crooked, and frequently hilly; the houfes are ill built, with the exception of a small number, which look well enough. There are no fquares, fountains, wells, or promenades; those in which they walk do not deferve this name, being only a beaten road on one fide of it, and a kind of terrace, very thort, which looks over the fea; both are without trees, or any other cover. Within fifteen years a large ftreet has been built leading to the gate of San-Carlos: it is very long, broad, ftraight, and contains fome fine buildings.

"Climate. Tarragona has a fine fky, and the climate is temperate, but rather warm than cold. There are frequently violent winds here. Provisions are good, the fruits are delicious, and the wine excellent, but ftrong. The town had no fountain or well water; the inhabitants were reduced to drink ciftern water, which was commonly bad, when the last archbishop built a fuperb acqueduct, which conveys excellent water to the town. This acqueduct is partly built on the ruins of a fimilar work erected by the Romans.

"We have already spoken of the feveral fieges which Tarragona formerly fuftained: fince then, this town, revolting with the rest of Catalonia againit Philip IV. was befieged and taken by the troops of its fovereign in 1640. Four years after, it was befieged by the French, who were forced to raife the blockade; at the beginning of the 18th century it followed the Auftrian party; gave itfelf up in 1705 to the Archduke, and opened its gates to the English troops, who, after the peace of Utrecht, in 1713, fet fire to the town when they lefuit. This conflagration destroyed a part of the buildings and fortifications. This was the period of the total decline of Tarragona: it is now beginning to recover itself.

"The new port, the building of which was begun seven or eight years ago, and which will be one of the fineft in the Mediterranean, muft neceffarily contribute to the profperity of Tarragena; it will make it an important fortified town, and one of a profitable commerce.” Vol. i. p. 92.

The above extract is fufficient to prove the minute and careful enquiries which the author directed to every fubject he has undertaken to elucidate, while talents of a different kind are displayed in the fpecimen of his work hereafter exhibited. The one fatisfies us, that every production of ancient and molern hiftory has been carefully explored, the progreffive changes, which time has introduced, defined and illuitrated, all local peculiarities, and prefent condition and circumflances of the place defcribed, examined with acute attention, and reprefented with great ability. When the character of the people is delineated, it is impoffible not to fee and acknowledge profound and philofophic reflection: we

meet

meet with no levity or frivolity of remark, but a fpirit of franknefs, candour, and good fenfe, anxious at the fame time neither to violate the dignity of truth, nor to be fubject to the fufpicion of mifreprefentation and prejudice. It would have much pleafed us to have inferted the whole of M. Laborde's obfervations on the Spanish character, which is certainly delineated with a mafterly hand; but we must content ourselves with inferting what he fays on the Spanish women, which is thus introduced.

"The Spaniards are generally rather below than above the middle ftature. They are taller in the provinces near the ocean and the Pyrenees, efpecially in Catalonia, Aragon, and Galicia ; provinces which furnifh a well made, large, and well proportioned race of men, and fmaller in the two Caftiles and Leon.

"The Spaniards are ufually reprefented as lean, dry, meagre, and of a yellow and fwarthy complexion. They are not indeed of the grofs habit ufually obferved in the inhabitants of the north; but their thinnefs is neither exceffive nor difagreeable; it is fuitable to their ftature. Their complexion is fwarthy in fome pro vinces; thofe, for inftance, of the fouth; it is fo also, but in a lefs degree, in the Caftiles, though a shade brighter in New than in Old Caftile. It inclines to yellow or olive in the kingdom of Murcia, but white skins are still very common in Spain, especially amongst women and children.

"The general appearance of the Spaniards is ufually very good; the shape delicate, the head beautiful, the countenance in telligent; their eyes are quick and animated, their features regu lar, their teeth even.

"The Caftilians appear delicate, but they are ftrong. The Galicians are large, nervous, robust, and able to endure fatigue. The inhabitants of Eftramadura are strong, ftout, and well made, but more fwarthy than any other Spaniards. The Andalufians are light, flender, and perfectly well proportioned. The Mur cians are gloomy, indolent, and heavy; their complexion is pale, and often almoft lead-coloured. The Valencians are delicate, flight, and effeminate; but intelligent, and active in labour. The Catalans are nervous, ftrong, active, intelligent, indefatigable, and above the middling ftature. The Aragonefe are tali and well made; as robuft, but lefs active than the Catalans. The Bifcayans are ftrong, vigorous, agile, and gay; their complexion is fine, their expreffion quick, animated, Laughing and open; the Roman historians describe them as brave, robust,. endowed with conftancy and a firmness not to be shaken; fierce in their difpofi tion, fingular in their customs; always armed with daggers, and ready to give themselves death rather than fuffer themselves to be fubjugated or governed by force; roufed to oppofition by obftacles, and patient of labours and fatigue. In fact, the Calabrians

U

BRIT, CKIT, VOL. XXXVII. MARCH, 1811.

were

were the Spanish people who longest refifted the arms of the Roman republic.

"The Spanish women here deferve a feparate article; compared with the men, they feem to form a different nation.

