Uniform, he might have edified deep Polistens to his tale of woe, sooths his suffer liticians, and deeper Maccaronies, as yet apbora. Had he availed himself of some of those indisputable representations which every tolerable collection, of prints published during the last century, would furnish, we should have been better pleased with his industry. A few outlines from subjects to be depended on, will at all times impart to a connoisseur greater satisfaction, than non-authentic labours of the graver.

V

sand Co. London, 1808.

NOVELS, like fleeting meteors, generally cross our Panoramic horizon unnoticed, but the name of Madame de Genlis, at least, , may be allowed to attract attention. We own, at the same time, that we opened these volumes with no highly favourable impression: we recollected Marmontel's philosophical rhapsody, on the same subject, written for the purpose of incul. cating those baneful political doctrines, so terribly illustrated by the devastation of Europe. We recollected too, some of this lady's former productions, in which sanctified effusions of visionary romantic devotion were blended by main force with disgusting scenes of profligacy and vice.

ings by commiseration, calms his irritated feelings by religious considerations, and to give a greater weight to his exhortations, discovers to the wonder-struck hero, that his liberator is Gelimer, king of the Vandals, formerly dethroned and led in chains by Belisarius himself, but now his protector and his guide. It being admitted that Belisarius is deeply impressed with the divine doctrine of returning good for evil, every deed of heroism becomes credible in him, and we are not astonished at seeing the Christian hero, led by his holy guide, forgiving his enemies, and again delivering his ungrateful country.

Such was not the character of the dogmatizing Belisarius of Marmontel: for who can believe, or who will trust in the forgiveness of a philosopher? But, as Madame de Geulis observés, in the historical notice affixed to this novel, "Religious sentiments are an inexhaustible source of the pathetic and sublime. Religious belief being once admitted, the beautiful in morals ceases to be ideal; the most exalted, the most heroic conceptions of imagination have already been realized, beyond the possibility of doubt. Virtue knows no bounds, and perfection is no longer a chimera." (p. 168, vol. II.)

:

It is but justice to the writer, to observe, that notwithstanding her errors, she has constantly professed those doctrines, and zealously defended the cause of religion against the unbelieving party of her coun trymen. In this she has been powerfully assisted by the best French writers of the present day: such as Bonnald, Chateau briand, Fiévée, &c. This kind of war fare has been carrying on for some time, attended with much personal rancour; and the French tyrant, so suspicious in politics, kept, at first, the balance pretty even between the two parties, as might be expect Our apprehensions, however, as to the ed from his total indifference to reli moral tendency of this publication were gion, But, on his return from Poland, he soon happily relieved. Belisarius, the fa-affected to fear, that those disputes would mous general, the saviour of the empire, occasion dangerous animosities. In fact, reduced, by the ingratitude of a capricious he was conscious that many applications, Sovereign, to the last degree of human not very favourable to his blood-thirsty wretchedness, bereft of sight, is ex ambition, might be made, and really had posed, chained on a rock, in the wilds of been made, from the publications of the the Thebaid in this situation he is reliev-religious party. All Christians were, in ed by a hermit, of the desert; at first, he consequence, turned out of their employvents his rage in bitter imprecations against ments, whether profitable or honourable, in the various literary departments, to make room for unbelievers, whose compli

an insensate court, his baughty soul breathes nothing but revenge; the hermit

2

ance was perfectly unreserved and complaisant.

But, from this digression, which we hope may be forgiven, we return to Madame de Genlis's Belisarius. In praising her intentions we have conscientiously allowed her all the merit she is fairly enti tled to. As a literary production, this work is hardly worth notice; now and then, some brilliant passages remind us of the author's known talents; but the whole bears evident marks of haste and negligence. It is a wanton abuse of her facility in the knack of writing. The characters are faintly drawn; the situations are indicated rather than expressed, and the natural consequence is, a total deficiency of interest, although a very good novel might certainly be made on the plan suggested by Madame de Genlis.

Gonzalve de Cordoue, ou Grenade Reconquise. Précédé du Précis Historique sur les Maures. Par Florian.. Nouvelle Edition, augmentée de Notes Historiques et Géographiques, par M. Gros. Gonsalvez of Cordova, or Grenada Reconquered, &c. &c.

12mo. pp. 456, price 65. Dulau et Co. London, 1808.

THE principal merit of this new edition consists in its being comprised in one volume, and in the geographical and his. torical notes which have been added by Mr. Gros; it is enriched with a chronological table of the Arabian and Moorish Sovereigns who reigned in Spain.-The work is of established reputation, and is, in the present state of affairs, very inWe shall say nothing on the merit or teresting. We cannot better submit an demerit of historical novels in general. opinion of this work than by quoting the We leave this grand question to the learn-high character given of it by M. de la ed frivolity of our neighbours; convinced, Harpe: that provided a production of this kind be harmless in its moral tendency, it matters but little, whether fictitious adventures are attributed to imaginary heroes, or to historical personages; keeping, however, in mind, the precept of Horace, notandi sunt tibi mores. Yet, when the real manners, sentiments, and actions of the persons introduced are correctly represented, and the opinions of their and country are also set before us, truly, we are of opinion that this attention to costume and character enhances the consideration at all times due to the labours of genius. As to the events of real history, to seek them in works of imagination is illusory, and generally dangerous.

