of Carmine, where the capitulation, figned by the Viceroy, was read aloud, and the people fignified their confent by the loudest acclamations, and joining in the celebration of Te Deum. In the way from church to Caftelnovo, the streets were ftrewed with palm and olive branches, the windows and balconies crowded with fpectators, and hung with rich filk and tapeftry, while the fisherman of Naples was faluted from every quarter, as the deliverer and faviour of his country; young men and maidens, with garlands of flowers, and in loofe white robes, celebrating his praifes with vocal and inftrumental music. Nothing appeared to interrupt the general joy, but a crowd of ruined tax-gatherers and hungry courtiers, whofe profufe rapacity could no longer be fed on the plunder of the people; they joined the proceffion with hollow fmiles, but aching hearts, and refted all their hopes on the Viceroy's being able, at fome future opportunity, to evade the conditions, to which he had been obliged to fubfcribe. When the proceffion reached the great gate of Caftelnovo, the guard, according to order, drew up, and faluted Maffianello as a general officer, and the captain, after congratulating him on the fuccessful iffue of the negociation, informed him, that the Duke of Arcos waited his pleafure in the audience chamber. The fisherman gently inclining himfelf to the officer, turned to the people, and waving his fword, as a fignal for filence, thus addreffed them. "I fee plainly that all your countenances are enlivened with 66 joy, and who would not be glad on an occafion like the pre"fent! may the man who will 66 not rejoice at our recovering "freedom, peace, and the enjoy"ment of the produce of the "earth, die like a dog, infamous, "and unpitied. You feem loft in amazement at the happy change, "and fcarce can believe it any thing but a dream, but indeed 66 66 my friends, this is no delufion, "behold in my hand the facred"and fubftantial pledges of the "bleffings we have recovered, "these are the charters of the Em66 peror Charles the Fifth, and of "Ferdinand. "But it is not to enhance the "merit of my own actions, that "I dwell on the advantages which "have been procured for you, I "efteem my having been inftru"mental in rendering good fervice "to my country, far beyond all "that wealth can beftow. I ap 66 66 peal to you my lord Archbi"fhop, and alfo to the Viceroy's fecretary, who now ftands near "the guard-room, if I did not very early in this bufinefs, refufe a penfion of two hundred crowns a month, which was offered me, 66 66 " (the "I fhall conclude with advifing "two things; not to lay down your arms till the confirmation "of your privileges arrives from "Spain; and above all things, to "miftruft your fworn and profeft "enemies the nobility, who, like "hungry wolves, will watch every "opportunity to devour you. Í I am now going to the Viceroy, "and fhall probably return in a "fhort time, but if you do not "fee me fafe, and at liberty, by "feven o'clock to-morrow morn"ing, you may take it for granted "there has been treachery, and "will of courfe fet fire to the pa"lace, and purfue fuch other me"thods of revenge as you fhall "judge neceffary." From his interview with the Duke, Maffianello returned in a few hours to his own house, where he and his wife received the congratulations of the principal inhabitants of Naples. But whilft he was thus enjoying that first beft attribute of power and influence, the confcioufnefs of exerting it for the good of mankind, this popular leader, was afflicted with a calamity, which levels the proud master of the creation, with the meaneft reptile he crushes on the ground. For feven days, which was the VOL. I. period of his authority, he had conducted himself with a prudence, regularity and forefight, in a man of his condition, as laudable as it was unexpected: at this time from fatigue of body and mind, as he fcarcely allowed himself the neceffary refreshments of food and fleep, or (as was fufpected, but never proved) from the effect of intoxicating drugs infufed in his liquors, he betrayed violent fymptoms of phrenzy and madness, treated his friends and affociates with outrage, infolence and abufe; tore his cloaths from his body, and rode with a drawn fword furioufly through the streets, wounding and killing feveral perfons, with other extravagancies. The citizens beheld the deplorable ftate of their favorite with horror and regret, and after re. ceiving repeated affurances from the Viceroy, that their privileges and immunities fhould remain inviolate, they declared that the devoted Maffianello was no longer their general; and the Council, dreading