assist our conceptions of things unspeakable;" nor can Watts's "carving his passion on the bark" convey a proper idea of the kind of love which is due from sinners to Christ. We think that prose is better calculated for Sacred Meditation than rhyme, or even than blank verse; and the work before us affords no reason for relinquishing this opinion. In the first Meditation, on Confession of Sin, can any peculiar edification be derived from the following sentiments and expressions being given in blank verse? (blank enough!)

• Our righteousness is all but filthy rags;

If such our righteousness, what our misdeeds?
Our Lord exhorts us humbly to declare
Ourselves without deserving, profitless.

If then no merit is ours when we obey,
How vile in disobedience are we found?

Or in the subsequent passage from the Meditation on the Mysteries of the Incarnation?

His birth is derived

Pure from a Virgin's womb: by emblem just
To shew that He, by the Spirit, is not born
Save only in virgin souls, such as the world,
Satan, and the flesh renouncing, cleave to God.
To sanctify our birth contaminate,

Christ of a Virgin, when betroth'd, is born,
That honour meet to marriage might be shewn,
First ordinance of God to man.'

Or in the following from the Meditations on the Eternal Doom?
Ponder, my soul, the eternity of pain

The damn'd endure, and fly their rigorous doom!
There, in the infernal lake, the liquid fire

Spreads ever boundless, and for ever burns.

Their life who live there is evermore to die!-
So do the damn'd, its populous spawn, die there
As still to exist, and still exist to die!'

These passages will speak for themselves. Mr. Papillon apologizes for many prosaic lines, (and many there are that require an apology,) which he attributes to his great respect for the passages of scripture introduced. Had this respect operated as it ought to have done. he would have contented himself with being the prose translator of Gerhard.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 30. Considerations on the Laws of Honour: occasioned chiefly by a late melancholy Event. By a Military Gentleman. 8vo. Is. Ginger.

This pamphlet is dedicated to Mr. Heaviside, and is apparently drawn up with a view to the vindication of his conduct, in the late melancholy duel between Colonel Montgomery and Captain Macnamara. The prosecution of a surgeon, (says this writer,) who at tends the parties to the field, needs no comment: every man of ho nour must revolt at it.' We regard this as a very loose and unsatisfactory mode of stating the case. It would be cruel in the extreme to refuse surgical assistance to those who are wounded in duels :

but

but when surgeons professedly attend duellists to the ground ap pointed for the conflict, they place themselves in the situation of seconds, and are accessary to the consequences.

As surgeons, according to this writer, ought to make a part of the procession to the field of honour; so the tournament, the duel, ought to be an allowed privilege of gentlemen, since to banish this defence of honour is to banish honour itself. The loss to the state by this indulgence of honourable feelings is represented as very inconsiderable, while the benefit to the communicy, by keeping the rest in order, is very great. On an average of twenty-one years, the

number that have fallen in duels do not amount to more than one in a million; the number of duels fought, not two; and the number of challenges sent, not four.' After this calculation, what is to be said aga nst duelling? The ladies who are burnt to death by wearing muslin dresses, exceed double this number; yet no one ever thought of making a law to prevent wearing them.' How completely

alike are the two cases!

This military gentleman, however, will not merely be celebrated for his talent in the art of persuasion, but for his discoveries. We do not allude to his having found out that Ulysses fell before the walls of Troy, but to the following observation: Courage and the means of defence were given to man, in common with every thing in nature, animal, vegetable, or mineral' Philosophers have speculated themselves into poets on the enjoyments of vegetables: but, till this moment, we never heard of the courage of a stone, nor suspected the possibility that there should be a law of honour among minerals.

Art. 31. Observations founded on Facts upon the Propriety or Impropriety of exporting Cotton Twist for the Purpose of being manufac tured into Cloth by Foreigners. By George Walker. 8vo.

Debrett.

IS.