age

larly conceived; and the action is gradually The plan of Gonzalve de Cordoue is reguconducted, the hero is interesting under every idea, whether warrior, friend, or lover; the other personages are so disposed as to strengthen the general effect; the episodes are well arranged with the action, which they occasionally suspend, without retarding it too much; the dangers of Gonzalve and his mistress Zulema are so contrived as to satisfy the reader to the end of the history: the style is elegant and noble. These qualifications are the work is estimable, considered with regard certainly sufficient to convince every one that to the principles which the author followed, and the efforts to which he was restricted. It is preceded by an excellent historical sketch of the Moors, wherein we discover method, We shall conclude this article by a cuchoice, and judgement; wherein the author rious observation of Madame de Genlis; ciently to shew that he perfectly understood has known how to expand or contract, suffiafter remarking that the cruel punishment the style of history, in writing, narrating, of Belisarius is by no means an authen- and reflecting. This sketch makes us better ticated fact, she thinks, that the only acquainted with the Moors than any other authority which sanctions the popular no-book written on that interesting nation, and tion of his blindness, is a beautiful picture by Vandyck, now in the possession of the duke of Devonshire. at Chiswick. In this picture the Grecian hero is represented sitting, while the boy who serves him as a guide tends the casque of the warrior to receive the alms of a soldier heart struck by the misery of his general:

Pictoribus atque poetis Quidlibet audendi semper fuit æqua potestas.

* It is divided into four epochs; the first extends from the conquest of the Arabs to the establishment of the Ommiades at Cordova the second contains the reigns of these kalifs of the west; the third relates all that could be collected of the small kingdoms raised on the ruins of the kalifs of Cordova; and the fourth comprehends the history of the sovereigns of Grenada until the entire expulsion of the Mussulmans.

nothing, unless it had been presented by nature, he could not have obtained it; bat convention, ingenuity, and the state of society, fix a relative price on it in return for labour exerted, in preparing it for use

The same may be said of the gold with which it is purchased: should mankind be suddenly disposed to disregard this metal, a lump of clay would be of greater value, than an ingot of gold.

principles, and submitting further explanations to the public. After this verdict, we shall avail ourselves of some of the information which sets our author's diligence and ability in a favourable point of view. So often have the following sentiments been repeated, that we have been half persuaded to believe them but we have waited so long without seeing them realized, that we have become unbelievers again. The proper" improvement" of them, as divines speak, has appeared in the Panorama repeatedly, in the shape of exhortations to our workmen to integrity, diligence and skill.

Because our trade has increased for the last

If, instead of hypothetical inferences, Mr. S. had presented us with the actual state of a people, a tribe, or a village, wholly dependent on the earth for sup plies, he would have furnished a fair opportunity for the question, whether the 20 years, we fancy that it must continue to state of that people, or the present state increase: but in this we shall probably find of Britain, be most desirable for out ourselves mistaken. The constant scenes of island? His supposition of the product warfare which the Continent has exhibited of the land (corn) being divided by in- since, the French revolution, have destroyed termediate stages among the proprietor its manufactures, and given us the monopoly of the soil, the builder, the tailor, the nearly, both of its market, and the Ameri can inarket. But now the ascendancy of physician, &c. is realized in India; and he Buonaparte promises to the manufactures of might have found, in Dr. Buchanan's the rest of Europe, the continuance of tranTravels in Mysore," several accounts quillity for many years to come, we cannot of the proportions legally allotted to vari-doubt that they will speedily regain their forous handicrafts:-to the smith, for repairs of iron implements used in husbandry; to the washerman for the luxury of clean clothes: to the barber for value received in care and attention bestowed on the smug and attractive decoration of the That those people Countenance, &c. may be as happy as Britons, we do not deny; neither do we suppose that their morals, or real worth would improve or increase in proportion to an influx of wealth. That some advantages might be otained by means of a greater portion of metallic riches, we think ourselves justified in affirming, and whoever Could show mankind the way of deriving only advantages from such a medium, would go far to reconcile us to the worship

of Plutus.

But we cannot enlarge on this subject. Mr. Spence supposed himself to be misunderstood by Mr. Mills, who wrote against his former work, and by the Edinburgh Reviewer, who answered, instead of reviewing it. He adds some severe remarks on the account of his pamphlet, which appeared in the Monthly Review, the origin and cause of which we must hope, for the honour of the corps, he has not justly traced.

Mr. S. has done right in vindicating his

naer eminence and if we compare the price
of labour among them, with its price in this
country, we shall see grounds for believing,
that their rivalship will, before long, material-
ly diminish our trade. It is a vulgar error to
imagine that we can manufacture the princi
than the continental manufacturers can,
pal articles of our export so much cheaper
Whan Mr. Adams was in Silesia in 1800, he
tells us that at that time, in the town of
Grünberg, 25,000 pieces of broad cloth were
annually made, the finest equal to English
broad cloth, and 50 per cent cheaper; and
that they were accustomed to send cloth to
Poland, Russia, Hamburgh, and Berlin. If,
then, the Silesians could, in 1800, sell broad
when the present tranquil state of the Con-
cloth 50 per cent. cheaper than we could,
tinent, and the monopoly of that market
which Buonaparte has now conferred upon
them, shall have reinstated their manufactures
in their former prosperity, what should hin-
der them, in a very few years, from attracting
a large portion of the demand of America for
woollens? So with respect to the other main
articles of our export. The manufacturers of
the Continent can obtain the raw materials of
hardware, cotton, leather, pottery, as cheap
as we they can and do adopt all our improved
machinery: they will soon acquire capital
and they will not have to pay above half the
wages of labour that we pay. It seems im
possible, then, but that the Continent, in the
lapse of no protracted period, will become a