juftice; but honour, as it is falfely called, commits every decision chance and animal dexterity-it makes no diftinétion between the innocent and guilty.

Nor is duelling lefs incompatible with refined feeling and delicate fenfibility, than it is repugnant to the dictates of justice. So as the man of honour fa tiates his vindictive fpirit, what is it to him how many families he plunges in mifery, overwhelms with grief, and deprives, perhaps, of their only fupport and protection. Callous to all impreffions of pity, he attends not to the cries of the fatherless, the lamentations of the widow, or the mourning of friends. The fufferings of others are never placed in competition with the gratification of his own malignant and defpicable propenities. The predominating principle of his heart is a telfifh attachment to a favourite opinion, which he prefers to the exercife of beneficence and charity. Savages are cruel, because all around them infpires ferocity; but it is difgraceful to enlightened man to become thus deliberately inhuman!

We have termed Duelling the remains of barbarifm; and it is manifeftly a veftige of that period when men entertained very confined notions of justice, and laws were extremely undefined and imperfect. Yet anciently there were many circumitances which palliated its injustice, and gave our barbarous ancestors an indifputable fupe riority over their refined but degenerate fucceffors. As the practice was recognised by the laws, fo was the Magiftrate first applied to for his fanction, who only granted permifion when he found it imponible to produce any other proof of innocence or guilt than by reforting to this fummary method of decifion. It was not the firft ebullitions of rage-it was not the firft dictates of violence and caprice-that influenced the conduct of the combatants. They were unacquainted with any mode of administering justice, and they devourly conceived that Heaven would inflict defeat and infamy on the guilty, and remunerate the innocent with honour and fuccefs. But our modern men of honour are actuated by, very different confiderations. They violate laws which they know it is their duty to obey, render implicit and obfequious obedience to every fuggetion of malice and paf

VOL. L. JULY 19.6.

fion, while they reject, without hefita. tion, the plain and unfophisticated dic tates of juice, reafon, and common fenfe-indeed they corroborate what Dean Swift fomewhere humorously obferves, that "common fenfe is not fo common thing as is commonly imagined." Another peculiarity in the ancient praftice of duelling was, that thofe who were incapable, on account of bodily infirmity or deficiency in ikill, were permitted to choose a cham→ pion, who undertook to fupport their caufe, and to devote his life to the maintenance of the honour of his employer. But how mean, pitiful, and degrading, does the conduct of our modern men of honour appear, when contratted with thefe exalted and generous fentiments of barbarians !-No difability or infirmity can excite their compaffion-the weak and infirm must attend to their fanguinary call, or be fubjected to abufe, and overwhelmed with difgrace.

This infernal manner of deciding quarrels was utterly unknown among thofe polished nations of antiquity where the laws governed men, not men the laws." By them it was neither confidered as a mark of refinement or courage. The ancient Romans and Grecians were unacquainted with it. And yet the Romans by their bravery obtained the dominion of the world; and who will dare impeach the courage of the ancient inhabitants of Lacedemon and Athens?—They confidered it, indeed, as truly honourable to fall combatting the chemies of their country; but to destroy a fellow-citizen by any means was deemed a molt flagitious and enormous crime. It is recorded of a Roman General, (Marius,) diftinguithed for his military capacity and courage, that when challenged to fingle combat by a barbarian, he anfwered, "If the fellow is in hatte to die, let him go and hang himielt."

in vindication of this monstrous practice, it has been afferted, that while war is permitted, duelling is juftifiable, and the authority of Dr. Jounion has been adduced to fubftantiate this opinion. (See Bofwell's Life of Johnson, page 4co, and 372 4to. ed.) But that great man was not incapable of a para dox, and this is not one of the leaft palpable of his inconfiftencies. It is derogatory to the dignity of nations to acknowledge a fuperior; and where all

