they know will be beft favoured by keeping them in a state of abject ignorance. I will not go fo far as to fuppofe any one, that calls himself a Chrifrian, capable of envying the advancement of religion, which certainly may be expected from thefe endeavours to inftruct the children of the poor. It is now a period of four years fince this inftitution was first fet on foot; and this grain of muftard-feed is now grown to fuch an incredible extent, that, under its fhadow, not fewer than 250,000 of our poor fellow-Chriftians are feltered and protected. From this fpark, excited by the zeal, and supported by the indefatigable attention, of a worthy individual, fuch a flame of piety and charity has been kindled, as diffufes its brightness through our own and a neighbouring kingdom, and is even about to extend itfelf to our fettlements in diftant countries, comprehending all defcriptions of the poor, and affording a moft delightful profpect, to every ferious mind, of a national reformation of manners among the loweft orders of the people.

Mr. URBAN,.

Jan. 1. A Tthe beginning of a new year it is natural for thinking minds to take a retrospect of paft ages; and, in this furvey, particular attention will be paid by every perfon to thefe, periods, which have been remarkable æras either of events to his &tuation moft interefting, or of pursuits with his tafte moft congenial. Thus, the politician remarks the times when either violent convulfions or deep intrigue may have materially affected the state of empires The military man obferves on what occafions determined valour, skilful marshalling, and fteady difcipline, have been fignally victorious. The fcholar, in the meanwhile, examines WHEN and WHERE literature and polite arts have been much encouraged, and from enquiry collects information not diflimilar to the following fhort memoirs:

1. Before the establishment of the Perfian monarchy, Craius, king of Lydia, was famous not only for the Splendour and affluence of his metropolis, but also for his love of learning and science. His court, therefore, was the refort of the Grecian figes; and we have ftill upon record the converfation which was held by that prince with Bias of Priene, and Solon of Athens. To

fop, the Phrygian fabulift, alfo he was a liberal patron.

2. In the century subsequent to the time of Cræfus, began an æra glorious in the annals of Greece, an era which indeed reflects honour on the race of mankind, finee (next to piety and morality) genius, and fuperiority in works of art, are the pride of man. Within the space of litle more than a hundred years flourished most of thofe celebrated mafters, whom poets, painters, ftatuaries, orators, critics, hiftorians, and philofophers, in fucceeding ages have thought it an excellence to imitate, confidering them as the most perfect mcdels in their refpective branches. Among the poeta arc Pindar, fchylus, Sophocles, Euripides. Among the painters, Pananus, Zeuxis, Polygnotus, Micon, Timanthes, and Apelles. Among the ftatuaries, Phidias, Polycletus, Scopas, Alcamenes, Myron, and Prax iteles. Among the orators are Lyfias, Ifæus, Ifocrates, Efchines, Hyperides, Demofthenes. As a critic, Ariftotle ftands firft and chief. Herodotus is the father of hiftory; after whom came Thucydides and Xenophon. Among the philosophers are the same Xenophon, Cebes, Plato, and Ariftotrle.

3. In the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus, Egypt became the feat of litera ture. Celebrated indeed through many ages had that country been for skill in recondite fciences; but, from all ac counts tranfmitted to us, we have no reafon to think the ancient Egyptians had either judgement or elegance of tafte in liberal arts. To literature they certainly had no pretenfions till the time of Ptolemy the Second. This prince was laudably ambitious of collecting every valuable manufcript, and thus very confiderably augmented the number of books laid up in the library at Alexandria which was built by his father, and was faid, in fucceeding ages, to contain feven hundred thousand volumes. The fame of his generofity induced the most eminent writers to vifit Alexandria; fo that Ptolemy was the patron of Aratus and Apollonius Rhodius, of Callimachus and Theocritus. "In the times of Ptolemy Philadelphus (fays the Scholiaft on Hephæftion), were feven moft excellent tragic poets, whom they called Pleiads, because they fhone confpicuous in tragedy, as the stars in that conftellation: they are, Homer (not that chief of pucts, but the

fan

fon of Myro, a Byzantine poetess), Sofitheus, Lycophron, Alexander, antides, Sofiphanes, and Philifcus,"