We conclude that this author does not mean to be literally understood, when he asserts that the press has groaned with pamphlets, letters, and papers, on the subject of cotton-twist: but, if this has been actually the case, we are happy to think that this groaning has not disturbed us. Not that we mean to insinuate that the matter in discussion is not important, for it certainly is, but that it does not admit of a protracted controversy. The merits of the question, as the lawyers say, lie in a nutshell. Foreigners, apprized of the superior quality of our cotton yarn, are anxious to obtain it at any price. Shall we allow them to have it; or shall we engross to ourselves not only the spinning but the manufacturing also of cotton goods? The answer is obvious. By exporting twist as we now do, it is here contended,) we give an advantage to Foreigners, and aim a deadly blow at the British Cotton-trade, which it is an object of im. portance to this country to retain. To the state, therefore, it is recommended to obstruct the exportation of twist by imposing duties, if not absolutely to prohibit it.-The controversy on this subject rests between the spinner and the manufacturer of piece-goods; and with them we leave it, having no wish either to twist or to weave our opinions into the debate.

Art. 32. Observations on Beer and Brewers; in which the Inequality, Injustice, and Impolicy, of the Malt and Beer Tax are demonstrated. By Richard Flower. 8vo. IS. Crosby and Co. Oppressed as this country necessarily is by heavy imposts, it is almost impossible to lay on a tax against which objections cannot be urged. Mr. Flower undertakes to shew in what respects the malt and beer tax must be injurious in its operation; and he vindicates himself and his brethren in the brewery from accusations which have been levelled against them, on account of the high price of the common beverage of the English working poor.

SINGLE. SERMONS.

Art. 33. Delivered before the New-York Missionary Society, at their Annual Meeting, April 6, 1802. By Samuel Miller, A. M. To which are added, The annual Report of the Directors, and other Papers relating to American Missions. 8vo. pp. 81. Printed at New-York.

1802.

This is a discourse of unusual length, and, considered as a pulpit declamation, it possesses some merit: but the preacher traverses ground repeatedly trodden, and employs a kind of reasoning on the subject of prophecy, which is already to be found in the writings of our able English divines. Mr. Miller's object is to explain the gradual operations of Providence in the fulfilment of the divine predictions, and to reprove the precipitancy of human expectations respecting their accomplishment. He contends that, as prophecy was not designed to make us prophets, we should not be hasty in our interpretation of it, but patiently wait till events unequivocally explain the purposes of Heaven. Yet, though he cautions his hearers against deciding in the dark on the subject of the prophecies, and details the slow progress of divine operations, he exhorts them to Christian activity, and applies his doctrine to the encouragement of the plans and exertions of the Missionary Society. This argument, however, is not quite correct. If man is to be a worker together with God, he should accommodate his measures to the divine plan of operation. Mr. M. may congratulate the Missionary Society on their success among the Savages, but it appears to us to be more imaginary than real. Christian knowlege presupposes civilization; and it may be fairly questioned whether attempts to make converts to Christianity, prior to the existence of civilization, be not a species of intemperate haste, which is discountenanced by all the operations of Providence respecting the progress of the Gospel. Missions to Otaheiteans or to NorthAmerican Savages may be countenanced by good, but (we think) not by wise men. Mr. Miller's premises are unfortunately at war with

his conclusions.

Art. 34. Preached at Saint Andrew's Church, Plymouth, October 12, 1802, before the Gentlemen educated at the Plymouth GrammarSchool. By J. Bidlake, Master of the School. Together with an Oration, delivered in the Guild-hall on the same Day. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Murray and Co.

Mr. Bidlake has received sufficient attestations of respect both to himself and his publication, in those numerous lists of names which,

we

are

are informed, were voluntarily left for copies with the booksellers of Plymouth. The union of learning and religion is the subject of the sermon; and the oration is employed principally on the importance of grammar and classical instruction. The author's observations are sensible and ingenious, and attended with many pious and moral re. flections. As to the necessity of Latin and Greek learning, many will dissent; while at the same time they may acknowlege the justice of Shakspeare's lines,

"Ignorance is the curse of God;

Knowlege the wing wherewith we fly to heaven *."

