ving, as I do, that there are many, with whom emolument is but a secondary object, who are fully qualified to write well and ably for the stage, and only want facility of access to it.

But if it only be contended, that, where the property is, the right of judgment ought to be, I think so too: therefore let the proprietor, who accounts himself competent to the labour and the duty of the task in question, undertake it, and adopt, if he shall see fit, or as far as he sees fit, the accommodating mode above proposed.

If he does not choose to undertake it in his own person, let some man be sought out, by experience, temper, punctuality and good manners fitted to conduct a business, which, however delicate and difficult it may be, would in my opinion, under prudent management, produce effects very highly favourable to the interests of theatrical property, the resto ration of the legitimate drama, and to the general improve ment of the taste and genius of the age we live in.

TRAVELLING SKETCHES IN RUSSIA AND SWEDEN, DURING THE YEARS 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808. BY ROBERT KER PORTER. 4to. pp. 303, 296. 51. 5s.-Phillips, London.

STERNE has said, that the efficient and final causes which induce idle people to leave their native country and travel abroad, are either infirmity of body, imbecility of mind, or inevitable necessity: that in the two first classes are included all those who travel by land or by water, labouring with pride, curiosity, vanity, or spleen, subdivided and combined in infinitum; and that every other description of travellers might be comprised under the head of delinquent, un

fortunate, sentimental, or simple. Under one of these general divisions, but deserving a more particular specification, may be included another class, who, as Shakspeare says, are impelled to travel by,

Such wind as scatters young men through the world
To seek their fortunes farther than at home,
Where small experience grows.

But since Shakspeare and Sterne wrote, another order of travellers, or rather a variety engrafted on one or other of the original species, has sprung up, which may be denominated

the book-making tribe.' Yet as each of this tribe retains the specific character of the original class, on which the variety is so engrafted, there will still exist the distinct classes of inquisitive book-making travellers, lying book-making travellers, proud, vain, splenetic, necessitous, simple, or fortunehunting book-making travellers, &c. &c. The reader, probably, long before he has accompanied the author of these sketches in Russia and Sweden to the end of his journey, will be able to determine his place and rank in this catalogue.

At first view, it might be imagined that there is no difference between a traveller who writes a book, and a book-maker who writes travels: a little reflection, however, will discover in what the distinction consists, and that it could not well be greater in one case the book is the effect, in the other it is the cause. One only writes about what he sees in his travels,the other only travels to see what he shall write about. Some among this book-making class of travellers have lately found, that the furthest way about, is for them the nearest road to distinction; that, like snow-balls, their greatness increases in proportion to the distance they travel from home; and that they are most honoured where they are least known. Some who have disappeared for a season or two, have, when least expected, shone forth illustrious in gay quartos; and having by their

works, or some other means, won the bright meed of knighthood, are thenceforward distinguished as Sir John, Sir Ri chard, or Sir Robert.

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It is necessary in some cases, to prevent disappointment, that a reader should know something of the character and situation of an author before he opens his book: a man, who, calling on a friend, had prepared himself only to meet a family party, might feel rather surprized and embarrassed on being suddenly shewn into a room full of fashionable company. It may be as well, therefore, to premise, that whatever respect, on account of their dignity, is due to knights in general, who publish their own exploits, a double measure is due to the author of these Sketches in Russia and Sweden; who has not only "been admitted, with all serious rites," "a knight commander, &c. &c. of the Equestrian order of "St. Joachim," (Vol. 11. p. 149,) but "by the star of the "beauteous Queen Christina, the guide of love, and the order of "the Amaranth, the emblem of its never-dying brightness, "has been enlisted for ever, one of Beauty's vassals;" has been "proclaimed champion of the fair," and after "recei❝ving, on his knees, from the hands of a beauteous lady, the "shining badge of his order, rose another leaf in the royal "wreath of Amaranth." (Vol. II. p. 227.) To the reader, who perhaps has hitherto known the author only by his Panoramas, or by the account of his life, published amongst memoirs of other public characters, by his friend and brother-knight Sir R. Phillips, and who, never suspecting his accession of dignity, might be disposed to treat his performance with as little çeremony as that of an ordinary person, this previous knowledge of his rank is the more necessary, as Sir Robert is rather jealous of his distinctions: for though he modestly professes, "not to value them for the little they confer, but as a witness "of that esteem having been adjudged to him by foreign na tions, which will ever be his ambition to deserve in his own,' (Vol. II. p.146.) yet he speaks with true knightly indignation

