Athanasia. (Suppressing her anxiety.) I am ready. Benyowsky. Beloved girl! separation from you would be terrible! though still, even now the choice is in your power. Remain or go. Athanasia. Remain!-Ah, my father! Beat the drum! Beat the drum! that the noise may drown my voice!-Away, away! bear me away! Benyowsky. Come to my brotherly arms. Athanasia. (Once more looking sorrowfully around her.) Blessings on my old father! (Exeunt.) (The scene changes. The back ground represents a part of the harbour. The frigate ready for sailing; the crew busily employed, the confederates run backwards and forwards. Confused noise beard on all hands: "heave the anchors!— Unfurl the sails!-The wind is north-East and by East: Pilot! Hollo there! They are coming!-Yonder is the party winding down the hill-Good luck to us! All is ready!-Huzza! Huzza!') (Benyowsky, Athanasia, Crustier, and the other conspirators come forward. Governour in chains, under a strong guard, exhausted with rage. Mean time Crustiew and the confederates run to the ship, make arrangements, give orders, c. Benyowsky approaching the governour. Athanasia remains fearfully standing at a distance.) Benyovsky. I have now but a few moments. friends! Do we part as (Governour throws a look of contempt upon him, turns away from him and gnashes his teeth.) Benyovsky. That I was taken prisoner fighting against Russians, was that a crime? That I have this day burst these hard fetters, is that a crime? (Governour keeps a sullen silence.) Benyowsky. Honour and patriotism summoned me; to the fate of these my brothers an oath bound mine. (Governour does not answer.) Benyowsky. I had left at home a pregnant wife-Old man! what wouldst thou have done in my place? (Governour stubbornly silent.) Benyousky. Am I not worthy of one word, of one look? It is well! What grief and rage do now condemn, your cooler blood tomorrow will excuse-Farewell! (Governour grasps his chains in fury, and attempts to rush upon him. He is restrained. He sees Athanasia, beats his forehead, with redoubled fury, and laments aloud.) Athanasia. (Throws herself at his feet.) Pardon, my father. Governour. My curse pursue thee across the sea! mayst thou hear it in the storm! hear it in the arms of thy paramour! Tremble at it when the lightning flashes! and when the sun shines forth, think on thy father's grave. When the thunder roars, may it sound my curse into thine ear, and if a soft breeze murmur, mayst thou fancy it thy father's dying groan. May all abandon thee at thy last hour, as thou abandonest me; let nought but the image of thy wrathful father float before thy fevered brain! Shouldst thou bear children, a grandsire's curse be their inheritance! May their ingratitude revenge me on their mother! (Athanasia sinks specchless and half dead into Benyowsky's arms.) Governour. Governour. (Moved by the sight of Athanasia.) Stay with me, my child! my dear deluded child! remain with me! I am old and infirm When thy mother died, she said to me, weep not, I leave you Athanasia. Wilt thou make a liar of thy dying mother? a few weeks, perhaps only a few days, how soon they are gone! Then will I lay myself down and die, and thou mayst say I have fulfilled the commands of my mother, I have closed my father's eyes. Benyowsky. (Agitated.) Spare her! Governour. Thou art my only joy! my only consolation! I love thee with a father's fondness;-so will no vile seducer love thee;satiated in thine arms he will repay thee with disgust ;—whilst thy old father, in return for his blessing, asks but the gentle pressure of thy hand upon his eyelids, when they would close themselves in death. Oh that these locks were not already grey, in this sad moment would they whiten, and the sight perchance might move thee. (Athanasia attempts to raise herself and falls fainting back.) Benyowsky. (Very much moved.) God of heaven! help!-Seize her and bear her away! Governour. (Beside himself with anxiety and grief.) Count Beny. owsky, if thou believest in God, hear me! I have never offended thee! I have shewn thee all the kindness in my power! Thou hast robbed me of my all. Thou hast robbed me of my rank and honour! Leave me my daughter and I still am rich! Count Benyowsky, if thou believest in God, hear me !-For thine own wife's sake, who prays for thee at home! How can God grant her prayer, if thou robbest me, a poor old man, of this my only jewel. For thy child's sake, which thou knewest not when thou wentest from home, if thou wouldst not that it make thee a wretched father! What wouldst thou do with her? see already she is a corpse-restore to me the corpse of my daughter! (He falls upon his knees, and stretches out his hands towards heaven) Count Benyowsky, I have no words-I have no tears, but God has thunder! Benyovsky. (Very much agitated, lays the fainting Athanasia in the arms of the kneeling old man.) There you have her, old father! (He draws out the picture of his wife.) Emilia! my wife!