196 Tresham's Rome at the Close of the 18th Century. The following lines are spirited, and were very seasonable before the opening of the present campaign: Rouse, sceptred chiefs, while chiefs ye yet remain, Blot out the record of your valour's stain; With ripen'd councils, and compacted might, And bear the Church's Father through the flame; Heal LATIUM's wounds, and give the World repose.' At p. 26. the great painters are characterized with a masterly hand. Speaking of the inestimable treasures of which Rome had been plundered, Mr. T. exclaims; Historic truths, in colouring's pleasing vest, Gems of first water, snatch'd from Fancy's mine, Pure emanations of a flame divine, The Pencil's breathing miracles, dismay'd, Sink to the Louvre, and expire in shade! Themes Faith approves, and scenes the soul admires, Prospects that calm, or swell Devotion's fires : Wonders CARACCI, and a RAPHAEL Wrought, Rapt in the visions of expansive thought. Seducing Seducing VANNI, anxious to diffuse O'er pleasing groups, BAROCCI's vivid hues. SACCHI'S proud choice of casual shade and light, On the whole, this poem contains excellent principles, and many good lines, but is not polished throughout with equal care and felicity. It is a melancholy reflection that Italy, the mother of arts, and the grand repository of their offspring, antient and modern, will be more materially and irrecoverably injured by the French revolution, than any other nation in Europe, or on the globe. Other countries, which have been plundered and impoverished by excessive contributions, the maintenance of armies, slaughter of inhabitants, &c. may recover as far as vegetation, population, and industry are concerned: but how can Italy be indemnified for her losses, and for the diminution of her importance in the eyes of the most elegant and enlightened part of mankind? It is in vain to expect that the matchless specimens of art, of which Italy has been robbed, will be of equal use to artists and to good taste elsewhere. The taste of Italy in the arts of architecture, sculpture, and painting, has been formed on antient models; that of France, on the conceptions of its own inhabitants in barbarous times. Will the French taste be corrected by the models of perfection which they have stolen, and mixed with productions of their own country; to which latter their eyes have been so long accustomed, and which national vanity will always prefer? Though the French have given up Lulli and Rameau, for Gluck, Piccini, Haydn, and Paesiello, in musical composition, has this circumstance produced any effect on their taste and expression in singing? And can a native of any other part of Europe hear an air tendre sung by a Frenchman without laughing? The natives and foreign students resident at Rome had only to open their eyes, and they were sure of beholding excellence. in antient sculpture and modern painting; in architectural remains of antiquity, and in edifices of modern times which were equally instructive. Now, will the French rebuild their churches, and fill them with the spoils of Italy, or imitations of them, in order to embellish that religion which they are trying to extirpate? The depraved taste of France in architecture, sculpture, and painting, with all its agrémens, will never perhaps be sufficiently purified for general adoption by students from other countries, who may travel thither for improvement, as they formerly did to Rome. Rome. Nor will it be easy for them to escape contamination from the colifichets, and the tawdry and affected ornaments of past times, which will be constantly in sight throughout the capital. A beautiful view of the back of the Vatican is given as a frontispiece to Mr. Tresham's poem.-As we think that there is sufficient merit in this production to deserve a second edition, we hope that the author will excuse us if we recommend the revision of a few harsh lines and incorrect accentuations of words: such as reservoir, p. 11. álcove, p. 12. and arcădes, p. 13. Pope accents the last word differently: "Or call the winds through high årcades to roar." (Epist.) The first line of p. 14. can scarcely be deemed a verse: Temples, Baths, Theatres, dejected wear The wounding aspect of confirm'd despair!' When the first syllable of an heroic verse is long, the next two are constantly short, in our best poets: "Who for a father's grace his hopes may ground, And for his pardon with their heads compound." (Dryden.) These are slight errors, and easily corrected. TH DrB....y. ART. XV. Public Characters of 1798, 1799.-To be continued annually. A New Edition, corrected and enlarged, to the 25th March, 1799. 8vo. pp. 600. 8s. 6d. Boards. Phillips, &c. HE biography of living characters, however interesting to curiosity, must evidently be in some respects imperfect and fallacious, when extended to a large circle. It is very liable to errors, because it will seldom be undertaken by those who are best qualified to give information; friends and enemies will be equally cautious of exposing themselves to the charges. of violated confidence or wanton hostility; and the compiler of a work like the present must be contented to follow popular rumour, when he cannot be furnished with better materials. There is, in effect, little information in the volume before us that possesses the merit of novelty, the greater part of it having been retailed in newspapers or periodical pamphlets; and we do not perceive any excellence of composition, or happiness of expression, which can give grace or dignity to narratives, the subjects of which are familiar to the public. These remarks apply to the delineations of men truly eminent, whose actions and opinions excite an interest in every individual: but it must be owned that some personages are introduced, concerning whom the information is entirely new; and no part of it is more novel and surprizing than the intelligence of their being Public Characters. It