of those, who deem orders as a mere interchange of trinkets, "and attempt to turn chivalric distinctions into ridicule." He laments, that "the age of chivalry is gone by, when such insignia were prized beyond the wealth of worlds." "To laugh at "titles and customs of honour," says he, "is to laugh at "honour itself. This absurd contempt, or baser envy, is "beyond my understanding." (Vol. II. p. 225.) It would indeed be an ill-natured thing, if any of Sir Robert's readers were to envy him his honours, since this would be grudging him the only advantage or distinction he appears to have gained by his travels and though he modestly confesses, that he considers, "his spurs are to be won," and, in contemplation of future feats of chivalry, exclaims with Cæsar, "Happy was "Alexander who had arrived at the prize of his career, before "the Roman had started!" (Vol. II. p. 149.) it must not be imagined that, because honours are in great plenty in the North, they are to be had for nothing, or bought like Scotch degrees for a few shillings. But nothing can be more to the purpose on this subject, than an anecdote told by Sir Robert himself: his reflections on the occasion are peculiarly happy, and the reader of his work will feel their force and justness. (Vol. II. p. 96.)

he

And now the reader knows in what company he is to travel, may prepare himself to attend the Knight on his journey as a faithful squire; and while Sir Robert is in a snug family. party with an emperor or empress, in familiar conversation with kings and queens, shaking hands with princes, or making love to a princess, he will have leisure and opportunity to make a few observations; keeping ever at respectful distance as gentle squire of knight-errant was wont in days of chivalry.

Anticipating, no doubt, the chivalric honours which awaited him in the North, Sir Robert, like his great precursor, the Knight of LaMancha, is ever in quest of adventures, and no sooner beholds the "immortalized city of Elsineur," than he is " eager "to traverse every part of the consecrated ground." Before

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he has set foot on the shore," he had already followed Ham"let every where, had measured the deep shadows of the

platform, encountered the grey ghost of the royal Dane, had "killed Polonius in the Queen's closet, and drowned poor "Ophelia in the willowed stream." (Vol. I. p. 2.) This drowning part of the adventure, it must be confessed, is rather an unknightly trick, particularly for an embryo knight of the order of Amaranth: but then it must be remembered, this is all in imagination; he neither meddles with ghost nor lady in reality. But, "his eye and mind are soon called back to the "narrow foot-paths of dull matter of fact:" he seeks in vain at Elsineur "for decayed battlements and mouldering towers,' and finds it "an Herculean toil to wade through that wilder

ness of filth," as he is pleased to term that city. His expectations meet with a no less mortifying disappointment at "a place a mile from the town, that bears the name of Ham"let's garden," "but retains no relic of antient interest, "excepting the tradition, which affirms that to be the spot "where was enacted the tragedy which has been so gloriously "immortalized by the genius of our great dramatic bard.' Here, however, "considering himself in the very haunts of "Shakspeare's Northern hero," Sir Robert lingers to communicate" a few interesting circumstances relating to him," which he has "gathered at the fountain-head," "from the "s very source whence our poct must have drawn the incidents "of his tragedy." He means, "the annals of Denmark "written by Saxo Grammaticus in the twelfth century." Now those, who have never met with any of the commentators on Shakspeare, and have therefore never heard of this same Saxo Grammaticus, will no doubt be much astonished at this proof of Sir Robert's sagacity and erudition. He says the work is in Latin, and supposing it not easy to be "met with," proceeds to" finish his account of Hamlet's garden with a short ab"stract from that prince's history." When he comes, however, to the scene between Hamlet and his mother," the