bottles a-day, and do all his friends the kindness to lay them under the table as often as they din with him; yet, if conftitution or habit fecure him against the fame ignominious effects, he claims to be confidered a sober man. Yes, a woman of fashion, too, may alsociate, and make her daughters allociate, with known prostitutes and adultereffes, fo that their paramours are but inhabitants of the Fathionable World, without any impeachinent of their virtue, nay even with great praife for their prudence. On this fubject it were a fin to be filent; while we daily witnels the profligate attempt to break down the facred boundaries which have hitherto fubfifted between virtue and vice; while we fee the unprincipled artifices which are employed to render fuch attempt fuccefsful; while we perceive the power and influence of high rank and itation exerted for this dete table purpofe; and while we obferve the proudest woman in the kingdom, who apes royalty in her household, whofe high notions of duty fo far fubdued the dictates of nature, and filenced the voice of religion, as to make her withhold her forgiveness from her child for prefuming to marry the object of her affections, who was only a man of worth, and a private gentleman; while we obferve this woman, in order to pay a base and fervile homage to the rifing fun, in whofe meridian beams her age forbids the hope to baik, obfequiouily bending at the fhrine of adultery, and rendering her name the inftrument and the pallport of vice. Let all those who are actors in this difgraceful fcene look forward to the inevitable confequences of it; let them confider, moft feriously con fider, to what it leads; and, however, by paltry quibbles worthy of the Romish Church and fchool, they may fucceed in deceiving their judgments and in lulling their confciences, the reflections which fuch confideration will engender, must make them tremble, in the filent hour of meditation, and policy or fear will then perhaps have the effect which religion and virtue haye failed to produce. Be this as it may, all the monftrous combinations of rank, of birth, of power, of party, of opulence, and of pride, cannot avert the finalleft of the fcriptural denunciations; and however they may fucceed in crowding the card-avenue of adultery, or in lavithing on vice the honours which thould be exclufively referved for virtue, they cannot ward off the dreadful fentence pronounced by divine authority on unrepenting whoremongers and adulterers-Exclusion from, the kingdom of Heaven!The day, then, must come, when they who, unhappily for themselves, are railed too high in the fphere of human life to experience contradiction in this world, will, in the bitterness and anguifh of their hearts, curfe thofe obfequious pandars and parafites, who cherished their errors, encouraged their vices, and hurled them, as it were, into the gulph of deftruction. Their eyes may now be dazzled, their fenfes fafcinated, by the contemplation of their own fplendour, and the consciousness of their own power; but then, when ftripped of all their trappings, and levelled, mingled, with the common duft of mortality, conviction must flash upon their minds with the force and rapidity of lightning, and when too late for repentance to operate, they must hear the fiat of their unerring Judge fix their irrevocable doom.

On the mode of paffing the Sabbath in the fashionable world our author comments with confiderable force; and we could have fupplied him with an anecdote which he might have used with success, in illuftration of his fubject. A fashionable duchefs, with fome of her affociates, greatly expreffed a wish to fee the exhibition of pictures at Somerset House, but declared that on the week days, it was frequented by fo many vulgar people, and the apartments

NO. LXXII. VOL. XVIII.

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apartments were in confequence fo hot, that no women of fashion could breathe in them, the therefore preferred her grievous complaint to at illuftrious perfonage, and folicited his intereft to obtain permiffion for her and her friends to fee the exhibition on a Sunday. The interest, we are afsured, was exerted, and the permiffion obtained! We fhall not diminillt the force of this anecdote by any comment of our own.

In the chapter on education, the author confiders the theatres as the best fchools in which to acquire the elements of modifh vice.

"When it is confidered at what pains the managers are to import the feducing dramas of Germany, as well as to get up the loofe productions of the English Mufe; when it is further confidered how ftudious the actors and actresses are to do justice, and even more than juftice, to the luscious fcenes of the piece, to give effect to the equivoques by an arch emphasis, and to the oaths by a dauntless intonation; when to all this is added, how many painted ftrumpets are stuck about the theatre, in the boxes, the galleries, and the avenues; and how many challenges to prostitution are thrown out in every direction; it will, I think, be difficult to imagine places better adapted than the theatres at this moment are, to teach the theory and practice of fashionable iniquity."

