compenfate, as far as any inftitution of government poffibly can, for the equality of a ftate of nature' that if the spirit of the conftitution were allowed to operate with unreftrained energy, the right of voting, among other glorious privileges, would be extended to every Briton; and that the limitation of this right, and the partial privileges annexed to it, are the difgraceful remains of feudal tyranny.' He confefies, however, that if principles of integrity had their due operation on the conduct of the people, the right of chufing reprefentatives (limited as it is) would fecure to them the poffeffion of thofe liberties which the conftitution, coinciding with the unalterable laws of nature andjuftice, declares to be their right!' We commend the candour of this paffage; and as to its feeming want of confiftency with those which precede, we say of Mr. Lufon what may be faid with Anthonio in the Tempeft, and many other projectors, "The latter end of his commonwealth forgets the beginning." The fentiments of Mr Lufon on the politics of the day may be collected from his fplendid panegyric on the hereditary virtues of the minifter, and the exemplary morals of the King and Queen. Far the better and the greater part of this work is employed in the following manner : He afcribes the vices which prevail in the capital to the idlenefs and wretchedness of the poor; he condemns the heavy exactions and grofs abufe of the poors' rates; he expofes the frauds and abufes of parifh-officers; he laments the fufferings of the poor in their removal from one parish to another; and, as a remedy for thofe fufferings, propofes that every parish should be obliged to maintain all the poor in it. In terms of marked and juft indignation, he cenfures the undiftinguishing severity of our penal laws. He recommends, in behalf of thofe who are legally acquitted of the crimes imputed to them, not only compenfation for their lofs of time and liberty, but fuch a degree of redress as fhould enable them to refume their employments and recover their characters. In refpect to those who are even convicted, he con‐ tends, that fome legal provifion fhould be made for alleviating the diftreffes of their families, and preferving the morals of their children. The Appendix contains a plan for the reduction of the national debt. The theory is fimple, but the practice may be very difficult; for Mr. Lufon's project, like thofe of his predeceffors, difplays more the exactness of the calculator than the fagacity of a politician. This work is, upon the whole, the production of a benevolent and enlightened mind. The ftyle is always correct, often elegant, and fometimes energetic and dignified. We must at the fame time acknowledge, that the arrangement is not fufficiently regular regular; that the tranfitions from one fubject to another are too violent; and that the remarks on the abftract principles of government are neither entertaining by their novelty, nor convincing by their folidity. To the faftidious critic, the defcriptions in which Mr. Lufon has indulged himself may appear too florid. They mark, however, the livelinefs of his fancy and the keennefs of his fenfibility; and if we grant them to be defects, we must also grant, that he amply compenfates for them by his good fenfe, by his modefty, by his generous zeal as a patriot, and his virtuous principles as a citizen. ART. XIV. A Trip to Holland. Containing Sketches of Characters; together with curfory Obfervations on the Manners and Customs of the Dutch. Vol. II. 12mo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Becket. 1786. Ncouraged by the fuccefs of his first volume, the Author of E this entertaining Trip' has here concluded his account of the manners, &c. of the Dutch; and tells us that in spite of all the critics in the univerfe,' he will produce a relation of his travels into other parts of the world; we must however do him the juftice to fay, that in a note, he adds, this muft not be underftood as alluding to the periodical publications called Reviews, the writers of which have spoken of his former volume with candor and impartiality. We shall tranfcribe the following chapter for the amusement of our Readers, the rather as it contains a facetious obfervation of Diderot, with which, perhaps, all our Readers have not met; notwithstanding it bears fomewhat hard upon the gentlemen of our