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HISTORY.

In a third volume, Mr. TURNER has brought down his " Hifiory of the AngloSaxons," to the period of the Norman conqueft. Often has every one had occafion to remark, that, in the profecution of a long and laborious work, the author grows tired of his task, and, in the indulgence of his laffitude, becomes carelefs and uninterefting. Mr. Turner, on the contrary, has progreffively improved: his first volume was far lefs carefully exe cuted than his fecond-his fecond lefs carefully than his third. As he has proceeded, he has been more judicious and difcriminate in the selection of his authorities, which are more valuable and numerous. In a future edition, Mr. Turner will doubtlefs revife the earlier periods of his hiftory, and render it al together more worthy of that general and lafting approbation which, after fuch revifion, it cannot fail to enjoy.

The practice of duelling, which rofe from the athes of judicial combat, is generally supposed to have been brought in to fashion by that high-fpirited and ge nerous monarch, Francis I. of France, who invited his cold-blooded rival, Charles V. to fingle combat. It was a clumfy compliment to the Emperor, however, who declined the challenge, to contemn his prudent example, and follow the rash one of his ill-fortuned foe. They who would fanction the actual practice by royal authority, must refer to more ancient times. Mr. Turner, in his interesting account of that period of Anglo-Saxon history which embraces the reigns of Edmund Ironfide and Canute, relates fome particulars of a combat between these princes. MONTHLY MAG. No. 117.

The forces of Canute had been baffled before the walls of London, and the valiant Edmund had raised the fiege. Various conflicts fucceeded, but the repeated treachery of Edric had at laft prevailed. Edmund retired to Gloucester, afer a defperate and difattrous engagement, in which almost all the most valued nobility of England perished; yet, fuch was his activity and eloquence that he had affembled a fresh army before the Dane could overtake him. "It was then (lays Mr. Turner) that the greatness of Edmund's foul appeared: he could not endure that the blood of his best fubjects fhould be fo lavished for his perfonal profit, and he challenged Canute to decide their quarrel of ambition by a fingle combat. He intimated the glory which the conqueror would gin, whofe dignity would be the purchase of his own peril and merit. Canute accepted the propofal. The ifle of Olney was the place of meeting, around which the two armies affembled. The kings received each other's fpears upon their fields. Their fwords were brandifhed, and the combat became clofe. Long the weapons founded upon their helms and armour. Their dexterity was equal; their fpirits emulous. At last, the ftrength of Canute began to fail before the impetuofity of Ed. mund. He felt his powers faft ebbing, and, in an interval of the combat, he exclaimed to the Anglo-Saxon, Bravelt of youths, why fhould our ambition covet each other's life? Let us be brothers, and share the kingdom for which we contend.' Edmund, with generous prudence, agreed to the new idea; the duel ceased, and England was divided between them. Canute was to reign in the north, and Edmund in the fouth. The rival princes exchanged arms and garments, the money for the fleet was agreed upon, and the army feparated."

Mr. ROBERTS has given us a "Sketch of the early Hiftory of the Cymri, or Ancient Britons, from the Year 700 before Chrift, to A. D. 500."

It is a curious historical morceau. 40

"The

"The Hiflory of England from the Peace of 1783, to the Treaty concluded at Amiens, in 1802; being a Continuation of Coote's Hiflory of England from the earliest Dawn of Record to the Peace of 1783; by the Author of the former Part."

It is with much fatisfaction that we have perufed this calm, impartial, and wellwritten history. Dr. CooTE, in defcribing the paffing events of the day, has the great merit of avoiding every intemperate and uncandid expreffion. Though with lefs courtely about him than Dr. Biffet, he has no les patriotism and loyalty; his reflections are generally acute, his views enlarged, and his fentiments liberal, humane, and juft. The "Continuation" is in every respect worthy of the author of the "Hiftory;" and it is at once with furprize and regret we learn, that his remuneration for former labours has been fo inadequate to the value of them.

