Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

his leisure in tracing the diftinctions between good and evil, in examining into the nature and extent of the obligations incumbent on human beings, and in vindicating the dignity of virtuc, and of human nature: fo the celebrated M. Neck.tr, when no longer presiding over the department of the finances, in the French government, has employed his leifure and privacy, in afferting the happy influence of religious belief, and religious fentiments, on the welfare of fociety. He has lately published a work on that important fubject, which naturally attracts the attention of the public, as being the production of fo celebrated a poli-tician. Politicians, though not always the direct enemies of virtue and religion, are believed to be, not always their votaries or friends. They confult private interest or ambition; or, if actuated by more generous motives, even their nobleft views are to aggrandize or enrich their native country. And, while their aims are directed to fuch ends, they are seldom fcrupulous in the choice of means; they will, at one time, or in one inftance, fupport or vindicate the cause of justice, virtue, and religion; but, again, do the interefts of thefe oppofe or seem to oppose their schemes or withes? they readily defert or facrifice them. Nay, they even pretend, that it is their duty to prefer the ufeful to the honeft. And, as for religion, they boldly tell us, that it is beneficial to mankind, only in fo far as it is an happy engine, in the hands of princes and rulers, to preferve the fubordination of their inferiors.

M. Neckar has viewed that heavenly form with profounder reverence. He confiders religious principles, and fentiments of devotion, as effentially neceffary to the existence of civil fociety; but he prefumes not to affert, that they have no farther use or end. He examines the connection between religious fentiments and public order; compares the influence of fuch fenti

4

timents, with that of laws and of opinion, on the conduct of mankind; traces the influence of religion on the happinefs of fociety; marks its power in directing the politics of fovereigns; and, from his investigations on these, and a number of other topics connected with thefe, concludes, that, 'belief in theex. iftence of a Deity, the creator and the governor of the univerfe; and fenti ments of veneration, gratitude, devout confidence, and filial affection towards that Being, must ever have the happiest effects in fupporting wife and legal government; and that, therefore, religion merits the conftant veneration and encouragement of patriots and politicians.'. His great object seems to be, to demonftrate, that, without reli. gious belief and devotional sentiments, civil government could have no exist. ence. We will not, however, venture to affert, that, fuppofing the human race deftitute of the knowledge of a Deity, and confequently of all fentiments of reverence or affection for fuch a Being, they could have no ideas of civil order, fubordination, and relative duties. But we admire and refpect the politician, who shows a defire to unite the prefent with the future interests of mankind; and who, with the voice of vehement and perfuafive eloquence, calls to the nations to ferve God, and to kings to worship the Lord of Hofts!

VI. In our Magazine for last month, we took notice of a collection of the original writers of the French history, of which thirteen volumes have been already published, and the rest are, in due time, expected; by the Benedictines of the congregation of St Maur.

The publication of another Collec tion, fcarce less valuable, and which will alfo contribute to elucidate many important particulars, in the different periods of the French history, has been, for fome time, carrying on by different hands; it is faid to be printed at London, though published at Paris. It confifts of, Memoirs of a number of the

moft

moft illuftrious warriors and flates men that France has produced, written by their fecretaries, or others who enjoyed opportunities of receiving original and authentic information. The editors of this collection have employ ed confiderable labour, and difplay great fagacity, in felecting and illuftrating thofe memoirs. They have already published no fewer than four and thirty volumes. We fhall fubjoin, for the entertainment of our readers, two anecdotes of two illuftrious characters, Marshal Vieilville, and Marshal Briffac, extracted from two of the last published of thefe volumes. M. de Vicilville, who flourished in the reign of Lewis 12th, in the beginning of the 16th century, wishing to be prefent at a certain naval engagement, went on board a galley, accompanied by a gentleman of the name of Cornillion, who vowed never to forfake him. Notwithstanding the valour of thofe heroes, they were taken and carried into Monaco, in Italy. The lord of Monaco, whofe prifoners they were, treated them with great kindnefs, and fixing the ranfom of M. de Vieilville at three thousand crowns, and that of M. de Cornillon at one thoufand, offered M. Vicilville leave to go in queft of this fum which he demanded for their liberty, on condition, that if he fhould bafely neglect to return, his companion fhould be loaded with chains, and detained in captivity during the rest of his life.

