It is a patriotic historical play, and never fails to crowd the theatre towards Christmas, when it is usually performed five or six times successively. One of the acts concludes with a scene of a convent; the sound of warlike instruments is heard; the abbey is stormed; the nuns and fathers are slaughtered; with the aid of blunderbuss and thunder,' every Dutchman appears sensible of the pathos of the poet. But it does not here conclude. After this terrible slaughter, the conquerors and the vanquished, remain for ten minutes on the stage, motionless in the attitudes in which they happened to fall! not a word is spoken; and this pantomimic pathos is received with loud bursts of applause from the audience.

The other was the Ahasuerus of Schubart, or the Fall of Haman. In the triumphal entry Mordecai came forward on a genuine Flanders mare, that was as heavy, and fortunately as stupid as Mordecai himself.

Some few specimens of the best Dutch poetry we have had cannot be accepted as an evidence in favour of the national poetical taste. When a nation has produced no works above mediocrity, with them a certain mediocrity is excellence, and their master-pieces, with a people who have made a greater progress in refinement, are hardly excusable as the works of a mere pupil.

THE PRODUCTIONS OF THE MIND NOT SEIZABLE BY CREDITORS.

WHEN Crebillon, the French tragic poet, published his Catilina, it was attended with an honour to literature, which though it is probably forgotten (for it was only registered, I think, as the news of the day) it becomes a collector zealous in the cause of literature to preserve. I shall give the circumstance, the petition and the decree.

At the time Catilina was given to the public, the creditors of the poet had the cruelty to attach the produce of this piece, as well at the bookseller's, who had printed the tragedy, as at the theatre where it was performed. The poet, much irritated at these proceedings, addressed a petition to the King, in which he shewed that it was a thing yet unknown, that it should be allowed to class amongst seizable effects the productions of the human mind; that if such a practice was permitted, those who had consecrated their vigils to the studies of literature, and who have made the greatest efforts to render themselves, by this means, useful to their country, would see themselves in the cruel predicament of not daring to publish works, often precious and interesting to the state; that the greater part of those who devote themselves to literature, require for the necessaries of life those succours which they have a right to ex

pect from their labours; and that it never has been suffered in France to seize on the fees of lawyers, and other persons of liberal professions.

In answer to this petition a decree immediately issued from the King's council, commanding a replevy of the arrests and seizures, of which the petitioner complained. This honourable decree is dated 21st May, 1749, and bore the following title, Decree of the council of his Majesty, in favour of Mr. Crebillon, author of the tragedy of Catilina, which declares that the productions of the mind are not amongst seizable effects.'

Louis XV. is the first monarch (at least in France) who presents the noble example of bestowing a mark of consideration to the remains of a man of letters.

This King not only testified his esteem of Crebillon by having his works printed at the Louvre, but also by consecrating to his glory a tomb of marble.

CRITICS.

WRITERS Who have been unsuccessful in origi nal composition have their other productions immediately decried, whatever merit they might once have been allowed to possess. Yet this is very unjust; an author who has given a wrong direction to his literary powers may perceive at length where he can more securely point them. Experience is as excellent a mistress in the school

of literature, as in the school of human life. Blackmore's epics are insufferable; yet neither Addison nor Johnson erred when they considered his philosophical poem as a valuable composition. An indifferent poet may exert the art of criticism in a very high degree; and if he cannot himself produce an original work, he may yet be of great service in regulating the happier genius of an other. This observation I shall illustrate, by the characters of two French critics; the one is the Abbé D'Aubignac, and the other Chapelain.

Boileau opens his Art of Poetry by a common precept; he declares that It is in vain a daring author thinks of attaining to the height of Parnassus if he does not feel the secret influence of heaven, and that his natal star has not formed him to be a poet.' This observation he founded on the character of our Abbé; who had excellently written on the economy of dramatic composition, His Pratique du Theatre gained him an extensive reputation. When he produced a tragedy, the world expected a finished piece; it was acted, and reprobated. The author however did not acutely feel its bad reception; he every where boasted that he, of all the dramatists, had most scrupulously observed the rules of Aristotle. The Prince de Guemené, famous for his repartees, sarcastically observed, I do not quarrel with the Abbé D'Aubignac for having so closely followed the

precepts of Aristotle; but I cannot pardon the precepts of Aristotle that occasioned the Abbé D'Aubignac to write so wretched a tragedy.'

The Pratique du Theatre is not however to be despised, because the Tragedy of its author is despicable.

Perhaps the mere English reader will recollect the character of Chapelain; his unfortunate epic having rendered him so notorious. He had gained, and not undeservedly, great reputation for his critical powers. After a retention of above thirty years his Pucelle appeared. He immediately became the butt of every unfledged wit, and his former works were eternally condemned! Insomuch that when Camusat published, after the death of our author, a little volume of extracts from his manuscript letters, it is curious to observe the awkward situation in which he finds himself. In his preface he seems afraid that the very name of Chapelain will be sufficient to repel the reader.

It is there observed of him by Camusat, that, He found flatterers who assured him his Pucelle ranked above the Æneid; and this Chapelain but feebly denied. However this may be, it would be difficult to make the bad taste which reigns throughout this poem agree with that sound and exact criticism with which he decided on the works of others. So true is it, that genius is very superior