Interefting Defcription of Gibraltar. fome miffionaries to convert them to our faith, to the holy profeffion of Magotifm, without which no man can be faved. Their bodies are undoubtedly ours, by every law human and divine: and we shall fend them to the fhambles by thoufands, according to the statutes of Tihi, concerning peace and war. But heaven forbid that we fhould not previoufly endeavour to fave their fouls, for we cannot fell that aerial part. If a few myriads be roafted by a flow fire, and remarkably well bafted, I could almost answer for the conversion of the remainder. Adieu! To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, THE I. S. "HE inclofed letter was written by a young artist on his way to Rome, with a view of profecuting his ftudies in the line of his profeffion. As it contains a fuller and more curious defcription of the rock of Gibraltar than I have ever feen, I cannot but hope that it will prove acceptable to your readers. 10th April, 1798. DEAR SIR, Sept. 22. You will, no doubt, be surprised when you find by this letter, that we are ftill at Gibraltar. * ** The finest part of the year is paffing rapidly away, and the time, which might be usefully employed, is diffipated in langor and chagrin. How different are the emotions with which I now contemplate this celebrated fortrefs, to those I experienced when we first caft anchor before it. Then my foul was tranfported with enthufiafm, and fo eager was I to visit it, that I had nearly been preeipitated into the fea through my impatience to get on fhore. At prefent it appears like a melancholy memento of time unprofitably wafted, and only excites fenfations of unavailing anxiety and regret. Notwithftanding, as it must always be confidered, in every point of view, as a moft interesting object, I fhall make it the principal fubject of this letter. We arrived in the bay of Gibraltar on the night of Friday the 28th of Auguft, and came to an anchor about twelve o'clock. The following morning we changed our station, and got clofer to the town. At nine an officer came on board for our certificate of health; previously to the delivery of which, no one is permitted to land. The rock of Gibraltar has the appearance of an immense mafs of calcined Itone; the upper part of it, as feen from the bay, looks as if compofed of a brownish pumice ftone; fome part of it has the texture of that hall vitri 243 fied substance found in our culinary fires, commonly called clinkers, and a confider able portion of it exhibits a furface very fimilar to the drofs of iron. When there is an east wind, a denfe cloud is feen to rest on its fummit; this cloud is called by failors its cap. One fhould be led to fuppofe, from the variety of dreffes, manners, forms, and phyfiognomies, that throng the landing place and principal street of the town, that there was a grand convention established here, in which every nation had its reprefentative. The habits of fome of the Moors throw you back to the age of the apostles, and their countenances are marked with all that energy, fo much admired in the fublime compofitions of Raphael. I faw fandals on the feet of a Greek exactly fimilar to thofe of the ancients. The only articles that are cheap here, are, Malaga and Catalonia wines, fruit, Barbary fowls, fish, and a few East India commodities. Mackarel are a penny each; a fine bream, fufficient for the dinner of three perfons, a quarter of a dollar; a water melon, fixpence; the finest grapes three halfpence a pound; large onions a penny a pound; the wines about ten-pence a bottle. Their butter is execrable; their meat very indifferent, and both very dear, as is indeed every thing elfe: I omitted the fowls; they are generally about three dollars the dozen. The charge at public places of entertainment, for a very moderate dinner, is never lefs than a dollar per head. No perfon is fuffered to vifit the upper parts of the rock, or the curious works, which are constructed in them, without a permit from the governor. It requires a day to go over it, and you must provide yourselves with a number of neceffaries to enable you to perform the journey with pleafure. As I was one of a party who got a permit, I will conclude this account of Gibraltar with an extract from my journal which relates to our expedition. The day being arrived that had been appointed for our excurfion, I fet off early in the morning, and met the company on board the **** brig. Several articles were provided, both to enable us to fatisfy our curiofity with conveniency, and to refresh us when fatigued; befides refreshments, we had coarfe jackets