the objections against the edition of Strabo in question are pofitively falfe.

2. With refpect to Mr. Tyrwhitt, it is anfwered, that. he was not only regularly educated at Oxford, but had taken two degrees there, and had been for feven years a fellow of Merton College: that he quitted all public employment from the year 1768, and paffed the remainder of his life in critical and literary ftudies. But that his Poetics, the work particularly praifed, was a pofthumous publication, produced from unfinished notes. When the reader is informed that thefe extraordinary miftakes and mifreprefenta tions are attempted to be defended by the Reviewer, he may eafily conceive what kind of difputant he is.

The third affailant, who rails against the manner in which the learned languages are ftudied at Oxford, is answered, as far as his reflections appeared to deserve reply, in a clear and fatisfactory manner. But firft, with refpect to the utility of claffical learning, a point much urged by fome oppofers of it, after fome more general reflections, the following fatisfactory conclufion is made.

"In the cultivation of literature is found that common link, which, among the higher and middling departments of life, unites the jarring fects and fubdivifions in one intereft, which fupplies common topics, and kindles common feelings, unmixed with thofe narrow prejudices with which all profeffions are more or lefs infected. The knowledge too, which is thus acquired, expands and enlarges the mind, excites its faculties, and calls thofe limbs and muscles into freer exercife, which, by too conftant use in one direction, not only acquire an illiberal air, but are apt alfo to lofe fomewhat of their native play and energy. And thus, without directly qualifying a man for any of the employments of life, it enriches and ennobles all. Without teaching him the peculiar business of any one office or calling, it enables him to act his part in each of them with better grace and more elevated carriage; and, if happily planned and conducted, is a main ingredient in that complete and generous education, which fits a man "to perform juftly, fkilfully, and magnanimously, all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war." P. 1 111.

The particular objections of the Reviewer are then reduced to four charges.

* Partly from the statement of Mr. Falconer, nephew to the Editor, publifhed in the Gentleman's Magazine, Sept. 1809.

A a

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXVII. APRIL, 1811.

"ift. That claffical learning forms the fole business of English education.

"2dly. That hence the tafte and imagination only of the ftudent are cultivated.

"3dly. That the inftruction of our public schools and univerfities, even in claffical literature, is of a limited and mistaken kind.

4thly. That in Oxford particularly, every manly exercife of the reafoning powers is difcouraged." P. 116.

The first charge, fays the Reply, befides being fpun and twisted into the materials of every page, is alfo diftinctly laid before us in the following terms.

"A young Englishman goes to fchool at fix or seven years old and he remains in a course of education till twenty-three or twenty-four years of age. In all that time, his fole and exclufive occupation is learning Latin and Greek."

This charge of learning Latin and Greek, thus ftated, as if nothing but the languages themfelves was to be learned, from the great authors whofe works are written in one or the other of them, is treated with juft ridicule and contempt: as if, fays the Reply," the ftudy of Bacon, of Locke, of Milton, of Addifon, and all our great eft moralifls, hiftorians, and poets," were to be called learning English. The fecond charge, it is truly anfwered, can mean nothing, unless the poets alone were ftudied. In the anfwer to the third charge, the grofs ignorance, as well as the injuftice of the accufer is ably difplayed. To the fourth objection, a fhort and general anfwer is firft given; but it is more fully repelled in the fourth chapter of the Reply, where a diftinct view is given of the plan of ftudies and examinations purfued at Oxford. The whole of this part we should be glad to infert, but are prevented by its length; we fhall therefore give only the fhorter refutation, which ftands in the third chapter.

"The best answer to this will be given in the account of our ftudies; and fomething, I truft, has been already faid in refutation of it, when the falfe eftimate made of the nature of claffical learning was expofed. The ftudent undergoes a close examination in the jubject matter of all he reads, and fome of the works moft read are no light exercife of the understanding. Strict Logic, Divinity, and Mathematical theorems, whether pure or mixed, cannot fail to difcipline the reafoning powers; and these form a part of the ftudies in every College. There are lectures read in Experimental Philofophy, in Aftronomy, in Chemistry, in Mineralogy, and in Botany: how far thefe purfuits exercise the fudent's mind, can only be collected from the general tendency

of

of fuch ftudies. They do not enter (except the two first, and thefe at the option of the candidate) into the examination for degrees; and as they are taught not by tutors, but by public profeffors, it cannot well be afcertained what impreffion they make on each individual." P. 131.

We have now noticed the chief points of this difpute, as far as the limited extent of our publication will admit, we fhall conclude by inferting the fpirited vindication of himself which the author of the Three Replies has given, in aufwer to the charge of incivility and rancour.

"To the world at large it is at leaft a novel fpectacle to fee an Edinburgh Reviewer appear as plaintiff in a caufe of this nature. Long have we been accustomed to the complaints of men, whose feelings have been wounded by the wanton feverity of that pub lication, whofe literary pretenfions have been treated with the moft contemptuous ridicule, whofe names have been ftudiously connected with every phrafe expreffive of fcorn, whofe veracity has been impeached without fcruple, and who have been fingled out and expofed, with malicious pleasure, as the object of indecent and fcurrilous buffoonery. It cannot therefore be expected that much fympathy will be awakened by this appeal, in the breafts of those to whom the ordinary tone and temper of that Review is already known. Some people indeed may derive a little fatisfaction from perceiving that this cruelty on their part did not proceed from utter apathy; and a hope may arife, that, as their fenfibility has been awakened to their own fufferings, a little regard may hereafter be fhewn, if not from a fenfe of pity, yet from a motive of prudence, to thofe of others.

