which however it was not folely confined, but extended to no less than forty or fifty of the most common words which occur in converfation, and bearing not the leaft affinity whatever to the former expreffions.

This new language every inhabitant is under the neceffity of adopting; as any negligence or contempt of it is punished with the greatest severity. Their former expreffions were, however, retained in their recollection; and, for our better communication, were, I believe, permitted to be used in converfation with us, without incurring displeasure. Pomurrey however would frequently correct me on my accidentally ufing the former mode of expreflion, faying, I knew it was wrong, and ought not to practife it. Were fuch a pernicious innovation to take place, generally, at the arbitrary will of the fovereigns throughout the South Sea iflands, it would be attended with infurmountable difficulties to ftrangers; but it appears to be a new regulation, and, as yet, confined to these iflands, or it would be impoffible to reconcile the affinity which has been hitherto found to fubfift in the language of different parts of the Great South-Sea nation. The new-fashioned words produce a very material difference in thofe tables of comparative affinity which have been conftructed with fo much attention and labour; and may, poffibly, when the reafons for the alteration are known and developed, be a matter of interefting political inquiry. This, however, required more leisure, and a more intimate knowledge of the language, than I poffeffed. Circumstances of greater importance to the expediting the various fervices, which the grand object of our voyage here demanded, and on which my mind was every hour anxiously engaged; augmented by the difficulties we had to encounter, in the new modification of fo many terms; rendered most of my inquiries ineffectual. These perplexities and disadvantages were also materially increafed, by the difficulty of obtaining the truth from a race who have a conftant defire to avoid, in the flightest degree, giving offence; infomuch, that, on the leaft appearance of difpleasure, even in converfation; to difengage themfelves from any fuch inconvenience, they would often, by that extenfive and fpecious comprehenfion, which their languade admits of, feemingly fo qualify, what they before had afferted, as to contradict, according to our acceptation, a pofitive matter of fact; or, what amounted to nearly the fame thing, a completely different conftruction was by us very frequently put on a fecond converfation, from that which we had conceived from, or had attributed to, the firft. Had we been more competent linguifts, we might, in all probability, have found both their modes of expreffion tending to the fame point, and differing only in the figurative relation of the circumstances, to which thefe people are much accustomed.' Vol. i. P. 135.

Here we must pause for a time, as the importance of the work requires a continuation of our remarks in another number.

A Series of Plays, in which it is attempted to delineate the fronger Paffions of the Mind; each Paffion being the Subject of a Tragedy and a Comedy. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

THIS title impreffed us with no favourable prepoffeffion; we were inclined to smile at a plan fo methodical and fo arduous. The preface, however, gave us a better opinion of the author, whofe good fenfe and modefty it strongly exhibits; we perufed the volume with attention and delight; and it is with fincere pleasure that we announce this commencement of a work which, we truft, will not only be honourable to the writer, but to the literature of our country.

Three plays only of the intended feries now appear, and the author affigns a diftrust of his own powers as the reafon.

To bring forth only three plays of the whole,' (he fays) and the last without its intended companion, may feem like the hafte of those vain people, who, as foon as they have written a few pages of a difcourfe, or a few couplets of a poem, cannot be easy till every body has feen them. I do proteft, in honeft fimplicity! it is distrust and not confidence, that has led me at this early stage of the undertaking, to bring it before the publick. To labour in uncertainty is at all times unpleafant; but to proceed in a long and difficult work with any impreffion upon your mind that your labour may be in vain, that the opinion you have conceived of your ability to perform it may be a delufion, a falfe fuggeftion of self-love, the fantasy of an afpiring temper, is moft difcouraging and cheerlefs. I have not proceeded fo far, indeed, merely upon the strength of my own judgment; but the friends to whom I have fhewn my manufcripts are partial to me, and their approbation which in the cafe of any indifferent person would be in my mind completely decifive, goes but a little way in relieving me from these apprehenfions. To step beyond the circle of my own immediate friends in queft of opinion, from the particular temper of my mind I feel an uncommon repugnance: I can with less pain to myfelf bring them before the publick at once, and submit to its decifion. It is to my countrymen at large that I call for affistance. If this work is fortunate enough to attract their attention, let their strictures as well as their praise come to my aid: the one will encourage me in a long and arduous undertaking, the other will teach me to improve it as I advance. For there are many errours that may be detected, and improvements that may be fuggefted in the profecution of this work, which from the obfervations of a great variety of readers are more likely to be pointed out to me, than from those of a small number of perfons, even of the best judg ment.' P. 67.

Love is the paffion of which the progrefs is traced in the

6

first and fecond of these plays; but it is not the common-place love of the drama. It is grafted not on thofe open communicative impetuous characters, who have fo long occupied the dramatic ftation of lovers, but on men of a firm, thoughtful, reserved turn of mind, with whom it commonly makes the longest stay, and maintains the hardeft ftruggle.'

The scene of the firft tragedy lies in Mantua. Count Bafil is upon his march through that town, to join the imperial general Pescara. The duke of Mantua is in the French intereft; and, knowing that an engagement is on the point of taking place, he endeavours to delay the march of Bafil. With this view he employs his daughter Victoria to detain the count one day in Mantua.

