refift this occafion to fay, that they are as ftrongly defcriptive of the amiableness of his own. -"Yes; they whom candor and true tafte infpire, "But mark the beauties with a raptur'd eye." The CONJECTURAL reader brings up the rear ;-in fpeaking of whom I defire to be understood as confining my remarks folely to conjectural criticifm.-He is, or fhould be, a man of parts, who exercifes his ingenuity on deceafed writers, by clearing up paffages he fuppofes they left obfcure, and interpreting them by his own conceptions-difcovering beauties where the author perhaps intended none, and tracing out meanings he might never have in view. RODOLPHUS GANDER GUYTCHE, the famous profeffor at the univerfity of HALL, in his preface to the three fupplemental volumes of his commentaries, printed in folio at LEIPSIC, mentions that it was his conftant custom, while engaged in that elaborate work, to ruminate on his fubject in his great chair, till he infenfibly fell asleep: "During which time, fays he, I always found that my thoughts digefled themselves into matter and method, and on awaking, I was able the more fuccefsfully to profecute my labours." with the example of this valuable critic may not have too much influenced fucceeding commentators; fome of whom adopting the profeffor's napping chair, without poffeffing his art of rifing from it with a clear head, have not always fufficiently feparated their dream from their fubject.' Several ftrokes, in the preceding extract, approach, very clofely, to Sterne's best manner; and fo does the following fentiment, on croffing Boughton Hill, near Canterbury: There are certain happy moments in one's existence when the blood flows neither too quick, nor too flow; when every nerve and artery is faithful to its function, and the whole frame is fo nicely harmonized, that every agreeable object which just then ftrikes on any of the organs of fenfe, awakens the foul to pleasure. I was at this inftant in one of thofe delicious moods.-The fun was declining in its gayet colours-the air was pure and ferene, and Nature feemed perfectly at peace ;-on my right hand, corn fields, hop grounds, and wide extended inclotures of varied forms, wore the face of plenty and fecurity; -on my left, the Hile of SHEPEY, and the rich vale of FEVERSHAM. contrated the landicape; and the opening of the channel, which was covered as far as the fight could ftretch with innumerable fails, carrying on an intercourse with the dittant parts of the world, completed a fcene which my eyes were unwilling to quit. -And here, fays I, pinching the lady's hand as he leant on my arm (for I told you I was in excellent fpirits) Margate, with all its delightful furrounding fcenery of land and fea, could not fail of furnithing much employment for the active mind of this very reflecting traveller; among other ftriking thoughts, the following, on Time-killing, may be selected as a farther fpecimen : • Killing Killing of time, my dear lady, is a ferious bufinefs-Every body talks of it as a thing easily effected; but if you will credit what I tell you, all the labours of HERCULES were a flea-bite to it; -for time is not to be destroyed. It is juft fuch a thing as the Polypes, or (for I hate a fimile that does not lie at my elbow) juft like one of the Sea Anemonies that are found on the rocks of MARGATE, which you may cut long ways, or cross ways, or end ways, or edge ways, or any ways you pleafe, ftill every part you feparate becomes an entire whole, and the parent animal equally perfect as before-Thus when you have flipt off from time, days, and weeks, and months, and years, new days, and weeks, and months, and years fhoot immediately into their places, and this inftantaneous fucceffion must be eternal. If my fimile is good for any thing, time, with respect to yourself, is immortal, and therefore never to be killed. Now when one is haraffed by an adverfary too powerful to be overcome, it is a wife maxim to win him to our intereft.-Befides, the tenderness of your own heart, Madam, would never excite in you a wish to deftroy any thing-you do not want to kill time, you only wish to prevent him from plaguing you, and there are a thoufand ways by which you may make him your friend-It is not with minds occupied in the avocations of domeftic life, or exercised in the duties of profeffions and bufinefs, that time opens hoftilities ;he attacks only the idle, and the diffipated, and fuch whom affluence and luxury have enervated.-We are all naturally formed for action; and if thofe who are placed by fortune beyond the toils, the wants, and the anxieties, which the generality of mankind are doomed to feel, would cultivate the many noble purfuits and ftudies which lie open to them, they might ever have entertainments of their own to revert to in all their leisure hours; nor be compelled to drive about the world with languid countenances, and live on the miserable charity of public amusements. Thofe who have various refources in themfelves, feel that independency of mind which all must covet, nor are ever confcious of the oppreffions of time; they meet its approach with joy, and only blame the rapidity with which he feems to fteal away from them.