THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For JUNE, 1792. ART. I. The Pleafures of Memory, a Poem, in Two Parts. By the Author of " an Ode to Superftition, with fome other Poems *." 4to. pp. 71. 3s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1792. r the author of this poem be thought happy in the choice of a copious and fertile theme, which has yet, by no means, been exhaufted, he is equally fo in the manner in which he has treated it. Correctnefs of thought, delicacy of fentiment, variety of imagery, and harmony of verfification, are the characters which diftinguifh this beautiful poem, in a degree that cannot fail to enfure its fuccefs. The work opens with the description of an obfcure village, and of the pleafing melancholy which it excites, on being revifited after a long abfence. The poet reprefents himself as furrounded with thofe objects which recal to his memory the days of his childhood; and, by means of the affociating prin ciple, excites a fucceffion of interesting emotions: Mark yon old Manfion, frowning thro' the trees, As jars the hinge, what fullen echoes call! VOL. VII. * See Rev. vol. lxxv. p. 49. Now Now ftain'd with dews, with cobwebs darkly hung, When round yon ample board, in due degree, The heart's light laughter crown'd the circling jeft; Murder'd by ruffian hands, when fmiling in its fleep. As o'er the dusky furniture I bend, Thofe once-lov'd forms ftill breathing in their duft, Starting to life-all whisper of the paft!' This power of the mind he conceives to be called into action in two ways; either by the prefence of fenfible objects, or by an internal operation of the mind. The former is the fubject of the first part, the latter of the fecond. The recollection, which is awakened by fenfible objects, is conceived to be produced by means of that power of affociation, by which the perception of any object leads to the idea of another, which was connected with it in time or place, or which can be compared or contrafted with it. This is illuftrated by a variety of examples; particularly particularly by the attachment which we naturally form to inanimate objects; and by the pleasure derived from hiftoric scenes, from painting, and from the review of juvenile days. The affociating principle, as employed by Memory, is fhewn to be conducive to virtue no lefs than to happiness; addreffing our finer feelings, and giving exercise to every mild and generous propenfity. Its power is felt through all animated nature, and its effects are peculiarly ftriking in the domeftic tribes: Recal the traveller *, whofe alter'd form Has borne the buffet of the mountain-ftorm; Thefe, when to guard Misfortune's facred grave, Memory in her higher province is often bufily employed by man, when excited by no external cause whatever. She preferves for her use the treasures of art and science, history and philofophy; as this poet represents, under an image ftrictly accurate and exquifitely beautiful, in the following lines: Ages and climes remote to Thee impart What charms in Genius, and refines in Art; Thee, in whofe hand the keys of Science dwell, Whofe conftant vigils chafe the chilling damp It is the office of Memory to colour all the profpects of life; for we can only anticipate the future by concluding what is poffible from what is paft. On her agency depends every ef fufion of the fancy, whofe boldeft effort can only compound or tranfpofe, augment or diminish, the materials which the has collected or retained. When the first emotions of despair have fubfided, and forrow has foftened into melancholy, the amufes with a retrospect of innocent pleasures, and infpires that noble confidence which refults from the consciousness of having acted well: Ah! why should Virtue dread the frowns of Fate ? Ulyffes's dog will here prefent himself to every reader's memory. Rev. K 2 A little A little world of clear and cloudless day, Nor wreck'd by ftorms, nor moulder'd by decay; When fleep has fufpended the operation of the organs of fense, Memory not only fupplies the mind with images, but affifts in their combination; even in madnefs itself, fhe revives paft perceptions, and awakens that train of thought which was formerly most familiar:-but her beft fphere of action is in a well-cultivated and well-regulated mind. Ah, who can tell the triumphs of the mind, By truth illumin'd, and by taste refin'd? When Age has quench'd the eye and clos'd the ear So thro' the grove the impatient mother flies, Long on the wood-mofs ftretch'd in sweet repofe.' Nor are we pleafed only with a review of the brighter paffages of life; events, the moft diftreffing in their immediate confequences, are often cherished in remembrance with a degree of enthufiafm:-but the world and its occupations give a mechanical impulfe to the paffions, which is not very favourable to the indulgence of this feeling; it is in a calm ftate of mind, that Memory moft perfectly performs her tafk, and Solitude is her beft sphere of action. This conviction introduces a charming tale, which illuftrates the influence of Memory in folitude, ficknefs, and forrow. We could with pleasure transcribe it, but we must not foreftal the gratification which the reader will receive from perufing it in its proper place, in the work. E. ART. II. Letters from America, Hiftorical, and Defcriptive; comprifing Occurrences from 1769 to 1777, inclufive. By William Eddis, late Surveyor of the Cuftoms, &c. at Annapolis, in Maryland. 8vo. pp. 455. 7s. 6d. Boards. Dilly. 1792. THE THESE letters include an interefting period, and relate to events, which, however painful in their detail, and difhonourable to the British name, have, in their confequences, been not altogether- unpropitious to Great Britain; and are deemed, by fome prophetic minds, to contain, in their womb, the the germs of univerfal freedom. The bloody contest with the Americans, though it increased our public debt and diminished the volume of the empire, has not deftroyed our refources, nor injured our commerce; and it is contemplated by the world as a proof of our energy, ftrength, and riches. Yet the object was unjuft and impolitic; and our recollection looks back, with extreme concern, on the scenes of carnage and horror which it exhibited. In reviewing Mr. Eddis's volume, this must be the cafe; for part of his correfpondence contains an account of the commencement and progress of the war: but we could not avoid obferving that, had all the communications to Government, from America, been of the fame complexion with thofe of Mr. Eddis to his friends, the Government could not have been fo fanguine in their expectations; for, before the sword was drawn, he fays, in one of his letters, 'that the spirit of oppofition to ministerial measures appears to blaze, fteadily and equally, in every part of America.' Mr. Eddis arrived on the American continent in the month of August 1769, and, by virtue of his fituation, had an opportunity of collecting the prevailing fentiments and difpofitions of the Americans; fo that his representations merit regard. He quitted it in Nov. 1777. His letters are forty in number. Thofe, which are placed at the beginning of the volume, contain short defcriptions of the country, of the government, and of the trade, manners, and cuftoms, of the inhabitants; these are followed by others, which give an account of the breaking out of the war, and of the vigour and unanimity with which the colonies engaged in it, together with its progrefs, till his departure from New York; the concluding letters narrate the difficulties and dangers which the author experienced, from the time of his difmiffion from his office at Annapolis, in confequence of his refufing to take the oath tendered him by the Americans, till he arrived at New York. Of this correfpondence, that part which defcribes the country and the state of fociety in America, will generally be thought the most entertaining. He touches on a variety of topics, but in rather a too curfory manner; he writes, however, with ease, and his remarks are generally fenfible. In his fixth letter, he gives an account of the state of fervitude in Maryland; and as this may be acceptable at the prefent juncture, to many of our readers, we fhall make no apology for laying a part of it before them: Persons in a state of fervitude are under four diftinct denominations: negroes, who are the entire property of their respective owners: convicts, who are tranfported from the mother country for a limited term: indented fervants, who are engaged for five years previous to their leaving England; and free-willers, who |