I fhall have the honor of mentioning to you, the next opportu-. nity, fome other of the English entertainments, which may be calld national and fubaltern; for I perceive that my letter is already too long, and that I fhall do well to finish it directly, by affuring you

th. I am, &c.'

Was the baron now in England, he might find some occafions to correct the remaks he made twenty-nine years ago, in this letter as well as in others; particularly that in letter xxxii. where he denies our profeffors any fuperior excellence in the polite arts. But as the Tranflator has controverted this pofition in a note, and as the principles of taste are fubjects of continual difputation, in defiance of the old maxim, we shall not enter into the conteft. The baron, however, admits of one exception, on the credit of the artist's reputation here, to which, nevertheless, he does not appear very willing to fubscribe:

There is, however, at this time a graver that is highly admired and celebrated by this nation; this is Mr. Hogarth, who is the author of a great number of prints that are in much request, both here and in foreign countrys; fuch as, the Rakes Progres, the Harlots Progres, the Modern Midnight Converfation, and many others. It must be confesd that Mr. Hogarth has an imagination which is uncommonly fruitful, lively, and juft; that there is great genius in his compofitions, and a reffemblance of natur that is almoft inimitable; that his defigns are perfect, and his engraving fufficiently accurate; and confequently that his prints merit great approbation. But his choice of fubjects, and manner of treating them, I find rather difagreeable. He frequently reprefents objects that are hideous or difguftful, and from which a fpectator of any delicacy must turn his fight. Such, for example, is the reprefentation of a mad hous; and the apartment where the pupils of the faculty of Montpelier exercise, under the auspices of the god Mercury, the art of curing fhameful difeafes, &c. It appears to me, to be difgracing the polite arts, to employ them in reprefenting fuch objects. I think I have elfwhere faid, that the more an artift poffeffes the talent of reprefenting natur to perfection, the more cautious he ought to be, how he reprefents fuch objects as are difguftful to a fenfible mind. A Marfias, for example, flayd by Apollo; a martyr in the midst of his tortures; a St. Laurence on the gridiron; are objects highly fhocking, and fuch as ought never to be reprefented. The fine arts were defignd to promote our pleasures: it is the bufinefs of morality and eligion to correct our manners, and animate our devotion.'

His latter obfervation may juftly be extended. It is a truth that the fubjects chofen by the finest painters and engravers, from feripture and the martyrology, whatever pleasure they may give to a catholic connoiffeur, affords an heretic little to admire beyond the expreffive powers of the artist in the execution of detached parts: these he may praise, but he is feldom ftruck with the united effect of fubjects, calculated lefs for the judg

ment than to inflame the ardor of an enthufiaftic or fuperftitious imagination.

With regard to Mr. Hogarth, the baron's remarks are hardly just, as he tries him by a wrong ftandard. If an artist, in tracing the progrefs and confequences of vice, introduces objects of difguft, his figures have a moral tendency, and produce a juft effect: but every artist to his peculiar talent. The pencil of Hogarth was guided by fatire and humour, in which he remains unrivalled.

On articles relating to our trade, manufactures, marine, and literature, our ingenious epiftolary Author pays us many compliments, which, from a foreigner of his extenfive knowledge, we may be allowed to think fincere. His remarks on the proJixity of our celebrated novelifts Fielding and Richardson, particularly the latter, are equally juft.

Letter xxxix. gives a lively defcription of an installation of Knights of the Garter at Windfor, at which the baron was prefent. In letter xl. he attempts a general character of the English. To this he premifes a cautious remark, which has been glanced at already by us on a fimilar occafion, and, as he writes from his actual obfervation, our Readers may compare their own picture here with that given by M. Totze, who collected the opinions of others *, and chufe which they like beft.