— Such as have the most of thefe, will ever be found the happiest;cheerfulness is the natural refult of exertion, and man the only being we know of in creation to whom time appears often burthenfome. For how many centuries did the fucceffors of Saint PETER make all the potentates of EUROPE ride behind them!-and trotted them up hill, and down hill, over rough and fmooth, just as they pleased to lead the way;-for their holineffes always beitriding a mule, partook a good deal of the humour of the beast that carried them.— Our Eighth HARRY was one of the firit who openly quarrelled with the pillion, and refolved to ride fingle, and independent; the advantages of which ENGLAND hath been fenible of ever fince. While we are able, like the POPE, to ride foremost, and keep time on the crupper, which is the cafe of the active, the ingenious, and the happy, we may with more infallibility than the fee of Rome ever poffeffed, affert, that we have time at our command; and every thing we meet with attracts and delights.-But if we live at the 6 mercy mercy of time by being behind, we are dragged on at whatever pace he pleases to move, -the reins are out of our hands, and the whole journey of life grows tedious, and irksome. This is merely a hint en paffant, and my readers remain at full liberty to ride whichever way they like beft. The following addrefs to the Sea is, perhaps, more peculiarly in the Author's own manner : Hail! thou inexhaustible fource of wonder and contemplation! Hail! thou multitudinous ocean! whofe waves chafe one another down like the generations of men, and after a momentary space are emerged for ever in oblivion!-Thy fluctuating waters wash the varied fhores of the world, and while they disjoin nations, whom a nearer connection would involve in eternal war, they circulate their arts, and their labours, and give health and plenty to mankind. How glorious! how awful are the fcenes thou displayeft!Whether we view thee when every wind is hushed,-when the morn ing fun, as now, filvers the level line of the horizon, or when its evening track is marked with flaming gold, and thy unrippled bofom reflects the radiance of the overarching Heavens!-Or whether we behold thee in thy terrors!-when the black tempeft sweeps thy fwelling billows, and the boiling furge mixes with the clouds,-when death rides the ftorm,-and humanity drops a fruitless tear for the toiling mariner whofe heart is finking with difmay! And yet, mighty deep! 'tis thy furface alone we view-Who can penetrate the fecrets of thy wide domain ?-What eye can visit thy immenfe rocks and caverns, that teem with life and vegetation? -Or fearch out the myriads of objects, whose beauties lie scattered over thy dread abimes ?— The mind ftaggers with the immenfity of her own conceptions, -and when the contemplates the flux and reflux of thy tides, which from the beginning of the world were never known to err, how does fhe fhrink at the idea of that DIVINE POWER, which originally laid thy foundations fo fure, and whofe omnipotent voice hath fixed the limits where thy proud waves shall be stayed.” There is great propriety in the Author's remark on a fashionable mode of dancing, lately borrowed from our capering neighbours across the water: I must own I am rather forry to obferve, that the COTILLON begins to be introduced into our balls.-How far more experience in thofe dances may improve us in them, I know not; but I have fcarcely as yet, feen the figure gone through without interruption.Besides, we feem to want that feftivity, and that enjouément, which hath made me view them with fo much pleasure in FRANCE.-Whoever has attended to them, even in the Bois DE BOULOGNE au SAINT ESPRIT, or at any of the guinguettes about PARIS, muft have remarked, that the foul dances with the body, and every feature of the face tells you it does. Another objection to their coming into public use here, is, that they occupy a very large fpace in a room, and employ but very few ; fo that in a crowded affembly, the far greater number must be merely fpectators, and the few who dance, become extremely diftinguished; 12 whilft -whilft the whimsical fteps, and high capers, which are practifed in our ENGLISH COTILLON, furnish more of a spectacle, than many ladies may choofe to contribute to. -Our own coOUNTRY DANCES have the peculiar advantage of admitting a very large number to join in them.-I have feen them practifed and admired, in most parts of EUROPE; and they are in my idea, infinitely better calculated to difplay that elegant ease of motion, which has been fo properly termed fwimming in the dance; and which would inevitably be loft, fhould we apply to them the theatrical fteps, which the profeffors of the COTILLON now teach. -As dancing is an act of hilarity, I think in general, that we appear to make too ferious a bufinefs of it.