Che, forte al pari del più forte Atrida, Dove poi s'ascondesse ill bel lavoro, Christ. 2. Reflexions impartiales sur l'Evangile. 3. La morale de la nature. 4. Histoire abregie du Sacerdoce ancien et moderne. Have any of these been printed? An answer to the whole, or any of the above questions, will oblige Yours, &c. QUESTIUNCULA. Edinburgh, June 27, 1807. EXTRACTS from ELIAN'S VARIOUS WHICH was the superior Gene These eighteen stanzas were the production of about so many minutes, and I could not always, without help, follow this almost uninterrupted copious stream of poetry. In a former company the combat of Etcocles and ral Demetrius Polioneles, or Polymices was given to the same poet Timotheus, the Athenian ? I will as a theme, and he treated this heroic represent the conduct of both from subject with such a superiority and whence it may judged, which was insuch inspired sublimity, that the com- titled to most honour. Demetrius, pany remained in a sort of luxurious drawing up his battering machines to astonishment, and a universal pity was shake and throw down the walls, took excited that no preparations had been cities by violence, harrassing them to made for rescuing such a happy effort the utmost, and inflicting on them the from oblivion. It must be observed greatest calamities: Timotheus, by also, that this was the first time for argument and persuasion, shewed six years (during which period he had them, that it would be for their adbeen invested with official duties, vantage to submit to the government partly under the former Papal govern- of the Athenians. ment, partly under the republic) that he had appeared, after the last effort, as an improvisatore. July 6, 1807. SIR, W.M., No.37.-The Origin of Cock-fighting. The Athenians, after the conquest of the Persians, passed a law: "That there should be a public cock-match, on the stage, every year." I will explain what gave occasion to this staWhen Themistocles led the SHOULD feel myself much indebted tute. to any of your correspondents, if forces of the city against the Barbathey could inform me whether the Sys- rians, he saw some cocks fighting; teme de la Nature, published under the nor did he view them with indiffername of M. Mirabaud, be really the ence: but commanding his army to production of D'Alembert; whether halt, he thus addressed his soldiers: he ever acknowledged it as such in any "These do not assail each other for of his writings; or if not, upon what authority it is generally asserted to be his? The title page of the copy, now before me, bears the imprint of Londres, 1774, and prefixed to the work is a pretended account of the author, who is said to have been perpetual se cretary to, and one of the forty of the French academy; it is added, that he died June 24, 1760. Was there ever such a man? and is he known as the author of any work besides this, which is imputed to him. In the account above-mentioned there are four works, principally scriptural, said to have been left behind him. 1. La vie de Jesus the sake of country, nor for their paternal Gods, nor for the sepulchres of their heroic ancestors, nor for glory, nor for liberty, nor for children; but for mastery." By this speech he roused the spirits of the Athenians, and he wished to perpetuate the memory of the incident by which he ammated their courage, as a stimulant to the like exploits. Note. Mr. Upton supposes that another reason, for the institution of cock-matches by Themistocles, may be assigned besides that given by Eliah namely, to preserve the me mory of his Persian conquest, as that bird first emigrated from Persia into adapted to sooth, captivate, and seduce other countries.-Eustathius, it may, women? bowever, be observed, attributes to the same origin as Elian does, the annual cock-fightings of the Athepians. No. 38. The effects of Irony and Sarcasms. No. 41.-Crates' greatness of mind. Crates, the Theban, discovered, in many instances, a greatness of mind, and was known to despise those things to which the majority are wonderfully attached, such as money and Irony and sarcastic jeers have, in their country. That he gave up his my opinion, no force in themselves. fortune to the Thebans was a matter If aimed at a man of firm mind, they talked of among all; but another acevaporate; but if, indeed, they are tion of his is not well known. It was levelled at low and mean spirits, they this: Leaving Thebes after its restonot only grieve, but sometimes kill. ration, he exclaimed, "I want not a For instance, Socrates, when satyrised city which Alexander, or some other and ridiculed on the stage, laughed at conqueror, will lay in ruins" it; but Poliager hung himself. No. 39.