4. Thefe fuccessful imitators of Grecian authors and artifts, whofe genius had been nurtured by the freedom of the Roman republick, were contemporaries with Julius and Auguftus Cæfar. Cicero had thundered out his Philip pics; Lucretius had exclaimed with enthufiafm,

Moenia mundi

Difcedunt, totum video per inane geri res— and Catullus had exhibited the ftrong picture of Atys, before the ufurpation of Auguftus. Virgil and Horace reached the fummit of their glory under the patronage of that Emperor: Tibullus and Propertius wrote during his government, but were difaffected towards his arbitrary and cruel measures. Ovid received fome favours, but at length was iniquitoufly banished by that tyrant. Livy the hiftorian was in habits of intimacy with Auguftus; and Vitruvius dedicated to him his Treatife on Ar

chitecture.

5. In the fame century lived authors of fome note indeed, but by no means to be ranked with thofe of the Julian and Auguftan ages. Such are, Velleius Paterculus, Seneca, Perfius, Lucan, Petronius, Quintus Curtius, Quintilian, Pliny the Elder, Silius Italicus, Statius, Martial, Valerius Flaccus, Juvenal, Terentianus Maurus, Pliny Junior; who are all mentioned as they are prior or fubfequent to each other in point of time. And thefe, in the next century, were followed by Tacitus, L. Florus, Suetonius, A. Gellius, Juftin.

6. Though Suidas, Stobæus, and Euftathius wrote between the third and thirteenth centuries, yet thefe middle ages were in general dark and unlettered in the Western world. The feat of Literature was neither at Rome nor Conftantinople. We must look for Poets, Critics, Hiftorians, Phyficians, and Philofophers, in a quarter where we fhould little expect to find them, among the Saracens at Bagdat in Afia, and Cordova in Spain. The feven Idyllia, which are faid to have been hung up in the temple at Mecca, are monuments of their poetry. The names of Averroes, Alpharabi, Avicenna, Abulfeda, Abulpharagus, and Bohadin, are celebrated in the Hiftories of Arabian learning. The "Bibliothecæ Aia bico Hifpana Efcuralienfis Recenfio et Explanatio" enumerates a great multi

Effay on Criticism.

In Leo's enlightened age, Strozza, Naugerius, Bembo, Sadolet, Flaminio, Sannazarius, Fracaftoris, and Vida, were reftorers of claffical learning; Michael Angelo and Raphael introduced, one a fublime, the other a correct, style of painting. Taffo happily imitated the ancient epic poetry; and Guicciardini wrote his much-efteemed Hiftory. Machiavel too was patronifed by the Medicis; but every writer, who can be fo inimical to the natural rights of mankind as to teach a tyrant how to opprefs his fubjects, ought to be detefted as a curfe to the nation and age in which he

was born.

to

8. In the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries lived many critics, commentators, and editors, of profound erudition. Such are thofe triumviri in the republick of letters, Lipfius, Cafaubon, Scaliger fuch are Robert Stevens, and Henry his fon, Fulvius Urfinus, Gruterus, Cauterus, Grævius, Gronovius, Heinfius, Meurfius: all writers whom the fcholars of the prefent age are infinitely indebted. But the glories of thefe centuries were Spenfer, Shakefpeare, and Milton, in England; Corneille, Racine, and Moliere, in France. Since the time of thefe illuftrious poets, there has been, in both countries, a fucceffion of ingenious and learned men, whofe names need not be enumerated to those who know the hiftory of Louis the XIVth, and are converfant with the ftate of learning in this country from the days of King William to the prefent reign.

