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Stan. Perhaps, Sir, you may find him too much fo.-You know he has given you fair warning of his intention to run away with Ormellina; and I think your only chance for preventing him, is, to own her publicly as your daughter immediately.

In this species of compofition, Mr. Cobb is not to be placed in the first rank, but he has many below him.

ART. XIII. Letters on Love, Marriage, and Adultery, addressed to the Right Honourable the Earl of Exeter. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Ridgeway. London, 1789.

THE

HE Author addreffes his performance to the noble Earl as forming a part of the legiflation of his country, and for other reasons which it is not neceflary to repeat.

Writers, who have blended metaphyfics with morals, may for the most part be divided into two claffes. Thofe who write for the world as it now is, and those who, confidering a state of nature as the most desirable, are perpetually multiplying the disadvantages and embarraffments of a ftate of civil fociety. The latter having engaged on their fide the gloomy eloquence of every difappointed fcholar, and the manifold inconveniences attending a state of nature being unknown because unfelt, it has not been difficult to make us forget all the charms of polished fociety and refined tafte, while every trifling embarrassment is exaggerated. But is it the means of increafing happiness to make us fancy our fituation wretched; or are we likely to accommodate ourselves the better to what we are told is, neceffarily miferable? Let the barbarous defpifer of refinement feclude himself from a community he is unfit to affociate with, and mix with thofe whose whole enjoyment confifts in fatisfying the immediate cravings of nature; or let him teach us how to improve fociety, inftead of difgufting us with it.

The author of the Letters before us feems to entertain an idea that a state of refinement may be brought much nearer to a state of nature than we now fee it, and that in proportion as it is, so will be the happiness of individuals. It must be confeffed that in moft political inftitutions, as reftraints have been multiplied, they have not uncommonly miffed of their design; and that in fcience, in proportion as we render it complicated, we get further from the truth. How far this may be the cafe in modelling the interior arrangements of private life, it is not eafy to determine; but the great inconvenience of the trial, is, the flow progress of all innovations from the difficulty that attends their adoption, the uncertainty of their gaining any ground, and the too general obloquy in which the propofers feel themselves involved. This should not, however, deter philofophers from pointing out thofe errors which they conceive to be the

causes

causes of unhappiness, or from ufing every means of improv→ ing the state of mankind.

Tis evident our author writes with this view. In the first part of his work, containing the Letters on Love, he enters too elaborately, for the brevity he affects, into the origin of fociety, the causes of its early corruptions, and of their continuance in a state in which we should expect, with greater refinement, more rational and jufter notions of things. Though we every where discover much learning, a confiderable depth of thought, and a great defire to do good, we cannot help thinking much more is required to eftablish our author's opinions than what he has advanced. Without entering into his hiftorical or poetical detail of the progrefs of female influence, we fhall, in general, observe that the great caufe of all the miferies of life are, in our author's opinion, the abfurd restraint laid by legiflators and parents on the wishes of the younger branches of the community, whofe whole education, he conceives, inftead of teaching the prudential notions of modern economy, fhould be to inftruct children how to form a juft judgment in their connexions, and to act with propriety in the married ftate. To the reftraints above-mentioned, our author imputes that gallantry which is fo much complained of, and which we in vain endeavour to reftrain. Love, he complains, being deprived of its natural channel, vents itself thus. But having once loft the proper track, it in vain endeavours to recover itself, and fubftitutes the momentary gratification of the fenfes to that permanent enjoyment which arifes from the voluntary and rational union of the fexes. In this part our author takes fome pains to rectify a misconception in language, which, without offering our opinion on the fubject, we fhall give in his own words :

Feeling is the inftrument of experience; reafon is the guide of life. For the fenfibility being exercised by error as well as by truth, it may lead us to vices as well as to virtues; and it cannot afford a rule to be depended on, like the voice of reafon, fuggefted by circumstances relating to the whole of life, or to the general interest of

man.

