in that character, from the specimen of it with which as a critic he has furnished us, and to which we have just adverted, we suspect that it would not be that in which he would most shine. Having already recommended the essay on the Influence of Taste on Morals, we shall content ourselves with making a few short extracts from it, in order to attract towards it that attention which we think it deserves :

It is allowed on all hands that the faculty of Taste, in the modern sense of that word, is excited in the mind by the contemplation of outward objects through the intervention of our bodily organs that it is no native and inherent power totally independent of adventitious circumstances, but that its very existence depends on the agency of external objects; in the apprehension, the selection, and the judicious judgment of which its vitality consists Now the virtues and vices of mankind have no representative forms that strike our organs, and by the impulse thence communicated are enabled to raise pictures of beauty and deformity in the mind; and therefore they cannot affect this faculty of Taste in the same manner, nor in a like degree, as the productions of the arts are confessed to do. Wanting the essential quality that calls forth its energies, that is form, it is utterly impossible for them to rouse or agitate it in that way which the theory we are considering supposes; and therefore it is impossible for it to be so influenced by them as to be induced decidedly and invariably to prefer virtuous to vitious, moral to immoral conduct.'

It is to be remembered that the human mind is not a mere mirror, reflecting objects presented to it without agitation, emotion, or passion; but is so constituted, for wise and gracious purposes, as to be strongly moved by the view of external beauty, which rouses feelings, excites emotions, and creates desires, which reason is to regulate and restrain, but cannot root out. And though it is not easy to say from whence several of the mental powers and energies primarily spring, nor whence they derive their actuating principle; it yet seems tolerably clear, from a variety of observations, that the faculty which we denominate Taste arises, in the first instance, from some more delicate constitution of the bodily organs; rendering them more acutely sensible than commonly happens to the impressions of external objects, and more vigorously agitated by the impulses of outward forms. Hence independent of all culture, indeed of all reflection, various external objects excite in persons of this organization lively perceptions of pleasure and disgust, to which others of a differ nt frame and constitution are so totally strangers as often to be hardly capable of being convinced of their existence. They are de lighted with what is beautiful in the diversified productions of animal and vegetable life, or in the inanimate formations of brute matter; and they are offended with the view of what is unsightly in them: most frequently without being able to assign to themselves any cause for either the one or the other feeling. This is the groundwork, whereon education, cultivation, and observation, diligently and duly applied, raise to its topmost height of excellence the faculty we are considering: and, when thus improved, the elegant and graceful

forms

forms produced by the ministry of the arts become its favourite and adequate object, which it scrutinizes with accuracy and estimates with judgment. But such a bodily conformation as this is manifestly most liable to be ensnared by the seductions of sensual pleasure; which applying itself solely to our corporeal nature must act with much more force and power on systems of such increased irritability, than on those of a grosser and more sluggish make. That enticement, which languidly strikes with a transient impulse the latter, strongly firing with a permanent impression the former: the one being, as it were, a solid mass of inert matter, which leisurely and slowy melts into fusion by the vigorous application of continued heat; the other a magazine of nitrous combustibles, where the smallest spark accidentally falling kindles an instant and wide spreading conflagration. This implies no defect in the original frame of any of the species, nor is it here intended to insinuate any such; for we have superior principles and more coercive motives, fully equal to the task if duly exerted, given us to direct and govern all our animal feelings; whose vividness may exalt the merit of mind in properly swaying them, but whose less ardent vivacity is, doubtless, more easily regulated. Now as almost all the deviations of man from moral rectitude arise, either immediately or mediately, from the captivating allurements of sensual pleasure, it seems sufficiently obvious that the influence of este, which evidently depends in the first instance on the keenness of our senses, must be, so far, unfriendly to morals.'

