8vo. ART. XIX. The History of the Revolution of France. Tranflated from the French of M. RABAUT DE SAINT ETIENNE. PP. 328. 5s. Boards. Debrett. THE 1792. HE tranflator of this valuable Hiftory, (James White, Efq.) gives the following account of his author: M. RABAUT DE ST. ETIENNE, after having diftinguished himself as a legiflator and as an orator in the National Affembly, affumed, with not lefs ability and zeal, the character of the national hiftorian-brief, elegant, eloquent, fatisfactory, he hath recorded, within the compafs of this compact and lively volume, the remote origin, the immediate caufes, the progrefs, and the completion of that rapid and renowned regeneration.' In beftowing a great, and probably a juft, encomium on M. RABAUT, who intends by this work to vindicate the calumniated reputation of his country, Mr. White apprehends that while this publication proves how indifpenfable a revolution was to France, it will alfo fhew how unneceflary fuch a measure is for Great Britain: At the fame time, (he adds,) I am far from thinking that there is nothing in our fyftem of focial order which requires the hand of reformation. Abuses do undoubtedly exift in this ifland, and the legilature is competent to invent and apply the remedy. But the fuccefs of fuch defigns will depend on the perfons who originate and promote them.-The good fenfe of the men of Britain will induce them to difapprove alike the perverfe timidity which infifts that all is right, and the unprincipled audacity which exclaims that all is wrong." With fuch remarks as thefe, the translator, in his preface, unites a few obfervations relative to thofe perfons who have written against the French nation : The wrathful pamphlets (he fays,) that have reviled the revolution, which it is the object of the following biftory to justify and defend, are as deficient in point of wisdom, as they are with refpe&t to temper. They are ungenerous, injudicious, and unjuft. It is ungenerous to infult and vilify a nation, which is ftruggling to relieve herfelf from the unchriftian yoke of tyranny: it is injudicious, fince none can tell what the Omnipotent may have in store for her; fince the perfecution which he endures, the firm refiitance which fhe is making, and the recollection of her former fervitude, will at length intereft every heart; fince the tide of general favour will turn violently in her behalf, from the noble defire to recompenfe her, for having rafhly thought unkindly of her; fince, in fine, as hath been the cafe of late years with America, a profperous iffue may reconcile all Christendom to her caufe: it is unjuft, fince no nation, and ftill lefs an individual of any nation, hath a right to cenfure the internal legislation of another, which in herself forms a fovereign and independent empire. One is aftonished at the wafte of talents and time which hath been committed in this kingdom, for Q93 the the purpose of exciting in us an abhorrence for our fellow-freemen, the French. Politicians fhould have deplored, and not execrated their errors; it is as if Balak had faid unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, and curfe this people.' Mr. White finishes his preface with this declaration : I am happy in having poffeffed a fufficiency of health and leifure, to enable me to act the part of tranflator to M. Mirabeau", and to his patriotic colleague, M. Rabaut de Saint Etienne. The legiflators of France, as long as their labours contain nothing injurious to the true principles of Chriftianity, and are directed to no other object than the happiness of human kind, fhall have the best wishes of one who, while he laments their mistakes, muft admire their magnanimity.' We have, on another occafion, expreffed our concern that feveral of the French patriots, who have perceived and justly rejected the abfurdities and impofitions of Popery, fhould have proceeded to the other extreme, of difavowing Chriftianity, fo entirely oppofite to Popery in its nature and tendency! We truft they may correct this error !-We join with the tranflator in a fenfible and fhort note, that appears in one part of this work:- Strange it is, and truly to be lamented, that fuch very able men, who faw into other abufes with fo penetrating an eye, could not difcriminate between the useless lumber of religion, and the pure and ineftimable fpirit of Chriftianity. By a kind of infatuation, they all laboured to undermine what is the very cement of civil fociety!' The editor's notes are short, and not numerous: we might have taken notice of fome, and of various paffages in the work, had our limits allowed it.