence, which united to form at once the graces of her epistolary style and the inexpressible charm of her con

versation.

"Mrs. Barbauld composed at different periods a considerable number of miscellaneous pieces for the instruction and amusement of young persons, especially females, which will appear in a separate form about the close of the present year."

To the foregoing interesting Memoir we are desirous of adding a specimen of Mrs. Barbauld's powers of thinking, and style of composition; and for that purpose we select her little essay "On Inconsistency in our Expectations;" which contains as much sound philosophy, forcibly and elegantly expressed, as perhaps was ever comprehended within so limited

a space.

"Against Inconsistency in our Expectations.

"What is more reasonable, than that they who take pains for any thing, should get most in that particular for which they take pains? They have taken pains for power, you for right principles; they for riches, you for a proper use of the appearances of things: see whether they have the advantage of you in that for which you have taken pains, and which they neglect: if they are in power, and you not, why will not you speak the truth to yourself, that you do nothing for the sake of power, but that they do every thing? No, but since I take care to have right principles, it is more reasonable that I should have power. Yes, in respect to what you take care about, your principles. But give up to others the things in which they have taken more care than you. Else it is just as if, because you have right principles, you should think it fit that when you shoot an arrow, you should hit the mark better than an archer, or that you should forge better than a smith.'

CARTER'S Epictetus.

"As most of the unhappiness in the world arises rather from disappointed desires, than from positive evil, it is of the utmost consequence to attain just notions of the laws and order of the universe, that we may not vex ourselves with fruitless wishes, or give way to groundless and unreasonable discontent. The laws of natural philosophy, indeed, are tolerably understood and attended to; and though we may suffer inconveniences, we are seldom disappointed in consequence of them. No man expects to preserve orange-trees in the open air through an English winter; or when he has planted an acorn, to see it become a large oak in a few months. The mind of man naturally yields to necessity; and our wishes soon subside when we see the impossibility of their being gratified. Now, upon an accurate inspection, we shall