the powers of harmony are called forth in the cause of Discord by those hireling singers, who are equally ready to invoke the Divine favour on the head of their King,

or to strain their venal throats in chanting the triumphs of his bitterest enemies."

All complaint is futile, which is not followed up by appropriate remedies. If Parliament, or Catarrh, do not save us, Dignum and Sedgwick will quaver away the King, shake down the House of Lords, and warble us into all the horrors of republican government. When, in addition to these dangers, we reflect also upon those with which our national happiness is menaced, by the present thinness of ladies' petticoats (p. 78), temerity may hope our salvation, but how can reason promise it ? One solitary gleam of comfort, indeed, beams upon us in reading the solemn devotion of this modern Curtius to the cause of his King and country

"My attachment to the British monarchy, and to the reigning family, is rooted in my 'heart's core.'-My anxiety for the British throne, pending the dangers to which, in common with every other throne, it has lately been exposed, has embittered my choicest comforts. And I most solemnly vow, before Almighty God, to devote my self, to the end of my days, to the maintenance of that throne."

DR. LANGFORD.

(E. REVIEW, 1802.) Anniversary Sermon of the Royal Humane Society. By W. Langford, D.D. Printed for F. and C. Rivington.

AN accident, which happened to the gentleman engaged in reviewing this sermon, proves, in the most striking manner, the importance of this charity for restoring to life persons in whom the vital power is suspended. He was discovered, with Dr. Langford's discourse lying open before him, in a state of the most profound sleep; from which he could not, by any means, be awakened for a great length of time. By attending, however, to the rules prescribed by the Humane Society, flinging in the smoke of tobacco, applying hot flannels, and carefully removing the discourse itself to a great distance, the critic was restored to his disconsolate brothers.

The only account he could give of himself was, that he remembers reading on, regularly, till he came to the following pathetic description of a drowned tradesman; beyond which, he recollects nothing.

channels. The spring being suddenly cut

Whether this patriotism be original, let us add the interruption to all the tem"But to the individual himself, as a man, or whether it be copied from the Up-poral business in which his interest was holsterer in Foote's Farces, who sits engaged. To him indeed now apparently up whole nights watching over the lost, the world is as nothing; but it seldom British constitution, we shall not stop happens, that man can live for himself to inquire; because, when the practi- alone: society parcels out its concerns in cal effect of sentiments is good, we various connexions; and from one head would not diminish their merits by in-issue waters which run down in many vestigating their origin. We seriously commend in Mr. Bowles this future dedication of his life to the service of his King and country; and consider it as a virtual promise that he will write no more in their defence. No wise or good man has ever thought of either, but with admiration and respect. That they should be exposed to that ridicule, by the forward imbecility of friendship, from which they appear to be protected by intrinsic worth, is so painful a consideration, that the very thought of it, we are persuaded, will induce Mr. Bowles to desist from writing on political subjects.

off, what confusion must follow in the streams which have flowed from its source? It may be, that all the expectations reasonably raised of approaching prosperity, to those who have embarked in the same occupation, may at once disappear; and the important interchange of commercial faith be broken off, before it could be brought to any advantageous conclusion."

This extract will suffice for the style of the sermon. The charity itself is above all praise.

To this exceedingly foolish man, the first years of Etonian Education were ingreater misfortune on a country, than to trusted. How is it possible to inflict a fill up such an office with such an officer?

PUBLIC CHARACTERS OF 1801,
1802. (E. REVIEW, 1802.)
Public Characters of 1801-1802. Richard
Phillips, St. Paul's. 1 vol. 8vo.

ARCHDEACON NARES.*

(E. REVIEW, 1802.)

A Thanksgiving for Plenty, and Warning against Avarice. A Sermon. By the Reverend Robert Nares, Archdeacon of Stafford, and Canon Residentiary of Lichfield. London: Printed for the Author, and sold by Rivingtons, St. Paul's Churchyard.

