1

the story of which he treats, than what he has suggested; unless any conjecture of mine, on this point, may be considered as anticipated in the vague allusion cloaked in the preceding paragraph of this solution.

The fable of Apuleius, then, appears to me to contain also the story of the temptation of man, his transgression, fall, repentance, death, and subsequent reception into the favour of the Godhead; all, indeed, somewhat discoloured by poetic fiction. Psyche is admitted to a union with Eros or Cupid; but prohibited from attempting to see him. She is induced, by the false suggestions of others, to infringe the command. The loss of the fellowship of the Godhead is the first penalty of her crime. She humbles herself, and repents; suffers much misery, and is forced to descend to the shades below; but is at length restored to the love of Cupid, and gifted with immortality. Is not every leading trait in the divine relation before referred to, figured in this beautiful allegory? Compare, again, this part of sacred history with the story in the Persian Tales; we shall find a prohibition of a similar nature, a similar sort of transgression, punishment, penitence, and final reconciliation. We shall also see, with the occasional exception of the last incident, the same striking points of resemblance in the other stories, of which I have before given an analysis. '

In a very good note on the fairies, p. 47, we find an inference drawn from the resemblance of their name to that of the Persian Peris, the Persian letter P being, in the Arabic, changed into F.’ Without knowing how this may be, we will venture to assert, that this etymon is quite fallacious. From the Italian fata is derived the French fee, and the English fay; from fee is formed the word féerie, which we have made faery, signifying things belonging to, or connecting with fays; as, the land of faery, the queens.. of faëry. By degrees this noun of quality was corrupted into a noun personal; and fays were, improperly, termed fairies. As we have thus accounted for the letter R, which forms the chief link between Peris and Fairies, we suppose it will be admitted that the derivation falls to the ground. There is nothing so deceitful as etymology: if a similarity of names and attributes were conclusive, we might bring our Devils themselves from the Dives of the East. But Mr Rose's proofs of the Oriental origin of fairyism are more decisive than likeness of name, and confirm the opinion we have stated above, as to the fountain whence most romantic fictions have flowed; not so much, we guess, through the Crusaders, though they certainly contributed their share, but, in a greater degree, by means of that idle and lying horde of pilgrims and palmers, whom curiosity and restlessness, more than devotion, drew in thousands to the Holy Land. Perhaps, too, the Jews were somewhat concerned in this communication of fables between the East and West.

The

The Red King, subjoined to Partenopex, might remind a reader of the Cloud-King, Elf-King, and other roitelets, who have been set over the government of goblins by Mr Lewis. It relates, however, to no less substantial a person than William Rufus, and his death by the arrow of Sir Walter Tyrrel. Mr Rose has made use of a legend in Matthew Paris, wherein a certain monk dreams that the king entered a church, and gnawed the flesh from the crucifix. This is as little sublime as it is elegant, and not susceptible of a good poetical dress. But the greater part of the poem or ballad, we know not which to say, is very spirited. We quote the introductory stanzas as a specimen.

6

The Red King lies in Malwood-Keep;

To drive the deer o'er lawn and steep,

He's bown'd him with the morn.

His steeds are swift, his hounds are good;
The like, in covert or high wood,

Were never cheer'd with horn.

And he hath hawks all fowl to take,
By field, by forest, or by lake:
Right royal is his geer.
Among his merry-men is not
A simple groom, but by the slot

Can track the stricken deer.

But hound and brach are kennell❜d all,
His merry-men are fast in hall,

His hawks are on the perch:

For they have flown at high and low;
And his good dogs have chas'd a doe
From Knowl to Brockhurst church.

• Red William's bow'r was closely barr'd,
His knights without kept watch and ward,
All clad in hunter's green :

The horn about their necks was hung,
And at their sides the quiver swung,
With store of arrows keen.

In baudricks of the grey wolf's hide,
Their faulchions strait and short were tied,
And mantles gay they wore;

Sharp knives were in their girdles stuck,
Hafted with antler of the buck,
Or tusk of Dennay boar.

The watchman on the castle top
Almost might hear an acorn drop,

It was so calm and still;

Might hear the stags in Hocknell groan,

VOL. XIII. No. 26.

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And

And catch, by fits, the distant moan
Of Kingsgarn's little rill.

Save when the rustling birches play'd,
In shifting hues of light and shade,
By some chance zephyr swept;
Whiles riding over Lady-Cross,

On waste and woodland, moor and moss,
The silvery moon-shine slept. '

Among the notes on the Red King, is one in proof of the famous depopulation of the New Forest by William the Conqueror; which Voltaire, in his random scepticism, has pretended to ridicule. Two successive surveys, however, of the lands in question, before and after this afforestation, corroborate the testimony of historians by the diminished value they record. These are preserved in Doomsday Book.

Before the survey of the Conqueror, these manors, &c. were ⚫ estimated at 1984 hides, 56 yard lands, 8 acres, 271 pounds, 2218 shillings. In the second census, they are represented as ⚫ consisting of 59 hides, 534 yard lands, 6 acres. The value is rated at 85 pounds, 964 shillings. The amount of the loss occasioned by the afforestation, therefore, will be 139 hides, 2 yard lands, 1 acres, 186 pounds, 1254 shillings.'

p. 202.