a repetition of the old exceffes, if a madman was at the. head of a mob, fent four perfons with private orders to put him to death. The unfortunate fisherman had been harranguing the people from the pulpit of the great church, with an incoherent mixture of reproach, juftification and religious penitence, for he had ftill fufficient intervals of reafon to perceive he had loft the confidence of his friends; from the church he was conducted by fome attendants into an adjoining cloyfter, ftruggling in the agonies of difeafe, madnefs and defpair. Hearing his name mentioned, D "tors!" His head fixed on a fpear, and his body dragged through the ftreets, were the fignal for fubmiffion to the Spanish government. Magnificent funeral obfequies and an expensive interment were neverthelefs celebrated by the people, fo that Maffianello in lefs than three days was obeyed like a monarch, murdered like a villain, and revered like a faint. The obnoxious taxes were in a short time levied, and again produced ineffectual refiftance; fo ruinous and unavailing are attempts at reform in governments, radically defective in their structure, where the voice of the people is not concentrated and conveyed by a reprefentative body, organized and at intervals renewed, frequently and regularly meet. ing, the guardians of the public purfe, and endued with legislative powers. Such affemblies properly tempered by precautionary formalities, and cooled in debate by deliberative delay, if at any period aufpicious to human integrity, they could be fecured from corruption, feem to promife ftrong barrier between popular fury and regal oppreflion, a fafe interceder between king and people, a moderator and preventer of abfolute defpotifm, hateful in one man, but terrific, overwhelming, and deftructive of itself and others in the hands of a million. A RBUTHNOT, Dr. a favorite physician of Queen Anne, the friend of Swift and Pope; poffeffing all the wit of the Dean, and much of his humour, free from acrimonious virulence and grofs indelicacy; and a confiderable portion of the genius of the Poet, without his querulous discontent. "Were a ftranger," fays a modern writer, "were a stranger to "perufe the correfpondence of "Pope and Swift, without any "other guide to inftruct him in "the hiftory of the times in which "they lived, he would be induced to "think, that the whole body of "their cotemporaries had been in "league against them, and that "thefe two individuals, engroffed "the small remains of virtue that "were left, while the rest of the "world was inveloped in barbarian "darkness, ignorance and detrac❝tion." The obfervation is just, but in reply, it may be faid, that in a new reign, and in the infolence of triumph, it was natural for a whig miniftry, the Walpoles and Coningfbies of the day, to opprefs, ridicule and abufe, the avowed favourites of Oxford and Bolingbroke, who had been, with fome appearance of justice, accused of measures inimical to the house of Hanover. Of fuch treatment, however culpably illiberal, Dr. Swift, of all political and literary partizans, the most furious, perfonal, and malignant, had the least right to complain. But I return to Arbuthnot, of whom I have often faid, that if a character were to be selected from paft paft times, whofe footsteps I muft follow, whofe fortune and fate I muft exactly undergo, the fubject of this article fhould be fixed on, without hesitation. His calm moderation, and tranquil virtues in profperity, his temperate complaints, mild refignation, and unaffected piety in adverfity, cannot but imprefs the mind, with an earnest defire of imitation. He is a ftriking proof of the impotence of misfortune, to derange or exhaust, the internal refources of a good man. So worthy an individual, ferene and erect amidst the ftorms and clouds of life is an ob ject which the philofopher may contemplate with ufeful deduction, and the afflicted Chriftian with cordial confolation; it impreffes the chearful doctrine of the preJent reward, as well as the future retribution of virtue, more forcibly than the ftrongeft faith, or the most elaborate demonftration. "I am as well," fays Arbuthnot, who died a few weeks after writing the letter I quote, "I am as "well as a man can be, who is "gafping for breath, and has a houfe full of men and women "unprovided for." But the Almighty faw and fulfilled the wifles of a good heart. Every branch of his family paffed through life with competence, and honour. When a young man, he attempted to fettle as a phyfician at Dorchefter, a town in the weft of England, remarkable for its falubrious air, and healthy fituation; circumftances