[1] See the Fifth Commandment.
[2] Pliny recommends ridicule as an admirable weapon against vice. It is
surely better here employed, than as Shaftesbury recommends it, for the
test of truth.
[3] _Tribuna_, a term applied to a building quite round, or such as
consists of many sides and angles, as the famous room within the great
Duke's gallery at Florence: sometimes it is applied for a building,
whose area or plan is semicircular, as the section of a cupola.
[4] The reason polite literature is more cultivated in Paris than
London, is on account of the university libraries, and academies of the
former.
[5] The Chinese are said to adapt an admirable piece of policy; the son
is always of the father's trade, which makes them admirable artisians.
May not this be the cause of the small progress the arts have made in
that part of the world, and of the dull uniformity and want of taste
that distinguishes all their works?
[6] The enormous taxes the Spaniards lay on manufactures are the ruin
of trade, which would otherwise flourish; and the people are reduced,
by that misconduct in their rulers, to purchase from their enemies
things they themselves could produce, if the artificers met with proper
encouragement.
[7] Mr Wilkes, in the motion to refer to the consideration of the
committee of supply the petition of the trustees of the _British
Museum_.
[8] Dr Richard Terrick.
[9] Dr Robert Lowth.
[10] We may quote from the Zendavesta, a wise and benevolent maxim,
which compensates for many an absurdity. He who sows the ground with
care and diligence, acquires a greater flock of religious merit than he
could gain by the repetition of ten thousand prayers.
_Zoraster's Institutes._
[11] See Voltaire's Hist. of the age of Lewis XIV.
[12] Vid. Vopiscus in Aureliano.
[13] Tacitus Annal. II. Flav. Vopiscus in vita Taciti Imperat.
[14] Ælius Lampridius in vita Heliogabali. Primus Romanorum holoserica
veste usus fertur, cum jam subserica in usu essent.
[15] Procop. de bello Goth. p. 345.
[16] See Duhalde's description of China.
[17] In opposition to this, noblemen and men of fortune bred at the
Dublin University, are excused from learning morality, as they can
graduate without any skill in that science; the professor making no
doubt, but that honesty necessarily springs up with nobility. The same
University refused Swift his degree of _Batchelor of Arts for dulness
and insufficiency_, but he at last obtained it _Speciali gratia_.
[18] This Lady Frances entertained no fears about: A French author
justly observes, _Jamais on ne prend les vices d'une condition au
dessous de la sienne: L'enfant du riche, par un sentiment d'orgueil,
hausse les épaules sur les defauts du pauvre._
[19] The Empress Catharine II, whose name will be immortal, gave a code
of laws to her empire, which contains a fifth part of the globe; and
the first of her laws was to establish universal toleration. In France
foreign protestants are admitted to all the rights of natives after
working for a certain time in the manufactory of the Gobelines. The same
policy has been adopted by the Spaniards.
[20] Ruben's pictures are _a toleration of all religions_. In one of the
compartments of the Luxemburgh gallery, a cardinal introduces Mercury
to Mary de Medicis, and Hymen supports her train at the sacrament of
marriage, before an altar, on which are the images of God the Father,
and Christ.
[21] As both are against nature, she in the end will get the better of
them. The modern philosophers of Sweden seem agreed that the waters
of the Baltic gradually sink in a regular proportion, which they have
ventured to estimate at half an inch every year.--Twenty centuries ago,
the flat country of Scandinavia must have been covered by the sea;
such is the notion given us by Mela, Pliny, and Tacitus, of the vast
countries round the Baltic. Adria, that ancient and famous city, which
gave its name to the Gulph is now but a pitiful half drowned village.
[22] See Gilbert's treatise on the Court of Exchequer, chap. 2.
well worthy the perusal of those who would be acquainted with the
foundation of our constitution: also Mr de Lolme's book on the English
Constitution, which has been mentioned in both houses of parliament, and
has been commented on, and quoted by, the most celebrated writers of
every party.
[23] See Bacon on government.
[24] I lately met with the following story, which affected me very
much, and which I give in the original; it elucidates, that a return
of affection seems absolutely necessary to the existence of the human
heart. 'Un homme respectable, après avoir joué un grand rôle à Paris,
y vivoit dans un reduit obscur, victime de l'infortune, et si indigent
qu'il ne subsistoit que des aumônes de la paroisse; on lui remettoit
par semaine la quantité du pain suffisante pour sa nourriture; il en
fit demander davantage; le curé lui écrit pour l'engager à passer chez
lui; il vient. Le curé s'informe s'il vit seul; et avec qui, Monsieur,
repond-il, voudriez-vous que je vécasse? je suis malheureux, vous le
voyez, puis que j'ai recours à charité, et tout le monde m'a abandonné,
tout le monde! Mais, Monsieur, continue le curé, si vous êtes seul,
pourquoi demandez vous plus de pain que ce qui vous est necessaire?
L'autre paroit déconcerté; il avoue avec peine qu'il a un chien: le curé
ne le laisse pas poursuivre; il lui fait observer qu'il n'est que le
distributeur du pain des pauvres, et que l'honneteté exige absolument
qu'il se defasse de son chien. Eh! Monsieur, s'ecrie en pleurant
l'infortune, si je m'en défais, qui est ce qui m'aimera? Le pasteur
attendri jusqu'aux larmes, tire sa bourse, et la lui donne, en disant,
Prenez, Monsieur ceci m'appartient.'
[25] Chap. of St. Mark. XVI Chap. of St. Luke. VII Chap. of the Romans.
