ART. XXXVIII. The Stranger in France; or, a Tour from Devonfire to Paris. Illustrated by Engravings in Aqua Tinta, of Sketches taken on the Spot. By John Carr, Efq. 4to, pp. 261. Johnfon. 1803. NE advantage refulted from the late fufpenfion of arms, which we dare fay the promoters of it neither forefaw nor expected; namely, the advantage gained by authors, prin ters, and bookfellers. Such of our Countrymen who vifited France during that period, and who were at all labouring under that malady called the Cacoethes Scribendi, have not failed to inform the public of all they faw and all they heard, of all they believed, and of all they doubted, and much more of each than, probably, any one wished to know. The volumes that have been published in England relative to France, during the last two years, would of themfelves form a library; and it certainly will be our own fault if we are not thoroughly acquainted beforehand with those who threaten to be our mafters. We will venture to fay, that if the Emperor Napoleon! were inclined to vifit England incog., and ventured his person within the purlieus of Paternofter-row, he would inftantly be recognized by fome bookfeller, printer's devil, or author, while he might perhaps peregrinate with fafety the fathionable promenades at the weft end of the town; nor would one of his fecretaries, fenators, or confidential friends, ftand any better chance of remaining undiscovered than himself. Among the moft pleafing of thofe who have attempted to delineate the modern French, we willingly rank Mr. Carr, whofe work we have read with pleafure, and recommend with confidence. The narrative is lively and pleafing, and the language, in general, eafy, perfpicuous, and appro priate. But he appears to poffefs the common failing of ignorance (if that be no too harsh a term); for every thing he fees is wonderful, aftonithing, fingular, and fo forth; and every family he is introduced to, or vifits, is delightful, amiable, charming, &c. This, however, is a failing which the reader willingly overlooks, in confideration of the great intereft and amufement which feveral parts of his work creates. We acknowledge that it is fometimes difficult to refrain from indulging fentiments of wonder and admiration at things, habits, or cuftoms, which differ very effentially from any we have been accustomed world with confidence that fuch and to witnefs; but before we tell the fuch circumftances or objects are really aftonishing and worthy of commemoration, we should divest them of alladventitious and extrinfic qualities, and view them difpaffionately by the till we do this, we are perpetually in clear light of unbiaffed reafon; for danger of making ourfelves fools, and being confidered by the fenfible part of mankind as little better than idiots. We fhall lay two or three extracts before our readers as fpecimens of Mr. Carr's manner of compofition and felection of circumftances. "Soon after our coffee, which, in this country, immediately fucceeds the dinner, we went to view the bridge of boats, fo celebrated in hiftory. This Auguftine friar, named Michael Boucurious ftructure was contrived by an geois; it is compofed of timber, regularly paved, in iquares which contain the ftories, and is 1000* feet in length: it commences from the middle of the quay of Rouen, and reaches over to the Fauxbourg of St. Sever, and carries on the communication with the country which lies fouth of the city. It was begun in the year 1626; below it are the ruins of the fine bridge of 13 arches, The French feet are to the English as 1068 to 1000. built by the Empress Maud, daughter of Henry I of England. This ingenious fabric retts upon 19 immenfe barges, which rife and fall with the flowing and fubfiding of the tide. When veffels have occation to pats it, a portion of the platform fufficient to admit their pal iage is rajfed, and rolled over the other part. In the winter, when any danger is apprehended from the large flakes of ice which float down the river, the whole is taken to pieces in an hour. The expence of keeping it in repair is ettimated at 10,000 livres, or 400 pounds fierling per annum, and is defrayed by government, it being the high road to Picardy, Upon the whole, although this bridge is fo much admired, I muit confefs it appeared to me a heavy performance, unfuitable to the wealth and fplendour of the city of Rouen, and below the tate and ingenuity of modern times. A handfome light ftone firucture, with