merely as a task, and without a fpark of the ardour and enthu fiafm which infpired his father. The coldness and reserve of his temper were augmented by the unworthy treatment which he experienced from his mother, who was one of those unnatural parents who seem actually to have hated their children; and the father was confiderably blameable in permitting her injuftice, and in even receiving a bias from it. Charles Linné, who appears to have been a worthy character, and poffeffed of the affectionate regard of his intimates, died unmarried in November 1783, in the 42d year of his age, and with him ended the male line of the Swedish naturalift. The widow and fome daughters of Linné are ftill living.

Some papers called fupplements close the volume. The first relates to the fale of the Linnéan collections, concerning which authentic memorials are communicated by the refpectable pur, chafer himself, Dr. James Edward Smith. A complete lift of the works of Linné fucceeds, with their feveral editions, commentaries, tranflations, criticisms, &c. This is a very useful paper; though, we think, the order might have been rendered more lucid. The voyages and travels of the pupils of Linné, published by himself, are included in the catalogue, as well as the feparate differtations in the Amanitates Academica. A truly German memoir follows, which is a genealogy of the family of this great man :-a genealogy of peasants and country parfons! Then follow accounts refpecting Linné, given by himfelf, and alfo additional anecdotes from others; which are moftly tiresome repetitions of what has already been given in the biographical part. A fummary view of the botanical reforms of Linné, from the Amanitat. Academ. and fome references and explanatory notes, conclude the volume.

The copioufnels and accuracy of the materials accumulated in this work muft render it acceptable to all whofe curiofity is interested in the man and the science on which it treats: but we cannot praise it as a mafterly piece of biography. It appears, indeed, to great difadvantage in a tranflation which we are forry to be obliged to pronounce inelegant and faulty. The name of the tranflator is apparently that of an Englishman, and his defignation is that of a man of letters; yet the improprieties of language would make us doubt the former, and the ignorance difplayed both in matters of fcience and in literature would induce us to question the latter.

Not being able to compare the volume with the original, which is not in our poffeffion, we can only fufpect frequent mistakes in tranflating from the German: but we are fure of many in regard to the Latin. Typographical errors are alfo numerous. In a word, that fuch a work thould have fallen into fuch hinds is

a circumstance not very creditable to the Linnéan school in this country.

The volume is handsomely printed, and a portrait of the great naturalift is. prefixed, engraven by Heath.

ART. II. Roman Portraits, a Poem, in heroic Verfe; with historical Remarks and Illuftrations. By Robert Jephfon, Efq. 4to. pp. 277. 11. 7s. Boards. Robinfons. 1794.

TH

HOUGH we are by no means difpofed to receive implicitly every dogma, respecting literature, which time and autho rity have confecrated, yet we cannot but think it fufficiently eftablished, by the very nature of literary compofition, that a poem, in its full and proper fignification, fhould be characterized by fomewhat of invention or fable in its plan, as well as by certain peculiarities in its manner and language. It is true that epiftolary, fatiric, moral, and didactic poetry have their foundation rather in truth than in fiction; yet, unless fome contrivance be used to intereft the reader's attention by addresses to the imagination, or, at leaft, by an ingenious arrangement of the materials, a compofition of any length will infallibly become tiresome and profaic.

The fplendid materials of Roman hiftory, confifting in wellknown characters and events, lie obvious to every fcholar, and have already formed the base or ornaments of a great variety of poems, antient and modern. To take these in a detached form, and to ftring them together like beads, without the leaft connexion of a common plan, or any thing to conftitute a whole, is an attempt that, at the utmoft, may plead excufe, but furely can never lay claim to the praife which is beftowed on the exertions of ingenuity and induftry. Mr. Jephfon hints that the idea of his performance was derived from Mr. Hayley's "Hiftory of Hiftorians in verfe :" but it fhould not have been forgotten that the spirited and intelligent portraitures, drawn by that poet, are only a part of a didactic work, and are given as exemplifications of that art of writing biftory which is the main fubject, and is treated with all the accuracy of method and arrangment.