[26] Which was upheld in Heathen Rome, about the time we keep our
Christmas.
[27] Miss Carter translated Epictetus
[28] Francis the First of France, who had heavily taxed his subjects,
when told the people made very free with his character in their songs,
answered, 'It would be very hard if they were not allowed _to sing for
their money_.'
[29] See Vol. I. Page 47.
[30] She expected to lay in every day.
[31] In the conciliatory Measures proposed concerning America.
[32] The difference in the degrees of danger between suffering a person
to take the small pox in the natural way, and communicating it by
innoculation, is upon the lowest computation estimated _thirty_ to _one_
in favor of innoculation.
[33] Mr Blacklock may, in reality, be regarded as a prodigy--He is a
man of a most amiable character, of singular ingenuity, and of very
extraordinary attainments.
[34] Both clergymen.
[35] In compliment to the Queen, who has too much good sense to approve
of what is ridiculous.
[36] Witness the purchase of a collection of antique and Etruscan vases,
by the public money--and their enacting a lottery for toys.
[37] Thus do many women sacrifice their healths, without considering
it is in vain to conquer nature. Man can subsist but for a determinate
space only asleep or awake--by continual watching the incessant motion
of the fibres would destroy their organic elasticity, and prevent their
future reparation; and by continual sleeping, though the fibres are not
fatigued, the nervous fluid would be gradually exhausted by the action
of the organs of life, and would never be repaired.
[38] All misdemeanors are punished, among the Danes, by servitude in
chains a longer or shorter time.
[39] Vol. I. Page 165.
[40] Admiral Byng; on which occasion the following verses were made,
which I now present to the reader.
We the court-martial now begin to sicken, And find at last that we
are conscience stricken. Sad suppliants in Byng's behalf we come, And
humbly crave you would defer his doom! Bound by our oath, we cannot yet
make clear What 'twas we meant, nor _never_ shall, we fear. We found
him guilty, and we found him not; We wish'd him sav'd, yet wish'd him
to be shot. But as at land, so did we find at sea: If we did one, the
other could not be. Save him, great chief--your royal mercy show! Shoot
him, dread chief--let royal justice flow! Relieve our consciences with
pitying eye, And grant that Byng may neither live nor die!
[41] See Vol. II. Page 52.
[42] Elysium, Minos, Mercury, Charon, Styx, &c. are here necessarily
introduced. If they should offend any pious or critical ears, I shall
defend myself (as has been done before) by the solemn declaration which
is always annexed by the Italian writers to works where they are obliged
to use such expressions: '_Se havessi nomenato Fato, Fortuna, Destino,
Elysio, Stigé, Etc. sono scarzi di penna poetica, non sentimenti di
anema catolico._' If I have annexed Fate, Fortune, Destiny, Elysium,
Styx, &c. they are only the sports of a poetical fancy, not the
sentiments of a Catholic mind.
[43] By Cicero.
[44] According to the Abbé de Bos's hypothesis.
[45] Those in the shades are supposed acquainted with the transactions
in the world.
[46] The pictures were, the Parnassus of Raphael--and the school of
Athens, which is a most glorious performance, and worthy the hand of a
divinity--The first is in the hall of Constantine at Rome, and contains
no less than twenty-eight figures--two of which in particular, the one
representing Justice, and the other Meekness, are incomparable--They
were the last things he executed before his death--They contain all that
is excellent in painting, whether we consider them in the beauty of the
composition, the noble gracefulness of the characters, the uncommon
greatness of the style of the draperies, or the wonderful force of
colouring, light, and shade.
[47] He was sent over as Ambassador extraordinary to France on
the King's restoration. He was received at that court with great
distinction; which seldom considers more than the external appearance.
His Grace possessed _all the graces_. Lewis XIV, then in the flower of
his age, said he was the only _English_ gentleman he had ever seen.
[48] Deities interfere when they please--unseen by mortals!
[49] I Corinthians chap. i. v. 26.
[50] A concert established there in 1776.
[51] Horace, lib. ii. ode 14.
[52] Alludes to a circumstance that passed in the house of commons.
[53] _The narrow-house_, the grave.
[54] _Col-amon_, a narrow river.
[55] _Moina_, a woman soft in temper.
[56] _Crimona_, a woman with a great soul.
[57] Ossian is sometimes poetically called Conna.
[58] _Canna_, a sort of down, like, but whiter and shorter than cotton;
it is very common on the hills of the highlands. They have attempted
to spin it, but it was either too short, or the fingers that made
the experiment too indelicate--Nothing can exceed the purity of its
whiteness.
[59] _Fuar-Bhean_, cold mountains.
[60] Livy has justly raised the praise of Scipio, who restored to her
lover the Celtiberian captive; which has been the favourite topic of
eloquence in every age and every country. The author cannot think it
merited such commendation, as to have acted otherwise would have been
mere brutality--but if granted so liberally to Scipio, it cannot be
refused to Ossian.
[61] Cathmor is represented in Ossian's poems, as lying down beside a
river to have the sound of his praises lost in that of a water-fall.
[62] The Highlanders are peculiarly intelligent in understanding the
virtue of plants in curing wounds--The regularity of their lives
precludes all diseases, such as are incident to old age excepted.
[63] Tonthormid was supposed wounded by Ossian.
[64] In the years 1759 and 1760, when we were at war with France, there
were but twenty-nine criminals who suffered at Tyburn. In the years
1770 and 1771, when we were at peace with all the world, the criminals
condemned amounted to one hundred and fifty-one.
[65] Who opposed a licensed theatre there last year.