M. de Vieilville, however, fearing fome difficulties might arife, to retard or prevent his return, and of confequence condemn his friend to the miferies of perpetual imprisonment, refufed to accept that generous offer of his enemy; but begged the lord of Monaco to fend a meffenger to M. de Lautrec, who at that time commanded a French army in Italy, with the news of Vieilville being his prifoner. Lautrec immediately fent two gentlemen to Monaco, with the fum demand

ed for M. Vieilville's ranfom. But, because the lord of Monaco had not fpecified by his messenger to M. Lautrec what ranfom he expected for Cornillon, thofe gentlemen had no commiffion to purchase his liberty; and M. de Vieilville, with all that generorifity of friendship, and scrupulous honour, which diftinguished the heroes of Greece and Rome, or the no less illuftrious votaries of chivalry, refufed to leave Monaco without his friend, and voluntarily determined to remain in captivity till he could find means to ranfom M. Cornillon, as well as himfelf. The lord of Monaco, ad. miring the man capable of such exalt、 ed fentiments, generously fet his friend at liberty without ranfom,

The other anecdote relates to Marfhal Briffac. This hero was one of the handfomeft men of his age; and as he embraced the profeffion of arms at a very early time of life, he had dif tinguished himself in the field before his looks had acquaired either manly dignity, or martial ferocity. In fome of his firft campaigns, a Spanish Cava lier, who had been taken prisoner without receiving any dangerous wounds, and with his lance ftill unbroken, obferving Briffac's elegant figure, beardlefs chin, and delicate complexion, faid to him contemptuously," I fuppofe, young gentleman, your miftrefs has fent you here to maintain the glory of her charms; which muft furely be very extroardinary, fince yours have been fubjected by their power." "I fhall have no great difficulty to per form that tafk," returned Briffac fmart. ly, taking the Spaniard by the hand, "if all the Cavaliers in your army fuffer themselves, like you, to be ta ken prifoners with their lances un broken."

VII. The lovers of hiftory, will be happy to learn the publication of a new and complete Hiftory of the Ott man Empire, by a gentleman who has had accefs to the most refpectable four

ces

ces of information, has been capable of induftry to collect a mafs of materials, and has been enabled, by a found and accurate judgement, to diftinguifh what was important from what was trifling; what was probable or wellfupported, from what was doubtful or fabulous. The first volume of fuch an hiftory has been lately offered to the public by M. de M— d'Hoffon, late interpreter and charge' des affaires for his Swedish majefty, at the court of Conftantinople. His work is written in French, and publifhed at Paris.

This gentleman was born at Conftantinople, and spent the first forty years of his life in the dominions of the Grand Signior. He pretends to have had accefs to the papers and memorials of the Turkish miniftry; of a number of their public officers, and of thofe at the head of all the different departments of the government. They treated him with fuch kindness and confidence, as to give into his hands extracts from the public regifters of the empire, which are still in his poffeffion, and constitute the authorities to which he refers, in proof of his hif torical veracity. From the officers of the palace he received his information concerning the feraglio and the economy of the fovereign's household; and, he was even fo happy, as to be favoured by fome female flaves belonging to the feraglio, with the communication of various particulars, relative to the Sultanas, and the facred receffes of the imperial harem.

Such are the fources from which he has derived his information. The volume already published, is a large folio, comprehending the first part of his plan; which is," the religious code of the Turkish empire."

Among the Mahometans, this code is of peculiar importance. It extends its influence to the views and operations of politics as well as to the connections and intercourfe of civil life. The fovereign of the Turkish empire

reigns, as fucceffor to the Caliphs; who formerly reigned at Bagdad, with fplendid magnificence and extenfive power, and were the fucceffors and reprefentatives of Mahomet. Their empire was established on the bafis, and governed by the laws of religion;' and fo also is the Turkish. The Ottoman monarch, poffeffes abfolute power over the lives, the liberties, and the properties of his fubjects; they cannot legally refift his will, or reftrain him and fecure themfelves by new regulations. But, their religious code, directs both his conduct and theirs. Should he violate any of its inftitutions, that inftant would he ceafe to have a right to their obedience. He may plunder or murder an obnoxious fubject; but he must not abfent himself from the mofque on a Friday.