and trowfers; candles, flambeaux, flint and fteel, and a tinder box: we had alfo four failors to carry our rattle traps. When we had reached the rock, by a tolerable eafy defcent, we arrived at the lower range of the fubterraneous galleries. The idea of forming thefe galleries was originally conceived by the late governer Elliot, and by 244 Fortifications of Gibraltar. by him in fome measure carried into execution: but fince his death more perfectly completed by General O'HARA. They are conftructed, not only for the protection of the men, but alfo for placing cannon to annoy the enemy in fituat ons inacceflible only by iuch a contrivance. Thefe galleries are very extenfive, pierce the rock in feveral places and in various directions, and at various degrees of elevation; all of them have a communication with each other, either by flights of feps cut in the rock, or by wooden ftairs, where the paffages are required to be very perpendicular. men. The centinels may now be relieved during a fiege from one poft to another in perfect fatety, whereas previously to the conftructing of thefe galleries a vaft number of men were killed by the Spaniards, while marching to their feveral ftations. The width of thefe galleries is about twelve fet, their height about fourteen. The rock is broken through in various places, both for the purpose of giving light and for placing the guns to bear on the enemy. In different parts there are fpacious recefles capable of accommodating a confiderable number of To thefe receffes they give names, fuch as St. Patrick's Chamber, St. George's Hall, &c. The whole of thefe fingular ftructures have been formed out of the folid rock by blafting with gunpowder. Through the politenefs of an officer on duty, a place called Smart's Refervoir was opened for our infpection, which is a great curiofity and not generally permitted to be fhewn. It is a fpring at a confiderable depth in the body of the rock, and is above 700 feet above the level of the fea; we defcended into the cavern that contains it by a rope ladder, and with the aid of lighted candles proceeded through a narrow paffage over cryftallized protuberances of the rock till we came to a hollow, which appears to have been opened by fome convullion of nature. Here from a bed of gems arifes the falutary fount, clear as the brilliant of the east, and cold as the icicle. We hailed the nymph of the grot, and proftrating ourselves, quaffed hygean nectar from her fparry urn. When restored to the light of day, we obtained, through the medium of the fame gentleman, the key of St. George's Hall, at which we arrived by a very intricate and gloomy path to the fpacious excavation, which is upwards of an hundred feet in length, its height nearly the fame. It is formed in a femiircular part of the rock; fpacious aper it. a tures are broken through, where cannon of a very large calibre command the isthmus, the Spanish lines, and a great part of the bay. The top of the rock is pierced through, fo as to introduce fufficient light to enable you to view every part of It appears almoft incredible that fo large an excavation could be formed by gunpowder, without blowing up the whole of that part of the rock, and ftill more fo, that they fhould be able to direct the operations of fuch an inftrument, fo as to render it fubfervient to the purpose of elegance. We found in the hall à table, placed, I fuppofe, for the conveniency of thofe who are traverfing the rock. The cloth was fpread, the wine went round, and we made the vaulted roof refound with the accents of mirth and the fongs of conviviality. Having fufficiently refreshed ourfelves, we mounted by a flight of wooden fteps to the outfide of this portion of the rock, where feated on a crag that projected from the main body of it, I contemplated the fimple, yet grand objects that were before me; there were the ifthmus that connects Gibraltar with the main land, the purple mountains of Spain dying imperceptibly away into the atmosphere, and the Mediteranean, terminated by the line of the horizon, which was now and then broken by the white fail of fome diftant veffel that difappeared almoft the moment it was observed. Above my head towered the ftoney ridges of Calpe. From this place we proceeded upwards by a winding road cut with infinite labour, till we arrived at the fignal houfe: This houfe is erected on one of the highest elevations of the rock, and a ferjeant's guard is conftantly on duty there to put up the fignals that are held out on various occafions. Every evening a gun is fired at fun-fet from this place. As feveral of the