-The few lines that follow, being part of a defcription of the state of the French people, while enflaved by their Grand Monarque, and his minions, may ferve, perhaps, to imprefs or amufe the mind of the reader : Moral flavery, that fpecies of infignificance peculiar to minds ftript of independence and of liberty, chained every thought to one thought, and every will to one will. Opinion likewife had her defpotifm, and her throne was fet up at court, for public opinion was not yet in being, her fevere tribunal was not yet erected. Bon ten was the title given to that law, fo often capricious, and perpetually defpotic, which a few women, and womanish men, caufed to be executed imperiously, by the boyish arm of foppery.' To this remark is fubjoined a note,-of the juftice, feverity, or pleafantry of which the reader will judge as he thinks proper: Thus, a Marechal of France hath given a name to a new-invented hair-powder, and taught his countrymen the art of fubduing one ftink by another.' Such as are more These are remarks of the lighter class. weighty we are obliged to pafs over; and it is the lefs neceffary to rehearse them, as feveral works of the kind are already before the public. We have no doubt of the fidelity of Mr. White's translation; and we cannot but think that even thofe per fons who are unfavourably difpofed toward the French revolution, may be entertained and informed by the perufal of this volume: judging with impartiality, it will furely be concluded, that the powers of Europe (which can certainly have no right to prescribe, by force, a government for millions of people,) are fadly mifapplying the blood and treasure of thofe whom they call their fubjects, in labouring to thwart and overturn the measures and conftitution of a great nation,-a nation, which, as far as appears, without their interference, would adhere to its principle, peace - with all mankind! Το Some pages in the latter part of this book contain reflections on the prefent ftate of affairs, by the fame author: they are in the form of propofitions or corollaries, and appear to us to contain what is curious and well worthy of attention. thefe is added, a chronological table of the principal decrees which have been paffed, and of the most remarkable events which have taken place during the fitting of the Constituent National Affembly. This table commences at the 4th of May 1789, and finishes with the 30th of September 1791. Hi...s. Additions to the MONTHLY CATALOGUE for AUGUST, 1792. FRENCH REVOLUTION, Art. 20. HE rebellion of the beafts is the prefent revolution in France. EDUCATION. 0. Art. 21. A New and Complete Italian Grammar: containing a fhort Introduction to the Italian Pronunciation: plain and concife Rules and Obfervations on the Nine Parts of Speech, exemplified and fanctioned by Paffages taken from the bett Italian Writers; fuch as Boccaccio, Bembo, Petrarca, Taffo, Ariofto, Metaftafio, &c. to which are annexed inftructive and entertaining Exercises: a short Appendix on Italian Orthography: a Vocabulary English and Italian, and a number of Phrafes which very frequently occur in Converfation: a felect Collection of fmart Repartees, Witticifms, Q94 cifms, &c. in Italian: a Collection of elegant and interesting Italian Letters upon various Subjects: fpecimens of Italian Poetry with the Rules thereof: a Table, which prefents in one Point of View, a clear and fuccinct Method of declining every Noun and Pronoun, and of conjugating every regular Verb: an alphabetical Lift of the irregular Verbs, conjugated in thofe Tenfes in which they differ from the regular ones: a Tranflation, as literal as pollible, of the Italian Paffages quoted in the Courfe of the Grammatical Rules and Obfervations. The whole laid down in a clear and methodical Manner, and interfperfed with many ufeful Notes, calculated for the Attainment of the Italian Tongue in its greatest Purity and Perfection. By A. Vergani, Teacher of the Latin, Italian, and French Languages. 12mo. PP. 284. 3s. 6d. Bound. Baldwin. 1791. The contents of this volume are fufficiently enumerated in the long title from which it is evident, that much is included in this grammar, which has no connection with grammatical fubjects. Were thefe extraneous matters difcarded, and fome alteration made in the. order of treating what would remain, we should be able to recommend this treatife of M. Vergani as offering a concife and easy method of inftructing fcholars in the Italian tongue. 