talk to her, to call her by her name, and to carry her in her arms up and down the room. The poor bird was now well enough off, if towards the evening the remembered to give him a little food. ing, Sometimes, however, he had to wait for it till the next morn At length, one day when they were at table, Mr. Godfrey accidentally turning his eyes towards the cage, faw the Canary-bird lying upon its ftomach, and panting with great difficulty. His feathers almost stood an end, and he looked as round as a ball. Mr. Godfrey went up to him: but no chirping! no fluttering of his wings! the poor little animal had hardly ftrength even to draw its breath. 'Jamima! cried Mr. Godfrey, with much displeasure, what is the matter with your bird? Jamima, colouring, ftammered out: Why, papa, it's the thing is--why, I happened to forget-And, trembling and afhamed, fhe ran for the box of feed. Mr. Godfrey took down the cage, and examined the drawers, and the water-glafs. Alas! poor Darling had not one drop of water, nor one fingle feed. 6 poor little bird! cried Mr. Godfrey, into what cruel hands have you fallen! If I had but foreseen it, you fhould never have been bought. All the company then rofe, and approached the cage, lifting up their hands with a look of pity, and calling out: O poor little bird! 'Mr. Godfrey put fome feed into both the drawers, and filled the glafs with fresh water: and at length, though with much difficulty, Darling was brought back to life. Jamima, crying, left the table, and running up to her own chamber, paffed the rest of the day in tears. The next morning, Mr. Godfrey gave orders that the bird fhould be carried out of the houfe, and given to the fon of Mr. Merfey, one of his neighbours, who had the character of being a very careful boy, and who, he hoped, would not forget him, as Jamimą had done. The forrow and repentance of the little girl grew now more and more violent. O my dear little bird! fhe cried, my poor fweet Darling!-O рара, dear, dear papa! indeed I will never forget him again; indeed, indeed, I promife you I will not. Only let me have him this once! this one fingle time is all I beg! Mr. Godfrey at length, moved by her entreaties, restored to her the Canary-bird; not, however, without a fevere reproof for her paft negligence, and a molt earnest charge that he would be more attentive for the future, This poor little animal, faid he, is thut up in a cage, and has therefore no power to provide for its own wants. If you want any thing, you can at leaft afk for it; but this poor little bird can make no body understand his language. If ever again you make him fuffer either from hunger or thir down the cheeks t At these words, a fhower of tears trickled Jamima. She took her papa's hand, and kissed it, but her fame and forrow prevented her speaking. Jamima was now once more the miftrefs of Darling; and Darl ing was easily and cordially reconciled with Jamima. I 3 About • About a month after, Mr. Godfrey and his lady were obliged to make a journey of a few days into the country. My dear Jamima, faid he, in taking leave, be very fure you never forget the little Canary-bird. 'Ono, papa! cried fhe; and fcarcely were they feated in the carriage, before the flew to the cage, and made it her first business to fee that the bird fhould have every thing it could poffibly require. "In an hour or two, however, fhe began to grow tired; she sent for fome of her little friends to vifit her, and her gaiety returned. They all walked out together, and when they came back, they spent the first part of the evening in playing at Blind-man's buff, and pufsin-the-corner; and then they diverted themselves with dancing. was very late when the little party broke up, and Jamima went to bed quite wearied and fatigued. It The next morning fhe awoke almost at the break of day, and could think of nothing but her last night's amufements. If her governefs would have given her leave, fhe would have flown the very moment fhe was dreffed, to return the vifits of her young friends: but it was neceffary to wait till the afternoon. Scarcely, however, had the patience to finish her dinner, before she defired to be taken to them. And what became of Darling? He was obliged to stay at home alone, and to fast! The next day, alfo, was fpent in nothing but amufements. •And Darling?-He was forgotten again. The third day it was ftill the fame. And Darling?-Why, who could think of him in the midst of fuch diverfions? The fourth day Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey came home from their journey. Jamima had thought but little about their return; but her father had no fooner embraced her, and enquired after her health, than he said: And how is Darling? 'O, very well, answered Jamima, a little furprised, and running to the cage for the bird. Alas! the poor little animal was no more! It was lying upon its back, its wings ftretched out, and its beak open. 'Jamima wrung her hands, and screamed aloud. Every body ran to her, and faw what had happened. 6 Poor little haplefs animal! cried Mr. Godfrey, how painful has been thy death! Had I but myself deftroyed thee on the day of my departure, thy fufferings would at least have been but for a moment; while now, for fo many days, thou hast borne all the pangs of hunger and thirst, and thy death has been attended with the most cruel and lingering pains. Thou art happy, however, to be at length delivered from the hands of fo pitilefs a guardian. Jamima wifhed to hide herself in the bowels of the earth: she would willingly have given up all her play-things, and all her pocket-money, to have restored Darling to life; but all was now too late! A Mr. Godfrey took the bird, and gave orders to have it ftuffed, and then hung it up in the faloon. Janima Jamima did not dare to look at it; or if, by any accident, it caught her eyes, they were inftantly filled with tears; and the humbly and earnestly belought her father to have it removed from her light. Mr. Godfrey, after many entreaties, at length confented but every time she was guilty of any fault or folly, the bird was again put in its place; and fhe heard the whole family exclaiming: Poor unfortunate animal! how cruel a death haft thou fuffered!' Only 6 volumes of the tranflation have hitherto come to our hands; what we have feen, appears upon the whole, to be executed with judgement and tafte. The tranflator, while he preferves the fpirit of the original, has very judiciously exchanged the terms and forms of French politenels for their English equivalents. From the difference of customs, opinions, and character, to have tranflated literally would have thrown a degree of ridicule on many parts of the work. The common exclamation of Mon Dieu! is likewife exprefsed by some more inoffenfive interjection, except where the ferioufnefs of the fubject calls with propriety for a literal tranflation. 