by fate, that Greece fhould experience a master, it was ftill, in fome degree, fortunate for that country to pafs under the yoke of Rome. Had the Carthaginians, or the Numidians, fubjugated the Greeks, the barbarian victors would have burned their writings, deftroyed their monuments, profcribed their fages; the genius and wisdom of Greece would have been overwhelmed in general ruin, and configned to everlasting oblivion. From how flender a thread is fometimes fufpended the fate of the univerfe! Had the Carthaginians yanquished the Romans, polished and lettered Europe, the Mistress of the World, might have been at this day as vile and barbarous as Negroand itself. they had been thrown by the victories of Cæfar, and the policy of Augultus. The greater part had degenerated, not only from the digni ty of freedom, but were even degraded below the level of flavery itfelf: but in fome bofoms the Roman fpirit burned with unabated fire. Thefe oppofite difpofitions exhibited a ftriking contraft; but an inftructive fpec tacle to a mind like that of Tacitus. Hence he learned to appreciate man in all his various relations of public or private life. His works cannot be denominated hiftory. But that form appeared to him the beft adapted to collect, in a body, his profound cbfervations on the human mind; the labour of many years. wrote a thousand years ago, and yet, with all our philofophy, with all our moral difcoveries, we cannot boast of hav knowledge of human nature. He must have poffeffed almoft fupernatural fagacity to anticipate, as he has done, the experience of ages. The Romans made themselves mafters of the literature of the Greeks, no lefs than of their empire. ing carried farther than him the Virgil, Horace, Ovid, immortal names! propagated the glory of Latium, farther than the victories of Cæfar, of Scipio, of Paulus Emilius had been able to pervade. But af ter the reign of Auguftus, a fet of monsters filled the Roman throne. From their cruel afpect, the Mufes fled. Amidst thofe tyrants, however, arofe the fcourge of tyranny, the immortal Tacitus. He is one of thofe men, in whom indignation was the parent of genius. He lived in the midst of those human butchers, and he would have been their victim, had they poffeffed fufficient penetration to recognize the man, who was destined to immortalize their infamy. Fate had placed him in a fituation peculiarly advantageous to the exertions of his talents. On every fide the most hideous vices, and the moft fublime virtues, provoked the burning energy of his pen. The Roman empire was convulfed by the alternate fruggles of freedom and of flavery. The minds of men had begun to recover from that confternation, into which The reflections of Tacitus contain the germ of a new fyftem of ethics, as well as of legiflation. To understand Tacitus, a certain portion of genius is required. Machiavel, Gratian, La Rochefoucault, Montefquieu, Helvetius, are wiiters whom he has created. Although he did not affume the pen to flatter by happy turns and pleafing images the apathy of the hu man race, whom, perhaps, he de fpifed; yet there exifts not a writer fo interefting. Did a man embrace in his memory the literature of the whole world, ftill would Tacitus be new to him. Without obfcurity, natural or ftudied, he affords his readers the grateful pleafure of pauling at every phrafe to discover his meaning. But it is only in his native tongue that we can prove this pleafure. All the modern languages of Europe are too methodical in their C 4 movements, movements, and too ftrictly limited in the meaning of their words, to admit the poignant equivoque. Tacitus offers almoft as many thoughts as words. It is this laconic and concife ftyle which his disciples, the great and immortal authors whom I have just mentioned, have imitated. But they have alfo imbibed a portion of his fpirit; they have dared to utter grand and extraordinary truths: but the light of truth is yet too refplendent; our eyes are still too weak to bear her luftre. The remembrance of victories vanishes with the difafters which they occafioned; fyftems of philofophy inceffantly fucceed each other, and fall in their turn: but the masterpieces of polite learning remain, becaule the emotions of the heart, and the fportiveness of the imagina tion, are eternally the fame. O, Rome time has, indeed, fapped thy threatening walls, fire has devoured thy extenfive palaces; thy magnificent ftatues have mingled with the duft; thy formidable armies, like thin vapours, have disappeared, and the pomp of thy triumphs have left only an empty noife in the world: but the immortal labours of thy genius have braved the ravages of time, the force of flames, the fury of barbarians, and ftill furvive in fpite of the uncertainty of human glory, The barbarians could not deftroy the influence of the Italian climate, which infpires a tafte for polite literature, and a tenderness of foul. But I pafs over the ages of ignorance, and direct my hafty steps to thee, O Taf fo, poet fublime and picturefque! In whofe life we fee the model of what moft men of genius are fated to undergo. The profound, impetuous, and eternal flame of love which confumed thee, thy imagination ever active, which still impelled thee to objects unknown, to new creations; the inveterate perfecution of fate, the obftinacy of thy countrymen in re fufing to acknowledge thy merit, and, in fine, after the melancholy period of thy days, thy name increafing in fame, and fpreading wide in glory; every circumftance of thy life, in fhort, proves thee a genuine votary of the god of genius. Taffo gave to the Italian language an energy, of which from its foftnefs it did not feem fufceptible; and to poetry an elevation, which the then predominating quaintnefs of ftyle appeared to counteract. That tender and plaintive tone, that tafte for magnificence, that luxuriance of brilliant images, and that predilection for fairy fcenery which diftinguish the Italian poetry, were introduced by Taffo. 