It is not meant to assert, as Voltaire imagines, that an actual forest was created by William; but that a large tract of woody country was converted by him into a royal chase, and consequently depopulated, either by the oppressiveness of the forest laws, or by some direct act of violence. The latter opinion is espoused by Mr Rose, and seems most consonant to the voice of history, and the character of William. He endeavours to corroborate these proofs by local evidence; but, except in the name of castle, which some uninhabited spots retain, we think he has made but little of these researches. Indeed, he mentions himself a fact, though slightly, that the Anglo-Saxon buildings were almost entirely of wood; which, while it fully accounts for the non-appearance of ruins, seems to have rendered unnecessary all attempts to discover them.

We may take this opportunity to lay before the public a curious passage, which renders it probable, that, in spite of all our histories, Sir Walter Tyrrel was not the unfortunate slayer of William Rufus. It is found in the life of Louis le Gros, by his minister, the famous Abbot Suger.

Imponebatur a quibusdam cuidam nobilissimo viro Galterio Tirello, quod eum sagitta perfoderet. Quem cum nec timeret, nec speraret, jurejurando sæpius audivimus, et quasi sacrosanctum asserere quod eå die nec in eam partem silvæ, in quâ Rex vencbatur, venerit, nec eum in silvá omnino viderit.'

ART.

ART. IX. Code de la Conscription, ou Recueil Chronologique des Lois et des Arrêtes du Gouvernement, des Décrets Imperiaux relatives à la Levée des Conscrits, à leur remplacement, aux dispenses de service, &c. depuis l'an VI jusques et compris l'an XIV. Avec Tables, &c. 8vo. pp. 270. Paris, 1806.

WE E hate war, and we detest despotism; and wish earnestly that there were no occasion to study the organization of the one, or the resources of the other. But when war is inevitable, and despotism overbearing,-and when both together are darkening the whole horizon of the civilized world, it becomes, of all things, the most necessary to inquire, how they have been united, and in what manner their combination has contributed to their success. It is now our indispensable duty, we think, to make ourselves acquainted with the structure of that military establishment which has triumphed so fatally over every other to which it has yet been opposed,-to ascertain how far its excellences may be copied among a free people,-and to determine to what extent its efficacy or permanence may be rendered precarious by the oppressions which it entails on those who are subject to it.

The perusal of the work before us, which has been recently transmitted from France, with a full commentary of facts by a diligent and judicious observer, has enabled us to lay before our readers some materials for such an inquiry; and to direct the attention of our countrymen to the internal organization of a power, which must be understood before it can be resisted; and with which we can neither be at peace nor at war in safety, till we comprehend, in some measure, the nature of the foundations on which it rests. The book is entitled Code de la Conscription,' and contains a chronological series of laws enacted since the year 1798, on the subject of the Military Conscription of France. It should be remarked, that the new French jurisprudence has been promulgated under the various titles of the Civil, Rural, Commercial, and Criminal Codes-and this, the Code de la Conscription;' which, no doubt, is, of the whole Napoleon Corpus Juris, most dear to the modern Justinian, and most odious to his great and good subjects.'

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Tacitus

*This new jurisprudence, in the highest degree defective in the ory, and vexatious in practice, is created upon a principle which will be found to actuate most of their internal regulations, that in a new government every thing should be new. Whoever,' says

Machiavel,

Tacitus somewhere observes of Tiberius, that his speeches to the senate, by the involutions' of the style, at once betrayed the character of their author; and seemed to shadow out the picture of his cautious, dark, and crooked policy. This volume, consisting of two hundred and seventy close printed pages, obscure and even unintelligible in all its clauses of lenity, and clear only in its provisions of rigour, might suggest a similar observation, and be traced to the ruminations of an ambitious and sanguinary despotism. In fact, the extreme difficulty which we (with no vulgar helps) have experienced in collecting the scope and import of this extraordinary volume, convinces us that, to the great majority of Frenchmen, the whole must be as incomprehensible as the mysteries of Eleusis, or the traditions of the Cabala. There is an oracle at hand, indeed, which will readily expound one half of the mystery. The Military Tribunals will soon make them understand the penalties annexed to disobedience; but they have, and can have no instruction as to their immunities. For it is a remarkable and most instructive fact, that notwithstanding the voluminous annotations daily issuing from the French press on every other branch of the Imperial jurisprudence, no one has yet been bold enough to publish a single word to elucidate the text, or blazon the moderation of the Code de la Conscription.

It is impossible even to glance at this volume, without being struck with the extreme anxiety which these statutes betray, to enforce conformity, both in the executioner and the victim. The enumeration of cases is so complete as to preclude the possibility of evasion. The public functionaries have their respective provinces most accurately marked out; and are furnished with distinct formula for every act of office. The severest and most unrelenting punishment is inflicted upon all who, from negligence, or corruption, or pity, give countenance to the slightest relaxation. The diseases which give right to exemption are detailed with a jealous and disgusting minuteness. Precautions are multiplied without number to secure the persons of the conscripts; and, while they are decorated with the title of Defenseurs de la Patrie,' the uniform tenor of these laws, and the tone of

bitter

Machiavel, makes himself Lord of a state, (especially if he sus pect his ability to keep it), must, as the best course, make every thing as new as himself;-alter the magistracy, create new titles, confer new authorities, uncharter old corporations, advance the poor, impoverish the rich ;-that what is said of David may be said of him, "He filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he sent empty a way. "Discorsi, lib. 1. c. 26.