Sentiment, however, is the principle of gallantry:-reason is the principle of love. I mean, that perfons diftinguished by gallantry, are influenced merely by fentiment; they feek pleasure in any of its forms, and their object is immediate gratification: while those who are united by affection, feek the direction of reason, to guard, multiply, and perpetuate their fatisfaction. The diftinction of brutes and men, is that of fentiment and reafon. Brutes are all fentimental; they are governed by feeling, or the fimple recollection of feeling. Their fyftem is that of gallantry, feeking the repetition of pleasure. able fentiment, without provifion for the intervals of strong impreffions.

! That

• That fentiment is not the rule of life in the commerce of men and women, we may prefume from, obferving those who adopt it among the most wretched of mankind. A life confifting of fmall portions occupied by lively fenfations, and great portions occupied by difguft, regret, weariness, and apprehenfion, is extremely miferable. Men and women of gallantry, have never pretended to be happy. The intervals of their pleasurable fenfations;-folitude, reflection, and reafon; torture them even in apprehenfion: yet they neceffarily occupy the greater portion of their lives. Their ftudy, therefore, is to fhorten the intervals of fentiment; and to vary and multiply the moft poignant emotions. The moft confummate skill in this matter will not answer the purpose: for pleasures cloy by frequent repetition; and strong emotions debilitate conftitutions moft fufceptible of them they haften decrepitude and death; objects of perpetual terror to men of fentiment and pleasure."

one.

That there is much truth in our author's obfervations, no one can doubt; but in this as in moft other cafes, it is much more eafy to fhow the inconveniences of a fyftem than to form a new If it be true that we can frequently trace the causes of unhappy marriages from early reftraint, do we not often fee fuch as have been left to their uncontrolled choice, and have formed early connexions, grow fatiated or diflatisfied; and from caufes we can only trace to the imperfection of human nature and human happiness. To this if we add the abfolute neceffity of fubmitting in fome degree to the cuftoms of the fociety we live in, we trust it will be found that many of our author's opinions require a longer and more regular deduction of argument than he has used to support them. We are, however, ready to give him, and every one, who, like himself, writes with the nobleft intention-that of promoting the happiness of the world, all the credit due to fuch laudable views; and we fcruple not to affirm, that it is impoffible to perufe the work before us, without being difpofed to doubt many long admitted prejudices.

In his Letter on Marriage, our author is very eloquent on the happiness to be expected from the voluntary and rational union of the fexes, and treats the life of Libertinifm and Gallantry with the contempt it deferves. Much of this is however anticipated in the former letters. In the prefent we could wish he had been more explicit in one part of his fubject; for though we are ready to admit the impropriety, the indelicacy, and, if he pleases, the wickedness, of forming connexions without genuine attachment, yet when formed, it requires fomething more than declamatory hints to convince us that the prefent ftate of fociety would be mended by the too cafy diffolution of them. If this is our author's opinion as a philofopher, he should not be ashamed of avowing it; and as a moral writer, fhould have been more explicit in his language, and more induftrious in pointing out the means of removing the evil.

On

On the fubject of Adultery the author enforces more than ever the impropriety of parents forcing the inclinations of their children, and traces from this caufe all the evils arifing from subfequent infidelity. Here we cannot help thinking the picture too highly charged. The practice is fo far from univerfal, that it can hardly be called general for parents to use any restraints, particularly in forcing their children into improper connexions. We can, however, almost excufe the author's warmth, when it produces the following very ingenious, and, in many respects, novel remarks.

But under the management of bad parents or avaricious relations, the crimes of incontinency and adultery become probable and neceffary confequences, not only when young perfons are forced to unite themselves contrary to their inclinations; but when to avoid fuch violence, they are obliged to have recourfe to fecret correfpondences or clandeftine marriages. Stolen matches are feldom happy; for very good reafons. The parties have not opportunities to become fufficiently acquainted with each other; their connexions are perhaps owing to the dread of being forced into fituations they deteft, and cemented by refiftance or ill-ufage. There is a charm to young and generous minds in being fellow fufferers, which forms an attachment or affection, very easily mistaken for love. All their correspondence and commerce are carried on in that kind of hurry or obfcurity, which is ever unfavourable to judgment or choice. We accordingly fee men and women hazarding every thing for each other, on a flight fecret or ftolen acquaintance; and when marriage gives them leifure to behold what they have done; to confider or know each other; they are aftonished at their folly, and driven by despair into the exceffes of profligacy.