We

It is certainly true, that theatres, as they are now conducted, are little better than brothels. The education of fathionable females, our author juftly remarks, is chiefly directed to the two points of "diffipation and difplay! A brilliant finger on the piano, wanton flexions in the dance." with he had dwelt much more on this laft branch of female education; dancing is no longer what it used to be, an elegant and graceful accom plishment, but an incentive to lafcivioufnels, and a contamination of virgin purity. Our females have become ftage-dancers; learn attitudes à-laParisot, almoft imitating the dancing girls of the Eaft; and dance German waltzes, than which nothing can be more indelicate or indecent; but to proceed" a rage for operas, plays, and parties, and the faculty of undergoing the fatiguing evolutions of a fashionable life without compunction of confcience, fente of wearinefs, or indications of difguft, are qualifications which he who has acquired; will be confidered as wanting little of a perfect education." As the blush of virgin modefty would be found extremely troublefome to ladies thus educated, great pains are taken to deftroy it; and the theatre is ftated to be the best and most fashionable remedy for this natural bat moft unfathionable infirmity. "As intrigue is the life of the drama, and this cannot be carried on without expreffions, attitudes, and communications between the fexes of a very peculiar nature, there is every reason for regarding the ftage as a fovereign remedy for the infirmity of blushing." The ftage, too, poffeffes numerous other advantages, of equal efficacy in the formation of a fashionable mind. rake who is debauching innocence, fquandering away property, and extending the influence of licentioufnels to the utmost of his power, would, (if fai.ly reprefented) excite fpontaneous and univerfal abhorrence. But this would be extremely inconvenient, fince raking, feduction, and prodi gality make half the bufinefs, and almost all the reputation of men of fashion. What then must be done? Sonte qualities of acknowledged excellence must be affociated with these vicious propensities, in order to prevent them from occafioning unmingled difguft. We may, I prefume, refer it to the fame policy, that in dramas of the greateft popularity the worthless ibertine is reprefented as having at the bottom fome of, thofe properties

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which reflect most honour upon human nature: while, as if to throw the balance ftill more in favour of vice; the man of profeffed virtue is delineated as being in the main a fneaking and hypocritical villain. Lefons fuch as these are not likely to be loft upon the ingenuous feelings of a young girl. For, befides the fafcinations of an elegant address, and an artful manner, the whole conduct of the plot is an insidious appeal to the fimplicity of her heart. She is taught to believe by thefe repre entations, that profligacy, is the exuberance of a generous nature; and decorum the veil of a bad heart: fo that having learnt, in the outfet of her career, to associate frankness with vice, and duplicity with virtue; he will not be likely to feparate those combinations during the remainder of her life.

Thefe obfervations are most juft; and our readers are not to be told, that for this admirable leffon of fashionable morality the world is indebted to that confiftent patriot,* eminent ftatefman, pious Chriftian, and most difinterefted manager of a theatre, Richard Brindley Sheridan, who, as we learn from fome recent declarations of his own, not in Drury-lane, but in another house, is privy counsellor to the Heir Apparent of the British throne, keeper of his Royal Highness's confcience, and, for aught we know, fupe intendant of the amusements and public doings, in Tilney-street. But let this gentleman take care. Degenerate as the nation confelfedly is, its moral fenfe is not fo far deadened as to look with indifference on the character and conduct of the moral advisers of their future fovereign. Rights and duties are fo intimately, and fo properly, blended, in every clafs of fubjects, as has been forcibly demonftrated by that able writer and excellent man, Mr. Granville Penn, that the di charge of the latter is effential to the enjoyment of the former. "Man's right, as well as his duty," moft truly obferves Mr. Penn, is to be collected from the defign of God, who devolved it. As we have fhewn it to be consecutive on his duty, and subordinate to it, it follows that there cannot exift a right intrinsically hoftile to, or destructive of, a duty." Digressive as thefe remarks may appear to fome, the generality of our readers will easily understand and apply them.

In the chapter on Manners and Drefs, the author obferves, "The manners of people of fashion have been brought to an affected resemblance to thole of their inferiors. The cropped head and groomith dress of the men, and the noify tone and vulgar air of the women, would almost perfuade a firanger that these are blunt and artless people, and that they have nothing more than honefty and plain-dealing. The fact, however, is, that though the mode of playing is varied, yet the game of diffimulation is still going This condefcenfion to vulgarity is, after all, the difguife of pride, and not the drefs of fimplicity; and is as remote from the fincerity which it imitates, as from the refinement which it renounces.

There are many other paffages which we would fain extract, but our limits peremptorily forbid us to proceed. We must therefore draw this article to an end; adding only one thort extract on the fathionable mode of obferving the fabbath. “There are, indeed, fome esprits-forts among the ladies, who are trying with no little fucce's to redeem a portion of the fabbath from the infuffe, able bondage of the bible and the fermon-book, and to naturalize that continental diftribution of the day, which gives the morn

* For an admirable delineation of this man's public character and conduct, fee Mr. Cobbett's Political Proteus.

ing to devotion, and the evening to diffipation. It is but justice to the gentlemen to fay, that they difcover no backwardness in fupporting a measure fo confonant to all their wishes. The influence which Popery is acquiring in the higher walks of fashion, will materially affift the progre s of a scheme, of which that trafficking religion is both the parent and the patron. It is therefore not impoffible that fome confiderable changes in this respect may foon be brought about. That good-humoured legislature which has allowed a Sunday new paper, will perhaps not always refuse a Sunday opera." (Certainly not, when players or managers become legiflators.)" And to fay the truth, it will be but just that the Catholics, when emancipated from one fort of restraint, should affist in emancipating the Protestants from another. We trust that emancipation is very far off. It certainly will not occur during the present reign; and, on that, as well as on a thousand other accounts, hocking as the words will appear to fashionable ears, our daily prayer fhall be," Long live the King, may the King live for ever." In a note, the author infers the growth of Popery from the attendance of Proteltants at the malles for the foul of the Duc D'Enghien, and on their contributing to the expences of their celebration. But here we must diffent from him; as we think their conduct, on this occafion, may fairly be imputed to political and humane motives, without any implied approbation whatever of the ceremony at which they were present. They might think it proper to fhew a mark of respect to the memory of a virtuous and illuftrious Prince, who had been bafely and inhumanly butchered, by a cowardly affaffin, for his firmnefs and loyalty; and they had no means of fhewing it fo publicly and fo decidedly, as by their attendance at the chapels where these maffes were performed. We agree, however, with our author in thinking, that Popery is gaining ground in the circles of fashion, and have little little doubt but that the indulgences which it allows have considerable influence in extending its progrefs. Our extracts from this excellent publication have been fo copious, that it is needlefs for us to fay a word more on its ftyle or its merits.