The Koran has been ufually regarded as conftituting the whole of this code; but that is an egregious miftake;. for the Koran is only one of four parts which compofe the body of this religious code. The 1ft is the Koran; the 2d, a collection comprehending all the fayings and actions of the Prophet; the 3d, fuch oral and traditionary laws as were generally and equally known in the three firft ages of the Hegira s and the 4th, fuch oral laws as have been lefs generally known and regard ed. M. M- d'Hoflon has engroffed this code into the body of his work, and illuftrated it by a variety of facts and obfervations. He has traced the hiftory of their religious opinions, and of the customs and prejudices connected with them: he traces alfo the rife and progrefs of their different fects and fchifms, and the effects of thofe religious difputes and divifions on the intercourfe and welfare of all the states of the Ma hometan name. The most remarkable of them, that which flill continues to animate the Turks and Perfians with mutual hatred, has particularly enga ged his attention. It was firft adop

ted.

ted by Schah Ifmael, the founder of the royal house of the Sophis. Sultan Selim then reigned at Conftantinople. He fent a letter of angry expoftulation to the heretical monarch of Perfia.

The confequence was a bloody war, from which the pious and orthodox Selim returned victorious.-In our next, we will probably give some farther account of this respectable work.

A Druid's Tale; written by himself.
INTRODUCTION.

Carthage. At the end of this time he

A the moft fourthing period of the died, and I, being his only child, fuc

Carthagenian commonwealth, they had fettlements both in Spain and Sicily, and traded on the coaft of Britain.

Their merchants had, then, frequent intercourse with the Greeks, whofe language, arts, and military glory were, at that time, in their meridian fplendour. The Greek language was almoft univerfally known, and fpoken by the polifhed nations of that age. In Afia, Italy, Sicily, and in Gaul, as well as in the iflands of the Egean and Ionian feas, Grecian colonies had introduced and ftill preferv. ed the language of their mother country. The Carthagenians, though little fubject to the impulfe of taite, or literary curiofity, found it useful to acquire this anguage; because it was more generally known than their own among the nations with whom they traded. It became fashionable at Carthage: and when thofe honeft therchants and manufacturers had any thing to commit to writing they generally wrote a kind of impure and barbarous Greek.

Either by the Carthagenians or the merchants of Marfeilles, the Greek lan guage was introduced into Britain; and the following narrative is tranflated from a Greek manufcript, which was lately difcovered among fome other Druidical remains. In it a Druid relates fome misfortunes of his youth, which had induced him to forfake the world, and retire to the duties and confolations of religion. If genuine, it is certainly a curiofity. Having fallen, accidentally, into the hands of the publisher; he gives it a place in his Mifcellany, from the hope, that it may afford fome entertain ment to his readers.

TALE.

M Y father was a Carthagenian merch ant who, in a twenty year's trade to Italy, Spain, and Britain, acquired a fortune which rendered him one of the richef and molt confiderable men in

ceeded to his whole fortune. I continu ed to carry on the trade by which he had acquired his opulence; and, in about a year after his death, I married the daughter of a neighbouring merchant. The ladies of Carthage were not, in general, remarkable for fenfibility, or delicacy of feeling. But my lovely Sophonisba, the faireft among her country women, was ftill more their fuperior in tendernefs and goodness of heart, than in beauty, Brought up among a people who were ftrangers to refinement of fentiment or manners, fhe poffeffed all the delicacy and elegance of a Greek. I had seen and admired her modefty and beauty; I knew her father's fortune to be very confiderable: Defire and avarice were, therefore, the motives which had induced me to afk her in marriage; but I foon began to love her with a tender and virtuous affection.