It is evidently invidious, and to none more than to us can it be irksome, to enquire how the testimony of experience sanctions the sentiments we have supported; as such an enquiry must incidentally expose characters, on many accounts respectable, in a humiliating and disgraceful light. But though we sincerely reverence the memories of the great patrons of the arts, and of those illustrious artists whose works have immortalized their names; a greater reverence is certainly due to the cause of truth and justice. Now ex. perience, as far as the testimony of history can be depended on, strongly corroborates the pernicious influence that it has been here attempted to shew, the predominant power of Taste has on morals: it almost uniformly recording the persons, who have most eminently distinguished themselves in the patronage or the execution of the arts, as little less notorious for their personal vices. Than the family of Medici, first citizens and then sovereigns of Florence, there can scarcely be pointed out one in the long annals of time more highly possessed of the faculty of taste in its greatest perfection; or. who more generously and usefully applied it to the cultivation and encouragement of every art of elegance and of every work of orna ment: insomuch that the revival of the arts in Europe, and whatsoever we now enjoy of excellent or admirable in them, is iu no small measure owing to the enlightened judgment and the liberal patronage of that deservedly respected house. Yet review the unprejudiced accounts of their lives, the features of which have clearly not been distorted by any perverseness of Literature, for from literary men they nor merited nor received such treatment: and you read in them the REV. DEC. 1806. narrative

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narrative of a tissue of crimes each more enormous and flagitious than the other. Nor deceney, nor morals nor religion nor any other prin eiple divine or human appearing to rule their actions, but that of gra tifying their sensual appetites to the utmost extent. The contempla tion of such vices none will deny to be in itself hateful; but doubly so from reflecting what otherwise conspicuous personages have been so shamefully defiled by them.

From the patrons if now the eye be removed to the professors of the arts, to those distinguished men whose celebrity constitutes an era in the profession, and in whom Taste reigned with sway supreme; that same experience, which witnesses so loudly against the morals of the former, will be found to bear as irrefragable testimony against those of the latter. Of them some of the most illustrious are found to have fallen martyrs to their vices in the very flower of their age, before half the thread of life was spun: others involved in such dif ficulties by their shameless immoralities as all their talents being unable to support them under, reduced them to languish out a miserable existence in penury and infamy: some glorying in their vices to such a degree as apparently to have confounded all ideas of right and wrong in moral conduct; and others so notoriously sacrificing their name and their reputation to the indulgence of even the most odious vices, as to acquire from their practice appellative denominations, better known than their names.'

We think that the author has been by no means fortunate in the characters which he has selected for comparison, in the subsequent papers: viz. the parallels between William III. of England and Henry IV of France, -Cardinals Ximenes and Richelieu, Augustus Cæsar and Louis XIV,- Maximilian de Bethune Duke of Sully and William Pitt Earl of Chatham. Not in any instance do they seem to us happily to pair together, but rather to be united by a strange association of ideas. It is true, however, that in this great law of mind, Hume makes contrast as well as resemblance an operative principle; which may in some measure account for the parallels here introduced. Though the parties are not well assorted, the ingenuity of the author is able to render the descriptions interesting and they answer the purpose of shewing that he is wellqualified for historical researches, and master of a good narra tive style.

What characters in history so little resemble each other as those of Sully and William Pitt the first? The likeness, it strikes us, is greater between Maximilian and William Pitt the second. Sully was an able financier, as well as economical; he was also, if we believe his own account, no contemptible warminister, but fortunately for him he was not often called on the Theatre of War, while unfortunately for our grand pilot, and for his country, be had large experience on it. In alluding to the good, the honest, the patriotic Sully, Dr. Scott does not take no

tice of the effect of his own Memoirs in reducing the monarch, and magnifying the minister; yet if we readily absolve the upright favourite of Henry from conscious disingenuousness, we cannot vindicate him from something very like inordinate selfpartiality.

Detestable as was the man, seldom has the political world exhibited so able a statesman as Richelieu. Dr. Scott appears tb us rightly to apprehend his character, and very correctly to have sketched it; and it is a character which deserves to be studied as much as any in modern history.