-No Atheists among Bar barians. No. 42. Olympias' grief over Alexander lying unburied. Olympias, the Mother of AlexWho will not extol the wisdom of ander, hearing that her son had lain a the Barbarians? For not one amongst considerable time unburied, said, them hath fallen into Atheism, or with heavy groans and violent bewailhath doubted, whether there be Gods ings: "What shall thou my son, or not, and whether they take care of who aspired to heaven, and ardently us or not. None of them, neither pursued thy aim, shalt thou want what Indian, Celtic, or Egyptian, adopted the meanest men obtain, a grave and such opinions as did Euëmeras the burial?" Thus she lamented her own Messenian, or Diogenes the Phrygian, calamity, and reproved his empty or Hippo, or Diagoras, or Sosias, or pride. Epicurus. The forementioned Bar- No. 43.-Xenophon's love of elegance barians asserted, that there were in dress. Gods, who exercised a providence As Xenophon studied elegance in over us, and predicted future events other points, so he was particularly fond by birds and tokens, and the entrails of handsome armour. For he used to of animals, and other prognostica- say, that the most splendid habit was tions all which things are arguments becoming him who had subdued his to men of the superintendence of the enemies; and that he who died in Gods. They also tell as many things battle would be gracefully extended, are foretold to them in dreams, and covered with beautiful armour, which by the stars. From a firm faith in would form at once the ornathese principles they religiously offer ments and the sepulchral dress of a sacrifices, and live in pure and holy brave man. The son of Gryllus is manners, and perform ceremonies, reported to have furnished himself and observe the law of orgies, and do many other things, which strongly express their worship and reverence of the Gods. No. 40. Of Alexander and the Lyre of Paris. with a shield from Argos, a breastplate from Athens, and helmet from Baotia, and a horse from Epidaurium. I must say, that I consider such a selection as indicating the man of taste, and a consciousness of his own dignity. No. 44.-Demosthenes refuses Diogenes' invitation. When Alexander visited Troy, a Trojan, as he was engaged in a close examination of every thing, came and shewed to him the Lyre of Paris. "I As Diogenes was dining one day in should much prefer," said he, "see- a tavern, he saw Demosthenes passing ing that of Achilles than that of Paris." by, and invited him in. On his deFor he was desirous of seeing the in- clining the invitation, "What," says strument on which a courageous sol- he, "are you ashamed to enter into dier sang the praises of brave men. a tavern, which is visited every day But as to the Lyre of Paris, to what by your master;" meaning the people was it suited, but to adulterous tunes, and every individual of them, to inti mate that public speakers and orators On the INTERNAL STATE of the SIR, HE State of the Country inter The death of Calanus, the Indian, Tally, as well as externally, beis worthy of praise, some would say of admiration. It was of this nature: comes every day more alarming; it Calanus, the Indian sophist, having is, however, only of the first that I taken a last farewell of Alexander and the Lacedæmonians, wished to release himself from the shackles of the body. He had a pile erected in the handsomest suburbs of Babylon. The wood of which it was made, was perfectly dry, and was chosen from cedar, thyme, cypress, and laurel, to produce a sweet fragrance. When he had taken his usual exercise, which was that of running, he ascended the pile, and, encircled with a garland of reeds, stood in the middle of it. The sun at that moment darted upon him with its rays. He fell prostrate before it. This was the signal for the Lacedæmonians to set fire to the pile. This was done. The flame entwining round him, he stood dauntless, and did not fall till he was burnt to ashes. Then, it is reported, Alexander, with great astonishment, said, Calanus had sustained a severer conflict than himself: he had advanced against Porus, Taxiles, and Darius, but Calanus had engaged with pain and death. No. 46. The reason of Aristotle's leaving Athens. When Aristotle, through fear of its tribunal, left Athens, he replied to a person who asked him, what kind of a city it was, "a very beautiful one; there," he added, alluding to the sycophants and false accusers, "pear-tree after pear-tree, and figtree after fig-tree flourishes, decays, and dies." To the enquiry, why he left Athens, he answered, because he was very unwilling that the Athenians should offend twice against philosophy:" glancing at the death of Socrates, and at his own danger. 66 No. 47.