The earlieft leffons which I had received from my father, taught me to regard industry as the first of virtues; and to look upon the acquifition of riches as the only fource of true glory. I had been taught to reprefs the fallies of paffion, and the emotions of generous feeling, whenever they arofe in competition with this important object. These fentiments and maxims, however falfe and pernicious, were not peculiar to my father: they feemed to infpire the heart and direct the conduct of every Carthaginian. There had been a time, when, notwithftanding their industry, and their traffic, the merchants of Carthage preferred their country, juffice, and the rights of humanity, to every other confiderati on. But that time was now no more. They had enlarged the dominions of the commonwealth, they had established feveral colonies, and had opened many new fources of wealth: they had become rich and powerful, but they had ceafed to be virtuous. Unfortunately, toch wealth had debafed and corrupted their

hearts

mine.

hearts, without polishing or refining their manners. They had frequent intercourfe with the Greeks; but Grecian learning and elegance had no charms for them. The rudeness and ferocity of the Bar barians, and the`vices which luxury and opulence had generated among the polithed nations, with whom they traded, feemed, in their character, to be blended and united with that mean avarice, and that unfeeling felfifhnefs which too often degrade the mercantile character. Such, at that time was the general character of my countrymen; and fuch, too, was When I was united, in marriage, with the charming Sophonifba; a heart poffeffed by a mean attachment to gain, deftitute of tender and generous feeling, and uninfluenced by the motives and reftraints of virtue, rendered me very unworthy of fo amiable a partner. Engaged too in dealings inconfiftent with the laws of honour and juftice; and particularly in one fpecies of traffic, by which all the rights of humanity were wantonly violated; and juftified in thefe by the unanimous voice, and the uni form example of my fellow-citizens; every virtuous fentiment had been thus extinguifhed in my beaft, and every honeft feeling had become callous and Infenfible:

But my amiable partner foon won lo much on my heart, by her tender attention to my happiness, and the mild virtues which every particular in her conduct difplayed, that I began to perceive the difference between her character and my own; and from admiration of her excellencies, and a defire to promote her happiness, I was, in fome degree, formed to the imitation of her virtues. I began, now, to experience, in the endearments of domeftic life, truer happiness than I had ever found in contemplating the rapid increase of my wealth, or, even in receiving the moft profitable and unexpected returns from any mercantile adventure.

In the courfe of a few years our family was increafed by the birth of two lovely children; a boy and a girl. My fon, whom I named Mago, after my father, was two years older than his fifter, to whom we gave her mother's name, Sophonifba. When I look back on that happy period of my life, in which I uid, at any time, retire from the anxiand fatigue of bufinefs to the comny of my Sophonifba and my children; cannot help feeling the misfortunes VOL. VII. No. 42.

which foon after overwhelmed me with keener anguifh than what I suffered at the very time when they fell upon me.

I had a fmall villa, at the distance of a few miles from Carthage. Often did we retire thither, that we might escape from the hurry, and buftie, and difagreeable company to which we were exposed in the town. Most of the other merchants had alfe villas. But they vifited their villas, only from vanity, or that they might there enjoy the fame dull and vulgar pleafures with which they amufed themselves in town, a little di vertified, but not refined: while I and my little family fought to enjoy thofe pure and fimple pleafures which the country only can afford, in company with each other, and undisturbed by dif agreeable intruders.

Still, however, I, with eager induftry, continued to carry on that traffic, in which my father and I had been fo fuccessful. My fhips conveyed to Spain and Britain fuch of the neceffaries and conveniencies of life as were moft in demand among our colonifts and the barbarians, among whom they were fettled. In return they brought tin, gold, and flaves, with forme other productions of thofe favage and uncultivated regions, to be diftributed in Italy, Sicily, and Greece. This commerce was extremely lucrative. The Celtiberians and Britons were by no means qualified to judge of the value of our commodi ties; they eftimated them according to the eagerness of their own appetites and defires, not according to their intrinfic worth. Trifles, which at Carthage, and among the Italians and Greeks, were re garded as of no value of utility, were fo eagerly coveted by thofe barbarians, as to be purchased at the expence of their moft valuable poffeffions: for a knife, or a hatchet, a fon would betray his father, or a father his fon, into lafting flavery: to procure à paultry ornament for her arms, her neck, or her hair, a mother would fell the liberty of her daughter, or a daughter would inhumanly deliver up her mother.

Among barbarians, indeed, the tender charities of life are unknown. The connection between families and relations is there extremely weak. When parents have nurfed and fupported their children in the periods of infancy and childhood, they have nothing more to beftow; they cannot communicate to them the bleffings of culture and education; they can not load them with the gifts of fortune; 3 N

they

« ZurückWeiter »