-The exercife gives an impulfe to circulation.-We may alfo allow fomething to the animation of mufic,-and far more to the animation of fentiment, naturally excited by being engaged in fo pleafing a familiarity, with the fex we most wish to appear favourably to ;-and yet, in almost every ballroom, how many couple do we fee journeying down a dance, with fuch fericus countenances, as if they were rather toiling through a penance impofed them, than engaged in a voluntary amufement!It is certainly being undefirably philofophical, to feel pleafure, without expreffing it. -Nothing is more calculated than the MINUET, to fhew an elegant figure to advantage;-it is the art of moving with grace and eafe, but to dance in that degree of tafte, as to command admiration, requires early inftruction, good judgment, and a nice ear, fuperadded to many perfonal endowments.-As greatly to excel therefore, in this accomplishment, can happen but to few, a moderate knowledge of it may be difpenfed with, and attended to;but it were far better declined by the many, who attempt it, without any of the requifites. -Acts, which are the efforts of grace, ought to be gracefully performed! And as there is fome path, or other, in which every one may walk with propriety and fuccefs, it is a fad mistake, when we place ourselves, unneceffarily, in fuch confpicuous fituations, as we are totally unfuited to appear in.—' A pathetic, beautiful, and pious ejaculation to Health, shall conclude our extracts from these agreeable Sketches: -How fweet is thy return, O HEALTH! thou rofy cherub!my foul leaps forward to meet thee, whofe true value thy abfence can only teach us!-When thou comelt, with healing on thy wings; when every part, and nerve, and artery, are obedient to their office; and when this complicated machine is fo perfectly harmonized, that we perceive not that we have any part, or nerve, or artery,, belonging to us, how fweetly is the mind then attuned to receive pleasure from every inlet of fenfe! -GoD of my life! who numbereft my days, teach me to meet with gratitude, or patience, the good, or ill, which the tide of time fhall float down with them!-but never withdraw from me thofe native fpirits, which have been the cheering companions of my exilence, and have fpread a gilding upon every thing around me!that I may continue to view, with rapture, the inexhaustible volu me of NATURE that is thrown open before me; on every page of which is charactered the impreffion of thy OMNIPOTENT HAND!' Thefe Sketches from Nature are enlivened with a variety of entertaining anecdotes, real or feigned, together with fome epifodical stories, well told, and naturally introduced. * We will now, for the prefent, take our leave of an Author, whofe various writings we have perufed with pleasure; and which, with grateful acknowledgement for the entertainment they have afforded us, at various times, fince the commencement of our Review, are, to the best of our recollection, enumerated in the note. 1. Alps, a poem. 2. Netley Abbey, a poem. 3. Monument in Arcadia, a dramatic Paftoral. 5. Lady Gray to Lord Dudley, a poem. 6. Ferney, an Epiftle to Voltaire. 7. Account of Geneva. 8. Poem to the Memory of Mrs. Cibber. 9. Sketches from Nature, in a Journey to Margate. ART. VII. The Seafons. By James Thomson. A new Edition. Adorned with a fet of Engravings from original Designs. To which is prefixed an Effay on the Plan and Character of the Poem. By J. Aikin. 8vo. 4 s. boards. Murray. 1778. IN N the well-witten Effay, which Mr. Aikin has prefixed to this edition of the Seafons, may be difcovered the fame principles of juft and elegant tafte, which are diftinguishable in the other critical works of this ingenious writer. He fets out with remarking, that originals are always rare productions: The performances of artists in general, even of thofe who ftand high in their refpective claffes, are only imitations; which have more or lefs merit, in proportion to the degree of kill and judgment with which they copy originals more or less excellent. A good original, therefore, forms an æra in the art itself; and the history of every art divides itself into periods comprehending the intervals between the appearance of different approved originals. Sometimes, indeed, various models of a very different caft may exercife the talents of imitators during a fingle period; and this will more frequently be the cafe, as arts become more generally known and ftudied: difference of tafte being always the refult of liberal and varied pusfuit. How strongly thefe periods are marked in the history of Poetry, both ancient and modern, a curfory view will fuffice to fhew. The fcarcity of originals here is univerfally acknowledged and lamented, and the prefent race of poets are thought particularly chargeable with this defect. It ought, however, to be allowed in their favour, I 3 that |