-Of Phocion. I think the following instance of conduct in Phocion, the son of Phocus, truly excellent. When some charge was ignorantly brought against him, addressing the Athenians, in the public assembly, he declared with judgment and emphasis, "I had much rather myself suffer an injury from you, than do you the least wrong." mean to speak at present-the enormous abuses of the government, which have brought upon us such a load of debt and taxation, though they may be defended by the advocate of corruption, cannot be denied; but the pertinacity with which they adhere to them, must give the most serious alarm to every honest impartial man, because he must dread the collision of those who are determined to retain these abuses, and of those who are determined to reform them, for by such a collision the state may be rent asunder; and yet this danger, however great, ought not to deter any man who wishes well to his country, from speaking his opinion as to the means which he thinks most likely to avoid the extensive calamity which may ensue from civil commotion; and, in my opinion, the whole fate of the country depends on the conduct of those who are unconnected with the two parties, and unwilling to go the length of either-that is to say, the great body of the people, who are ultimately most interested in the struggle, should they stand by unconcerned, and suffer the reforming part to be defeated and overpowered by the ministry, they may be certain that the ruinous system of war and taxation will be pursued till they have neither liberty nor property remaining, and perhaps at last become the slaves of a foreign enemy, who is ever intent on our subjugation. Should they, on the other hand, be led to countenance all the proceedings of the reformers, they may find it not easy to stop where they intended; and after suffering, for a few years, all the miseries of anarchy, may end at length in despotism. To avoid these two extremes, it seems to me requisite that the respectable part of the community should every where, in public meetings, express their de termination to support the constitution, as established in the reign of William the Third, and to reject every innovation, whether already in I remain, &c. W. BURDON. Hartford, near Morpeth, The an DREAM ACCOMPLISHED; troduced by ministerial corruption, or much as he would have so much more attempted by democratic violence; money to spend for his proat or his they should firmly and explicitly de- pleasure, and for the maintenance of clare their intention, that no room his family; and all which is taken may be left for misrepresentation or from him more than what is requisite mistake, for every artifice will no for the expences of the state, is downdoubt be used, to intimidate and ca- right robbery by whomsoever comlumniate them; but when once their mitted, or by whomsoever enjoyed. numbers have given them conse- Let Englishmen consider these things, quence, it will be no longer possible let them be true to themselves, and to for the government to refuse or to each other, and the time must and defer the long wished for reform; will come, when things will be otherand is there in this any thing to which wise; but if they do not do somean honest man can object, is there thing for themselves, they might as any to alarm or terrify, any but those well expect a plough to plough itself, who share in the plunder of the peo- or a horse to yoke itself to a plough, ple, and thrive only by public rob- as that any ministry will ever lighten bery. The resistance which these their taxes, or study their comfort. people make to the very name of reform, and their despicable artifice in calling it revolution, form the chief danger to be apprehended from the agitation of the question; it is not in the thing itself, and that every honest man must see, but in the opposition to it, the danger lies. In my opinion, the only means of lessening the danger, is by lessening the opposition, HE life of man, as is well and this can only be done by the una- known, may be divided into nimous voice of the people, or at least two different states of existence, the of such a majority as shall leave no state of sleep and that of being awake. doubt of their strength. Can any We often pass from one to the other man honestly say there is no need of by an intermediate state, which rereform, when the oppression of taxa- tains the body in its soporific letion is such that the middle and lower thargy, but permits the faculties of ranks are deprived of almost every the soul to display a part of their accomfort they used to enjoy? Can tivity. This is the state of dreaming, any man say that they can endure to be further taxed, or can any man say that the taxes thus raised by taxation, are applied solely to the inevitable ex- Dreams may precede a perfect or pences of the state in supporting the sound sleep, as well as being an inpresent war: surely no man will ven- terval between sleeping and waking; ture to assert this after the declara- during the night even we often have tion made in the House of Commons, various dreams, which are more or by a respectable member of a former less agreeable according to circumadministration, viz. that six millions stances. But in my opinion there