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will look in vain for the beauties of fentiment and expreffion, which diftinguish the productions of the illuftrious orator and philofopher of Rome.

The following fpecimen will confirm the truth of thefe obfervations, and how that the volume which we are now examining, poffeffes neither the correctness of a literal, nor the elegance of a free-tranflation.

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My fon, Marcus, though, after a year devoted to ftudy under Cratippus, a mafter of unrivalled eminence, and at Athens, where fcience may be improved by elegance of manners, you ought to be well acquainted with philofophy in its fpeculative and practical departments; yet, as I have uniformly found it useful to myfelf to unite the Roman with the Greek literature, not only in philofophy but in exercises of elocution, you ought, I apprehend, to pursue the fame courfe, that you may acquire equal fkill in both kinds of compofition. In one of them I feem to have given fo much aid to my countrymen, that not only they who are unacquainted with Greek learning, but the learned themfelves, may think they have gained fomething for the improvement of their eloquence and their judgment.

Improve therefore under the greateft philofopher of the prefent age. Improve as long as you find it defirable; and it should continue defirable, till your proficiency is such, that you may not hereafter regret the neglect of your advantages. In perufing my writings, which differ but little from thofe of the Peripatetics, who, as well as myself, profefs themselves followers of Socrates and Plato, think for yourself on every subject: I mean not to restrain you; but your Latin ftyle, be affured, will be enriched by the perufal. Nor let me be understood to have exprefled myself fo, with a view to the indulgence of my vanity, for to many, I yield the honours of fcience; but when I affume to myself the province of teaching you the aptnefs, perfpicuity, and elegance of speech, which belong to an orator, it is a privilege, which, after fpending my life in the study, I claim in fome meafure with juftice to myfelf. I therefore recommend to you warmly, my dear Cicero, not only the perufal of my orations; but of those books on philofophy alfo, which have already grown to an equal magnitude. Though, in the former, the language is more fpirited and more apt to attract your attention; yet the fmooth and fimple compofition of the latter deferves to be ftudied.' P. I.

The notes are fuch as many fchool-boys could have produced, without any other affittance than one of the popular editions, an abridgment of Roman hiftory, and a claffical dictionary. We do not find any index, table of contents, or even a tranflation of the Argumenta Librorum furnished by Erafmus.

Obfervations on the Manners and Customs of Italy, with Remarks on the vaft Importance of British Commerce on that Continent; alfo, Particulars of the wonderful Explosion of Mount Vefuvius, taken on the Spot at Midnight, in June, 1794, when the beautiful and extenfiue City of Torre del Greco was buried under the blazing River of Lava from the Mountain; likewife, an Account of many very extraor dinary Cures produced by a Preparation of Opium, in a Variety of obftinate Cafes, according to the Practice in Afia; with many Phyfical Remarks collected in Italy, well deferving the Attention of moft Families. By a Gentleman authorifed to investigate the Commerce of that Country with Great-": Britain. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Cadell and Davies. 1798.

THIS work has engaged more of our attention than its real or apparent importance would feem to have required. The myfterious connection of the traveller, the authorised inveftigator of the commerce between Great-Britain and Italy, and the quack, was not eafily reconcileable; and, had it not been for fome intrinfic evidence, that the author had really been in Italy, we might have fuppofed this volume to have been a hand-bill of a fuperior kind. We pretend not, after all our care, to unravel thefe myfteries, but fhall give a general account of the work; and fome happier ŒEdipus may explain the riddle.

The obfervations are of the moft familiar kind that travellers offer, and are, in general, trite and trifling. Stories are introduced, fometimes humorous, occafionally indelicate, which, if our recollection does not fail us, we have seen in the works of Boccacio, or fome fimilar novelist.

The great object of the author is to recommend opium, not the common drug of the fhops, as that would be too obvious and eafily obtained; but the genuine preparation of Afia, which he procures from a friend. The virtues of this medicine are explained at fome length; and they are so numerous andim portant, that every perfon is highly blameable, if he fhould for a moment be ill, or fhould ever die. On the whole, the travels are calculated to please, when the mind wants amusement without much study, or employment with little exertion. The marvellous is, however, too confpicu

ous.

We thall felect a fpecimen of the writer's manner; and, as the practice of the courts of law in Italy is a fubject the least hackneyed, we fhall tranfcribe his obfervations upon it.

Don Filippo conducted me first to the civil law court. The afcent to it was dirty beyond defcription, and the stairs being crowded with lawyers, hackney writers, and advocates, paffing and re

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paffing, made it difficult to afcend. In this court there were five judges on the bench, to whom very little respect was paid; the advocates indecently talking and laughing while the written procefs was reading, for all caufes are carried on in that way. We fat down at the board before the judges, and my friend defired me to pay attention to an advocate then reading the cafe of his client. He was one of the most distinguished; his expreffions were fo energetic, and the facts fo clearly stated in fublime language, that I could not but imagine the caufe would foon be decided in favour of his client. My friend told me that this caufe had been before the court feven years, and it was not unlikely that it would conAfter ftaying three hours, and hearing the oppofite advocate, we quitted the court, and returning home, he faid, "You feem furprised that caufes are fo long determining; but you must know that we have in this city lawyers of all denominations furpalling the number of eleven thoufand, and all will live; and when it might be thought by ftrangers that a verdict was near. at hand, new fuborned witneffes are procured to controvert what had been before produced in evidence." I told him that I had heard it was not uncuftomary for the judges to be bribed; "I am forry, (faid he) to be of the fame opinion, for their pay is fo fmall, and being obliged to keep up a certain rank equal to their dignity, they are liable to fuch temptations."

tinue as many more.