company were very much fatigued, and their curiofity not fo ardent as that of two or three belonging to them, they determined to proceed flowly towards St. Michael's cave without feeking any more adventures. A Captain ****, another and myfelf determined to climb to the top of two lofty ridges that were out of the common road, and might be confidered as the very fummit of the mountain. In attaining this giddy height, our hands and feet were feverely lacerated and bruifed by the edges of the crags and the thorny plants that grew in their interftices. From the cloud-capt fummit of this column of Hercules, we behold the fhore where ancient Atlas fpreads his broad fhoulders, an impregnable rampart to Dialects of the Aramic Language. to the tawny fons of Barbary; while the clouds rolling beneath our feet enveloped in fhade the mountainous coaft of Andalufia. Beneath us on our right, the fons of commerce fheltered their fea-worn barks in the bay, and on the other fide, the billows of the Mediterranean laved with hollow murmurings the adamatine base of the rock. Contiguous to the fpot where we ftood every object affumed the moft Lavage afpect; the wild boar eyed us with terrific glance as he ruftled through the thorny vegetation, and hurried then to the gloomy receffes of the rock. "The ape, with her young close clinging, leapt the precipices, inacceffible to man, and grinned defiance to him on their utmolt verge. Half way down the fteep, the cormorant built her folitary neft; the caverns return a harsh and melancholy echo to the difcordant notes of the fea fowl that hover over the deep. At St. Michael's cave we joined our companions, who anxiously expected us; after recruiting our strength, we put on our jackets and trowfers, lighted our candles and flambeaux, and proceeded to explore the fecrets of this furprifing cavern. Firft we defcended a steep declivity, which was exceedingly flippery from the humidity of the place, till we approached a lofty column, or rather cluster of columns, that fhot up to a prodigious height, and seemed to fupport the roof of that part of the cavern. 245 refolved to proceed, and one of the boldest cf the failors was the firft that entered the fiffure; in a moment he disappeared; a chill of horror crept through the pulfe of every one prefent; haggard looks and deep filence marked the interval that elapfcd, till he was heard to exclaim, "I am not hurt, but my light is out." With alacrity we entered the fiffure, and lifting up our lights beheld him standing at the bottom of a teep but finooth declivity, polifhed like the conical rocks before mentioned. In an inftant we joined him, and congratulated him on his fafety. The place we were in, appeared the fanctuary of fupernatural beings; here the airy fpirits of the Roficrufian fyftem feemed to weave their magic fpells. As the bats flitted through the dun mift that filled the lofty concave, imagination pictured them as bearing on their dusky pinions myriads of filmy gnomes to their feveral occupations. Finding by our watches that it was almoft fun-fet, we hurried from the cavern, and fortunately reached the gates a moment before they were to be fhut. Adieu, remember me particularly to, &c. &c. and believe me, dear Sir, your's fincerely, B. C For the Monthly Magazine. Concerning Two DIALECTS of the ARAMIC LANGUAGE. Twenty yards further, amidst RAM was formerly the common large clumps of cryftallized rocks, was a fpring of moft delicious water, fo perfectly pellucid, that when poured into a tumbler, it was with difficulty diftinguished from the glafs that contained it. From this fpring, with cautious ftep and curious eye, we trod the devious paths, fearful that fome yawning gulf might entomb us in its immeafurable abyfs, when fuddenly the way became fo narrow as to render it difficult, even for one to pafs at a time. On one fide a frightful chafm, which none have yet been able to fathom, threatened to enclofe us in eternal night; on the other fide, ftupendous rocks raised their ponderous maffes to a height far beyond the reach of our feeble lights, and were loft, with the roof they fupported, in impenetrable gloom; before us one only way prefented itself, and through a narrow fiffure, to which we were forced to climb over rocks of a conical form, that were fo perfectly smooth, that they appeared to be polished by the hand of art; here fome of our company were at a ftand, and determined to relinquish the defign of penetrating farther. The reft however were name of all the countries included between the Mediterranean and the Tigris, as well as of the peninfula included