-Away on board! (Confused tumult. All hasten on board.) Governour. (Pressing his daughter to his bosom in extacy, while he stretches out his other hand towards the ship.) God bless thee, stranger! God Almighty bless thee! (The curtain falls.)' We will not deaden the impression of this scene by any farther remarks. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, NAVAL AFFAIRS. Art. 13. An Essay on Naval Tactics, Systematical and Historical. The Tay. The First Part of this work was reviewed in our Number for February 1791. The present publication contains Parts II. III. and IV. The IId explains the mode of attack from the leeward. The IIId, which with more propriety would have preceded the other two, or have served as introductory matter, contains the author's division of the history of naval tactics, from the earliest to the present times, into different periods; with a few desultory observations on the nature of sails, cannon shot, signals, the British Channel, and naval instructions. The IVth Part is occupied by descriptions (principally the public letters of the commanding officers) of sea-engage. ments which took place in the year 1782; with the author's remarks on each. In our account of the former part of this Essay, we expressed our doubts on the policy of publishing improvements in naval tactics, from a belief that to preserve a superiority is of more importance. to this country, than the advancement of general knowlege in naval matters nevertheless, with so complete a superiority as we possess in the number and equipment of our ships, and in the qualities of our sailors, there seems not much cause at present for jealousy of general improvement. The author has bestowed more attention on the different modes of attack than on the means of defence. He commences many of his assaults with great gallantry, and some with judgment, but he gives no credit to the opposite fleet for any exertion in repelling the attack: he supposes them to be helpless, and claims the victory. This half-reasoning, among many other instances that occur, is strongly exemplified in the supposed case of twelve ships in line of battle, attacking and cutting off five of the weathermost of a fleet of twenty-four ships an enterprise which is not to be hazarded without other advantages than that of situation. Five ships, if they defended themselves properly, would sustain the attack of twelve, long enough to disable them so far as to make them inevitably the prey of the nineteen fresh ships, if, as must be supposed, these latter made any exertions so assist their friends. Supposing also that any of the five ships were captured, the probability is that they would be too much disabled to be carried off, when chaced by the remainder of the still superior fleet. Though an attempt nearly similar has been made, with success, by a British fleet against a Spanish flect superior in number almost in the proportion mentioned, yet this affords no argument as a general demonstration: for it certainly would be neither a very plea sant nor very profitable undertaking for twelve ships of Spain, or of any other nation, to attempt to intercept five ships of a British fleet in an open sea, while nineteen others, however unconnected their situation might be, were in sight. Though, on the whole, we cannot think that the author has here added much to the stock of knowlege in naval tactics, his work may afford considerable help to those who wish to obtain a general idea of the nature of sea-engagements. Capt. B....y EDUCATION, &c. Art. 14. A short Grammar of the English Language, in Two Parts: simplified to the Capacities of Children. With Notes, and a great Variety Variety of entertaining and useful Exercises, on a Plan entirely new. By John Hornsey, School-master, Scarborough. Second Edition. 12mo. Is. 6d. bound. Bent. 1798. Experiment is supposed to be the best test of compositions of this kind. The present author informs us that the former edition, consisting of 1500 copies, was sold off in little more than three years; and from this success, it may be inferred that the work proves acceptable and useful both to masters and their scholars. It will be unnecessary for us to add many remarks. We are told that it is princi pally compiled from our best grammarians. When it is observed, under the letters Ch, that Chorister is pronounced kwerristur, we observe an evident mistake or impropriety, or perhaps a provincialism is quoted: the same may be said of chauk for chalk, chaudron for chaldron, wauk for walk, &c. &c. which, however common, should certainly be pointed out as corrupt pronunciation. In a note concerning the neuter demonstrative or pronoun it, we find this remark, it has in the possessive case it's, which is sometimes used very improperly for 'tis: It's good, instead of 'tis good.'Whatever propriety there may be in this, it would certainly have been right to have added that it is is preferable, especially in writing, to either of the abbreviations. Concerning tautology, we observe that it is here confined to the repetition of words: but young people should be reminded that there may be tiresome tautology where the recurrence of the same words is carefully avoided the instances, which the author produces on this subject, do not always appear to us fully pertinent: There are in the house, a man, a woman, and a child;' does not seem to imply impropriety of expression. He is a wise man, a learned man, and a good man' one word is here thrice repeated, but this might be rather regarded as emphatical than inaccurate; which absolute tauto. logy must surely be. Hi. Art. 15. Instructive Rambles in London and the adjacent Villages, designed to amuse and improve the Understanding of Youth. By Elizabeth Helme. Small 8vo. 2 Vols. 5s. Longman. 