order: OBSTINACYAMSTERDAM. "No! if I do, I'm a Dutchman," exclaimed I. There is no thing vulgar in this, I hope-Egad I am a little afraid-for in that cafe, I fhall, no doubt, be told by the critics Aye, and I could inform the critics that- Heyday! what the plague am I about? Monfieur Diderot has obferved—“ Le role d'un auteur eft un role affez vain: c'est celui d'un homme qui fe croit en etat de donner des leçons au public. Et le role du critique? Il est bien plus vain encore; c'est celui d'un homme qui fe croit en etat de donner des leons à celui qui fe croit en etat d'en donner au public.” "L'auteur dit: Meffieurs, écoutez-moi, car je fuis votre maitre. Et le critique; c'est moi, Meffieurs, qu'il faut écouter, car je fuis le maitre de vos maitres." Now, if this be faid of authors and critics, how great, how very great must be the arrogance and felf-fufficiency of the hypercritic!-No! I will never attempt it. If I do, I'll be fhot. But as the reader may poffibly be surprised at my having employed fo unclaffical an expreffion as that at the head of the chapter, I will tell him what occafioned it. Among the feveral peculiarities and excellencies of the Hollander, obftinacy is not in the lowest rank; and were a man poffeffed of the patience patience of an Epictetus or a Socrates, he would run fome little hazard of lofing it in a country like to this. I had engaged a chaife to carry me a few miles out of town. Now, the driver of it would not only go the road and pace which were the most agreeable to himself, but infifted on taking me to a houfe which I had been particularly cautioned to avoid. The conteft was warm between us; and at length, on his requesting that I would put up at the hotel he had chosen for me, I haftily answeredand by way of proving that I would maintain my point-No! if I do, I'm a Dutchman! Thus did I foil him at his own weapon, and fo the matter ended.' If the Reader, who has been a purchafer and approver of the firft volume of this jeu d'esprit, is pleafed with the above fpecimen of the second (which, for the honour of our judgment in felection, we hope he will), we affure him that the other chapters are equally entertaining, and are written in the fame ftyle of imitation of the Author's right-reverend father in fcribble, the humorous Yorick. There are fome errors of the prefs, which, for the ufe both of the Author and Reader, we will point out, viz. page 80, line 9, for efficaces,' r. efficaces; and in the next line, for jouis, r. jouit. Page 85, line 4, for 'bons,' r. bon. P. 123, the 3d line of the note, for on,' r. ou. P. 131, line 7, for Concordia,' r. Concordiâ. We will here bid good-bye, for the prefent, to this amufing Author, with the following obfervation; viz. that if ever he. fulfils his promife of publishing a farther account of his travels,. in the fame Shandyan manner, his volumes will not meet with the worse treatment at the hands of the critics, if he leaves out fuch expreffions as what the plague,' if I do, I'll be fhot,' &c. which we were forry to fee in the prefent publication; as they certainly add neither to the force nor elegance of the style which the ingenious Writer has adopted. ART. XV. The Disbanded Officer; or, The Baronefs of Bruchfal : a Comedy. As performed at the Theatre Royal in the HayMarket. 8vo. is. 6d. Cadell. 1786. WE E are obliged to Mr. Johnstone for introducing, in this profeffed imitation of Leffing, the German drama to our ftage. It has not, we think, all the truth and nature of the genuine English drama; yet there is a vein of fentiment, a glow of generofity, that pervades and animates the fcene, and renders it both interefting and entertaining. The fable of this Comedy is perhaps rather too thin and meagre for the English theatre, yet the story is protracted without wearying the attention. The coftume, though local, is not ill adapted for exhibition in this country, where every reader and fpectator muft congratulate himself on feeing the infide of an inn at Berlin; which we will 3 prefent prefent to our Readers as a characteristic fpecimen of this Comedy: BARONESS. LISETTA. KATZENBUCKEL (putting in his head.) Lif. O, 'tis our landlord. Let your body have the goodness to follow your head, that the door may be shut. • Katz. (entering with a pen behind his ear, paper and ink in his band) I come, my lady, to wish you a very good morning; as likes wife