66 Though the abilities of the tranflator have met our approbation, yet there are places where he falls below his ufual excellence. In a long work a few flips are perhaps unavoidable: and our notice of them is to be viewed in no other light than as a recommendation to a revifal, whenever a new edition is called for. In the ift vol. P. 6. " Je vois que nous ne pourrons pas courir de long-tems enfemble," which fhould be rendered "I fee it will be a long while "before we can run together," is tranflated" I fee he could <i not run long with me.". "Nous autres demoifelles, nous "fommes dix fois plus fortes fur nos jambes que vous "Meffieurs," ib. p. 100. is literally, "We ladies are "ten times ftronger on our limbs than you gentlemen," and here means, and ought to have been tranflated, "dance much longer;" inftead of which, the tranflator employs the following awkward expreffion, "We ladies are a great deal ftronger in the feet than you gentlemen are.” Mr. Berquin's Charles preferves the character of a child when he fays "you know that papa's Doctor fays it is very "dangerous." ib. p. 63. The tranflator's Charles is by much too well informed: he tells us that the Doctors' all fay it is very wrong." The fong of the Little Fidler in the original is fimple, as it ought to be; 66 66 66 Plaignez le fort d' un petit malheureux, Chargé tout feul du foin de fon vieux pere: Ils n'ont, helas! pour fe nourrir tous deux, "can but that does not warrant the tranflator in finking it below the Bell-man's verfes : I 4 66 Pity "Pity a poor little boy bis hard cafe, Who has all alone the care of his dad : No victuals have they, and no drink in this place, But what charity gives to their fortune fo fad," &c. "That have put them into fuch a hard way of living," v. 2. p. 3. is a bad tranflation of "Qui les ont réduits à cet 66 etat." As propriety of fpeech is one of the objects of this performance, in the midft of colloquial fimplicity, the vulgarifms of the nursery ought to have been avoided; we are hurt therefore, when we hear not only the children, but grown up perfons of condition, expreffing themselves thus, If my children have done well by you." vol. 2. p. 118. "We act not more nobly or liberally by them." ib. p. 127. But we have done-when there is great merit upon the whole, particular errors are lefs to be regarded; and we have already fufficiently explained ourselves as to the intention of the few animadverfions we have made. Mr. Berquin informs us, That "A book with the fame title has been published by Mr. Weiffe, one of the "most celebrated poets of Germany; whence the author means to felect for his own work what appears to him "the most excellent; as well as from the works of Meffrs. 66 Campe and Salzmann." We have no objection to an author's enriching a work of this kind with contributions from every quarter; but, befides this general acknowledgment, which is made in a note, a more particular one might have been proper: The reader thinks he has a right to be informed whether he has been entertained by Mr. Berquin, or one of thofe he has called to his affiftance. do not recollect any particular acknowledgments, except to Mrs. Barbauld. We The object of the volumes before us is to form and to mend the heart, to promote domeftic happiness, and encourage every focial virtue; to convey what is more strictly called knowledge is no part of the defign. But the author means not to leave his work unfinished in a fimilar perfor mance, entitled "L' Ami de l' Adolefcence," the first volume of which was published in May 1784 by Elmfley, he propofes to enlighten the understanding, by giving to the youthful mind just ideas of all that is most striking in nature and fociety. On fome future occafion this publication fhall be noticed in our Review. ART. XI. England's Alarm! on the prevailing Doctrine of Libels, as laid down by the Earl of Mansfield. In a Letter to his Lordship. By a Country Gentleman. To which is added by way of Appendix, the celebrated Dialogue between a Gentleman and a Far mer, mer, written by Sir William Jones, with remarks thereon, and of the cafe of the Dean of St. Alaph, by M. Dawes, Efq; 8vo, 15. 6d. Stockdale. THIS publication is feyere against my Lord M, and holds him out in the character of a tyrannical judge. In this light he has often been exhibited to the public; and the people of England will not readily forgive the anxiety which he has fo often difcovered to abridge the powers of a jury. For when thefe powers thall be impaired the liberty of the fubject muft fuffer. Judges who are too often fubfervient to the crown, will in that cafe find many opportunities to gratify it. The liberty of the prefs would be invaded; and in the fall of that palladium the democracy of England would crumble into duft. It is, of confequence, with extreme fatisfaction that we announce to the public performances of this fort. If my Lord M. had been as much preffed and chaftifed in the beginning of his career as he is at prefent, he might perhaps have been lefs pertinacious. At any rate, he muft be fenfible, that the people of England, while they deteft the uniform tenor of his conduct, are not forry to reflect that his retirement from public affairs must foon give an eafe to their anxieties. They will not follow him with their fighs and lamentations. 66 As a compofition this letter to my Lord M- is more fpirited than able. In the appendix to it the paper intitled. The Principles of Government in a Dialogue between a "Gentleman and a Farmer, by Sir William Jones," is worthy of confideration. It is written upon juft and revolution doctrines. The remarks upon it by Mr. Dawes are of little confequence, and deferve no praife but for the intention which produced them." ART. XII. The Patriot, a Tragedy. Altered from the Italian of Metaftaño. 2s. Shepperfon and Reynolds, London. IN N the Author's addrefs to the public, which he modeftly entitles an Apology, we are informed that the Patriot is but an humble tranflation of Metaftafio's Themiftocles." Though we have not the original at prefent before us, yet we can venture from recollection, to fay that Mr. Hamilton has not always adhered to the Italian with the fidelity of a mere tranflator. In this he has fhewn his judgement, the beauties of poetry muft always be loft in a literal tranflation: but, if we mistake not, he has fometimes wandered too far from the very ideas of his elegant original. Preferving the couplets at the end of the fcenes was perhaps carrying |