F

alpire

afpire to an equality, who fhall be the arbiter of differences? Man, however, as an individual, is accountable to a fuperior-he is amenable to thofe laws from which he derives perfonal fecurity and protection, and which are invested with power to inflict punishment on those who tranfgrefs their injunctions, and to enforce obedience from thofe who difpute their authority. But where power is equally divided, as it neceffa rily must be between independent communities, it is impoffible that fatisfaction can be obtained for injuries received, but by the exercife of coercion, and an appeal to physical energy and force. As there are fome difeafes incident to the human body on which medi. cines have no effect, fo war, though confeffedly a very ferious calamity, is an evil for which it feems impoffible to discover a remedy. But duelling is an evil which has increafed from the lenity and forbearance of law, and the undisturbed prevalence of opinions inimi cal to the happiness of fociety.

By the British laws, duelling is declared murder, and Sir William Blackftone denominates it a high contempt of the juftice of the country. But hitherto this denunciation appears to have been confidered as a fcarecrow hung up in terrorem, rather intended to alarm and deter men from the commiffion of the crime, than invested with actual power to inflict punishment. Indeed the illuftrious perfonage from whofe Memoirs we have extracted our motto declares, that his expectation of its being extirpated are rather founded upon the hopes of an alteration in fentiment than by exceffive rigour of punishment, which he believes will be found less efficacious than degradation and difgráce.

Not all the glories he acquired, not all the mighty projects which he executed, confer on the memory of Louis the XIVth more indubitable honour than his ftrenuous and fuccessful endeavours to abolith this practice. Nor were the edicts he caused to be iffued against duelling only advantageous to his own dominions; but fuch was the influence of his reputation and example, that all Europe felt the benefit of his magnanimous refolutions. It was deemed di'graceful to adhere to a practice which had incurred the difapprobation of fo enlightened a Monarch. But as Barbarians deftroy in a day what it colt ages of civilization to erect, fo fools, who are too frequently the

CHARACTERISTICKS.
No. V.

ALIENATUS is proud, mean, liberal,

parfimonious, prudent, incautious, punctual, and incorrect. Alienatus never likes to speak to any one who is not of equal or fuperior rank in life to himfelf. He considers that he is degraded by being feen in company with a man who cannot trace a noble origin, and his converfation is only of Dukes and Earls. Yet Alienatus is not ashamed to accept an obligation in private from a man of the humbleft condition and circumftances: he borrows frequently of his fervants, and takes care never to pay them again; he does not mind be ing in debt for trifling fums of a few hillings among little tradespeople, but would think it a difgrace to his character to avoid a payment due to a gentleman. Alienatus is liberal, that is when he has had his wine, and don't know what he is about; but when fober, he is the most parfimonious creature in the world. If he asks any person to dinner, he is conftantly uneafy until he fees that they have done eating; and he watches every glass of wine as if he was a philofopher noticing the action of a fluid; and the only way to get a bumper from him, is to get him drunk as foon as poffible, when he becomes fo liberal, that he never ceafes to prefs you to take glafs after glafs until midnight. Alienatus is the most prudent man in the world in fome of his affairs, and the moft incautious and careless in others. Alienatus will require the uttermost farthing in change from a poor tradef

man,

man, but would not hesitate to lend his name for a hundred pounds to a fwinIdler who called himself a gentleman, and who had a fashionable appearance. Alienatus is remarkably punctual to his word: he would not neglect to make a payment he had promifed to a man of confequence; but his principle relaxes as the claim defcends, and to a poor or distreffed perfon he does not confider himself as bound to keep his word at all. Alienatus in the place where he lives is defpifed: he is in debt all over the neighbourhood for small fums, not because he is unable to pay them, but because he confiders them as matters be. neath his regard. He is aftonished to hear a man faucy about the long standing of his bill; and is in fo great a paffion, that he would have him committed to the house of correction, if poffible, for only prefuming to afk for his money. Alienatus never breaks his word to a great man, and never keeps it with a poor one. It is not unufual to fee a gilded chariot at the door of Alienatus with fome one of his acquaintance; at the fame inftant with a fishwoman, who is demanding her money from his fervants with all the toweft figures of rhetoric common to perfons