1 In our days Italy produced a man of the first rank in the empire of genius *, but death interrupted him in his career of fame perhaps before his genius was completely mature. Sweden poffeffes his afhes, and our language preferves a portion of his genius. He admired our King, he loved our country. Educated in the language of the most artificial foftness in Europe, he delighted in the fimple graces of our tongue. He has enriched our literature with two excellent morfels of eloquence. (To be continued.) SKETCHES OF THE HISTORY OF MANKIND IN RUDE AND CULTIVATED AGES. f T FROM MOSELEY'S ESSAY ON ARCHERY. HE moft fuperficial attention to Hiftory will exhibit to our view, many and extraordinary chan ges which have taken place in the manners and cuftoms of the various people in the world. We fee a part The Abbe Micheleffi, who died at Stockholm in 1773. of of mankind plunged in the extreme of human debasement, while others poffefs the refinements of literature, moral excellence, and ease. The progrefs of knowledge has been compared to a river, which in its courfe paffing through a fubterraneous cavern, is there for a time loft to view, but at a distance, again breaks` forth, and purfues its current. Scarce any science, art, or cuftom, has continued in an uninterrupted courfe for many ages. The Arts of Greece and Rome which fo fplendidly flourished, remained but a little time. The Sciences of Greece and Rome fared worse. To what degree of perfection the latter arrived Is not precifely known, but the barbarity of a few fucceeding ages effaced the greater part; and it is but a fhort time fince this ftream hath again broke forth to light. It is not an unpleafing task, to confider the circumstances which have given caufe to thefe changes. It is inftructive, because the mind, in contemplating the different scenes which different ages have prefented on the theatre of the globe, cannot fail to be expanded by the knowledge of human-natnre; and the extent of thought must be enlarged by the variety of actions, which, every moment, would folicit the obfervation, through the vast drama in view. -If we allow improvement to be in proportion to the number of ideas prefented to the mind, can we point out a fubject which, when deeply confidered, is better adapted to raise humerous and exalted fentiments, than this I now mention? Can we fee the extremes of polished and favage characters without wonder; or can we pass without a defire to trace (however imperfectly) the intermediate links of that chain which conhects them? We fee the arts of war, as well as thofe which adminifter to our convenience and pleasure, have, in every country, borne a near affinity with the state of civilization. In the ruder ages of the world, therefore, arms were fimple, and the difcipline of troops imperfect; but as the under ftanding of men became more and more enlightened, fo the arts of com fort and eafe increased The military regulations became more complicated-weapons of va rious conftructions and power werd introduced, till, in the prefent advan ced period, the fcience of Tactics is become a deep and abftruse study. During the most diftant periods of which any record has been transferred to us, mankind appear to have had much the fame general character with that we have presented to our eyes among favage nations. Their manners, utenfils, and arms, feem to have had a near refemblance. A philofophic mind may have pleasure in contemplating the human character, may have pleasure in these feveral stages, and may endeavour to trace in the conftitution of man, and the fituation of countries, the immediate causes which feem to influence the mind and habits of mankind. A great deal has been afcribed to climate*, but it is neceffary to add the affiflance of other and more forcible caufes, to explain the origin, or rather the continuance of favage life. Temperature affixes a a much more permanent mark on the figure and complexion of men, than on the internal structure on the mind; and while we view a particular ftature and proportion of the body, in every different nation throughout the whole world, we fee difpofitions by no means fo provincial. There are paffions which all uncivilized people poffefs in common, and there are other "In tracing the Globe from the Pole to the Equator, we obferve a gradation in the complexion nearly in proportion to the latitude of the country. others peculiar to civilized nations. Men are reprefented in the most ancient histories, as leading a life little elevated above that of Brutes: -they spent their time in hunting and fishing, to procure fubfiftence they were very much detached, and even folitary. We read in fcripture that Ishmael dwelt in the Wildernefs and became an archer; from which, I understand, he lived by hunting, and killing animals with his bow; at leaft it was his employment, whether for food or diverfion is in no ways very material. The fame kind of life is mentioned by more recent historians, as subfifting in the time they themselves lived. Herodotus makes mention of a people called Iyrcæ, inhabiting a country far to the northward of the Palus Mæotis; which people, he fays, like others near them, live by hunting; he describes their manner thus:" Hav❝ing climbed a tree, (of which there are great abundance in that coun"try) there they lie in wait, till "fortune direct the path of fome animal in their way. Each man "has a dog and horse at a little dif"tance from this ambush, which, in "order to be more concealed, are "taught to lie upon their bellies on "the ground. When the perfon in "the tree perceives his game at "hand, he shoots at it with an arrow, and if he strike it, immedi"ately mounting his horfe, purfues "it with his dog till taken." Strabo