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are obliged to the writer of a letter signed Penelope, whether Male or Female: though we had been long ago informed by our wives that Patent Lace was not real lace, but a manufacture woven in a loom. We do not think, however, that the imposition at Paris of this English Patent Lace for genuine French Lace † is so much a proof of the superiority of English art, as of the ignorance and carelessness of the buyer. How often, on our own coast, are the manufactures of Spital Fields sold for genuine India handkerchiefs smuggled; and yet no one adduces these frauds as proofs of the superiority of the former over the latter.

In a second letter from B. G. relative to our account of Dr. Disney's Reformed Liturgy, (see Rev. for January last,) this correspondent has obligingly transcribed a passage from the Doctor's preface, which substantiates his assertion that we had fallen into an error.-on his fidelity, we insert the passage which states Dr. Disney's ediRelying tion of the Psalms to be entire:

"In consideration of the difficulty of meeting the expectation of different persons with respect to the omission of certain psalms, which least accord with the mild and forgiving spirit of the Gospel, he [the editor] has thought it would be more satisfactory to the reader to have the whole before him, and be left to reject the use of any particular psalm at pleasure, than to be prevented the perusal by the opinion

of another."

Mr. Anstie's letter is received, but it was not in our power to comply with his request in this Number of our Review.

In the last Appendix, P. 472. 1. 7. from bott. for Ireland,' r. Iceland.-P. 475. 1. 9. for Ricelli,' r. Uccelli.-P. 488. 1. 10. for present,' r. parent.-P. 490. 1. 3. for 14,000,' r. 14,000,000. -P. 508. 1. 27. for being,' r. to be; and 1. 31. for 'clamations,' r. exclamations.-P. 537. title of Art. XV. for rendré,' r. rendue. P. 538. 1. 1. for existence which,' r. existence of which.

6

In the No. for May, P. 6. 1. 22. for restleness,' r. restlessness.P. 8. 1. 4. after was,' add, designed.-P. 86. 1. 23. dele · he.'P. 9o. 1. 14. dele the words, the noise made by.'

* Henry 6th, 2d Part.

+ See Rev. for December last, p. 422.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JULY, 1803.

ART. I. The Life and posthumous Writings of William Cowper, Esq. With an Introductory Letter to the Right Hon. Earl Cowper. By William Hayley, Esq. 4to. 2 Vols. 21. 12s. 6d. Boards. Johnson. 1803.

WHE

THEN the friend undertakes the office of the biographer, he places himself in a situation which demands peculiar delicacy and address. If, in attempting to do justice to departed genius and worth, he should exceed the bounds of moderation; and if his praise, instead of being well-measured and accurately defined, be on every occasion overflowing and extravagant; his exertions may indeed be pleasing to his own feelings, but will neither be satisfactory to the public, nor conducive to the elevation of that character which he has so indiscreetly panegyrized. Mr. Hayley seems not to have been sufficiently attentive to this obvious truth; and though he remarks, in the Introductory Letter, that it is not only his wish that the present work may obtain the entire approbation of the world, but also that it is infinitely more his desire and ambition to render it exactly such as is most likely to gratify the conscious spirit of Cowper himself, in a superior existence;' he does not appear to have adapted the nature of his narrative to the nature of his subject. The mild, retiring, unassuming spirit of Cowper, if indeed conscious of that which is passing in this sublunary state, will derive little pleasure from beholding himself so "trickt and frounc't," so over-loaded and bedecked with praise, as he stands exhibited in the present memoir. Much as we feel ourselves obliged to Mr. Hayley for collecting every record of this amiable man and true poet, and sincerely as we thank him for presenting us with that series of his letters in which his heart and mind are so amply displayed, we cannot approve the high-flown eulogy in which he has indulged his pen. What reader can grant his serious acquiescence and approbation, when he finds Mr. H. informing Lord Cowper, in the Introductory Letter, that the death of the enchanting author, who forms the VOL. XLI.

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