has been a practice of late, and we are sorry to observe that it is countenanced by the example of systematic biographers, to publish the lives of men who have done nothing remarkable. The elevation of petty incidents, or of household sayings, mounted on Johnsonian stilts, may astonish some readers, and divert others: but all must ultimately be disgusted. After these general remarks on the inferior part of this com pilation, we shall give a specimen of the execution of its less exceptionable articles, by quoting the life of the present very respectable Bishop of Salisbury: This prelate, who is a native of Scotland, has been long celebrated both in the clerical and literary world. He was educated at Christ-Church, Oxford, of which college he was a student in 1738, and having taken orders, settled in Shropshire. During his residence there, he published "Milton vindicated" (1748). In this work, he detected the forgery of LAUDER, a learned Scotsman; who not content with pointing out a number of passages in the writings of Masenius, and other modern Latin poets, which Milton appeared to have imitated in his Paradise Lost; had the wickedness to translate about forty lines-(in all) from Milton's work into Latin,-to ascribe these translated lines, to his modern Latin poets,-and to represent Milton as having originally stolen them, with mean and gross plagiarism. The forgery was base; yet the English were still willing to regard every syllable of Milton's poem, as flowing from original poetical inspiration. The pretended detection of his plagiarisms, excited among them emotions of general shame and rage. The Whigs, the enthusiastic admirers of Milton's politics, as well as of his muse, regarded Lauder's publication, as a contrivance of the Scottish Jacobites: for their confusion, Douglas seasonably discovered an inaccuracy in one of Lauder's quotations. He pursued the investigation, and luckily detected the forgery. Lauder sunk before him, and was overwhelmed with odium and ignominy. Douglas derived from this incident the first rise of his fortunes. The English thought, they could never be too grateful for so seasonable a support of their poetical idol.—After all, it must be owned, that Lauder's erudition and acuteness were superior to those of his opponent; and that his plan of tracing, in the authors which Milton must have read, the sources of some of his excellencies, was that of a judicious and even philosophical critic. Dr. D. next entered the lists with Archibald Bower, who pretended to have been a commissioner of the holy inquisition at Macerata. Bower proved a more doughty adversary than Lauder; accused Douglas, as the creature of the English Jesuits, who had orders, from their superiors, to ruin Bower's reputation in England; denied the charges which were urged against him; and defended himself with a flow of virulent and superlatively abusive language which has scarcely ever been equalled in controversy. Douglas continued to rise in reputation and to gain new friends. In 1754, he published "Criterion," an answer to David Hume on miracles, miracles, which is now forgotten. His first work had recommended · him to the learned, the last to the religious world; and about the year 1760, he began to reap the benefit they entitled him to, for he was then appointed one of the king's chaplains. In 1762, he was nominated one of the canons of Windsor and was soon after presented to the united livings of St. Austin and St. Faith, in London. Among the many friends Dr. Douglas had made, was the late Lord Bath, who bequeathed him his library. But General Pulteney being unwilling to part with it out of the family, paid him the full value, and on his death, about three years after, left it once more to him. From Windsor, our divine was, in 1776, removed to be a canon of St. Paul's; and after possessing that canonry about twelve years, he was, in 1788, advanced to the Deanry of Windsor. In these situations, the Doctor not only enlarged his circle of. friends among the great, but was introduced to the notice of the king and queen, and acquired a considerable degree of royal favour. He was next raised to the episcopal bench, on the death of Dr. Law, Bishop of Carlisle, and on the translation of Dr. Barrington to Durham, in 1791, he was translated to Salisbury; by the possession of which see, he has become chancellor of the order of the garter. The episcopal character of Dr. Douglas is a subject of universal admiration, while benevolence and candour distinguish him in private life. Regular in the discharge of the duties of his high station, he commands the love and respect of his diocese. In short, as a dignified clergyman and scholar, a gentleman and a christian, he is equally respected, and admired. When the ships sent out on discovery under Captain Cook returned, Doctor Douglas was appointed to inspect and arrange the journals; and the admired introduction prefixed to that work is the offspring of his pen. The Doctor was a member of the Literary Club in Essex-street, instituted by Dr. Johnson, Murphy, &c. Z.' From this extract, the reader may form a competent judg-. ment of the general style and manner distinguishable in the book. There are few profound reflections, or nice discriminations of character: the writer's thought "keeps the road way;" and if the reader likes his pace, he may jog on with him, at this rate, through the greater part of his narrations.-Dr. Douglas, it is hoped, will hereafter find a better-informed biographer; in common with many other eminent persons whose characters are here exhibited.-A 2d vol. of this work is just advertized. Fer...r. ART. XVI. Mr. Weld's Travels through the States of North America. [Art. concluded from the last Rev. p. 11.] IN N our former article respecting this work, we accompanied the author through about one half of his travels; we have now to attend him through the remainder, and to afford our readers |