0. Art. 22. Sketches of Female Education, partly original, and partly felected from the most approved Authors, for the Inftruction and Amusement of young Ladies, both in public Seminaries and private Families. By Thomas Broom, Teacher of the Claffics, Geography, and other Branches of polite Literature, at Wokingham, Bucks. 12mo. pp. 214. 25. Bound. Law. 1791. We recommend this little tract to the attention of the fair readers for whom it is defigned. The author extracts with fome freedom from preceding writers, and he does not fail to acknowlege it. The chapters on Order, on Modefty, on Reflection, on Female Conduct and Behaviour, and on the Government of the Paffions, are, in our opinion, highly deferving of a careful attention: we find in them quotations from the Spectator, from Fordyce, and, under the last head, fome pages from Watts's well-known treatife on the subject : to thefe we add the chapter on religion; as well as other parts of the book Geography, aftronomy, rhetoric, &c. employ feveral pages, which afford fome general and not unufeful apprehenfion of the lubjects. The volume clofes with that fenfible letter to a newly-married lady, written by Mrs. Chapone; with which many readers are already well acquainted. His Art. 23. A Short Introduction to the Ufe of the Globes; containing an Explanation of the principal Terms, and Rules for the Solution of the moft ufeful Problems, with a variety of Examples, intended for the Learner's Exercife. By Thomas Molineux. 12mo. PP. 49. Is. 6d. Lowndes. 1792. The particular advantage to which this fmall volume pretends, above others of the fame kind, is, that it is calculated to leffen the labour of the maller, by furnishing the learner with exercises which, after fome introductory inftruction, he may easily perform without affifiance. 9 affiftance. The piece feems very well adapted, as far as its plan extends, to answer the purpofe intended by the author. POETRY. E. Art. 24. Eighty-nine Fugitive Fables, in Verfe; moral, prudential, and allegorical, original and felected. 8vo. pp. 232. 35. 3d. Boards. Murray. 1792. This felection is made with tafte and judgment. The pieces, which have been in part gathered from the earlier magazines, and other mifcellaneous publications, and are in part original, are on fubjects of importance in the conduct of life, and are generally written in eafy and elegant verfe. The fables are divided into three claffes; the first, moral, which inculcate fome virtue; the fecond prudential, which difplay maxims of practical wifdom; and the third allegorical, or pieces formed on allegorical perfonification. We commend this volume as a compilement which conveys useful leffons of moral and prudential instruction, in the agreeable form of eafy and fometimes elegant verse. E. Art. 25. The Idyllia, Epigrams, and Fragments, of Theocritus, Bion, and Mofchus, with the Elegies of Tyrtaus; tranflated from the Greek into English Verfe. To which are added, Differtations and Notes. A new Edition, corrected. By the Rev. Richard Polwhele. 8vo. 2 Vols. PP. 544 in both. 10s. 6d. Boards. Cadell, &c. 1792. The public approbation of this work having been expressed by a demand for a new edition, Mr. Polwhele has republished it in an octavo fize. For an account of thefe tranflations, fee Rev. vol. lxxviii. P. 308. E. Art. 26. A Collection of Poems. By a young Lady. 12mo. pp. 200. 5s. Boards. Evans. 1792. This young adventurer in the walk of poetry, fays, in apologizing for her productions, that they were written in the closest retirement, where the enjoyed not thofe pleafures that generally attend. our youthful days, and had no refources, no pleafing amufement, but what the derived from her pen, to relax the mind. This might be a very good reason for writing veríes, but certainly is no apology for publishing them. Whether any better reafon can be found in the publication itself, the reader may in part judge from a few couplets: 'Tis thou alone that banisheth despair, And wipeth from her eye the widow's tear.' • But let us all reflect how it came fo, From whom, from whence did this laft blefling flow.' A fpot that's found by Nature's potent hand, A fmall eftate Jurrounded with good land.' Till this young lady has learned to perceive the inaccuracies and inelegancies of her prefent work, of which the above are very fmall *Probably this word is mif-printed: fhould it not have been form'd? fpecimens, |