the stirring spirit of the conqueror, we are perhaps rather fingular in our notions upon that head. Indolence, properly speaking, is no other than misusing the exercise of our rational faculties and virtuous affections, and fuffering ourselves to be carried away by the indulgence of a favourite habit, either na、 tural or acquired. Charles XII. of Sweden, though he lived in an eternal tempeft of war, fatigues, and marches, was in this sense the most indolent prince of his time; because he could not put himself to the trouble of correcting that brutal bloody paffion for war which he received from nature, and which was confirmed by habit. Notwithstanding this, the princely author's general obfervation, that it is commendable in any prince to wish to diftinguifh himfelf from his effeminate cotemporaries, is unquestionably laudable; but we can by no means think it applicable to this paffage of Alexander's life. Had Ariftotle, who was Alexander's tutor, poffeffed the temper of Buchanan, James I.'s preceptor, he would have given his pupil a good flogging, and occafioned him to shed tears on another account, for his barbarous forrow. We can by no means fubfcribe to our Serene author's character of Henry prince of Wales, eldest fon of James I. of England. This prince had a moft excellent judgment, and as good a heart. He had every quality which could render him worthy of a throne, and his genius bore a ftriking resemblance to that of Alexander.' We are of Mrs. Macaulay's opinion,* that the liberties of a people, especially of the English, are always endangered by a martial monarch. Foreigners, however, are to be excused as to the ideas they form of the British conftitution, which is of itself a study totally diffimilar to any other of the kind, and fometimes very contradictory to the maxims moft generally received and established in other countries. We entirely, however, agree with his Serene Highness, that the manly behaviour of Alexander (though but a boy) to the Perfian embaffadors is worthy of the higheft eulogies. The ftory of Alexander's firft backing Bucephalus, feems to have been one of those historical fibbs, which have been fanctified by antiquity; and perhaps the fplendor of his atchievements has dazzled writers into other anecdotes. Did he really fave the life of his father? -Our Serene author highly commends the contempt which Alexander difcovered for Paris, and the honours he rendered to the fepulchre of Achilles.--Did not Alexander love himself in Achilles --Diveft Homer's hero of brutal courage, fortified by an invulnerable perfon, and of whining affections, and what is there praife-worthy in the character of Achil les drawn by his immortal poet? The two following chapters do great honour to the good fenfe and discernment of the writer. CHAP. VI. The reflection of Alexander upon the condition of Jovereign princes. • Alexander once obferved, "That kings fhould always perform good actions, and always expect to be blamed for thein." This reflection is partly true, and partly false. It is true, that good actions are the principal circumstances by which a prince fhould be distinguished from a private perfon. That sovereign must be extremely ungrateful to the Almighty, who can renounce fuch a glorious prerogative. He would fet a wretched example to his fubjects, who will not fail to fay ;"If our prince doth not think it his duty to perform good actions, the obligation upon us, who have infinitely lefs power and opportunity, must be extremely trifling." As to the cenfure Alexander fpeaks of, every prince muft expect his fhare of it. If a fovereign bestows a favour which hath been equally merited by two of his fubjects, and of which the one and the other believe themselves alike deferving, it is certain that he will be feverely -cenfured by him who lofes the recompence he expected. But the cenfure will appear extremely unjuft, if we reflect that it is not always in a fovereign's power to reward every body who may deserve it. We might add, that in all cafes of this nature, a man complains of his prince, not so much from any disapprobation of his conduct, as from a difguft at his own difappointBut is it not, after all, a general truth, that princes are more commended than cenfured? With what a fwarm of flatterers is a fovereign furrounded, who are always ready to applaud him, not only for the mereft trifles, but for actions which are notoriously culpable, and reflect the vileft difhonour on regal majefty. How many authors have lavished their commendations on thofe paffages of a prince's life, which ought to be erafed from the pages of hiftory, In the tenth tome of P. Daniel's hiftory of France, the highest eulogies are bestowed on Francis I. for condemning his proteftant fubjects to the flames! To conclude this chapter, if a prince would appear worthy of the crown he wears, and discharge the duties of his ftation, he will be obliged to perform good actions. This he may certainly do without much difficulty: for he can never be at a loss for opportunities, and may affure himself that he will always be more commended for it than cenfured. ment. • CHAP. VII. The races at the Olympic games. The King of Macedon once took it into his head to dispute the racer's prize at the Olympic games; but he miffed his mark mark, and was not able to win the prize he contended for. I cannot fay that this action of Alexander greatly pleases me. It muft certainly be acknowledged, that exercise, and even laborious exercife, may be very proper for a king and the commander of an army, as a means to preferve him from effeminacy,— a vice which will equally debilitate the powers both of the mind and the body. If the king of Macedon had no other defign but this, we may fay with a fafe confcience, that his method of putting it into execution was extremely injudicious. It was very unfeemly in Alexander to enter the lifts, and thus put himfelf upon a level with perfons of the meaneft rank, and condefcend to become a fpectacle to his whole army, and a numerous 'throng of the common people. All perfons have not the fame ftrength of body. This difference is obfervable among kings as well as among other men. But in bodily vigor, the lower clafs of people who are inured to labor and hardships, have generally fpeaking the advantage over kings, who are taken up with more lofty concerns. If, therefore, in things of this nature, a fovereign should enter into a conteft with the meaner fort of perfons, the whole honour will certainly fall to the latter and, then, how fevere must be the prince's