But according to the modern practice of education, instead of fuffering children to follow the active tendency of their nature, or gently directing it, we forcibly debar them from the exercise of the fenfes, and condemn them to the horrible drudgery of learning by rote, the conceits of a tribe of fophifts and semi-barbarians, to whom it is no reproach not to have entertained juft ideas either concerning words or things. Next to actual blind-folding and muffling, to oblige children to learn the terms in which thefe conceits are couched, is the happieft contrivance imaginable, for keeping their minds unfurnished; by long continuance of fedentary confinement, we hold the perceptive faculties, as much as poffible, in a state of perfect inaction; at the fame time we employ the organs of fpeech in pronouncing, and the memory in retaining, none but founds infignificant; fo that from the commencement of a liberal education, one might be led to conclude, that the following is the only fentence, ever written by Mr. Locke, of which his countrymen have attemped an application; "if it were worth while, no doubt a child might be fo ordered, as to have but a very few, even of the ordinary ideas, till he were grown up to a man;" and that nothing might be wanting to fatisfy us, that our apparent cruelty is real kindness, it has been clearly proved, that the principal rules laid down in our grammars are falfe, and the exceptions groundlefs! Let the moralift, when he has verified this fact in the writings of Mr. Tooke, and his fellow labourers in the philofophy of language, determine whether it be an act of greater humanity, to preferve the Africans from flavery, or deliver children from grammar?'

In two Appendixes are fome obfervations on the Dutch etymologifts and the new Epea pteroenta of Mr. Horne Tooke. In the former our author rejects with propriety the fictitious improvements made in the Greek etymologies by Hemsterhuis, Lennep, and others of the Dutch fchool. That fo complicated a language fhould have been founded in a philofophical manner by rude men of the earliest times, or as Valckenaer expreffes it, a primis fapientibus illis lingua conditoribus, is a conjecture fcarce worthy of a moment's confideration; and if the etymologifts, inftead of confining themselves to the Greek and Latin languages, had paid fome attention to the nature and ftructures of thofe now in ufe, and the remains of the more ancient languages, they must have difcovered fufficient proofs of the futility of their fcheme. The ftructure of the Hebrew language, might in this, and in many other particulars,have afford ed them much information; but notwithstanding the importance of this language to the divine, the hiftorian, and, we may add too, the grammarian, the learned have chofen for fome ages -to beat about the barren rocks of Parnaffus rather than afcend to the cedars of Lebanon, or expatiate among the vineyards of Carmel.

Mr.

Mr. Horne Tooke's work is confidered by our author as ⚫ one of the most valuable as well as one of the most ingenious productions that ever iffued from the prefs; and, except Mr. Locke's Effay, as that which has moft contributed towards the theory of our intellectual faculties.' He is naturally led to inquire into the merits of the writer, and to examine his pretenfions to the character of an inventor, and from comparing the time of the first publication of the letter to Dunning, with the first appearance of the Dutch etymologies, as it might be faid, in the world, in Villoifon's edition of Longus's Paftorals, he cannot conceive, that Mr. Tooke derived his knowledge from the Dutch school. Besides, the air and manner of the diverfions of Purley strike him, as we confefs they do us, as altogether original. That the truths on which the work is built, are known to every ftudent of the Hebrew, does not diminish the value of Mr. Tooke's labours; for he has introduced the true mode of derivation into the English language, and will thus remove, probably, in a few years, all thofe difficulties which the pretended science of metaphyfics or the affectation of pedantry have introduced into our grammars.

The Packet: a Novel. By Mifs Gunning. 4 Vols. 12mo. 125. fewed. Bell. 1794.

