life will afford many examples in the fphere of every one's obfervation among authors the tafte is fo far cultivated, that they will, of courfe, afford us no means of illuf

tration.

If we contemplate nations in the different periods of their hiftory, when the fine arts were more or lefs the object of public attention, and had arrived at different degrees of perfection, we shall not find that the higheft or loweft ftate of their cultivation was by any means fynchronous with the higheft or loweft state of national morality. In the Auguftan age of Rome, when the arts, especially poetry, were in the zenith of their excellence, the blandifhments of luxury, and the refinements of vice, had contaminated the morals of the people, and funk them far below the level of their republican ancestors, who, with ftoic dignity, had fpurned the unmanly enervations, while they remained fenible of the advantages of civilized life. And in our own country, about the conclufion of the feventeenth century, the licentioufnefs which pervaded all ranks of people was perhaps more general and more exceffive than has occurred in any other period of the annals of the kingdom. Yet we fhall fcarcely dare to affirm that poetry was at a low ebb, or far diftant from the fpring-tide of its excellence, when Milton and Dryden produced their immortal works; and when Denham and Waller, and many others, founded their minor lyres. In the prefent day, although we cannot with juftice pour out a fplendid eulogium on the pofitive virtue of the age, we may fafely affirm, that, in comparison with any other nation of equal advancement in civilization and wealth, and with

poetry is paft. The Campbells, the Hayleys, the Rogers, of the age, may, perhaps, rank higher in the fcale than the minor poets of our Auguftan period; but the great walks of poetry have remained a long time untrodden, and the great mafters of the art ftand unrivalled by its modern profeffors.

Since the morality or immorality of any age, then, is obviously unconnected with the perfection or imperfection of the fine arts, efpecially of poetry, as to time, we cannot infer that they ftand in the relation of caufe and effect to each other, or that they poffefs any confiderable degree of mutual influence. And this doubt is ftill more strongly confirmed, by remarking the effect which a high cultivation of poetic fenfibility produces upon the mind and difpofition of individuals. While the imagination is warmed with vifionary fcenes of active benovolence, and fancy willingly transfers the enviable feelings of the agents to our own breasts, we flatter ourselves that we are improved by the contemplation, and fhall be ready to obey the calls of pity, which real unhappiness may excite. But we forget that mifery is often accompanied by circumftances which delicacy may with to avoid, and from which this highwrought fenfibility is but too apt to turn with horror and difguft. For the very circumftances which, in defcription or the delineation of the pencil, intereft us extremely, are in reality unfightly and offenfive. A wretched novel in the poet's defeription is an interefting object; and rags, on the tablet of the painter, are picturefque beauties. The real objects are fo widely different, that he whofe humanity has been refined by the habitual study of the arts will be too faftidious to be truly beneficent, and too much accuftomed to imaginary and elegant mifery to enter the fqualid hut of poverty, and give relief where every fenfe is offended. This benevolence

in theory, too, is fo much the more gratifying, as it lays no tax upon our indolence, and claims no facrifice of our time or pleafure. We become fatisfied that our benevolence is abundant, by the fympathy we perpetually feel for the objects of poetic diftrefs, and require no actual experiment as a tett of its existence. How many Sternes have wept over a dead afs in the hour of clofet-fenfibility, or have been gratified with the benevolent thought of kindly giving a macaroon to a poor animal which topped the way, who in reality would, with out a moment's delay, have favoured him with " a kick on the crupper!"

"The moralift reclufe Will weep at vitionary woe, and much Will wonder it thould ever want relief: But with wild graces, and romantiċ charms,

Imagination decks his feign'd diftrefs, That ne'er its fad reality adorn.".

A tale of complicated wrong relate That asks him active efforts to redrefsHe'll ficken at the care-fraught talk, and ftill

Retire to charity of thought, to with The best to all, and think that with is virtue."

Kenney's Society, p. 1.

Upon the whole, although it would be abfurd to deny that the cultivation of moral fentiment, and, if we may fo fpeak, of moral taste, muft inevitably conduce to the practice of morality, yet we are difpofed to maintain, that poetry and the fine arts produce a faftidious delicacy, and an indolent felf-complacency, which on the one hand lead to difguft at the fight of the concomitant of real mifery, and on the other beget an indolence which mittakes the benevolent wifh for virtue. The difpofitions of man may be refined into imbecility and impotence, as metal may be teinpered too high to bear the application neceflary for its ufe. And it hould be our endeavour to modify the character, that energy fhall be combined with activity, and firength Vol. I.

be animated by fenfibility and acutenefs.

QUESTION to be difcuffed in the enfuing Number.

Has language a divine origin, or did it arife from the progreffive exertions of mankind?"

THE BABILLARD.

NO. IV. Come like fhadows; fo depart! SHAKESPEARE.