Bafil is reprefented as a severe character, ardent for military fame, rigid in command, yet beloved by those who are under him. The princefs paffes near his troops in a proceffion; and he recognises in her the female whom he had feen hunting two years before. He fays,

Her name and ftate I knew not;

Yet, like a beauteous vifion from the bleft,
Her form has oft upon my mind return'd;
And tho' this day the fight had ne'er reftor'd,
It ne'er had been forgotten.' P. 100.

The count's paffion is difcovered in a mafterly manner. His officers, in his prefence, are converfing of the proceffion, the offerings, and the princefs.

Fred. Nay, it is treafon but to call her woman;
She's a divinity, and should be worthipp'd.
But on my life, fince now we talk of worship,
She worshipp'd Francis with right noble gifts!
They fparkled fo with gold and precious gems
Their value must be great; some thousand crowns?

Rof. I would not rate them at a price fo mean;
The cup alone, with precious ftones befet,
Would fetch a fum as great. That olive branch
The princess bore herself, of fretted gold,

Was exquifitely wrought. I mark'd it more,

Because the held it in fo white a hand.

6

• Bafil, in a quick voice. Mark'd you her hand? I did not fee her hand,

And yet the wav'd it twice.' P. 83.

A scene enfues between Bafil and Rofinberg, his friend and kinfinan. The former is praifing Victoria's perfon..

O! how they fmil'd! 'twas like the beams of heav'n!

I felt my roused foul within me start,
Like fomething wak'd from fleep.

Rof. Ah! many a flumb'rer heav'n's beams do wake To care and mifery!

Baf. There's fomething grave and folemn in your

voice

As you pronounce these words.

Thou wouldst not found my knell ?

What doft thou mean?

Rof. No, not for all beneath the vaulted sky!
But to be plain, thus earnest from your lips
Her praise displeases me.
To men like you
If love fhould come, he proves no easy guest.

• Baf. What dost thou think I am befide myself,
And cannot view the fairnefs of perfection
With that delight which lovely beauty gives,
Without tormenting me with fruitless wishes;
Like the poor child who fees its brighten'd face,
And whimpers for the moon? Thou art not serious?
From early youth, war has my mistress been,
And tho' a rugged one, I'll conftant prove,
And not forfake her now. There may be joys
Which to the strange o'erwhelming of the foul,
Vifit the lover's breaft beyond all others;
E'en now, how dearly do I feel there may !
But what of them? they are not made for me.
The hafty flashes of contending steel

Muft ferve instead of glances from my love,

And for soft breathing fighs the cannon's roar.

• Rof. taking his hand. Now am I fatisfied. Forgive me, Bafil.

Baf. I'm glad thou art, we'll talk of her no more. Why should I vex my friend?

Ref. Thou haft not giv'n orders for the march.

Baf. I'll do it foon; thou need'st not be afraid.

To morrow's fun fhall bear us far from hence,

Never perhaps to pass these gates again.

Rof. With last night's clofe did you not curfè this

town

That would one fingle day your troops retard?
And now, methinks, you talk of leaving it,
As though it were the place that gave you birth;
As tho' you had around these strangers' walls
Your infant gambols play'd.

Baf. The fight of what may be but little priz'd,
Doth caufe a folemn sadness in the mind,
When view'd as that we ne'er fhall fee again.

Rof. No, not a whit to wand'ring men like us,
No, not a whit! what cuftom hath endear'd

We part with fadly, tho' we prize it not ;
But what is new fome pow'rful charm must own,
Thus to affect the mind.

Baf. haftily. Yes, what is new, but-No, thou art
impatient;

We'll let it pafs-It hath no confequence.

Rof. I'm not impatient. 'Faith, I only wish Some other route our deftin'd march had been, That ftill thou mightft thy glorious courfe purfue With an untroubled mind.

Baf. O! with it, wifh it not! blefs'd be that route! What we have feen to-day I must remember

I should be brutish if I could forget it.

Oft in the watchful poft, or weary march,
Oft in the nightly filence of my tent,
My fixed mind fhall gaze upon it ftill;.
But it will pafs before my fancy's eye,
Like forme delightful vifion of the foul,
To foothe, not trouble it.

Rof. What, midft the dangers of eventful war,
Still let thy mind be haunted by a woman?
Who would, perhaps, hear of thy fall in battle,
As Dutchmen read of earthquakes in Calabria,
And never ftop to cry alack-a-day!

For me there is but one of all the fex,
Who ftill fhall hold her ftation in my breast,
Midft all the changes of inconftant fortune;
Because I'm paffing fure fhe loves me well,
And for my fake a fleepless pillow finds
When rumour tells bad tidings of the war;
Because I know her love will never change,
Nor make me prove uneafy jealousy.

Baf. Happy art thou! who is this wond'rous woman?
Rof. It is mine own good mother, faith and truth!
Baf. fmiling. Give me thy hand; I love her dearly

too.

Rivals we are not, though our love is one.

Rof. And yet I might be jealous of her love,

For the bestows too much of it on thee,

Who haft no claim but to a nephew's fhare.

Baf. going. I'll meet thee fome time hence. I must

to court.

Rof. A private conf'rence will not ftay thee long. I'll wait thy coming near the palace gate.

Baf. 'Tis to the public court I mean to go.

Rof. I thought you had determin'd otherwife.
Baf. Yes, but on farther thought it did appear

As though it would be failing in respect