TH

HIS is, if we understand aright, this lady's first appearance as a novel writer; and, with that circumstance in our view, we think fhe has acquitted herfelf with credit. The language though not elegant, nor every where free from colloquial inaccuracies, is eafy; the tale is pathetic, and the catastrophe strongly interefts the feelings. The ftory is, indeed, told in two diffufe a manner, and mixed up with much alloy, which diminishes its value; but in the more interefting fituations we think there is much merit, nor is it a fmall part of that merit that none but virtuous feelings are called forth throughout the whole work. The tender charities of parent, child, lover, fifter, friend, appear in all their purity, and with fome ftrength of expreffion. With regard to the plot, we fhould be forry if we could not keep a fecret as well as the lady; we fhall, therefore, not spoil the reader's pleasure by analyfing the ftory, or anticipating the contents of the fourth volume. The following extract may give an idea of the author's manner; it well defcribes the winning attentions of amiable youth, and the petulant fondness of infirm age. The old lady fpoken of, is grandmother to the father of Adelaide, and had been lately fheltered in his houfe from the unkindness of another defcendent.

Adelaide,

Adelaide, the ever gracious, ever fafcinating Adelaide Montreville! from her unremitting attentions, and tender affiduities to the health, the comfort, and the amufement of this interefting venerable parent, awakened all of fenfibility that was yet alive in the heart of ninety-fix; and, without confulting any part of the family, the formed a refolution, which the thus carried into execution.

Finding herself one day not well enough to leave her chamber, Adelaide had dedicated, as ufual, her whole time to the cares of nurfing, and the pleasures of entertaining her. The medicine fhe took was made lefs unpalatable when administered by the hands of her gentle and affectionate grandchild-If inclined to exert her fpirits by an effort of cheerfulness, Adelaide's memory was ranfacked for little bagatelles, to affift the falutary purpofe-if difpofed for the reception of harmonic founds, fhe drew them from her harp or guittar, and joined them to the fweeter harmony of her own fweeter voice. When any of these grew tedious on the ear of age, Adelaide would have recourse to a book, and, having lulled her to a short repofe, watched till the awoke again, with more anxiety than Mrs. Johnfon would have fhewn had the last scene been closing in her prefence.'

The refolution mentioned is making a will in favour of Adelaide, foon after which her darling is fent on a tour to France, to the great diffatisfaction of the old lady.

There was but one person who took no pains to fmother her difcontent; and it was with the greatest difficulty that the poor old grandmother was prevailed upon to fit down at the fame table with people who could ufe her fo cruelly as to fend the dear child away, whofe abfence the felt it would be in vain for her to expect, or with to furvive. She was pleafed with nothing that was done to please her.-looked affronted with every body-answered nobody but in uncivil fhort monofyllables-what he did fay was mumbled out to herself in fuch phrases as these-Ah, poor me! dear child!hard-hearted creatures! and the like. She would look on the interefting Adelaide till her dim half-fightless eyes were filled with fcalding tears, and, then she would add: how barbarous you all are→ if I am ill, who will take care of me now? I fhall take care of you, dear madam, faid lady Gertrude. Thank you, returned fhe; but if I am very bad, and likely to die, fir Thomas muft promise to fend for Adelaide back again. I give you my word, to do what you defire, faid he. Then I know you will not break it, replied fhe; and from that moment was restored to fomething like good humour.' After fir Thomas has conducted his daughter to Dover, his reception is thus defcribed:

Sir Thomas afked what fort of temper fhe was in at prefent, and if he might venture to fhew himself to her before the went to reft?

Lady

Lady Gertrude was wishing him to decline the interview that night, for fear the might be disturbed and put off from her fleep, when Jaquiline appeared at the door, to fay that her lady had heard that fir Thomas was returned, and defired to fee him.

I am a tranfgreffor, faid he; Gertrude, you must go with me, to fecure my perfonal fafety-- He fimiled, drew her hand under his arm, and they walked on together.

Lady Gertrude gueffed at the reception prepared for him, by obferving, that when the left Mrs. Ofmond, half an hour before, fhe was fitting in her eafy chair, with her face fronting the door; she had now reverfed her pofition, fo that, as they entered, they faw only her back, and it feemed as if she had inftructed her very shoulders to speak the language of displeasure; for though always high, they were now pushed up, and much higher than usual.