L'Abbé Debille

READ once at the Academy, in the prefence of Voltaire, fome detached pieces of a poem of his own compofition, and likewise the tranf lation of Pope's Fpifile to Dr. Arbuthnot. They interested greatly Voltaire: he recollected the Englifh verfes of Pope, compared them with the tranflation, and took delight in fhewing how well the French poet had embellished them. That was almoft predicting the glory which DeLille would prove to the poetry of France.

Voltaire.

IN 1760, Voltaire was informed that a niece of Corneille's was reduced to a state of the greateft poverty: he immediately afforded her affiftance; obferving, at the fame time, that "it was the duty of a foldier to affift the niece of his General!"

Lekain.

THIS celebrated actor firft difplayed his theatrical powers on a theatre which Voltaire had in his own houfe. He played there the characters of Seide and Mahomet, and even then difplayed the dawnings of great abilities, in the midft of various imperfections that neceffarily accompany the commencement of the moft difficult of arts.

After this first attempt, Voltaire afked him, in a friendly manner, what kind of life he intended to

adopt. Lekain replied, that he knew none he would fo willingly embrace as that of an actor; that chance had left him in poffeffion of a confiderable fum of money; and Dee

that he had reafon to hope, by abandoning the trade of his father (who was a goldfmith), he should not fuffer materially, provided he might one day gain admiffion into the corps of French actors."Ah! my dear friend," exclaimed Voltaire, "never do that. Play for your pleafure, but never make it your eftate: it is the greatest, the rarest, and the most difficult of talents; but ftill, for God's fake, if you can, never appear upon a public ftage." Lekain, however, did not follow the counfel of Voltaire: he found it better, as did alfo the public, who would otherwife have loft one of the greatest ornaments of the French Aage.

- Scarron.

As the infirmities of this facetious writer daily augmented, he faid to one of his friends, who was going to Guiana, " I fhall foon die. If I feel regret at quitting this world, it is because I leave, hopelefs and without a fortune, a wife whom I have fo much reason to love to you I recommend her, and to all my acquaintances.”—A thort time previous to his death, he bade a last adieu to his wife; but he could not contain himself, and his tears flowed, After having thanked her for all her kindneffes, he recommended her ftrongly to M. d'Elbine, his executor; and, making a laft effort to give her his hand, he added, "Think fometimes of me. I leave you without wealth; and though virtue will not give it, yet I am fure you will always be virtuous.” He then expired without a groan, having exclaimed "I never thought it poffible to meet death with fo much refigna

tion."

Thomas Hobbes

USED to fay, that evil government was like a tempeft, which may throw down a tree---here and there a fruitful tree; but civil war, or anarchy, like a deluge, would fweep away all before them.

THOUGH a man of an active mind, was oppreffed with a heavy and fluggish body, and was extremely inactive and indolent. Dr. Burney, the author of the "Hiftory of Mulic," vifiting him one day at two o'clock in the afternoon, found him in bed, with the curtains closed and the windows fhst; and, afking him why he remained fo long in bed, was anfwered by him, in the Scottish accent, "Why, mon, I

had no motive to rife."

Thomfon lived in Kew Lane, Richmond, in a houfe which is now called Rofedale, and is in the pofletion of a lady, who, from her rural propenfity, is with peculiar propriety deftined to retrace the footsteps of the refined and elegant author of the "Seasons."

With Anec

1804.

PREV REVIOUS to making any obfervations upon the prefent performance, or afcertaining its merits as a biographical work, we fhall abftract for the information of our readers fuch a life of Dr. Daivin thefe fcanty memoirs wilt furnish.

D. Eraunus Darwin was the fon of a private gentleman near Newark. He came to Licaseid as a phylician in the autumn of the year 1756, at the age of twenty-four, bringing with him high recommendations from different averutics. His form was athletic, incused to corpulence, and fomewhat above the m. idle fize; and his general appearance was far from prepofii ing, being totally deftitute or all those minute races and that attractive eatinels which infpires perfonal respect. He poff fel, however, according to his blographer's phra cology, a funny file," which rendered his exterior ag.ceable. He itammered extremely; but we are informed that it was well worth while to wait till the fit was over, for then we gained the pure ore of reafon as it flowly difilled from his Jips.

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In his early life he endeavoured to reprefs his poetic genius, because he reflected how fatal that gift profef fionally became to Akenfide and Armftrong; and this refolution he maintained for twenty years. As a phylician, he foon became confpicuous by his daring deviation from all cuftomary modes of medical application. In 1757, he married Mifs Howard, of the Cloe of Lichfield, a beautiful young larly, whofe fuavity of manners, extenfion of intellect, and conjugal affidui

In 1768, Dr. Darwin had the misfortune to be overturned in a curious carriage of his own invention, by which he broke the patelu of his right knee, and ever afterwards walked perceptibly lame. Our author's great work, the Zoonomia, was commenced

in 1771, though not published till 1794; it therefore may be confidered as the matured labour of three-andtwenty years; as emerging from a fea of fuccellive donbts, corrections, enlargements, and convictions, and founded on the broad bafs of extenfive and accurate experience.