makes mention of a people in Arabia, who practise the deftruction of their prey in exactly the fame manner. Modern travellers have reported that the chace is followed much in the fame way at the prefent time, in Afia, Africa, and America. In the temperate and frigid Zones neceffity will oblige men to refort to this kind of life, and give occafion to many ftratagems for the purpofe of drawing animals into their power, as the productions of the earth, during the colder feafon of the year, could give no fuccour to the hungry inhabitant. It is true that the hunting of wild beafts was not always in order to procure food; for that, indeed, in warm climates, is abundantly poured forth by the vegetable world in fruits and herbs, which afford a nourifhment, procured with far more eafe than by the purfuit of animals; but it was more generally followed for the fake of drefs, or ornament } ufes to which skins have been applied, from the highef antiquity to the prefent day, among all the different people of the old and new world. We find, from Herodotus, that the Ethiopians covered themselves with the fkins of Leopards and Lions: and he fays, the Scythians fewed together pieces of leather prepared from human fkins, and cloathed themselves with it: and likewife, that they fometimes ftripped the skin from the right hand of their vanquished enemies, and used it in ornamenting their quivers. It is reasonable to fuppofe thefe fkins, when firft applied as covering, underwent no manual operation, bụt were removed from the back of one brute to that of another. Such cloathing would foon become exceedingly difagreeable, by the skin getting hard and flifi, fo that the body of the perfon wearing it would be rendered fore,. by the conftant exer-cife hunting required. A method of preparing the fkin would not remain long unfought for, and experiment would foon fuggeft the way of preferving the flexibility. Fat from animals has been used in some countries, in order to do this; and various other proceffes are found efficacious, in the different places where this kind of garment is used. The preparations of skins, it is faid, introduced a very important and useful difcovery-I mean the art of forming the wool, or fur, which was feparated in the drefling, into a thread by plating, twisting, and, at length, fpinningh fpinning-An art whofe invention has a very early itation in hiftory, and appears to have exifted, in fome degree, in all places. The fcripture mentions it very early; and the many fables of antiquity authenticate the fuppofition of its early origin. It is afcribed by the inhabitants of every ancient country to their founder. By the Greeks, Minerva is faid to have first taught it, and Arachne was turned into a spider for challenging the goddess in that art. By a kind of weaving, alfo, very elegant vestments are fabricated from the bark of trees, leaves, and other vegetable productions, which muft excite the wonder and admiration of every one who examines them. Captain Cook has brought to this country fpecimens of the ingenuity, and the exquifite workmanship fome of the more refined favages of the Pacific Ocean are able to execute, without the knowledge of the Metallurgic art. While the intellectual powers of man, however, remain little improved, the arts cannot attain any confiderable degree of excellence; and hence it proceeds, that in uncultiva ted nations they differ but little. People fituated in circumftances hearly fimilar, oppreffed by fimilar wants, and unallured by artificial plea ures, continue customs and opinions, in an unvaried courfe, through years and centuries; nor does the Tartar differ from the Scythian, but in name. Every one is an epitome of the whole hord, and every day the picture of a life. This is not peculiar to the rude inhabitants of Afia, travellers report the Arabs to live in a manner very fimilar to that of the Tartars. They dwell in tents, which, as occafion requires, are tranfported from place to place; and as their chief care is but to fubfift, they often move, and generally purfue that path where plenty invites. With these the old fimile is ftrictly verified,That life is a journey. The dept sf Africa are found to comprehend people of the fame kind; and in America there are others who, in moft particulars, refemble the Afiatic and African races. From Hudson's Bay northward to the Pole, the Efkimaux favages inhabit an immense, and almost boundless continent. Affociating in fmall troops, and ranging through the forefts, they preferve the fame. manners, and the fame general character of Arabs, but much inferior in underlanding, and in the poffeffion of the comforts of life. The Germans, as defcribed by Tacitus, differed little from the people before mentioned. They had no towns, but lived in small huts, diftinct, and in the depths of the foreft, which at that time overfpread their country, and fubfifted by their bow in hunting. The paftoral ftate feems to have fucceeded that of the hunter; for as fome animals were capable of being rendered tame by difcipline and habit, this method of preferving food, by domeftication, would foon be adopted, as affording a more certain refource than the chace. Indeed, a numerous fociety of people could not exift long unless a refervoir of food was perpetually at hand, to affist in cafe thofe who foraged were unfuc¬ cefsful. In the present time, the most barbarous nations fubfift, in fome meafure, by this practice, particularly thofe which are most populous; yet there are others which fill lead a life of hunting for prey, as before defcribed, not having the arts of do-. meftication in ufe, or thofe of agriculture *. In this way did the first inhabi tants It is faid by Buffon, that at the time America was difcovered there w no part of that continent in which the dom: ftication of animals was practifed, except in Peru and Mexico. |