is might be saved in the department of a great difference between the dreams the navy alone, without any detri- of the night and those of the mornment to the service; and from this it ing: in the evening our bodies yield may be inferred, that similar retrench- overwhelmed with fatigue; but our ments might be made in other de- soul remains active in spite of it, and partments, and thus a considerable feeds upon the newly awakened rereduction take place in the taxes; miniscence of those ideas which ocnow this is positive and specific, as to cupied it during the day in the the nature of the reform proposed, morning the body is refreshed, and and the benefit to be derived from it; the soul, which first rouses from its and every man must say, that by this state of torpor, occupies itself with reform he would be a gainer, in as new vigour about those objects which a happy moment, well known to feeling minds, and whence often proceeds our most sublime ideas. are to form part of its contemplation. reign over Tuscany, had been exiled If the dreams of the evening are re- three times from Florence in less than collections of the passed, those of the acentury; three times they had returnmorning are presentiments of the ed to it, more rich, more respectable, future, which are often realised, and and more powerful; and the Duke of which seem strongly to prove that our Nemours, of whom I have spoken, soul is of a nature superior to all con- exiled in 1494, did not return to his ception. Where is the man, who, country till the very year in which awakening in the morning, has not this letter is dated. had more elevated views of his af- The celebrity of Cardinal Bembo, fairs, of his situation, and of those the grandeur of the personage to things to which his affections most whom he wrote, and the contents of incline him. These perceptions of the letter, have all stimulated me to our soul, which seem to anticipate translate it. It contains an account the actions of our life, do they not of a dream of the Cardinal's mother, bespeak its noble and immortal which, as will be seen, was but too origin? unhappily accomplished. It is as follows: A pure air, a mild temperature, and a soft fresh wind, favour eminently that gentle sleep which is so favourable to dreams and reveries. Tasso felt this powerfully when he said, Ei venticelli dibattendo l'ali letter, in which you have expressed a "Magnificent Lord-I reply to a wish to know the nature of a dream of my mother's, which revealed to her during the night what was to happen to me the next day. To satisfy your curiosity, I shall add to my answer an account of its accomplish ment. You will excuse, Sir, these reflections upon dreams: alas! they form too often the happiest part of our existence. I do not wish to establish bassador from your nation to Rome, "At the time my father was ama theory; but I thought these few prefatory strictures would not be cent, I found myself detained at Veunder the pontificate of Pope Innoimproper to the recital of a fact, which nice, with my mother, by a process, appears to be too remarkable to re- which our family had to sustain main in oblivion. Italian literature, like that of other of ours, called Simon Goro. This against a gentleman, a countryman countries, has its collections of printed Goro sent off here one of his nephews, letters by celebrated people. In called Giusto, to plead in his name France, this department has been against me. One morning, as I was principally filled by women; in Eng- coming out of my chamber with the land, a few men of letters, Pope, papers in my hand, which I was to Swift, Johnson, Gray, and others, lay before the magistrate who had the have left behind them epistolary me- decision of our suit, I met my mother, morials; in Italy, they have been who advanced towards me, and asked principally written by poets and pre- me whither I was going? Upon my lates. A collection filled with pieces reply, she recommended me not to of this kind, and all classical, having have any dispute on that day with fallen into my hands, my attention Giusto, and to confine myself merely was called to one written in 1512 by to presenting my papers to the judges the learned Cardinal Bembo, to a no- in his presence. She repeated her bleman of the House of Medici, who request upon this subject very often, had acquired the cognomen of the which appeared to me so singular, Magnificent. History mentions him that I could not help asking her the under the name of Julian duke of reason. I will tell you, replied she: Nemours, husband of Philibert of I dreamed this night that Giusto Savoy. The family of Medicis, destined to wounded you in the right hand. You know how often my dreams have been verified; therefore, I entreat you, Raccolta di rime e prose dall' abbate altercation with that man. I promised my dear child, endeavour to have no Tagliazucchi vol. ii. |