mortification? Whenever a monarch humbles himself in such a thoughtless manner, his merits are no longer to be decided by his fellow kings, but by thofe capricious judges the common people. If, therefore, he hath the leaft fpark of ambition, he will be careful never to put himself upon an equality with persons of an inferior condition. For the fame reafon a prince of understanding will scorn to waste his time in the pursuit of that trifling glory which is derived from fuch unimportant qualities as can add nothing to the luftre of the royal name. Thus, for example, it must be allowed that Painting is a fine art : but if a monarch fhould place his chief merit in an accomplishment of this kind, what could be more ridiculous? It might, perhaps, be worth his while to apply himself to the study of it now and then by way of amusement; but it would manifeftly be a blemish to his character to make profeffion of it. With what ridicule did Nero overwhelm himself by appearing on the ftage? Or what fenfible Frenchman can excufe the folly of Lewis XIV. in affuming the character of a comedian? A fovereign fhould cautioufly avoid every thing which may leffen him in the eyes of the public. Clemency, affability, and a compaffion which renders him always acceffible to the unfortunate, will never deprive him of that refpe&ful fubmiffion which is due to his rank. But he may lofe it by a fingle act of indifcretion like those have been relating.' VOL. XXIII. May, 1767. Сс It It is with regret we find ourselves unable to be more particular in our commendations of this excellent performance, .which, upon the whole, itamps virtue upon greatness, and renders the author as refpectable for the goodness of his heart and the foundness of his judgment, as he is for his high birth and illuftrious rank. MONTHLY CATALOGUE. 11. The prefent Method of Inoculating for the Small-Pox. To which are added, fome Experiments, inftituted with a View to discover the Effects of a fimilar Treatment in the Natural Small Pox. By Thomas Dimfdale, M. D. 8vo. Pr. 2s. 6d. ΤΗ Owen. HIS work having been long advertised, and, from the reputation of its author, expected with impatience, we fhall be fomewhat particular in our account of it. In his first chapter, he treats of the age, conftitution, and feafon of the year proper for inoculation. With regard to age, he tells us, he chufes to decline inoculating children under two years old, becaufe fuch fubjects are expofed to all the hazards of dentition, fevers, fluxes, convulfions, and other accidents; becaufe medicines, at that age, are more difficultly adminiftered, and because young children have ufually a larger fhare of puftules. Thefe objections he has, however, himself, in a great measure, obviated, by informing us, that he has inoculated many under two years old, and that they all did well. As to conftitution, he informs us, from experience, that perfons afHided with various chronic complaints have paffed through the fmall-pox with great cafe and safety. Those who labour under any acute disease are obviously improper fubje&s; as are likewife thofe in whom there are evident marks of corrofive acrimonious humours, or where there is a manifest debility of the whole frame. Concerning the feafon of the year, the Doctor is of opinion that it is of little importance. PREPARATION. In directing the preparatory regimen, I principally, fays the Doctor, aim at thefe points: to reduce the patient, if in high health, to a low and more secure state; -to ftrengthen the conftitution, if too low; to correct what ap'pears vitiated, and to clear the ftomach and bowels, as much as may be, from all crudities and their effects.' With this view, he orders thofe of the first clafs to abstain from all animal food, fpices, and fermented liquors, except small beer, for the fpace of ten days before the operation. During this time, they are to take three dofes of the following powder at bed-time, and a dofe of Glauber's falt each fucceeding morning. The powder is composed of eight grains of calomel, the fame quantity of the compound powder of crabs claws, and one eighth part of a grain of tartar emetic. This dofe is intended for a perfon in health of a robust conftitution, and muft, therefore, neceffarily be varied according to the age, ftrength, and habit of the patient. INFECTION. After mentioning the feveral modes of com. municating the infection, which have been, at different times," practised by different inoculators, the Doctor informs us that he has found the following method the moft eligible. The patient to be infected being in the fame houfe, and, if no objection is made to it, in the fame room, with one who has the disease, a little of the variolous matter is taken from the place of infertion, if the subject is under inoculation; or a ripe puftule, if in the natural way, on the point of a lancet, fo that both fides of the point are moistened. With this lancet an incifion is made in that part of the arm where iffues are ufually placed, deep enough to pass thro' the scarf skin, and just to touch the skin itself, and in length as fhort as poffible, not more than one eighth of an inch. The little wound being then stretched open between the finger and thumb of the operator, the incifion is moistened with the matter, by gently touching it with the flat fide of the infected lancet. This operation is generally performed in both arms, and sometimes in two places in one arm, a little diftant from each other.' Neither plaifter, bandage, or covering is applied. -I It feems, continues our author, of no confequence whe ther infecting matter be taken from the natural or inoculated small-pox. I have used both, and never have been able to dif cover the leaft difference, either in point of certainty of infection, the progrefs, or the event.-Nor is it of confequence whether the matter be taken before or after the crisis.have taken a little clear fluid from the elevated pellicle on the incifed part, even fo early as the fourth day after the opera. tion; and have, at other times, ufed matter fully digefted after the crifis, with equal fuccefs.' It seems, then, that the means of communication is a matter of indifference, and, therefore, that the great fuccefs attending the prefent method of inoculation must be attributed to some other cause. PROGRESS OF INFECTION. One advantage arifing from performing the operation in fuch a manner as to render plaifter or bandage unneceffary, is that a prognoftic may frequently be formed from the appearance of the wound thus left to itself. Cc 2 The |