to you, my pretty maid. Lif. A civil man this... • Bar. We thank you, Sir. Lif. And wish you the fame, Sir. • Katz Dare I take the liberty of asking whether your ladyship has flept well under my poor roof? Li. The roof is well enough, but the beds might have been better. N • Katz. Should there be any thing that does not fuit your ladyfhip, you have only to please to give your orders. Lif Ay, ay; I mean to do that 'prefently." from behind his ear.) Lif. Well, what now? (taking the pen Katz. Your lady hip knows, without doubt, the wife regula tions of our police? • Bar. Not I, indeed, landlord. ← Katz. We, landlords, are forbid to lodge any ftranger, of whatsoever rank or condition they may be, above four and twenty hours, without fending their names, their rank, their bufinefs, the probable length of their stay, and fo forth, to the proper officers.' 'Bar. Very well. 1. • Katz. Your ladyfhip will therefore be pleafed tơ (feats him felf at a table to write.) Bar. Certainly: my name is Katz. A moment's patience, if you pleafe. 22d day of Auguft, 17 &c. came to the Vultureif you pleafe, my lady. Bar. Baronefs of Bruchfal. • Katz. Of Bruchfal? From whence, my lady? Bar. From my estate in Saxony. "Katz, Eftate in Saxony-hum, Saxony (writes) Berlin, -Now your name, Lif. Well, why not Saxony? Pray is it a crime, here in Pruffia, to come out of Saxony? Katz. A crime! O Lord, no; that would be a new kind of a crime indeed! From Saxony, your ladyfhip. Saxony the fair, the free, the-ay, ay, Saxony: but Saxony is very large, and has many, what fhall I call them, diftricts, provinces. Our police is very particular, my lady. • Bar. I understand: from Thuringia, then." Katz. Thuringia, ay, ay, that will do (writes and then reads). The Baronefs of Bruchfal, from her eftate in Thuringia, with her woman and two fervants.. Lif. Her woman! Meaning me, I fuppofe? • Katz • Katz. Yes, my pretty maid. Lif Now, landlord, instead of woman, please to put down maid.' The police is very particular, you know: "a mistake of that kind "might fpoil my marriage, and I might remain a maid, which is "not my intention." I was born upon her ladyfhip's eftate, was brought up with her ladyship; we are both of one age, for next Candlemas we shall both be one and twenty. My name is Lifetta, and my firname Willinger. "I fhould be happy that the police "fhould be fo well acquainted with me, as to have no room for any apprehenfions upon my account." Katz. Very well, I fhall fet all that down by and by. But now, my lady, your business here? · Bar. My business ! Katz. Ay; is your ladyfhip come to folicit any thing from his Majefty? 'Bar. No, no: I come here upon my own private affairs. • Bar. They are-Faith, Lifetta, I believe we fhall be taken up. Lif. Hark you, landlord, but it must go no further than the police; we are come to kidnap one of the King's officers. 'Bar. Lifetta, are you out of your fenfes ? Landlord, the madcap is jefting with you. 'Katz. Ay, ay, with me fhe may jeft as much as fhe pleases, but not with the high and mighty police. 'Bar. I'll tell you, landlord: I am quite a novice in fuch matters; fuppofe we were to defer your report till my uncle's arrival: he will be here before the four and twenty hours can expire, "and "he will beft know how much he must tell of his affairs, and what "he may conceal.". Is his apartment ready? 'Lif. Or have you fome honeft gentleman to turn out on't firft? 'Bar. Indeed, landlord, in fuch a cafe, you ought not to have taken us in. The perfon you have turned out on our account is, I hear, an officer. Katz. A difbanded one, my lady. 'Bar. So much the worfe; he is then unfortunate, and may deferve a better fate. The King cannot know the merit of all the people in his fervice. Katz O yes, he does, he knows them all, all. 'Bar. But then he can't reward them all. Katz. O yes, they all had reward enough during the war. But if they will live away in time of peace, we landlords mult take heed. Im ght fafely have let this Colonel run a month or two longer here, but 'tis as well as it is. Apropos, your ladyfhip underftands jewels, a doubt. I muft fhew your ladyfhip a beauty of a ring: (taking the ring cut) look here, what fire! the middle ftone weighs above hive carats. 'Bar. (looking at the ring) What do I fee! That ring Kaiz Ay, that ring is worth to one's own brother oo pistoles. 'Bar. Look, Lifetta. · Katk. |