Your excellency defires that I woud give you what I think the character of the English: but I feel my own incapacity to answer your demand in the manner your excellency may expect. Nothing is more difficult than to draw the character of a people. Among all the nations of the earth, there are fo many particular characters, which are exceptions to that of their nation, that the most faithful general characters frequently appear deftituto of all refemblance when we compare them with individuals: I fhall confine myself therefore, Sir, to fome detachd obfervations that I have made on this fubject. The English nation does not appear to me to be endowd with that creative genius, which is attended with a lively and brilliant imagination, that finds relations between objects which are the most diftant from each other, and that reconciles ideas which appear the moft paradoxical; but in return, it policies in a fupreme degree that fagacious fpiri: of difcernment, which difcovers, with a glance of the eye, the effential and acceffary differences that are between things, and even between the images of things: that fcrutative fpirit, which. proceeding from confequence to confequence, arrives at laft by flow, but fure fteps, to the principle, the foundation of the truth which it inquires after. In a word, the English are true reafoning machines. This quality is not here confined to any particular rank in fociety; on the contrary, the artifan, the laborer, the beggar, reafons here in the fame manner as the lord or -philofopher. What confirms me in this opinion is, the mode of expreflion by which these people communicate their ideas to each other.

See Monthly Review for laft month, p. 177, Jeq.

In other nations I find an infinit difference in the manner of expreffion between perfons of rank and the common people; becaus thefe conftantly expres badly what they conceive badly: but in England the meaneft of the people expres themfelves with ftrength and elegance; which proves to a demonftration that they think clearly.

The fecond diftinguishing property of the English is activity. In fact, I know of no people who are in general more induftrious. This quality arifes perhaps from their temperament, from a rapid circulation of blood. It is not my bufines here to inquire into the phyfical caus of it, but it is certain fact, and of which I have been an ocular witnes; that if an Englishman, in perfect health, holds the bulb of a good thermometer in his hand for fome minutes, he will make the mercury rife two or three degrees higher than a Frenchman, Italian, German, or one of any other nation whatever. We are tempted to think that this heat of the blood gives the English that great activity in all they undertake; and as by that means they more frequently repeat the fame actions, that activity becoms in turn the fource of their fuperior addres, dexterity, and perfection....

The third particular quality of the English, is that of candor, and that franknes of behaviour which is the confequence. They think too justly, to wish to deceive their brethren by fals appearances, by thofe vain compliments which flatter little minds, and which at the fame time are fo well known to be fals, and to which we give the fine name of politenes. We must not imagin, however, that rufticity predominates in England, and leaft of all among thofe whofe title, birth, or fortune have given them the advantage of a liberal education; or that the bulk of the English refemble Sir James Roaftbeef, in the Frenchman at ondon, and that their franknes is attended with brutality or flupidity. On the contrary, I find in this country much true politenes, much attention, and a strong defire to pleas. Foreigners accufe the English of being civil, focial, engaging, fond of pleafure, ready to contract friendships, and to receive favors, while they are traveling in other countrys, but when they return home, to forget thofe very friends, or to receive them with coldnes; and in general to treat ftrangers with great indiffer ence. But they do not confider that most of these firangers confine themselves when in England, to London, and that the most of the English gentry are as much ftrangers in London as a Frenchman, German, or Italian; that but few of them have any house there, their fetled refidence being in the country; and when they come to the capital, it is only for their private affairs, or to attend the busines of parliament; fo that they are conftantly engaged; and moreover not having convenience for receiving their foreign friends at their lodgings, they can only offer them an entertainment at a tavern, where they frequently dine themfelves; or take them to the play, and fhow them the principal curiofitys of the town. But go into the country, visit them on their own eftates, and they will give you a reception that is equally polite and hearty; they will load you with civilitys and favors, and on your departure will furnith you with letters of recommendation to their friends difpersd over all England; thefe will receive you equaly well, and will procure you new acquaintance. So that a ranger who is in any degree amiable, and

known

known to be a man of character, may travel, with infinit pleafur, over all England; like a ball that is fent from one player to another. Befide, London during the cours of the whole year fwarms with frangers of every kind, among whom are many of fufpicious character; fo that a hous woud refemble Noah's ark, whofe master thoud readily receive all ftrangers that were drawn thither by the fmell of the kitchen, or the reputation of a jovial holt. The fame may be faid of all great citys; and it is not fo eafy as fome may imagin to gain admittance into a good hous at Paris.