ART. XII. A Collection of modern and cotemporary Voyages and Travels: containing, I. Translations from foreign Languages of Voyages and Travels never before published. II. Original Voyages and Travels never before published. III. Analyses of new Voyages and Travels published in England. Vol. I. 8vo. 158. Boards. R. Phillips.

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EXT to novels, voyages and travels constitute the most fashionable kind of reading; and therefore the caterers for public curiosity have attempted various collections of writings of this description. The volume before us contains a very amusing selection; and being printed in a small type, it includes a considerable quantity of matter. In the first Number, we are presented with a translation from the French of the Travels in Istria and Dalmatia, drawn up from the Itinerary of L. F. Cassas, by Joseph Lavallée, a work originally published in folio with many splendid engravings, and of which we gave some account in Vol. 38. N. S. p. 449. To this version copies of some of the numerous plates given in Lavallée's folio are annexed, which may satisfy those who have not seen the originals. As for the translation, though we believe that is generally faithful, it is occasionally deformed by blemishes. At P. 73. we read of hair black and stingy,' and disbrevelled limbs,' for lank and shrivelled; and at p.82. abundant transpirtation' for perspiration.-The next work narrates Travels through Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and part of Italy, in 1798, and 1799, by Charles Gottlob Küttner, translated from the German, which was published at Leipsic, in 4 volumes 810. in 1802, and was reviewed in our Appendix to Vol. 38. N. S. p. 532. By the close printing here adopted, these four volumes occupy in the translation only 200 pages. Our character of M. Küttner as a traveller will be justified by a perusal of his work in English ; and we may add that, as this gentleman, who is a Saxon, is very partial to our country and our countrymen, his details are more calculated than those of foreigners generally are for our meridian,

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He represents Norway to be the Swisserland of the North: but his accounts of Denmark and Sweden, though favorable to those countries in point of scenery, are not flattering to the inhabi tants, who seem to be deficient in energy of character. For the amusement of the reader, and to exemplify this translation, we shall copy the portrait of the present king of Swe

den :

The King, who has a good figure and an open countenance, is uncommonly grave, for a person of his age; (28.) it is even said, that he has never been seen to laugh. I once had an opportunity of ob serving him for about a quarter of an hour, during which time he sat beside the Queen, without moving or uttering a word. I have been informed by persons intimately acquainted with the court, that he entertains a very high idea of his dignity, and that he is extremely solicitous to avoid every thing derogatory to his rank. Though his youth invites to familiarity, yet he knows how to keep every one at a proper distance by a certain coldness and gravity. Even the intimate friends of his early life, who in their former play fellow sometimes forget the sovereign, are said to have experienced a severe repri mand, whenever they have permitted themselves the slightest infringe ment of that reverence which is due to their Prince. This sense of his dignity may probably be the reason why he is always surrounded with the splendor and formality of a court; whereas many young princes of the present day are not very fond of the one, and gladly dispense with the other.

The reserved disposition of the King was manifested in his early years, during the regency. He concealed his sentiments relative to the proceedings of the Regent; but when he had assumed the government, he very soon shewed the resolution he had adopted. He has relinquished most of the measures of the Duke of Sudermania, in order to prosecute those of his father, and the nation appears to be satisfied with his conduct; but rather, I conceive, because it is contrary to that of the Regent, than on any other account. The young Monarch is said to dread nothing so much as the idea that any per son possesses or seeks to obtain an influence over him. The very suspicion is sufficient to terrify him, and to induce him to break off all intercourse with the individual.'

Lastly, in the class of translations we are presented with Travels to the westward of the Alleghany Mountains in the states of the Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, in the year 1802, &c. By F.A. Michaux, M. D. &c. for which we refer our readers to our last No. p. 272.

An original article next appears, intitled An Itinerary from London to Constantinople in sixty days (taken in the suite of his Excellency the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Porte) in the year 1794-The posts from Ostend to Vienna, and from Vienna to Constantinople, are accurately marked; and the whole length of the journey from London to the capital of