FOR the swarm of ephemeral sermons which issue from the press, we are

THE design of this book appeared to us so extremely reprehensible, and so capable, even in the hands of a blockhead, of giving pain to families and individuals, that we considered it as a fair object of literary police, and had prepared for it a very severe chastise-principally indebted to the vanity of ment. Upon the perusal of the book, popular preachers, who are puffed up however, we were entirely disarmed. by female praises into a belief, that It appears to have been written by what may be delivered, with great prosome very innocent scribbler, who feels priety, in a chapel full of visitors and himself under the necessity of dining, friends, is fit for the deliberate attention and who preserves, throughout the of the public, who cannot be influenced whole of the work, that degree of good by the decency of a clergyman's private humour, which the terror of indictment life, flattered by the sedulous politeness by our Lord the King is so well cal-of his manners, or misled by the falculated to inspire. It is of some im-lacious circumstances of voice and acportance, too, that grown-up country tion. A clergyman cannot be always gentlemen should be habituated to read considered as reprehensible for preachprinted books; and such may read a ing an indifferent sermon; because, to story book about their living friends, the active piety, and correct life, which who would read nothing else. the profession requires, many an excellent man may not unite talents for that species of composition: but every man who prints, imagines he gives to the world something which they had not before, either in matter or style; that he has brought forth new truths, or adorned old ones; and when, in lieu of novelty and ornament, we can discover nothing but trite imbecility, the law must take its course, and the delinquent suffer that mortification from which vanity can rarely be expected to escape, when it chooses dulness for the minister of its gratifications.

We suppose the booksellers have authors at two different prices. Those who do write grammatically, and those who do not; and that they have not thought fit to put any of their best hands upon this work. Whether or not there may be any improvement on this point in the next volume, we request the biographer will at least give us some means of ascertaining when he is comical, and when serious. In the life of Dr. Rennel, we find this passage:

"Dr. Rennel might well look forward to the highest dignities in the establishment; but, if our information be right, and we The learned author, after observing have no reason to question it, this is what that a large army praying would be a he by no means either expects or courts. much finer spectacle than a large army There is a primitive simplicity in this ex-fighting, and after entertaining us with cellent man, which much resembles that of the old anecdote of Xerxes and the flood of tears, proceeds to express his sentiments on the late scarcity and the present abundance: then, stating the manner in which the Jews were governed by the immediate interference of God, and informing us, that other This was another gentleman of the alarmist tribe.

the first prelates of the Christian church, who were with great difficulty prevailed upon to undertake the episcopal office."

people expect not, nor are taught to look for, miraculous interference, to punish or reward them, he proceeds to talk of the visitation of Providence, for the purposes of trial, warning, and correction, as if it were a truth of which he had never doubted.

Still, however, he contends, though the Deity does interfere, it would be presumptuous and impious to pronounce the purposes for which he interferes; and then adds, that it has pleased God, within these few years, to give us a most awful lesson of the vanity of agriculture and importation without piety, and that he has proved this to the conviction of every thinking mind.

66

but in a well fed and well educated clergyman, who has never been disturbed by hunger from the free exercise of cultivated talents, it merits the severest reprehension. The farmer has it not in his power to raise the price of corn; he never has fixed, and never can fix it. He is unquestionably justified in receiving any price he can obtain: for it happens very beautifully, that the effect of his efforts to better his fortune, is as beneficial to the public, as if their motive had not been selfish. The poor are not to be supported, in time of famine, by abatement of price on the part of the farmer, but by the subscription of residentiary canons, archdeacons, and all men rich in public or private property; and to these subscriptions the farmer should contribute according to the amount of his fortune. To insist that he should take a less

to insist upon laying on that order of men the whole burden of supporting the poor; a convenient system enough in the eyes of a rich ecclesiastic; and objectionable only because it is impracticable, pernicious, and unjust.*

The question of the corn trade has divided society into two parts — those who have any talents for reasoning, and those who have not. We owe an apology to our readers, for taking any notice of errors that have been so frequently, and so unanswerably exposed; but when they are echoed from the bench and the pulpit, the dignity of the teacher may perhaps communicate some degree of importance to the silliest and most extravagant doctrines.

Though he interpose not (says Mr. Nares) by positive miracle, he influences by means unknown to all but himself, and directs the winds, the rain, and glorious beams of heaven to ex-price when he can obtain a greater, is ecute his judgment, or fulfil his merciful designs." Now, either the wind, the rain, and the beams, are here represented to act as they do in the ordinary course of nature, or they are not. If they are, how can their operations be considered as a judgment on sins; and if they are not, what are their extraordinary operations, but positive miracles? So that the Archdeacon, after denying that any body knows when, how, and why, the Creator works a miracle, proceeds to specify the time, instrument, and object of a miraculous scarcity; and then, assuring us that the elements were employed to execute the judgments of Providence, denies that this is any proof of a positive miracle. Having given us this specimen of his talents for theological metaphysics, Mr. Nares commences his attack upon the farmers; accuses them of cruelty and avarice; raises the old cry of monopoly; and expresses some doubts, in a note, whether the better way would If it is pleasant to notice the intelnot be, to subject their granaries to lectual growth of an individual, it is still the control of an exciseman; and to more pleasant to see the public growing levy heavy penalties upon those, in wiser. This absurdity of attributing the whose possession corn, beyond a cer-farmers, was the common nonsense talked high price of corn to the combinations of tain quantity to be fixed by law, should in the days of my youth. I remember be found. This style of reasoning is when ten judges out of twelve laid down this doctrine in their charges to the various pardonable enough in those who argue grand juries on the circuits. The lowest from the belly rather than the brains; attorney's clerk is now better instructed.