between the Perfian Gulf and the Red Sea. Thus we meet with Aram Damafced, as a defignation of the district about Damafcus, and with Aram Naharaim (Syria of the rivers), as a defignation of Mesopotamia; and the three Arabias till retain a denomination directly fpringing from this root. The original tide of population feems to have diffufed itfelf over this country from the distri& called Eden, fituate at its northern extremity. Whencefoever the fhepherds of Mefo. potamia firft derived their language, it was very early divided into at least two dialects, an eaftern and a western. The family of Abraham, which was (Genefis xi. 31.) of Ur (between the Mygdonius and the Tigris), fpoke a different language from the family of Lahan, which was (xxix. 4.) of Haran (between the Chaboras and the Euphrates). Jacob calls, by the Hebrew word Galeed (xxxi. 47.), that which Laban calls Jehar fabadutha. It is evident then, that the Hebrew 246 Criticisms on the Purfuits of Literature. Babylon (xi. 9.), Damafcus (xiv. 15.), probably Jerufalem (xiv. 18.), and many other towns of confequence, were already at this time scattered over Syria. It is therefore most likely, that the migration of a fingle family would not materially affect the general diftribution of dialect; that the defcendants of Abraham would acquire the Weft-Aramic in the west country to which they paffed; and that they would not fuperinduce their own Eaft-Aramic language on the inhabitants of Mamre, of Gothen, and of Canaan. It is yet more obviously certain, that the retreat of Abraham's family could in nothing affect the language of Ur or of Babylon; and that, if the Hebrew prevailed in the east country at the time of their departure, it would continue, notwithstanding their abfence, to be spoken along the banks of the Tigris. Accordingly this identical distribution of language appears ftill to have fubfifted in much later periods. Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, who from their earliest years, were educated at Babylon, and can hardly have known the language of Jerufalem, bequeath to us their works (fo far as thefe can be feparated from interpolated matter) in the Hebrew or Eaft-Aramic diale&t. Whereas the fragment of Ezra (iii. 7. to vi. 18.), written after the acceffion of the fecond Darius (iv. 24.), and the fragment (ii. 4. to vii. 28.), of the book concerning Daniel, written after the death of Alexander (xi. 4.) (two compofitions which make their appearance at Jerufalem), are drawn up in the WeftAramic dialect. So is the Targum of Onkelos and the other vernacular literature of Palestine. So that, if Hebrew be the fitter name for the language of Jerufalem, and Chaldee for the language of Babylon, it is plain we, by a vulgar error, mifcal the Chaldee, Hebrew; and the Hebrew, Chaldee. The language of Babylon, or Eaft-Aramic, being commonly called Hebrew; and the language of Jerufalem or Weft Aramic, being commonly called Chaldee; a mifnomer, which has eventually, if not intentionally, favoured the perfuafion-that various writings, appa. rently put togeher at Babylon, are the unfophisticated archives of the Jewith n tion. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, N° Roman author has written in fo falfe and vitiated a taste, in diction fo horrid and obfcure, in numbers fo rough, so scabrous, and inharmonious, crowded with metaphors unfufferably strained and confufed, as Perfius. He might well fay of himself, that he had nothing to do with pale Pirene. Yet this is the writer whom the author of "The Pursuits of Literature," and the epiftle to K. LONG, has chofen for his model, and far furpaffed his original in all the various faults of compofition mentio ed above. It becomes, therefore, a fubject of furprise, to hear the "British Critic" commend a paffage in the fourth dialogue, v. 132, as truly poetical, which is overlaid with falfe and gaudy colours, and full of tumor and bomb ft. What is the meaning of, painting in characters of light-of the spirit of the troublous clime-his steps ideal hafte-in femblance frail-furely here are thoughts encount`ring thoughts in conflict fierce? The fame may be faid of the following incongruous and harth expreflions: Albion erects ber energies—to burst with unappall'd profufion-filtrating tea through earth,and air and light-a pluvial prelate with his lawny wings-the natal splendour of the chequer`d vest-to shake peftilence with maddening fweep-clofd his cloifter'd day-foaming with th archdeacon's critic blood-calm d the borrors of Burke's clars in gold. And above all, as unrivalled pieces of obfcure and far-fought