phers, who infcribed upon them the names of their fcholars. The odeum of Pericles, which once re founded with the notes of the lyre, and the fublime ftrains of the choral fong, can at prefent be traced only by its lofty and broken wall, and is deformed by the rude outwork of a Turkish caftle. The fhores of Attica are wafte and defolate; few villages are to be seen from Eleufis to the promontory of Sunium, and thence even to the plains of Marathon. The eye of the traveller difcerns nothing but fcattered ruins along a coast of eighty miles in extent. Every man of claffical tafte feels a melancholy pleasure in forming this contraft, which he is enabled to make in confequence of the diligent refearches of Wheeler, Spon, and Chandler. But he may receive a more lively fatisfaction from the refearches of Stuart, who from fragments of buildings and broken pillars has traced fuch plans and elevations of the original buildings, and explained them fo clearly in three fplendid volumes, as to give a very expreffive reprefentation of the city in its ancient ftate of elegance and grandeur. However the inhabitants of Athens are depreffed by their tyrants, they ftill retain marks of their original character. They poffefs much of that quickness of apprehension, vivacity of temper and urbanity of manners, which dif tinguished their anceftors. The native character of Chandler's Travels, p. 78, 85, &c. the the people long continues like the peculiarity of the foil, which is the fame as it was of old; Attica is still famed for olives, grapes, and figs; and the neighbouring flopes of Mount Hymettus ftill abound with bees, which produce moft delicious honey. But a long state of fervitude and fuperftition has degraded the native powers of their minds; and the recollection or the fear of blows and indignities, often inflicted by their tyrants, makes them stoop to the artifices of cunning and diffimulation. The Albanians, a hardy and courageous race, who keep flocks upon the purple declivities of Hymettus and Cytheron, or gather olives on the green banks of the Cephifus, are defcended from the Spartans. From an animated vindication of the character of his countrymen from the charge of ftupidity and want of fpirit, fee the eloquent addrefs of the learned Dr. Coray in the Dif cours Préliminaire to his Tranflation of Hippocrates. The conclufion of it is fo animated, and written fo much in the fpirit of a countryman of Homer, that I cannot withhold from my Reader the pleasure of perusing it. "Des defpotes tranfplantés de l'ancienne Rome, après avoir par une administration auffi stupide que tyrannique relâché tous les refforts de la fociété, entravé l'influence du plus beau des climats, fouillé, ébranlé leur trône par les crimes les plus affreux, out fini par vous livrer à des tyrans, encore plus ftupides et plus féroces. Ce font eux qui ont forgé des chaines que vous portez, nation malheureuse, mais refpectable dans votre malheur ! Ce fera vous qui les briferez. En attendant cet heureux moment, qui fans doute n'eft pas éloigné, vous pouvez avec confiance adreffer à vos tyrans ce qu'un de nos poetes fait dire à la vigne rongée par un animal dévastateur, Καν με φάγης επι ριζαν, όμως ετι καρποφορήσω, Their patience of fatigue, and their defperate bravery, which has been fometimes roufed by extreme oppreffion, prove the juftnefs of their pretenfions to fuch an origin. When we obferve that the fparks of original genius and courage are ftill extant among this people, it muft excite a with, that captives fo undeferving and unfortunate, could be affifted to break their chains; and not only be permitted to enjoy the delightful country of their ancestors, without flavery or oppreffion of any kind, but have every encouragement to follow their example. Far from being admitted to any privileges whatever, they are kept in the moft abject fervitude, and continue in the fame miferable state as when they were firft conquered. They retain the fame right they ever had to fhake off the Turkish yoke, and to affert their claims to independence. The wars between the Ruffians and the Turks might afford them a glorious opportunity of emancipation; and few projects could be more worthy of the Emperor who now fills the throne of Ruffia, than to affift their courageous efforts in a manner more vigorous and effectual, than was done in the late war between Catherine the great and the Turks. The fate of the brave inhabitants of Poland extinguishes the hope of restoration to complete independence from that quarter: but the government of Petersburgh would doubtlefs be more tolerable than that of the Porte, if we confider the different fpirit of its religious creed, and its more advanced ftate of civilization. If the modern Greeks could be placed in fo advantageous a fituation, the arts, which have civilized northern Europe, after having taken an extenfive circuit, might once more return to enlighten and adorn the country of their birth, The following prediction of Peter the Great of Ruffia, might then be verified, and Ruffia be rewarded for her emancipation of the Greeks, by the improvements derived from their literature and arts. "I cannot better compare the tranfmigration of fcience than to the circulation of blood in the human body; and I forefee that they will one time or other forfake England, France, and Germany, and fettle among us for many ages, to return again into Greece, their firft abode. For the affiftance of the memory in chronological arrangements we may diftinguith the remarkable periods of Grecian history by five memorable eras. The firft is the age of Lycurgus, or the establishment of the Spartan conftitution, B. C. 884. The fecond is the age of Solon, or the establishment of the Athenian conftitution, B. C. 594. The third is the age of Themistocles and Ariftides, or of military glory, B. C. 480. The fourth of Pericles, or of the arts, B. C. 430. The fifth, of degradation, when Alaric overran pofition, A. D. 395. Greece without op From the Speech of the Czar Peter, Memoirs of Litera ture, vol. i. p. 361. On On looking back to one particular period of this history, when in the fhort fpace of little more than a century such statesmen, warriors, orators, philofophers, hiftorians, poets, painters, fculptors, and architects flourished, we must be induced to think that Providence intended to display a glorious and ever memorable example of the eminence which the human mind could actually reach, when foftered by liberty and ftimulated by emulation, it exerted its full powers. And when we confider the influence of this example in fucceeding times, we cannot fail to acknowledge the obligations which ancient Rome and modern Europe have been under to Greece. To her indeed all polished nations are indebted for holding out the light of genius, philofophy, and tafte, to guide their steps. Emulation was the great incentive to exertion in every branch of art, and every fcene of action. The trophies of Miltiades did not fuffer Themiftocles to fleep; and the applaufe bestowed upon Herodotus at the Olympic games prompted Thucydides to compofe his immortal work. The efforts of genius are not confined to fervile imitation, for genius may ftrike into innumerable paths. The Greeks have fhewn us that excellence even of the higheft order is attainable; and it remains for us, if we are animated by ambition, and impelled by a fpirit of enterprife like theirs, to make repeated and unremitting exertions, until our endeavours ter |