Nor are the United Provinces and Germany excelled by either of the two kingdoms juft mentioned, in producing laborious, accurate, and extenfive fcho

lars. Lennep, Valckenaer, Rhunken, Reifke, Heyne, Brunck, are bright lu minaries of the prefent century, by their critical difquifitions diffufing much light over paffages hitherto obfcure.

From what causes it can have proceeded, that "all ages have not been equally fertile in men of genius;" that "the most eminent perfons in all kinds of profeffions have been always contemporaries, flourishing in the fame period, which has been of fhort duration;" that "arts and sciences should at fome times have risen almoft fpontaneously, and at others have declined, notwithstanding every affiftance and encouragement for their fupport;"-thefe confiderations have been matter of wonder and fubjects of enquiry with fpeculative minds, from Velleius Paterculus to the Abbé du Bos. The former writer accounts for these remarkable circumstances, in the "History of Man and Intellectual Attainments," in this manner: "Emulation cherishes Genius: one while Envy, another while Admiration, ftimulates endeavours after excellence; and, whatever is aimed at with the moft earnest effort, is carried to the highest perfection. It is difficult to continue long at the point of perfection; and then what cannot advance, Baturally falls off: and as at firft we are animated to overtake those whom we think before us, fo, when we have defpaired either of getting beyond them, or being equal with them, our inclination languishes with our hope; it ceafes to pursue what it cannot reach; and, quitting matter which others have already occupied, it looks out for fomewhat new neglecting that in which we cannot be eminent, we fearch for fome other object, on which to employ our endeavours after excellence. The confequence is, that this frequent and fickle tranfition from one art to another is the greateft obftacle to perfection."

The Abbé du Bos remarks, that "there feems to be a peculiar time in which a certain fpirit of perfection fheds itself on the inhabitants of a particular country;" and that "this fame fpirit feems to withdraw itself after having rendered two or three generations more perfect than the preceding or following ones." He afcribes this phanomenon partly to moral, but more to phyfical, caufes. He allows, that the happy fituation of a country, the encou ragement given by fellow-citizens, and GENT. MAG. January, 1788.

the means of inftruction offered to mea of genius, have a great share in the fenfible difference there is between different ages of the fame country. But he plainly appears to think that physical caufes have more powerful influence than moral, in producing the amazing difference we obferve between the ftate of arts and fciences in two fucceeding ages. "Have we not reafon," he says, "to believe that there are times in which men of the fame country are born with greater capacity and wit than at other times?" This opinion he fupports by proofs drawn from the history. of poets and artifts, and by philofophical reflections on the effects of climate, aliment, and air, on the human body and human mind. He concludes his reflections on the revolutions of learning and barbarifm, as of other circumftances incident to man, with a thought becoming a pious and refigned mind, "Tis a confequence of the plan adopted by the Creator, and of the means He has chofen for its execution."

Yours, &c. M. O. N.

Mr. URBAN,

Μι

Dec. 20.

EETING a few days ago with the inclofed letters of the late pious Mr. Hervey, which more than thirty years ago I copied from the originals, I could not but wifh to fee them preferved in your useful Repository. Yours, &c. T. B.

I. To Miss BARNARD.
MADAM,

A Letter like yours from an unknown hand, from any hand, could not fail of being highly acceptable, and is very defervedly acknowledged as a fignal fayour.

The cafe you reprefented was full of afflicting incidents, and such as conftitute the moft tender diftrefs-the ami. able qualities of the deceafed lady- the affectionate fondness of the happy pair

the uncommon regret which attended their laft parting the ftrong providen tial impreffion of unealinefs made on the hulband's mind-the dreadful agonies which convulfed that fair face, and made beauty itfelf a fpectacle of horror

the arrival of the unfortunate widower juft as the funeral folemnities were going to be celebrated-his finding a pale and gheftly corpie, inftead of the delight of his eyes and the darling of his heart-the infant intombed its mer-root and branch deutroyed at a

ftroke-thefe are circumftances which create a finished picture of forrow, and command both our attention and our commiferation.