conceits, might be mentioned, the beginning of dialogue the fecond, on Bishop Wilkinson's Journey to the Moon; the tedious, ill-conftructed allegory of the commentators on Shakefpeare, transformed into dogs; and the conteft of the tranflators of Gray's Elegy. Such is the ftyle and manner of a writer, who dares to think he can fucceed in a fort of work, where, as he most affectedly fays, The great Aurancian drove his primal car. To thefe little ftrictures I fhall add no more at present, because I am informed that a difcourfe is preparing, to fhew, at large, from the four following circumfances, namely; from the accumulation of useless Greek quotations; from vainly fuppofing the whole world is alarmed and inquiring after the fatirift; from the malignant unprovoked attack on many refpectable characters; and from bafely concealing his name; that, the author of "The Purfuits of Literature," is, a PEDANT, a COXCOMB, a SLANDERER, COWARD. I am, Sir, your's, T.L.M. Mr. Erskine on the House of Commons. DISSERTATION on the ORIGIN of the Tarofe gradually out of the feodal te- nures as introduced at the Conquest. But, although the principle is to be applauded, the error cannot; and in this enlightened age, happily need not be defended the rights of mankind can never be made to depend on the times of their being vindicated with fuccefs; they are facred and immutable; they are the gift of heaven; and whether appropriated for the first time to day, or enjoyed beyond the reach of annals, the title to them is equally incontrovertible: one, individual may forfeit his property to another from fupineness, and ufurpation may strengthen into right by prescription; but human privileges in the grofs cannot be fo fnatched away; there is no ftatute of limitation to bar the claims of nature: There are certain limitations of time fixed by statute in the reigns of Henry VIII. and James I. beyond which the fubject (and the king by a late act) cannot apply to the courts of justice to regain the poffeffion of landed property, to recover perfonal debts and damages, or to redrefs private wrongs. Thefe acts are called in law pleadings, the ftatutes of limitation. MONTH, MAG, No. xxx, 247 let us not, therefore, from a patriot zeal, involve ourselves in the faint evidences of probability, but be contented to trace our the reach of moral demonftration. There political conftitution from a fource within is more honour in having freed ourselves from tyranny than in always having been free. Saxons had parliaments, but we know, We know with certainty, that the with equal certainty, that the people at large had no reprefentative share in them : the bulk of the nation were either vaffals under the feodal lords, or Allodii † under the king's government; the firft, being abfolute flaves to their masters, could not pretend to become political rulers, and the laft being not even united by the feodal bond to the community, could have no fuffrages in the feodal councils: the Saxon lords, indeed, were free, but for that very reafon, there was no public liberty; the government was highly ariftocratical, there was no fhadow of that equal communion of privileges founded on legislative inftitutions, which conftitutes freedom upon English principles, by which all who are the objects of the law muft perfonally, or by representation, be the makers of the laws: this principle, which may justly be denominated the very effence of our prefent government, neither did nor could poffibly exift till the proud feodal chieftains, bending under an accidental preffure, were obliged to facrifice their pride to neceffity, and their tyranny to felf-prefervation. But before our inquiries can be properly begun, at the period I have fixed,— before I can exhibit the elaftic force of freedom rebounding under the preffure of the most abfolute government, I must call your attentions to the genealogy of our feodal ancestors. They iffued from that northern hive of fierce warriors who over-ran all Europe at the declenfion of the Roman empire; a race of men the most extraordinary that ever marked or diftinguished the state of nature; a people who, in the abfence of every art and fcience, carried the feeds of future perfection in their national genius and characteriftic; vifible even then in an unconquerable fortitude of mind, in an inherent idea of human equality, tem +Allodii were fuch as held of no feodal fuperior, celles qui ne recognoiffent fuperieur en fædalitie. Thefe Allodial lands were all furrendered up at the Norman Conquest, and received back to be held by feodal tenure, as appears by Doomsday Book. K k pered |