highly defirable to an inhabitant, but unpropitious to the profitable practice of phyfic. On quting Dorfetfhire, a friend met him riding poft to London, "Where are you going, Arbuth"not?" was a natural queftion. "To leave your confounded "place, for a man can neither "live or die there ;" was his happy anfwer. ARC, JOAN of, the famous and intrepid Maid of Orleans, who, in the obfcure condi-. tion of a peafant's daughter, of Dom Remi, Dompre, or Doremy, near Vaucouleur, a fhepherdefs, and a fervant of all work at a country inn, felt the impulfe of infpiration, enthusiasm, or good fenfe, and attained the reputation of a victorious warrior, a faint, and a martyr. Inftructed by the deep policy of a French commandant, and after much prophetic declaration, and miraculous, or myfterious conduct, admirably calculated to infuse religious and patriotic zeal into the terrified minds of faldiers, enfeebled by repeated defeats, this extraordinary woman rescued her king, the lafcivious Charles the Seventh, and her bleeding country, from English thraldom. But was at length taken prifoner, and, after a trial, conducted with the folemnity of legal and ecclefiaftic forms, but evidently directed by the ungenerous rancour of an exafperated enemy, who had fuffered from her fuperior courage and abilities, was found guilty of fchifm, herefy, and witchcraft, by her judges, the Bishops of Coutance, Lifeux, the chapter of Rouen, and other dignitaries, was excommunicated, and, with the ufual tender mercy of the holy office, delivered over to the fecular arm, to be burnt ;. bloody, inhuman fentence, which was executed, at ter the proceedings of these enlightened men had been examined and confirmed by the university of Paris. Shakespeare, who, in his hiftorical plays, appears to have been rather led by the popular prejudices of the times, than his own good fenfe, has introduced the Maid of Orleans on the ftage, cloathed with fupernatural powers which he does not effectually exert, and affifted by periapts, and chofen fpirits, whom, in the cant of witchcraft, fhe profeffes to have fed with her own blood; but they forfake her in the hour of need: yet, notwithstanding this invifible aid, he makes her exert confiderable military prowefs, and fkilful manœuvre, and the answers, with / much art and addrefs, the abufe of the English commanders, who call her, foul fiend of France, and hag of defpight, encompaffed with youthful paramours. The fcandal of her indifcriminate amours, I attribute to the malice of an enemy, and partly to an ineffectual effort, the unhappy woman made to fave, or rather prolong her life, by pleading pregnancy. Her incontinence, which was never proved, could not efcape the prurient imagination of Mr. Voltaire, who has built on it a ridiculous, but difgufting and irreverend fuperftruc ture. It is to be lamented, that pofthumous juftice cannot extinguish the flames of perfecution, or mitigate the pains inflicted by cruelty and nonfenfe, on exalted worth, which feels the knife, the axe, the cord, and the pinchers of the inquifitor, as acutely as the most notorious impoftor, or abandoned ruffian. Yet if it were permitted beyond the grave, to know what patles in thofe fcenes we have left behind, it must have afforded fome confolation to the injured fpirit of the Maid of Orleans, that her innocence of the crimes alledged against her, was publicly declared by Pope Celeftin the Third, and that ample juftice has been done to her memory, as a patriot and warrior, by fucceeding poets and hiftorians: of these, Voltaire is the moft confpicuous, for fine poetry, exquifite humour, well directed satire, and strong fenfe, debased by profane allufion, and incidents equally repugnant to decency and good tafte. Various attempts have been made to purify this poem, and give it an English drefs, but they have failed in common with one, from which the following extracts are made the alternate rhyme feems ill calculated for long narra tives, and begets a wearifomness from its recurring monotony, which the reader of Spenser, with all the interefting natural fimplicity, and goodness of his heart, will find occafionally creeping over him. The tranflator, I remember, regretted in his preface, that purity was too often facrificed to merriment, and that the nobleft faculties of the mind were frequently prostituted to impiety and lewdnefs; for which reafon, he conceived it would be difficult to convince one half of the world, thạt it was poffible to laugh without guilt, and the other half, that a writer might be moral, without incurring the imputation of dullnefs. It was obferved in the pre face, |