Having been fome years a widower, Dr. Darwin, in 1781, united himself to Mrs. Pole, a young and buxom widow, whom the Doctor first fighed for while admin.ftering the recipes of Galen in the quality of her phyfician. This union produced his removal to Derby, as the lady, from a rooted averfion to Lichfield, or from fome caufe either intelligible or not, declined entering the holy ftate upon any other condi tions.

Our author, till he commenced his Botanic Garden, was, we are informed, entirely free from "the jealous fpirit of authorifm-it never darkened his candour." But no fooner did he commence his great poetic performance, than he inftantly became a downright author; that is to fay, jealous, dogmatical, erroneous, envious, unjust, &c. &c. &c.; not, however, till Mifs Seward informed us were we aware that fuch degrading qualities were the indifpenfable attendants upon an enlightened individual, who ventures to amuse or inftruct the public through the medium of the prefs.

In the year 1799, Dr. Darwin lost bis eldeft fon, who, from the gloomy apprehenfion of embarraffinent in his finances, precipitated himself into the River Derwent one cold ftormy December evening; and on the 18th of April, 1802, he himself

and

On this fubject we were prepared to pafs the moft unqualified cenfure, and to

clofed his mortal career fuddenly, and in fome measure unexpectedly. His death was occasioned by paroxyfms of the cheft, to which he had been long expofed at various intervals.

Such is the whole of the information that this volume prefents with regard to the Life of Dr. Darwin. The remainder is filled with criticisms, and a diffufe analysis of his Botanic Garden, and the Loves of the Plants; with other poetic effutions; with memoirs of Mr. Day and Mr. Edgeworth; with loveletters between two cats; and the clamours of the fair narrator herfelf, respecting an improper appropriation of her name to a fonnet The never wrote. From this various mats, however, there are fome things which we will felect and introduce to the acquaintance of our readers, in a regular methodical way, beginning at page 1, and fo on to the end of the volume. By way of preface, however, we will firft intimate that the work is

'exprefs the moft decided abhorrence and horror at the brutal want of feeling, which, according to his biographer, Dr. Darwin difplayed on fuch an awful and heart-rending occafion. She defcribes him as receiving the intimation that his body was found with apparent indifference; exclaiming only, in a low voice, "Poor infane coward!" and obferves afterwards, "that it excited univerfal furprife to fee him walking along the streets of Derby, the day after the funeral of his fon, with a ferene countenance, and his ufual cheerfulness of addrefs. This feif-command enabled him to take immediate poffetion of the premises bequeathed to him; to lay plans for their improvement; to take pleafure in deferibing thefe places to his acquaintance; and to determine to make it his future refidence; and $ all this without feeming to recollect to how fad an event he owed their poffeffion."

11

Happily for the honour of human nature, and for the eternal character of Dr. Darwin, Mifs Seward has felt herself authorifed to contradict in a public journal the whole of this fiatement, having been affured by his friends, that on that melancholy event he gave proofs of ftrong fenfibiliby at the time, and of fucceeding regard to the memory of his fon, which he feem. ed to have a pride in concealing from the world."

dedicated to the Earl of Carlisle, who is complimented with the poffeffion of talents that it never was our fate to difcover.

"Let but a peer once own the happy lines,

"How the wit brightens, and the style refines!"

Mifs Seward very repeatedly informs us, that Dr. Darwin's wit To the truth of this affertion we was peculiarly delicate and refined.

are by no means inclined to affent, at leaft as far as he has enabled us to judge, for we were never blessed with auricular conviction. The following ftory, however, which is brought forward as her evidence, is amufing.

"Dr. Darwin had a large company at tea. His ferrant announced a ftranger lady and gentleman. The fe male was a confpicuous figure, ruddy, corpulent, and tall. She held by the arm a little, meek-looking, pale, effeminate man, who, from his clote adherence to the fide of the lady, seemed to consider himself as under her protection.

"Dr. Darwin, I feek you not as

phyfician, but as a Belle Efprit. I 'make this husband of mine,' and the looked down with a fideglance upon the animal, treat me every fummer

with a tour through one of the Bri tifh counties, to explore whatever it 'contains worth the attention of ingenious people. On arriving at the feveral inns in our route, I always fearch out the man of the vicinity moft diftinguished for his genius and tafte, and introduce myfelf, that he C may direct, as the objects of our exa, mination, whatever is curious in nature, art, or fcience. Lichfield will be our headquarters during feveral days. Come, Doctor, whither muft we go? what muft we investigate tomorrow, and the next day, and the next? Here are my tablets and pencil.'

"You arrive, Madam, at a fortu nate juncture, To-morrow you will have an opportunity of furveying an annual exhibition perfectly worth " your attention. To-morrow, Madam, you will go to Tutbury bull-rum ping.'"