Sir Thomas, finding that he must either laugh or cough at the extraordinary scene before him, stifled the firft, and indulged the laft fo heartily, that if his grandmother had been three rooms off, the would have heard that he was coming; but in the fame room with him, fhe could not plead ignorance of his being entered, yet fhe neither stirred nor turned her head, but chuffily cried out as he was ftepping towards her-So, grandfon! you are come back I find, and have made a fine hand of it-I did not think you could have left the dear creature behind, though you faid you would-Well,

well, you have killed your poor old grandmother, and there's an end

of the matter; but I wish it may not be the occafion of more deaths than one-and fhe looked at lady Gertrude very kindly, and as if fhe would have added, the heart of your wife will be broken as well as my own!

• Sir Thomas kiffed her hands very affectionately, for he was much ftruck with her fenfibility, though she had a strange way of fhewing it: he thanked her for the fondnefs with which he loved their Adelaide, and hoped it would not be leffened when he came home again, to take her station, as ufual, under the wing of fo partial and tender a parent,

Thomas! Thomas! fhe replied pathetically, fhaking her few remaining grey hairs, fome of which having efcaped from their binder, had fallen fparingly over her forehead, as if to render her prophecy more refpectable, by adding to the venerable appearance of the venerable prophetefs-Thomas! Thomas! faid the, I am not to be flattered into falfe hopes; I fhall never live to fee the return of my child, neither may you, we are all in the hands of God; but I will try to forgive you for having robbed me, for a few weeks, perhaps months, of happiness in this world; her image I fhall carry with me to the next! But we will talk no more of her now, or I fall get no feep to-night; only remember, the continued, that you have promifed to fend for her if I fhould be very bad,. and yet not to near my end but there might be a chance of my seeing her

once

once more; remember, Thomas, I have your own word for this laft indulgence.

You have, madam, and I will strictly abide by it.

Well, faid fhe, then you may go, I can talk no more about it now. She held out a hand to each-Sir Thomas pressed her forehead with his lips, lady Gertrude faluted her cheek; fhe returned their endearments with the feeble preffure of enervated age, fmiled kindly upon them, called them good creatures, herself a fpoilt child, gave them her bleffing, wifhed them a good night,--and they separated from her, more penetrated by the good qualities of her heart, than mindful of the oddities that marked her disposition.'

The good old lady was but a too true prophetefs-the vigour of thofe artificial fpirits that in a degree fupported her ftrength, began to fail when Mifs Montreville left the caftle; to whom her attachment was of that extraordinary fort, that the was indebted to her attentions for a larger fhare of cheerful content than fhe had known at any former period of her very long life-her bank of content was broken-fhe could no longer draw on Adelaide for fupplies -She first took to the confinement of her chamber, next to her bed, and from thence, at ninety-fix, how eafy is the laft tranfition!

"When death ftole upon this venerable ruin of mortality, he came in fo gentle a form, that his approach was imperceptible; he came with no terrors in his looks, or torments in his train, but foftly laid his hands upon her eyes, and they were clofed for ever.'

As we are promised another novel from the fame hand; to be built upon an epifodical story in thefe volumes, which, by the way, we proteft againft as an injudicious mode of a new publication; we must beg the fair author to endeavour to forget herfelf, if the wifhes to intereft us in her characters. We would likewife put her in mind that travelling amongst the Alps is not quite like travelling on English turnpike roads; we meet with a cottage, fituated on the top of one of the most favage and tremendous mountains in the world, covered with fnow, to the door of which they could not drive nearer than a hundred yards.

The Works of Alexander Pope, Efq. with Remarks and Illuftrations. By Gilbert Wakefield, B. A. 80. 6. Boards. Kearsley. 1794

TH

HE character of Mr. Pope is fo well known as a poet, and that of Mr. Wakefield as a critic, that we deem it unneceffary to exhibit them here. We think it fufficient to fay, that we are fo well convinced of the merit of each of their characters, as to feel, with the numerous admirers of Mr.

Pope,