Yet the imprudence itself would not be fo fatal, if an indifference or difregard to truth, a habit of infincerity, artifice, and intrigue, were not formed by the neceffity of fecret correfpondence. A wo man, who will be prevailed upon to deceive her parents, may be prevailed upon to deceive her husband; and a man who takes pains to teach her that art, is deftitute of the effential requifites to conjugal happiness he never can have her confidence; he has undermined the foundation of her fidelity, and he has furnished the fecret and ́ the inclination to betray him. They who marry by intrigue, often fix the habits of infincerity or artifice fo deeply in their minds, that intrigues become neceffary; they lofe all tafte for pleasures, which are the refult of natural or honourable affections; and relish none but fuch as are purchased by some wretched artifice, or fnatched from fome hazardous and alarming fituation.

Both

The art of conducting intrigues, or of hazarding and efcaping the dangers attending them, is very fimilar to the art of war. are unnnatural in their principles or objects; both confist of stratagems or hazards, which create quick fucceffions of lively fenfations; and both have charms to fimilar minds.

Indeed it is remarkable, the fame vitiated tafte, and the fame mediocrity of genius, which lead to the profeffion of a foldier, gene

rally

rally feek happiness in the little artifices or perils of intrigue. Women of lively imaginations, with fufficient talents to be vain of them, and unfurnished by education with the effential principles of goodnefs, are dazzled or enamoured of these artificial but brilliant characters; and easily adopt the spirit and artifice which render them proper counterparts to them.

Here we fee vice become an art; and we know there is a kind of gratification in practifing any art of which we are in poffeffion. Hence many of thofe deviations; those adventures apparently capricious, for which it is fo difficult to account. It is not uncommon for a man or woman to hazard reputation, peace, or life, for a connexion, which is no fooner made, than it lofes its charm, and the parties fly to new hazards in pursuit of new objects.'

While we feel ourselves difpofed to admit the truth of these remarks, we cannot help regretting they should be blended, like most of the reft, with that kind of reasoning by illuftration, which ought never to be admitted in moral or metaphyfical fubjects. Our author having in his Letters on Love anticipated many things on this part of his fubject, chiefly infifts here, that the general caufes of female failings, are the previous infidelity of a husband, or his declining those attentions by which he first gained the attachment of his wife, and which every woman has a right to, and expects. There is juftice in this, and most of our author's other remarks; and we could only with he would confider himself as writing to legislators, philofophers, &c. those who have the most influence on fociety: and that on these occa fions, order, perfpicuity, and arrangement, fhould not be facrificed to brilliancy and declamation.

ART. XIV. FOREIGN LITERATURE.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

THE premium that the Royal Society of Copenhagen had propofed last year in respect to the moft eafy and expeditious method of determining longitude by means of eclipfes of the fun, and the occultation of ftars behind the moon, was affigned to Signor Cagnoli, perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Agriculture, Commerce, and Arts, at Verona, member of the academy of Padua, and of the inftitute of Bologne. The questions propofed for the prefent year are the following:

1. Hypothefin Crawfordianam in calore corporum infenfibili, et latente curatius examinare, expofitis argumentis tam pro ea, quam contra eam militantibus.

2. Data loci latitudine, et longitudine, declinationem acus magneticæ in utroque Lemifphaerio determinare, et curfas, quæ declinationes magneticas exhibent, ducere.

3. Utrum fyftema feudale, quod tamdiu in Europa univerfa viguit, tantumque in ftatu ejus publico conftituendo momentur ENG. REV. VOL. XV. JAN. 1790,

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habuit,

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