Charity alfo forms a confiderable part of the diftinguishing character of an Englishman; but it has here a very different external appearance from what it has in France. We here fee no hofpitals where dutchefes by the bed fide of the fick give them their remedys on their knees. The care of this is here left to nurses, who are paid by the public, whofe trade it is, who understand the bufines better, and whofe prefence does not lay any conftraint on the poor patient. There is here no oftentatious charity; for the English church does not admit of the dogma of the merit of good works. The charity of the English is not theologic, but philofophic; it extends to thofe only who are incapable of labor, and not to the encouragement of idlenes. Here all charitable establishments are either in favor of infancy, infirmity, or imbecillity. A fturdy beggar is but a bad trade in England. They are difmisd with a halfpenny or farthing, which are their fmall copper money, and of the latter of which a beggar muft amas 1008 pieces to have a guinea. The Englith count it a great charity alfo, to aid those who ftrive to bear up against their misfortunes; or privately to affist fuch foreigners as may becom embarrasd among them. They extend their benevolence even to prifoners, and think it a difgrace to humanity to fuffer them to perifh in gloomy and noxious dungeons. The prisons of London are fpacious, and contain within their walls, large gardens, and even coffee houses, where they affemble to read the public news papers, and to amufe or regale themfelves.

All that I find reprehenfible in the general character of the English, for in fact there is nothing perfect in this world, is, a cer tain infenfibility, which in the common people fomtimes proceeds to ferocity, and which even reigns in their very pleafures. Such as the murdering chace; the baiting of bulls and other animals; their races, in which both men and horfes fomtimes perish; the brutal combats between the men themselves, and other things of the fame kind. The English not only fee all thefe barbaritys without emotion, but even pay for the pleafur of feeing them. I am inclined to think that the climate, their method of living, efpecially among the marine, ancient cuftom, wrong education, and other causes, either phyfical or moral, muft have given this infenfibility to the English, and that the fault does not lay in the heart.'

An air of candour is diftinguishable in these outlines; but the method of cftimating the comparative qualities of Englishmen with foreigners by the thermometer is, we must confefs, a new acquifition in experimental philosophy!

Long

Long as this article has been, we can affure our Readers that, we have by no means exhausted the fubjects contained in thefe very entertaining letters.

Το

ART. IV. Fourteen Maps of Ancient and Modern Geography, for the Illuftration of the Tables of Chronology and Hiftory. which is prefixed, a Differtation on the Rife and Progress of Geography. By John Blair, LL. D. F. R. S. and A. S. Prebendary of Weftminfter, and Chaplain in Ordinary to her Royal Highnefs the Princefs Dowager of Wales. Folio, large Paper, 1. 16 s. in Sheets. Printed for the Author, and fold by the Bookfellers, &c. 1768.

A

IN

N the Eleventh volume of our Review, for 1754, we gave fome account of Dr, Blair's Chronology and Hiftory of the World. That work was well received, and there is no doubt but the prefent production, which may be confidered as the fupplement to it, will be likewise very acceptable to the public.

Dr. Blair informs us, in the preface, that his Differtations upon the difficult Parts of Chronology, which were preparing for the press at the time of the first Edition of his Tables, have been long interrupted by a duty, to the difcharge of which the Author was called, foon after, viz. his attendance upon the late duke of York; and as this, he fays, for the course of near eleven years, engroffed all his thoughts and leifure, it is therefore the only apology he can give for having fo long delayed the publication of that part of his work.' It was in compliance with his royal highnefs's defire that I have endeavoured to improve thefe Tables of Chronology, by adding fourteen maps, part of them containing the ancient, and part of them the modern geography, which are fo difpofed in different places of the tables, as to illuftrate the times and periods when the countries, delineated in each map, were the principal fcene of action: for in his royal highnefs's application to the perufal of the political hiftory of the world in its various branches, to which indeed all his mornings were generally devoted, he found it of great advantage, for the clearer understanding of any tranfaction or event, to have the country and the period of time placed before him in one point of view, as the proper companions to each other. And as they have been privately and in this manner ufed, for fome years past, they are now publifhed to the world, with the hopes of their being found of service to fuch who may employ any of their leifure hours in the study either of ancient or modern hiftory.

A few of the maps have been copied from M. Delifle and M. Robert, but by much the greatest number of them were

drawn