"Since, however, the writer of this article has judged it expedient to mitigate the ftrain of invective which difgraced his former pages, there will not be much occafion for reverting to that topic now; and I fhall confine myfelf chiefly to the confideration of those points, which he very juftly confiders as affecting," his veracity and his knowledge." A fteady and careful examination of the feveral points in queftion is indeed neceffary, before any judgment can be fafely pronounced; and if I am favoured with this during the philological minutia which it is impoffible to omit, I have no doubt of being able to prove demonftratively, that his claim to thefe attributes is fmail indeed.

"But though I wish to give him all fair play, there is one fcreen, from the benefit of which I truft he will be deprived in the outfet of the bufinefs. To impeach the veracity of another in private life is thought to be an infraction on the rules of fociety. But why is it fo confidered? Is it not becaufe, if the accufed party be guilty, he is unworthy of a place in that fociety? And the

A a 2

peace

peace and comfort of the reft must be disturbed before any fuffi. cient proof can be obtained of the matter. In the prefent cafe no fuch evil is to be apprehended, and no obftacle presents itself in the way of free enquiry. Again, however others may complain of the inconvenience and noife ufually attending fuch dif putes, the culprit himself cannot furely be allowed to make use of that plea, or avail himself of his own wrong. The accufation may indeed be preferred in language unneceffarily violent; and for this the accufer may be justly blamed; though not even then by the offending party, provided he makes good his charge. But if the offence has really been committed, permiffion ought furely to be given, fomewhere, to ftate it in terms which cannot be mistaken, and which, though not coarfe or vulgar, are yet expreffive of that indignation and abhorrence, which is naturally excited by fuch a practice." P. 55.

It is a common and useful prejudice among the lower ranks of our countrymen, that one Briton can always beat three or four Frenchmen, and the principle appears to have been acted upon, in several glorious inftances, during the prefent war; particularly in the ever memorable battle of Barrofa. We rejoice to find that a proportionable vigour has been demonftrated by the champion of Oxford. His antagonists appear to have been, 1. A man of high rank and talents in a diilant univerfity. 2. An irregular volunteer, never properly trained under any fyftem of difcipline; and 3. A renegado Academic, who feeks to cover his own want of proficiency by reviling the studies which he neglected; all thefe the fingle prowefs of one regular and experienced Oxonian has completely baffled and fubdued. He may fay with Hercules,

Nec me Paftoris Iberi

Forma triplex, nec forma triplex tua, Cerbere, movit.

ART. IX. Four Difcourfes on Subjects relating to the Amufe ment of the Stage. Preached at Great St. Mary's Church, Cambridge, on Sunday, September 25, and Sunday, October 2, 1808. With copious Supplementary Notes. By James Plumptre, B. D. Fellow of Clare-Hall, Cambridge. 8vo. 281 pp. 7s. Rivingtons. 1809.

THIS may almoft be regarded as a book fui generis. It is probable that no fimilar work ever illued from the University prefs, and that none like it will ever appear here

after.

་་

after. That is, not altogether like it, for we do not mean to fay, that the ftage and the pulpit are fo oppofite to each other, that there is no point in which they touch; but fuppofing the moral nature and effects of the Drama to be felected as a topic for difcuffion, either in the univerfity, or in any other pulpit, it is but barely poffible that any other divine fhould be found fo well qualified for the treatment of it as Mr. Plumptre. In a dedication, addreffed to the Vice-Chancellor, the learned Dr. Edward Pearfon, Mafter of Sidney-Suflex College, the author enters, at fone length, into the history of his early attachment to the flage, which he defcribes as having commenced while he was a pupil at the celebrated academy at Hackney, under Mr. Newcome, where it was the custom, once in three years, to perform one of Shakespeare's plays, as a public exercife. While Mr. P. continued at fchool, he tells us, he became both an actor and an author; but adds, "it was here, however, that while I imbibed a love for the drata, I acquired likewife fome idea of wifhing to render it more proper for public reprefentation." The reform of the ftage, therefore, having long engaged the thoughts and attention of Mr. P., it seems to have been chiefly by accident, that this particular inode of delivering his fentiments to the public has been adopted, however apparently unconnected with the author's fituation in the University and calling, as a divine. Mr. Plumptre very ably apologizes for himfeli, by candidly acknowledging, that fhould any be difpofed to object that he has heretofore mifemployed his time and his talents, he is not willing to difpute it; but is only the more anxious to make up for paft imprudencies, by applying the knowledge he has gained to the particular fervice of his fellow-creatures; and he wishes it to be made evident at leaft, by the mode he has adopted, that "while he has been employed in a service of danger in an enemy's country, he has endeavoured to labour with the fword of the spirit by his fide." Mr. P. fpeaks with the greatest modefty of his own diamatic compofitions, and is careful to let us know, that he has long ceafed to frequent the theatre, except for the exprefs purpose of contemplating it in a moral and religious point of view.

In juftice to the author of these difcourfes, as well as to the learned and refpectable audience before which they were preached, we have judged it fit to touch upon fome of these particulars, that the true motives both for the delivery and publication of fuch a particular fet of fermons, fhould be duly appreciated.

The following paffage, however, from the firft difcourfe,