No reasoning can be more radically erroneous than that upon which the whole of Mr. Nares's sermon is founded. The most benevolent, the most Christian, and the most profitable conduct the farmer can pursue, is, to sell his

commodities for the highest price he | Amelrosa with the plot formed by her can possibly obtain. This advice, we husband against her father. Amelrosa, think, is not in any great danger of already poisoned by Ottilia, in vain being rejected: we wish we were attempts to prevent Cæsario from blowequally sure of success in counselling ing up a mine laid under the royal the Reverend Mr. Nares to attend, in palace; information of which she had future, to practical, rather than theore-received from Ottilia, stabbed by Cæsatical questions about provisions. He may be a very hospitable archdeacon; but nothing short of a positive miracle can make him an acute reasoner.

rio to avoid her importunity. In the mean time, the King had been removed from the palace by Orsino, to his ancient retreat in the forest: the people rise against the usurper Cæsario; a battle takes place: Orsino stabs his own son, at the moment the King is in his son's power; falls down from the wounds he has received in battle;

and dies in the usual dramatic style, repeating twenty-two hexameter verses. Mr. Lewis says in his preface,

I

have nothing to object; if it be found so, "To the assertion, that my play is stupid,

even let it be so said; but if (as was most falsely asserted of Adelmorn) any anonymous writer should advance that this Tragedy is immoral, I expect him to prove his assertion by quoting the objectionable passages. This I demand as an act of justice."

MATTHEW LEWIS. (E. REVIEW, 1803.) Alfonso, King of Castile. A Tragedy, in Five Acts. By M. G. Lewis. Price 2s. 6d. ALFONSO, King of Castile, had, many years previous to the supposed epoch of the play, left his minister and general Orsino to perish in prison, from a false accusation of treason. Cæsario, son to Orsino, (who by accident had liberated Amelrosa, daughter of Alfonso, from the Moors, and who is married to her, unknown to the father,) becomes a We confess ourselves to have been great favourite with the King, and highly delighted with these symptoms avails himself of the command of the of returning, or perhaps nascent, purity armies with which he is intrusted, to in the mind of Mr. Lewis; a delight gratify his revenge for his father's somewhat impaired, to be sure, at the misfortunes, to forward his own ambi-opening of the play, by the following tious views, and to lay a plot by which explanation which Ottilia gives of her he may deprive Alfonso of his throne early rising. and his life. Marquis Guzman, poisoned by his wife Ottilia, in love with Cæsario, confesses to the King that the papers upon which the suspicion of Orsino's guilt was founded, were forged by him and the King, learning from his daughter Amelrosa that Orsino is still alive, repairs to his retreat in the forest, is received with the most implacable hauteur and resentment, and in vain implores forgiveness of his injured minister. To the same forest, Cæsario, informed of the existence of his father, repairs, and reveals his intended plot against the King. Orsino, convinced of Alfonso's goodness to his subjects, though incapable of forgiving him for his unintentional injuries to himself, in vain dissuades his son from the conspiracy; and at last, ignorant of their marriage, acquaints

"ACT I. SCENE I.-The palace-garden. -Day-break.

"OTTILIA enters in a night-dress: her hair flows dishevelled.

OTTIL. Dews of the morn, descend!
Breathe, summer gales:

My flushed cheeks woo ye! Play, sweet
wantons, play

"Mid my loose tresses, fan my panting breast,

Quench my blood's burning fever!

Vain, vain prayer!

Not Winter throned 'midst Alpine snows, whose will

Can with one breath, one touch, con

geal whole realms,

And blanch whole seas: not that fiend's self could ease

This heart, this gulph of flames, this purple kingdom,

Where passion rules and rages!"

Ottilia at last becomes quite furious,