Dr. BISSET has published in fix octavo volumes, an "Hiftory of the Reign of George III. to the Termination of the late

War."

If pofterity does not inform itself acfelf accurately of the courfe and character of the occurrences, civil, military, and religious, which have marked the prefent reign, the lack of information must be attributed to fome other caufe than the lack of hiftorians. Never, perhaps, were more contemporary pens employed in defcribing the fame period than have been, and doubtlefs are ftill, employed in recording the events of the prefent. To Macfarlane, Coste, Belham, and Adolphus (befides the hiftorians of particular events) is now to be added the name of Biffet, a name known as the flattering biographer of Mr. Burke. Dr. Biffet is a careful and induftrious hiftorian; he inveftigates minutely, and details with precifion. The parliamentary debates are condensed with judgment, and characters are drawn, if not with ftrict impartility, at any rate with an agreeable and decorous courtely towards that clafs of politicians whofe opinions differ, toto cœlo, from thofe of the hißorian. Courtety, indeed, is a distinguishing feature of the prefent work. Public measures and pub. lic men are very generally applauded, and Dr. Biffet is never at a lots for apology, when want of fuccefs has impeached the wildom of the one, or want of confiftency thrown fufpicion on the other. This difpofition to panegyrize is more and more undifguised as the hiftorian approaches the prefent time; and fome of the tranfactions of the laft war are now warmly defended, 4.

which, it may be fufpected, would have been left to defend themfelves, had they occurred in the earlier parts of the reign. The style of Dr. Biffet's history is easy and unaffected, occafionally animated and elegant. It needs not fhrink from a comparifon with its rivals.

Mr. RITCHIE has published, in three octavo volumes, "Political and Military Memoirs of Europe, from the Renewal of the War on the Continent in 1798, to the Peace of Amiens in 1802."

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The enthufiafm with which the struggles of the French for the recovery of their liberty during the early part of the Revolution (alas, how utterly fuccefslefs!) infpired Mr. Ritchie, has but little abated; and the antipathy of the hiftorian to the meafures of the Pitt Adminiftration, too often drives him to the oppofite extreme of defending the defpotic policy of France. The Peace of Amiens is reprehended in terms of feverity, as being difgraceful and ignominious to the laft degree; nor is the conduct of the late Ex-minifter paffed over without fome very acrimonious animadverfions. "The fanction (fays Mr. Ritchie) of terms fo degrading terms which the vanquished only could be fuppofed to receive, was a difagreeable duty to the British legislature; it was directly hoftile to their proceedings during the last eight years. When their political opponents, on fo many former occafions, fuggefted moderation, instead of that contemptuous pride which inflated the incapacity of war-minifters; when they propofed the acknowledgment of the French Republic, and a compromife as to terri tory, by the renunciation of fome of her colonies and the retention of others, Mr. Pitt exclaimed, that he trufted there was not a man to fign fuch a treaty, and not a courier to carry it. Yet, by a strange fatality, one of his warmest partizans was selected to conclude a peace on lefs favourable conditions, and officially pro nounce its eulogy. At the fame time the Ex-minifter, with incredible effrontery, openly joined in the transaction; but fhewed no compunction, and felt no abafement, from felf-contradiction. In the courfe of his oration, during the folemn difcuffion of the treaty in the Houle of Commons, he laughed; and in this playful humour, which excited a correfpond. ing fenfation among his friends, were the dearest interefts of the nation decided, The Britons who fell on the plains of Flanders and the fa d-hills of Holland, could never have furmifed that their funeral rites would be celebrated with mer

fiment!

riment! But, as if the hiftory of Mr. Pitt ought to be recorded in Hudibraftic verfe only, the man who can boast of having, by the impolicy of his measures, reared a power whofe ftupendous ftrength muft foon crufh the thiones of the European potentares, is to have a ftatue erect. ed to immortalize his deferts! Let it be engraven on its pedeftal, that the British Annals, fince the time that a Stuart occupied the throne, afford not an intance of imbecility in the cabinet and the field, or an ignominious refuit equal to thofe in the war against the independence of the French nation, and the liberties of mankind." The preceding extract affords a fpecimen of the ftyle, as well as of the tone and temper in which thefe Memoirs are penned.