"The females of Spain are naturally beautiful, and owe.nothing to art. The greater part are brown; the few that are fair are chiefly to be found in Bifcay. They are in general well proportioned, with a flender and delicate fhape, finall feet, well fhaped' legs, a face of a fine oval, black or rich brown hair, a mouth nei. ther large nor fmall, but agreeable, red lips; white and well fet teeth, which they do not long preferve, however, owing to the little care they take of them. They have large and open eyes, ufually black, or dark hazel, delicate and regular features, a peculiar fuppleness, and a charming natural grace in their motions, with a pleafing and expreffive gefture. Their countenances are open, and full of truth and intelligence; their look is gentle, animated, expreffive; their fimile agreeable; they are naturally pale, but this palencfs feems to vanifh under the brilliancy and expreffive luftre of their eyes. They are full of graces, which appear in their difcourfe, in their looks, their geftures, in all their motions, and every thing that they do. They have ufually a kind of em- : barraffed and heedlefs manner, which does not fail, however, to feduce, even more perhaps than wit and talents. Their countenance is modeft, but expreffive. There is a certain fimplicity in all they do, which fometimes gives them a ruftic, and fometimes a bold air, but the charm of which is inexpreffible. As foon as they get a little acquainted with you, and have overcome their firft embarrassment, they exprefs themfelves with eafe; their dif courfe is full of choice expreffions, at once delicate and noble; their converfation is lively, eafy, and poffeffes a natural gaiety peculiar to themfelves. They feldom read and write, but the little that they read they profit by, and the little that they write is correct and concife.

"They are of a warm difpofition; their paffions are violent, and their imagination ardent, but they are generous, kind, and true, and capable of fincere attachment.

"With them, as with the women of other countries, love is the chief business of life; but with them it is a deep feeling, a paffion, and not, as in fome other parts, an effect of felf-love, of vanity, of coquetry, or of the rivalries of fociety. When the Spanish women love, they love deeply and long; but they alfo require a conftant affiduity, and a complete dependence. Naturally referved and modeft, they are then jealous and impetuous. They are capable of making any facrifices; but they also exac them. On thefe occafions they difcover all the energy of their character; and the women of no other nation can compare with them in this point. The Caftilian women excel all the reft in love. There are many fhades of difference in the manner in which this paflion is difplayed by the females of different provinces.

Thofe

Thofe of Caftile have more tenderness and fenfibility; the Bif cayans are more ardent; the Valencians and Catalans more impetuous; the Aragonese most exacting and imperious; the Andalu fian women moft adroit and feducing; but the general difpofition is nearly the fame in all.

"There is a freedom in the manners and converfation of the Spanish women, which caufes them to be judged unfavourably of by ftrangers; but on further acquaintance, a man perceives that they appear to promife more than they grant, and that they do not even permit those freedoms which moft women of other countries think there is no harm in allowing. A modern traveller, who is fometimes fevere, often hafty in his judgments, has anticipated me in this remark; but he deduces from it an inference unfavorable to the Spanish women. "Feeling," fays he, "their own weakness, and knowing how inflammable they are, they are distrustful of themfelves, and fear they fhould yield too easily." This is fuppofing them very abandoned, and very calculating, and they are neither one nor the other. This referve belongs to their notions and manners; it fometimes proceeds from the embaraff ment, of which we have fpoken, and oftener from their ideas of love, which forbid them to grant their favours by halves, or tọ employ that coquetry fo common among the women of other coun.

tries.

"If the Spanish ladies are agreeable, if they are fometimes well-informed, they owe it only to themselves, and in no degree to their education, which is almoft totally neglected. If their native qualities were polished and unfolded by a careful instruction, they would become but too feductive." Vol. v. p. 265.

It might have been very poffible to have fubftituted other extracts ftill more creditable to the original author, and exhibiting ftill more fatisfactory evidence of elaborate research, combined with circumftantial detail and elegant obfervation. But enough, it should feem, must have been done to convince the reader that the tranflator has introduced a work into our language far above the ordinary level. He is on this account entitled to our thanks, even if he had not merited, which he certainly does, much and great commendation for the fpirit, elegance, and we queftion not the fidelity of his verfion. We learn that fome few, but very pardonable liberties, have been taken with the original. The English ear has not been difgufted with the fulfome panegyrics on a Jofeph Bonaparte. A chapter comparing the Spanish and French languages has been judicioufly abridged; and a chapter on Natural Hiftory has received fome additions and corrections. Some notes alfo, of neceffary explanation, have been added. The Atlas has the merit of great perfpicuity and neatnefs; and the whole is a ufeful and agreeable addi tion to English Literature.

U 2

ART.

BRITISH CATALOGUE.

POETRY.

ART. 11. Select Pfalms in Verfe, with Critical Remarks, by Bp. Lowth and others, illuftrative of the Beauties of Sacred Poetry. Crown 8vo. 288 pp. 8s. Hatchard. 1811.

There is fomething peculiarly pleafing in the plan and execution of this little volume, which judiciously unites the love of facred poetry, with the taste for English lore, and the liberal curiofity which feeks for information refpecting all men of talent. "It was the original intention of the compiler," he tells us, "to have given a complete metrical tranflation of the Book of Pfalms, felected from all the different verfions which he could meet with." This, however, he relinquifhed, being convinced by diligent investigation, that "a very large proportion of the Pfalms have never yet had juftice done to the beautics of their poetry." Inftead of this, therefore, he gives a felection of fuch as he deemed moft worthy to meet the public eye, whether published before, er remaining till now in MS.

To the Pfalms themselves the compiler prefixes fhort biographical notices, of those English authors who have tranflated the whole Book of Pfalms, in English verfe. Thefe are elegant and fatisfactory. Other biographical accounts appear alfo in the notes, relative to authors who tranflated only particular Pfalms. The illuftrations of the Pfalms themselves are felected with tafte and judgment from various authors. The fiftieth Pfalm, of which the tranflator is faid to be unknown, may perhaps be attributed to the compiler himfelf. On the chance of that being the cafe we fhall produce it. Its own merit will fpeak fufficiently for it.