SIR,

in her fituation in life. Alienatus gets uneafy at this interruption, and the mo ney is fent down stairs. The ftory fpreads among the other tradespeople, and they take care to time their illtimed applications in the fame way. Alienatus is haraffed to death; he is perplexed what to do; he asks advice of Modus, who recommends him to fettle all the fe little matters in preference to paying a great Lord a hundred pounds, which could be poftponed with ease until his own rents come round. Alienatus confiders a moment; wishes. Modus good morning; takes a coach to his Lordship's houfe; pays the money; and has three fummonfes against him the next day from the fruiterer, the publican, and the poulterer: he is fo much offended, that he will take no notice of them until an order is taken out, and an execution put into his house; when he fends for his attorney, and pays the debt with cofts. Alienatus has a handfome income, and might live with great convenience and credit to himself; but his parfimony gets him into expenfes, and his meanneff-s into fcrapes. Alienatus is refpectable and defpicable, wife and a

fool.

Money received. 1238 Copies of poems by fub

fcribers, at 5s. each 40 ditto to the first fubfcribers at 2s. 6d. each *

£. s. d.

479 $9

Disbursements. Printing two editions of 1000 copies each, putting 1400 in boards, adverting, car riage of parcels, and postage of letters At her own earnest request, in difcharge of debts con tracted during the life of Mrs. Richardfon's late huf band Money expended for her ufe during a long and dangerous illness of feven months, including house rent Laid out in the purchase of

2751. stock in the s per cents., April 19th

Expenfes of purchasing stock, power of attorney, &c

£. s. d.

158 18 6

24 16 a

12 a a

255 15 0

2 40

Cath in hand, July 6th, 1806 21 56

The original price was 2s. 6d.

F 2

£.479 19 Q

ately to refume her fchool, which has now been laid afide many months. Should it be otherwife, fhe has appointed guardians for her child; and in the event of his not living to attain the age of manhood, after a few fmall remembrances to particular friends, he has left the remainder of her little property to the Grey Coat School of this City; a difpofition refpeéting it which appeared to her jut in itfelf, and which the hoped would be gratifying to her generous benefactors.

CATH. CAPPE.

York, July 6th, 1806.

Memoirs of Richard Cumberland, written by Himself Containing an Account of his Life and Writings; interspersed with Anecdotes and Characters of the most dif. tinguifhed Perfons in his Time, with whom he has bad Intercourje and Connexion. 1 vol. 4to. 18c6.

ROUGH it has of late become in

Tsome deerce the fathion to under

value the literature of this age, by invidioufly, and fometimes incorrectly, comparing its different fpecies with the effufions of former periods, to which peculiar circumstances, perhaps, combined to give celebrity, there is till one particular branch of compostion that has mott fortunately efcaped from the cenfure of the critics, and from the merit which, generally fpeaking, it has difplayed, not only maintained its fituation as a rival to thofe labours to which we have alluded, but, in many inftances, obtained the palm of pre-eminence. The reader will here anticipate, that we advert to history, the nobleft fubject that can engage the attention, or elicit the energies of human genius; and which, whether taking the widelt range it embraces, while it fyftematizes the events of empires, developes caufes, accounts for effects, and which may

in one short fentence be termed the philofophy of mankind, or, acting upon a more contracted fcale, confines its refearches to a particular country, dynaty, or people, is equally infructive. Of both thefe fpecies of writing we have, in the courfe of the laft 6ity years, had examples that have, from their excellence, identified the character of the age; and while they have afforded fubjects from which the pencil of Raffaele would have derived honour, they have also exhibited what may be termed a defeription of his ftyle, combining at once grandeur, implicity, harmony, and elegance.