a centre arch covered with a draw bridge, for the paffage of veffels of confiderable burthen, or a lofty flying iron bridge, would be less expentive, more fafe, and much more ornamental.” At page 56, Mr. Carr defcribes the execution of a criminal a là guillotine, at whofe trial he had been prefent in the morning. Prejudice is more powerful than reafon; and this alone would prevent the introduction of a fimilar machine into this country for the execution of our criminals; for humanity fhudders at the lingering, indecent, and barbayous mode which is practifed in England. We are convinced the experiment would be dangerous, for we are well aware of the power of swords ; and it is more than probable, that, if fuch a thing were attempted, guillotine would become a watch-word among the difaffected, and it would prove an alarm-bell to the prejudices and invincible ferocity of the British character, But we may be allowed to deplore the neceflity of evil, even while we fubmit to it. Our author thus defcribes the ceremony: "Upon my return through the market-place, I beheld the m ferable wretch, at whole trial I was prefent in the morning, led our to excention. He was cated upon th› Lotinai of a cart, stripd above to mas thart, weich was folded back, his arms were pinioned clofe dehind, and his bair was clotely cropped, to prevent the ftroke of the fatal kne from being impeded. A pricit was leated in a chair beide him. As the cha my excursion was to contemplate the manners of the people, I fummiared refolution to view this gloomy and paiful fpectacle, which feemed to excite but little fenfation in the market-place, where its petty trafic and concerts proceeded with their accutiomed activity; and the women at their stalls, which extended to the foot of the fenfiold, appeared to be impressed only with the folicitude of felling their vegetables to the highest bidder. A finall body of the national guards, and a few boys aut idlers, furrounded the fatal spot. The guillotine, painted red, was placed upon a fcaffold of about five feet high. As foon as the criminal afcended the upper fiep which led to it, he mounted, by the direction of the executioner, a little board like a fhutter, raifed upright to receive him, to which he was trapped, turned down flat, and run into a tmail ring of iron, half-opened, and made to adinit the neck, the top part of which w then cloud upon it, a black leather curtain was placed before the lead, from which a valve depended, which communicated to a tub, placed under the fcaffold to receive the blood: the executioner then touched a long this iron rod, connected with the top of the instrument, and in a moment the ave defcendcd, which was in the form of a fquare, cut diagonally, heavily charged with lead. The executioner and his anfants placed the body in a fhell, hali-illed with faw-duit, which was almoft completely stained over with the brown blood of former executions; they then picked up the head from a bag into which it had fallen within the gloomy depository, lowered the whole curtam, and, having placed it in the fame down to the fexton's, who, covering it with a pall, bore it off to the place of burial." After this comes a ridiculous and improbable ftory about the unfortunate Governor Wall; which would appear to much more advantage as a fupplement to the next edition of Tom Thumb. We felect the following anecdote as being extremely intereiling, and ferving likewife to fhew the warton brutality of the founders of the French revolution. "Soon after the gates of the prifon were clofed upon Madame G her eldeft fon, a man of commanding perfon and eloquent addrefs, in defiance of every friendly and of every affectionate entreaty, flew to Paris. "It was in the evening of the laft winter, which beheld its hows crimfoned with revolutionary carnage, when he prefented himfelf, und.imayed, before that committee whofe horrible na ture will be better defcribed by merely relating the names of its members, then itting, than by the moft animated and elaborate delineations of all its deadly deeds of rapine and of blood. At a table covered with green cloth, fhabbily lighted, in one of the committee-rooms of the National Affembly, were feated Robotpierre, Collot d'Herbois, Carnot, and David. They were occupied in filling up the lifts for the permanent guillotine, erected very near them, in La Place de la Revolution, which the executioners were then clearing of its gore, and preparing for the next day's butchery. In this devoted capital more blood had, during that day, treamed upon the fcaffold, than on any one day during the revolution. "The terrined inhabitants, in darknefs, in remote receffes of their defolate boules, were filently offering up a prayer to the great God of Mercy to releate them, in a way molt fuitable to his wifdom, from fuch fcenes of deep day and remorselets flaughter. "Robespierre, as ufual, was dreffed with great neatnefs and gaiety; the javage was generally fcented, whilft his aflociates were habited, en Jacobin, in the fqualid, filthy fathiou of that era of the revolution, in the drefs of blackguards. 