Mr. Jephfon's poem, then, confifting of above thirty feparate heads, defcriptive of some of the most striking circumstances or characters in the Roman hiftory, from the foundation of the city to the Auguftan age, does not, in our opinion, derive any of its intereft from its defign, for the materials could not have been employed to lefs advantage; on the execution folely it must depend for a favourable reception among the lovers of poetry. Its merit in this refpect must be estimated by the fentiments, the yle, and the verfification. With regard to the first, Mr.

4

Jephfon

Jephfon warns his reader not to expect deep political difquifitions, nor the elucidation of critical difficulties. Neither of thefe, indeed, is very fit for poetry: but, on the other hand, the common and obvious inferences deducible from Roman history have been so hackneyed both in profe and verfe, that it is not easy to give them' the grace and effect of novelty; and the portraitures of the great actors in it can only be copied from the draughts of former mafters, many of them highly fkilful in the art of representing characters. Who can write at all of Rome without being occafionally warmed by the flame of liberty, without lamenting the evils of faction, without beflowing praise on valour and military difcipline, without expreffions of abhorrence of cruelty and rapacity? It is a nicer matter to write folidly and correctly on thefe topics, than with fire and animation; and the great danger is left perfonal admiration or antipathy fhould interfere with the conclufions of fober reafon. Though it appears to us that, on the whole, Mr. Jephfon has taken a liberal and enlarged furvey of Roman policy, yet there are topics on which a little more philofophy would not have been mifemployed. The following paragraph will ferve to give a taste of the author's poetry, while it may furnish matter for reflection:

NUMA POMPILIUS.

No objects Numa to the mufe fupplies,
But temples, priefts, and pious myfteries.
He check'd Bellona's rage; and dove-ey'd peace
Saw fuperftition rife, and flaughter cease.
For facred ends, was facred truth forgot,
And hence the fiction of the Egerian grot;
That Numa's holy vifions might perfuade,
To the meek king defcends the infpiring maid:
None, to believe or to obey, repine,
When human wisdom fpeaks by aid divine.
Credulity, an easy yielding foil,

Brought up new plants of faith with flender toil;
A tale once told, the weak enquir'd no more,
But fools believ❜d what craft impos'd before.
The pagan creed, with motley legends full,
Amus'd the enlighten'd, and amaz'd the dull;
A monstrous fable clumsily devis'd,

Proceffion, pageants, pomp, and noife difguis'd;
While found and fhow the pleas'd attention kept,
The fenfes only wak'd, and reafon flept.
Wifdom with joy the kind delufion faw,
And turn'd the vulgar blindness into awe;
So, by an engine which herfelf difdain'd,
Dominion o'er the public mind the gain'd,

As ferv'd her caufe the play'd the mummery o'er,
And left the crowd to wonder and adore.",

Now,

Now, we confefs, this mixture of extreme contempt for the mummeries of fraud and fuperftition, with approbation of their employment by a legiflature for the purpose of gaining dominion o'er the public mind,' ftrikes us as a monftrous incongruity, totally unworthy of a friend of reason and of mankind; and, in this connexion, we do not hesitate to fay that the following eulogy on religion is more injurious to it, than all the mad blafphemies of French atheism, which are the topic of so much vengeful (though virtuous) declamation in the notes which accompany this work * :

Not viol tun'd, or melting song, fo finds
The magick way to fierce untutor'd minds,
Not on the thirsty glebe ambrosial rain
So opes its bofom for the teeming grain,
As fweet religion's heaven.defcended dews
Their mild effects o'er focial life diffufe;

Then holier fhrines in mortal breafts are rear'd,

And truth is facred when a God's rever'd.'

How long will the prejudices of the world prevent it from deriving the obvious and only true leffon from the deplorable fcenes paffing before its eyes-that no fteady and falutary influence over mankind is to be obtained by impofing on them!