A third species of cumpofition, cer. tainly not lels pleafing, though perhaps lefs elevated, has been purfued with equal fuccefs, and received with till greater avidity: this is biography. Of this the era to which we have alluded has produced many fuccefsful inftances. This clats of compofition may be properly enough divided into two branches; the grand and the familiar: the former exhibiting the lives of Monarchs, Popes, Princes, Statemen, &c., and the latter thofe of men confpicuous for their piety, for military talents, or for fcientific attainments,

From

From this fpecies of writing, it is almoft unneceflary to date, that much of the instruction and amufement of the prefent age are derived. When a man eminent for his knowledge and abilities expires, we are naturally anxious to become acquainted with the progrefs of the life he has paffed, to trace the steps by which he attained celebrity, and through this medium to develope the progress of his mind, as difplayed in his purfuits, his paflions, his virtues, and his foibles. Perhaps this defire arite from motives of curiofity, which, though generally fpeaking laudable, are in many a little fufpicious, as it may be doubted whether they wish to imitate his example, or to compliment their own fuperiority.

Thefe obfervations regard pofthumous celebrity: of no importance to the fubject whofe life we may chance to contemplate, and therefore not quite fo certain to attract that keen curiofity, which, while it reads, devours, as the fpecies of biographical compofition now before us, which, (from being the effufions of the mind, the abtract of the memory of a writer who prelents to the world a commentary on his own actions, or, in other words, his whole length portrait, drawn by himself,) is therefore with propriety termed ME

MOIRS.

Of the difficulty of this kind of compofition every one must be fentible: there are few authors but, under fuch circumstances, might be likely to fay too much of themselves; and fill fewer, however cautious in this refpect they might have been, but would, by critics, be thought to have exceeded. In fact, they place their pertons in a fituation like that of a parliamentary candidate upon the buglings, whole whole life is very frequently commented on before his face for the amufement of the public, and he has at once the pleafure to hear, from different fides, how keenly he can be cenfured, and how ably defended.

Aware of the difficulty of the tafk to which we have alluded, Mr. Cumberland, at whofe work we are happy to have arrived, has chofen the wifelt method to iteer betwixt the Scylla and Charybdis of the Magazines and Reviews. This, he well knew, was to found a plain unvarnished tale upon the bafis of integrity. We read his Memoirs with pleasure, becaufe we are convinced that they are faithful delineations of the

characters that they exhibit, authentic records of thofe times that they include, and correct defcriptions of the places to which they extend. If in one inftance, and indeed only one, we think that Mr. C. might have touched the portrait of a gentleman who was known to us with a lighter hand, efpecially as he is no more, we are ready to allow that the outline, though harf, has fome characteristical traits, which, we fhould have hoped, the official connexion that once fubfifted betwixt the delineator and the gentleman to whofe memory we allude, whofe family we venerate and refpect for talents and vir tues with which, particularly those of the left furviving brother, Mr. C. is as well acquainted as ourselves, would have induced him to foften.

Having made this obfervation upon what we confider as a blemish in fome pages of the work, (an obfervation that was extracted by our feelings as men, and our duty as reviewers,) we now with cheerfulrefs proceed in the pleating purfuit that lies before us. We have already given our fertiments with respect to this fecies of writing in general. How this particular intance of it is executed, will be belt conceived by introducing the author, as often as is confiftent with our plan, to fpeak of, and from himself.

"At the clofe of the year 1804, whilst I am till in poffeffion of my faculties, though fuli of years, I lit down to give an account of my life and writings. I do not undertake the talk lightly; for I have weighed the difficulties, and am prepared to meet them. I have lived fo long in this world, mixed fo generally with mand kind, and written to voluminously and fo varioufy, that I trust my motives cannot be greatly misunderstood, if, with ftrict attention to truth, and fimplicity of file, I purfue my narrative, faving nothing more of the immediate fubject of thefe memoirs than in honour and confcience I am warranted to fay.

"I fhall ufe fo little embellifament in this narrative, that if the reader is naturally candid, he will not be dif gutted; if he is really amuted, he will not be difappointed."