"Hiftory of the French Confulate under Napoleon Buonaparte; being an authentic Narrative of his Adminiftration, including a Sketch of his Life, interspersed with curious Anecdotes, and a faithful Statement of interefting Tranfactions; by W. BARRE."

Mr. Barré is a French Proteftant, who writes a Hiftory of the Confulate in broken English. Every thing that can throw difgrace on the character of Buona parte is fcraped up with the utmoft affiduity, and whatever has told to his credit as a man, as a general, or a statesman, is hurried over in a flovenly manner. If Mr. Barré intended to compofe an addrefs ad populum, he has succeeded; if he intended his work to ferve as memoirs for the future hiftorian, he will, in all probability, be disappointed.

Mr. HAY has published a " Hiflory of the Infurrection of the County of Wexford in 1798, including an Account of Tranfactions preceding that Event."

It contains a body of facts which, for the honour of the British government, we could wish to see difputed and difproved. But the narrative, however horrible, is altogether fo ci cumftantial, fo plain, and unvarnished, that we fear the itain is indelible.

A third volume has been tranflated from the French, of "Secret Memoirs of the Court of Petersburg, particularly towards the Clofe of the Reign of Cathe rine II. and the Commencement of that of Paul I. containing a Number of Anecdotes and hiftorical Facts refpecting the Perfian War, the March of the Ruffian Armies against France, the Disgrace and Death of Suvaroff, &c.”

The author preferves the fame temperate fentiments on political fubjects, which diftinguished his former volumes.

It was impoffible, however, to record the various horrors and calamities produced by the tyrannous administration of the two laft defpots of Ruffia, without feeling indignant that man fhould thus lord it over his fellow man, and without making fome very ferious reflections on the degradation and mifery to which subjects are reduced, when abfolute power is concentrated in the hands of an individual. Generally fpeaking, the compiler of thefe Memoirs has investigated with care and employed with fidelity the various documents which could afford him any information; his narrative is eafy and fluent, his matter is abundant, and the hiftory altogether very interefting and infiructive. It is, however, impoffible not to be impreffed with indignation and disgust at the foul, atrocious, and calumnious charge which he has brought against this country, of being acceffary_to the murder of the French miniiters at Raftadt; a public outrage, as it is juttly defcribed, more horrible than any that has yet been com mitted in Europe fince it has been civi lized. These are the terms in which the charge is adduced: "The murder is even fo revolting that one feels a repug nance in attributing it to the direct orders of the cabinet of Vienna, though that cabinet is famous in history for its want of faith. But it is equally abfurd (continues our author) and atrocious, to charge the Directory with this unheard-of and useless crime. Such an idea can only have arifen in minds capable of the most dastardly wickedness, and could only have been propagated in a fociety familiarized with the crimes and the vindictive acts of the revolution. Oh! lafting fhame to France and Paris! It is there, it is among the French that this unworthy accufation has been able to obtain belief! Time will, no doubt, unveil to us one day, that the genius of Albion-that genius which for ten years has contrived all the plots that dishonour politics and offend humanity, was alfo the foul of this, as it has, with its impure breath, juft lighted the match of that infernal machine, at which France is still terrified and amazed!" A charge of this nature thrown out at random, and unfubftantiated by the faintest fhadow of proof, is difgraceful to the author of it. But the Directory, it feems, were fufpected of the crime by their own countrymen. -Oh! but their own countrymen were "familiarized with the crimes and vindictive acts of the Revolution," or they would not for a moment have believed it. And were the Directory altogether innocent and immacu402

late;