1798. These small volumes give a view of the propriety and good sense with which Mr. Richardson, a merchant in London, almost disconsolate for the lofs of an affectionate and prudent wife, proceeds to educate the son and daughter whom she had left him. Their employments are rational and beneficial, their amusements innocent, pleasing, and instructive. Such is the design of this lady; or, to use her own language, to blend instruction with amusements, to give of virtue its own features, vice its own image, to shew the necessity that evil propensities should be crushed in infancy, and that children of good natural abilities and dispositions may be led to tread the paths of truth and rectitude, as easily as they may be sufferred to imbibe erroneous opinions.'-One method, which the welljudging father pursued for the recreation and pleasure of his children, was to lead them at times to places noted for recording memorable events, particularly in the English annals. In my choice of the 7 historical historial sketches,' says Mrs. Helme, I have selected such as f thought might interest young minds sufficiently to make them the more readily peruse the annals of their country; as I have generally observed that children, when possessed of what they consider as amusing information, read history the more willingly; and thus in seeking the shadow, amusement, frequently find the reality, knowicze Within so small a compass, it may be concluded that these relations must be very brief; they are, however, sufficient to excite attention, to yield improvement, and may be supposed to furnish farther conversation. The episodes, if we may so call them, or incidental narratives, form a pleasing part of the volumes; they are naturally introduced, are interesting, particularly that of Frank and Patty, and convey very useful and seasonable sentiments to the juvenile reader. The language may, in some instances, appear rather stiff and formal, or superior to what we expect from children: yet we can have no hesitation in recommending the performance as well calculated to promote the valuable purpose of its publication. Hi. Art. 16. The First Principles of English Grammar, methodically ex hibited and explained, upon a Plan entirely new, tending to ren der the Knowlege of them useful in the Study of other Languages. By Nicholas Salmon, Author of an Etymological Dictionary entitled Stemmata Latinitatis, &c. 12mo. 25., Dilly. 1798. The Stemmata Latinitatis, and several minor works in philology, have already introduced Mr. Salmon to the notice of the public. The approbation with which those productions were received, he tells us, was the incentive which led him to engage in that now before us: of which the object is to establish, on a plan entirely new, a rational method of teaching the first principles of English Grammar.' We are always inclined to doubt whether plans entirely new are entirely just, or entirely useful; yet we think that, on the whole, Mr. Salinon's plan is not injudiciously conceived. It begins with giving the definitions of the parts of speech, followed by a few observations, and then proceeds to the illustration of them in a grammatical comment on the celebrated little poem of Edwin and Emma. He next goes on to consider the Cases, or, as he calls them, the Modes of Nouns; explains their nature and use; and then, as in the foregoing instance, illustrates his rules by an application of them to the same composition by which he had exemplified his theory of the parts of speech. So far as this plan connects practice with theory, and explains abstract rules by examples, we approve it: but we cannot say that our approbation goes much farther. We think that the importance of the verb and its inflexions should have induced the grammarian to give to it a more ample discussion, and a more honourable place, than it occupies in this treatise. A single page in the preface was rather too little for explaining the conjugation of the English verb; nor was it very safe to take for granted, in a grammar designed for youth, that the reade" was already fully informed on that subject. There are some other points on which we are not quite of Mr. Salmon's opiren. In treating of the caces of nouns, he declares war against |