As foon as the pleadings on a caufe are over, ftrangers retire, and the judges proceed to a verdict without much deliberation, becaufe the fentence will undergo perhaps ten revisions. This is the cruel fcourge of the Neapolitans; and the civil law may be faid. to be nothing more thau a diforder, for there is no real conftitution in the state, and fovereign decifion is alfo very uncertain.

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" In Sicily it is worfe; the haughty barons imprifon their vaffals by a written order, affiguing no other reason than " It is our pleafure" and they also punish with death their vaffals with impunity.

• Criminal caufes in Naples are also carried on by a written procefs; but fuch prifoners as have no means to employ an advocate, have one appointed by the crown, called the defender of the poor. When the fentence of death is paffed, no execution can take place till the criminal confeffes the guilt, which if not done immediately, he is put into á fhocking dungeon, and only a small quantity of bread and water is allowed him, fo that he either expires in that confinement, or, confeffing, he is carried to execution.

"During my practice, (faid my friend) I was witness to many final decifions, both civil and criminal, which would fhock the ears of humanity." He was going to recount them, but notice was given that dinner was on the table, and we joined his lady and amiable children.

At feven o'clock the hufband took leave of us to go to his female friend, and foon after I accompanied his wife to her father's houfe, where was a fmall, but agreeable fociety." P. 134.

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Having been feveral times in Rome and Naples, I frequently vifited the civil and criminal courts. One cafe I related to you in my letter of the 21st of April, of a man who was executed at Naples, but who ought rather to have been confined as a madman, for fuch he really was. I will now mention another cafe, which alfo happened at Naples, of a young man of a noble family who murdered the hufband of a woman he had debauched. On his trial one of the evidences against him fet forth that he killed the hufband with a piftol in a lane leading to his house, on each fide of which were hedges full of fhrubs. The prifoner's advocate. faid, that it had not been proved before the court that there ever was fuch a lane, and therefore petitioned that inspectors should be fent to examine the spot, and the fentence deferred five days. The judges (who were fuppofed to have been bribed) fent two perfons to examine the fpot. The young man's family having in the mean time bought the houfe, caufed the hedges to be dug up and carried away, and the lane was ploughed up in common with the other ground. The infpectors returned an answer to court that no fuch lane could be difcovered, on which the judges acquitted the prifoner.

"I am here on a caufe now trying for the recovery of a sum of money which has been fome years due to me; and although legally proved by bonds, the court feems inclined to help the debtor to evade payment, as he is protected by one of the cardinals. I hope, foon to fee the day when fuch church abuses will be done away.' P. 206.

The accounts of the eruption of Mount Vefuvius, of the king of Naples, of friars, nuns, &c. differ little from the common ftorics of travellers, difplaying no great extent of information or depth of refearch. The virtues of opium muft be learned from the work itself; and the author's private difputes, which fill too large a space in the volume, cannot entertain or intereft our readers.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.

POLI T I C. S.

1

Arguments for and against an Union between Great Britain and Ireland, confidered. To which is prefixed a Propofal on the fame Subject, by Jofiah Tucker, D. D. Dean of Gloucefter. 8vo. 6d. Stockdale. 1798.

FEW of our readers can be ignorant of this point, that an uni

on between Great Britain and Ireland has been for fome time in

contemplation. The measure has not, indeed, been proposed in the legislature of either kingdom; nor have the minifters of either realm avowed their intentions. The pamphlet before us, however, if we are not mifinformed, is to be confidered as the avant-propos of their intentions, and has been circulated by perfons connected with thofe who are in authority, as a mean of founding the opinions of the people. The arguments on each fide are drawn up with the appearance of candour; but, in many refpects, they are rather specious than convincing; and, while the author cenfures certain arguments against the union as being petitiones principii, he not infrequently falls into the fame mode of reafoning. He asks, for inftance, what ground is there to affume that the catholics will oppose an union, though founded on proteftant principles ? To this it may be easily answered, that there is the ground of strong proba bility; for he had before informed us, that one effect of the union would be to outnumber the catholics of Ireland, who are at present the majority.

But, without entering the lifts with this champion, we shall lay beföre our readers his sketch of the points which, it is fuppofed, will conftitute the union and its benefits. Thefe are, 1. The prefervation of the proteftant establishment, as a fundamental article; 2. a proper number of peers and commoners to fit in the parliament of the empire; 3. an equality of rights and privileges, and a fair adjuftment of commerce; 4. an equitable arrangement of revenues, debts, and future taxes, fuitable to our situation and powers; 5. the continuance of the civil administration in Ireland, accommodated to the new fituation of the kingdom; 6. an arrangement for the catholic clergy; 7. fome further provifion to the diffenting clergy; 8. an arrangement with respect to tithes.

In all these points our author perceives no difficulties or difadvantages. Taking Scotland for an example, and referring to the federal government of North America, as well as to the inftances in which France has incorporated conquered countries with her indiwifible republic, he decides, that Ireland cannot be truly happy unlefs the be entirely united with Great Britain.

Thoughts on an Union. By Joshua Spencer, Efq. Barrifter at Law. δυο 15. Stockdale. 1798.

Thefe thoughts are directed against the propofed union. First Mr. Spencer maintains, that the opinions of dean Tucker, which are reprinted in the preceding tract, are of little confequence now, as they were formed before Ireland had obtained a free trade; and, fecondly, he contends, that all the benefits propofed by an union may be procured without it, as Ireland has been progreffively rifing fince the year 1782, the epoch of her commercial and conftitutional emancipation. If it should be allowed, however, that the advantages of an union may preponderate, he doubts the competen cy of parliament to decide on fuch a measure without the direct ap

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