Observations made at Paris during the Peace; and Remarks in a Tour from London to Paris through Picardy, and to England by the Route of Normandy; containing a full Description of every Object of Curiosity in the French Metropolis and its Environs a critical Review of the Theatres, Actors, &c. and every interesting particular that may serve as a useful Companion to the Stranger, and amuse the Mind of the Curious and Scientific. By Edmund John Eyre, formerly of Pembroke-hall, Cambridge, now of the Theatre Royal, Bath and Bristol. 8vo. PP. 410. 10s. 6d. Meyler, Bath; Robinsons, London. 1803.

THIS book might serve very well as a traveller's vade mecum if its fize were not inconvenient, and its price not too high for the pocket. Mr. Eyre descends into more particulars than any preceding tourist, giving a precife and accurate account of the prices of admiffion to any public place in the metropolis of France, the expence of travelling thither, and even the items of a washerwoman's bill; and having taken the trouble to transcribe and to tranflate (the latter, indeed, not very accurately) an enormous bill of fare of Citizen Very, the Reftaurateur, in the Palais Royal; this laft article fills no lets than fourteen of his octavo pages, while his bird's eye view of the French monarchy, its conftitution, and government, from the acceffion of Louis 14th,

to

to the foundation of the republic, including an account" of thofe extraordinary circumstances which have abolished royalty and raised a republic on its ruins, occupies only six pages. But what is here wanting in detail is made up in novelty, for we learn that, "under Louis 14, 15, and 16th, people were by no means safe," We have thus to congratulate ourselves op having elcaped a danger, of which indeed we were not aware, during a refidence of leveral years in France, under the monarchy-" (pies and informers were encou raged, and a general jealousy prevailed; every perfon fufpected that thofe whom he converted with would betray him, and that, inttead of returning to his family and home, he might be tent to the Baftile, or fome other itate prifon." The book contains a variety of information equally important and equally correct. We are allured "the fathion of the cropped heads is ufetul, cleanly, and humane, and, I hope, will never be abolithed in this, or our own country. In adorning the head, how many hours are utt rly loft to useful labour, and fcientific ftudy." We heartily with that Mr. Eyre had taken more pains to adorn the infide of his head, and that he had devoted more time to the fcientific ftudy" of grammar, which he certainly would have found a labour highly useful to his iterary purfuits. "When we con→ fider too, that the powder with which vain individuals used to blanch their hair, is drawn from the aliment of the poor, (for it is extracted from wheat, ftripped of its nutritious fubfiance) it is impoflible not to rejoice at the dif appearance of the prepofierous cuftom." Mr. E. probably did not know that in France, where powder was most used, bread was cheaper and better, than in any other part of Europe. But fuch wretched ftuff is beneath criticilm. When the author tells us that "the lives of the unfortunate footpaisengers are hourly crushed by the rapid courie of the circulating wheels," and that the Canaille never thinks of to-morrow, the amulements of today occupy their whole attention," &c. He must not be furprited at our with that he had paid more attention to the ftudy of his native language; though he will probably be offended at our prefum ption in fo fpeaking to a writer who belongs to that privileged clats whofe souls are ennobled by science; and who poffefs "a good figure, a graceful manner, a melodious voice, a retentive memory, and an accurate judgment," qualifications, in his eftimation of fufficient worth and importance to render them fit alsociates for exalted rank.

An authentic Account of the late unfortunate Death of Lord (amelford; with an Extract of his Lordship's Will, and some Remarks upon his Character. By the Rev. William Cockburne, A. M. Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge, &c. 8vo. Pp. 17. Hatchard. 1804.

WHAT could be Mr. Cockburne's object in publishing this pamphlet it is impofible for us to conceive; it is utterly deftitute of all uteful information, filent on the circumstances which led to the death of the unfortunate young nobleman; and contains nothing (if we except, indeed, the brief account of the good qualities which Lord Camelford is known to have poffeffed), that can gratify, intereft, or amule the public; while, in one respect, we must condemn it, as molt improper; for it leaves the mind of the reader imprelled with the conviction that the unhappy object of his panegyric was not a Christian! We are told that his Lordship's mind had become tainted with infidelity by the perufal of sceptical books, read, it feems, for the laudable purpole of "puzzling the chaplains;" over whom, we are given' to

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under