We will turn to fome fairer fpecimen of this performance; and we think that the following portrait of Caius Marius will afford an adequate idea of the ingenious author's powers, in enlivening his fubject by the charms of verfification and poetical imagery:

See, nurs'd by Furies, and for havock bred,
Where frowning Marius lifts his rugged head;
His ftature tall, with giant ftrength endued,
Cruel by nature, and of manners rude;
To these were join'd, as if for terror meant,
A thund'ring voice, and vifage truculent.
A living column feem'd he in the wars,
Hewn from a quarry by the fword of Mars;
Though at Arpinum a Plebeian born, t
By him feven times the conful's robe was worn:
Through every function of the camp he pass'd,
Till merit rais'd him to command at laft.
Confcious of mean defcent, he feign'd to fcorn
The lazy greatnefs of the nobly born,

One great object, perhaps the principal, in the complex defign of this undertaking, was to trace fome refemblance between the Roman republic, and that of France in her revolutionary disorder: furnishing fo many occafions for expreffing the writer's abhorrence of the principles and conduct of our neighbouring Revolutionists.

+ Is natus, et omnem pueritiam Arpini altus,-. SAL. Bel. Jug. Contemnunt povitatem meam, ego illorum ignaviam. Quanquam ego naturam unam, et communem omnium exiftumo, fed fortiffimum quemque generoffimum. SAL. Bel. Jug.

Who doze, and yawn, and retrospective see
Their floth excus'd by vigorous ancestry.
While thefe, proud fymbols in their halls difplay'd,
His cottage kindred fhew'd the plough or spade:
For ftili he deem'd it true fubftantial fame,
Not to inherit, but create a name;

Difdain'd the borrow'd fplendor could be shed
By glory beaming from another's head:
As well his health or beauty might he claim,
To prop a weak, or grace a homely frame.
"What men were once, (he cries) I little care;
What's pafs'd, is pafs'd; I value what they are.
The dwarf, from Hector or Alcides fprung,
Muft ftill be feeble, though his fire was ftrong;
And Helen's daughter, with a Gorgon's face,
Would charm no hero by her mother's grace."
Yet all his toil the nobles to deride,

Sprung lefs from principle than envious pride;
For though weak mortals fhould not boast of aught,
What good man e'er his ancestors forgot?
If bright the track their actions leave behind,
Fair emulation fires the offspring's mind;
But if foul deeds and fhame their courfe difgrace,
He quits the path, and runs a nobler race.
High birth, like riches, men too much may prize
But thofe alone who have it not, defpife.

Foremoft in fight for ever was he found,

Shar'd the coarfe foldier's fare, his bed the ground,
And lov'd the battle's fhock, and the fhrill trumpet's found.
Great his achievements, his ambition great,

He fav'd, adorn'd, and then deftroy'd the state.

}

SALA

At Marius, antea jam infeftus nobilitati, tum vero multus atque ferox inftare: fingulos modo, modo univerfos lædere. Bel. Jug.

Notwithstanding his mean birth, coarfe education, military life, and ferocious nature, Marius is always defcribed by Roman writers, particularly by Tully, as a perfon of confummate art, great pride, and unbounded ambition. On many occafions he owed his fuccefs at home as much to the dexterity of his management as to the fplendour of his name and the fame of his atchievements. In his fpeeches, or those afcribed to him by Salluft, may be found the fubftance of almost all thofe arguments and reflections which have been ever fince fo frequently employed to raise the confequence of the people, and to depreciate the nobility.

Though perfons of flender pretenfions to ancestry are most frequently apt to boast of it, yet we fometimes find inftances of the fame weakness in men of high birth and unquestionable understanding. It was well faid by Lord Chesterfield of Lionel Duke of Dorset, that his grace was as proud of his family as if his grandfather had been a blacksmith.'

Damn'd