But, unhappily for my book, the narrative came too late. When your letter arrived, the laft fhcers of both were fent to the prefs; and I have obliged myself, by a public promise, not to make any more additions to the work. This was judged a needful precaution, to obviate, in fome meafure, any outcry that might be occafioned by the prefent enlargements, and prevent any fufpicion, that poffibly fome future enlargements might depreciate this copy alfo. The misfortune of a lady's dying in child-bed is touched in the new edition; but not touched with fo dark a pencil, nor caft in fo deep a fhade, as yours. I was afraid to mix too much of the melancholy with this fcene, left it fhould have a terrifying effect on thole who are drawing near this perilous crifis.

In

My Defcant upon Creation fhould have been styled an Evangelical Defcant upon Creation. But an ingenious and worthy friend advited me to omit that epithet, alledging, that many of the polite and fashionable world (in which number he himself not long ago made a diftinguished figure) would be difgufted at that expreflion, having conceived a prejudice against the Gospel as inveterace as it is unhappy. But the whole tenour and only scope of the little effay as to display the glory and the grace of Chrift, from fome of the most obfervable phænomena in created nature. the procedure of thefe remarks one fpecies of the caterpillars, the filk-worm, is tranfiently introduced, but not fo exactly defcribed and pertinently obferved, as your own finely-fruitful fancy has fuggefted. According to the plan fketched out by your ready pen, the caterpillar may not improperly be confi. dered as an emblem of the natural, the regenerate, the glorified man: of the natural, in her reptile; of the regenerate, in her nymphal, of the glorified, in her winged ftate. In her reptile condition, the crawls on the ground, delights in grofs aliment, and appears with an alpect both loathfome and hideous; fo the carnal wretch grovels amidst low and earthly views; he knows no higher fatisfaction than the fordid ratifications of fente; the righteous behold him with horror, and he is had in a omination before the Lord. Soon

as the worm becomes a nymph, the difcontinues her mean purfuits, withdraws into the retirement of her cell, and feems as one fick of, or mortified to, the world: fo the perfon renewed by grace, renounces his foolish attachments and fhameful pleasures; is often in fecrecy, and communes much with his own heart; he is weaned from the things that are feen, he is dead (to the world), and his life is hid with Chrift in God. When the nymph is transformed into a butterfly, fhe fpurns the earth, and mounts the air; her form is beauty, and her motion agility itself; the roves along the flowery gardens, and fips their dews, and fucks their honey: the glorified believer likewife is no longer confined to this vale of tears, but fprings to his native Heaven; immortal beauty adorns his body, and his foul is ftamped with the illuftrious image of the Deity; his understanding is all light, and his affections perfect love; he lives on the beatific vifion, and his joys are exquifite, because they are eternal. I cannot but with, Madam, that I had been favoured with your correspondence before my little volumes had received the laft correc tions I am perfuaded your thoughts would have enriched the piece, and rendered it lefs imperfect. I acknowledge myself obliged for the kind partiality with which you are pleafed to perufe my writings, and beg of you to add to that amiable candour your frequent prayers for them and for their author, who is, Madam, your refpectful, and moft humble fervant, J. HERVEY.

II. To MRS. DICKINS. MADAM, Wefton, May 6, 1748. I Perfectly remember, and with pleafure recollect, the improving afternoon I spent in your company fome years ago, at our friend Mr. Chapman's houfe. Interviews of this nature, where refined fenfe and undiffembled piety mingle their charms, are too rare and too valuable easily to be overlooked, or fpeedily forgot. To the fatisfaction L then received you have added a fresh favour by your obliging letter, which, with another from the ingenious Mr. Drake, came to my hands last night.

With regard to the verfes *, I affure

The firft copy prefixed to his "Meditations," written [it can be no difparagement to him to fay] by the rev. Dr. Drake, fon of the hiftorian, now vicar of Beyerley.

you,