6 at him, and, with his accustomed sharpneis, interrupted him from proceeding farther, by claiming, What right have you to appear before us, mitcreant? You are an agent of Pitt and Cobourg (the then common phrate of reproach): you thall be fent to the guillotine-Why are you not at the frontiers ? Mon. G-, unappalled, replied, Give me my mother, and I will be there to-morrow; I am ready inftantly to fpill my blood, if it mult be the price of her discharge.' Robespierre, whofe favage foul was occafionally moved by fights of heroic virtue, feemed impreffèd by this brave and unufual addreis. He pauled; and after whitpering a few words to his allociates, wrote the difcharge, and, Landing it over to a foldier for the fuccefsful petitioner, he fiercely told him to retire. "Mr. Ginftantly fet out for Rouen, where, after a loug and fevere journey, he arrived, exhaulted with fatigue and agitation of mind: without refreshment, this excellent mau flew to the gates of the p. ifon which contained his mother, and prefented the difcharge to the gaoler, who dryly, with a brutal grin, informed him, that a trick had been played off upon him; that he had just received a counter order, which he held in his hand, and refuted to releate her!!! "It turned out, that immediately after Mr. G- had left the committee-ron, the relenting difpofition which he had momentarily awakened in the barbarous breast of Robespierre had fubiided. "The generous fentiment was of a fhort and lickly growth, and withered under the glooiny fatal thade of his fanguiary nature. A chaffeur had been dilpatched with the counter order, who pailed the exulting but deluded Gon the road. "A thort time after this, and a few days before Madame G-- and her unhappy companions were to have pcrifhed on the icaffold, the gates of their prifon flew open; the world was released from a monfter-Robespierre was no "Mr. G―― bowed, and addreffed them very refpectfully: I am come, citizens, before you, faid this amiable fon, to implore the relcafe of my mother; fhe is pining in the prifons of Rouen, without having committed more. any offence; the is in years, and, if her confinement continues, her chil 6 4 dren, whote fortunes have been placed at the difpofal of the national exigencies, will have to lament her death: 4 grant the praver of her fon; reftore, I conjure you by all the rights of nature, reitore her to her afflicted family Robespierre looked obliquely At p. 159, Mr. Carr very gravely fuppofes that the prefent parliament may like jockies and mechanics, fuch as boaf of orators, though dreft "Greece and Rome never faw in the days of their molt exalted glory;" and fuppofing filks, long ruffles, fea thers, glittering luftres, and Grecian chairs, very effential parts of modern oratory, he puts into the mouth of a Frenchman, fuppofed to be listening with ecftacy and admiration to our fenators, fuch words as we verily believe no Frenchman, however ftupid, would be found to utter. "The aftonished Frenchman would very likely fay-I always thought that the English were a ftrange iet of beings, but they now exceed the powers of s f my comprehcntion; they can elicit wit in the midft of gloom, and can fay fuch things in a plan unbruthed coat ⚫ of blue cloth, as all the robes, plumes, and finery of the Republic, in her gaudy halls of deliberation, cannot • infpire! Our limits will not permit us to make any farther extracts, or we would willingly lay before our readers the account of Sir Sydney Smith's efcape, and other interefting details. The following fhort obfervation must therefore close our excerpts from this entertaining volume. "I must not omit to mention the admirable mode which they have here, and in molt parts of France, of constructing their carts. They are placed upon very high wheels; the load is generally arranged fo as to create an equipoife, and is railed by an axle, faftened near the fhafts. I was informed by a merchant, that a fingle horfe can draw with eafe thirty-fix hundred weight in one of thefe carts. Thefe animals have a formidable appearance, owing to a strange cuftom which the French have of cover ing the collar with an entire theeptkin, which gives them the appearance of having an enormous fhaggy mane." The engravings are very neatly executed, and have a pleafing effect; though we confefs we are not very warm admirers of the aqua tinta method. On the whole, we may fafely recommend the prefent work as an entertaining production; being written with liberality of fentiment, and not made the vehicle of petty invective and malignant afperfion. ART. XXXIX. The Powers of Genius: a Poem, in Three Parts. By John Blair Linn, A. M. 8vo. pp. 155. 1804. IT has been faid, that it is glorious even to fail in a great attempt: if this be true (and we are inclined to believe it is), we very willingly allow Mr. Linn that glory; for certainly he has moft miferably failed in his attempt to delineate the progrefs and effects of genius. We must allow that our author feems to have a very happy knack at jingling, and he apparently poffufies one moft effential qualification of a first-rate poet-that of defpifing all the little embellishments and regu larities of verfe greatly confcious of his orun "Powers of Genius," he very liberally leaves fuch minutie to the more humble and cold-blooded votaries of the Mufe. Without any knowledge of Mr. Linn, and without ever having been bleft with a sight of him in his ftudy while compofing, we think we can venture to tell the manner in which he did compofe; viz. we prefume he wrote every other line with a due regard to the fubje&, and left the intermediate or correfponding ones to be filled up when he had nothing better to do, and without any attention whatfoever to meaning or poetry. In fact, he gives us one line for feufe, and the other for rhyme; remembering, no doubt, that Rhyme the rudder is of verfcs, Unfortunately, Mr. Linn does not appear to us to poffefs talents for poetry at all, and still less for such an arduous tafk as he has impofed upon himself. But it is the common lot of mankind to form erroneous opinions of themselves; and it is to be regretted that, when a quiet, wellmeaning individual happens unluckily to be feized with a fit of writing, he can find no friend, candid, bold, or honeft enough, to prevent him from falling into the worfe fit of publishing; for reputation is an important thing, and we are always feriously forry when we behold a man needlefsly and wilfully throwing it away. The defign of the prefent poem is at ence hacknied and defective; namely, that genius is heaven-born, that it is indefinable, that it may be regulated and cultivated by education, and that it is of no country, but of a ubiquitary nature. All this we knew before, and needed not Mr. Linn to tell it us again in doggerel verfe; but he proba bly thought that we did not know it before, or, if we did, that he could tell it in a better way than it has ever yet been told. It is not eafy to conceive any thing more pleasant and laughable than the fecond part of this poem; where our author undertakes to give a poetical character of nearly all the eminent men that ever existed in any country. Let one or two inftances fuffice. Thou tyrant of the heart, fublime ROUSSEAU, Thou fon of Genius, and thou SPORT Had he extended his furvey as far "Dim fhadows flutter o'er the fleeping And ghoftly mufic comes upon the 66 Of poor Mary Queen of Scots we are told, that, "Nurs'd in the bofom of luxurious "France, "The Queen of Scotland led the airy "dance." Ib. l. 238. And, as a fpecimen of his critical powers, he defcribes Dr. Johnson as poffeffing Science; which, allied with "genius" and "judgement," makes "a character complete," And then, behold! VOL. I. "Whene'er he wakes the mufic of his "The world muft honour, Genius muft which means, if it mean any thing we confefs, not much calculated for Thus Genius first begins her brightening Proceeds increafing in refiftless force; Now a poet of the common clafs 66 Only an age can give a giant birth.” As a fhort fpecimen of our author's powers of compofition, we felect the thofe paffages that may be deemed following, and have put in Italics pre-eminent. "The poet often gains a madman's name, "When first he kindles with the Mufe's 66 "When, wild and starting, he appears in 4 L |