nobles saw nothing in the troubles of an interregnum but a favourable opportunity of advancing their private fortune, by disguising their ambitious designs under the appearance of zeal for the public welfare The foremost among those dangerous eitizens were the Czartorinski, already mentioned. To the numerous enemies who knew, or suspected their designs, they opposed a powerful interest, their high rank, their splendid talents, and the protection of the Czarina, who bad promised the throne to their nephew, Poniatouski. They indulged the hope of ruling the weak mind of that young man, and of reigning under his name; their ambition was flattered with the prospect of reestablishing order in the state, by diminishing the power of the nobility, and depriving the Poles of their most dange rous prerogatives, thereby increasing the power of the crown, and fixing it, per: haps, in their family. Never had the troubles which at all times preceded and attended the election of a king, burst forth with such inveterate hatred, and at no period had the factions possessed such powerful means. Poniatouski, relying on the favour of the Czarina, solicited from her fresh troops in order to inforce his pretensions. Violence presided at the elections of deputies, or nuntios, and when the members chosen in those tumultuous assemblies arrived at Warsaw, the scene passing in that capital, struck them with terror. All quarters of the town, all the streets, were filled by a multitude of armed men, totally unconnected by discipline, Turks, Tartars, Hungarians, Russians, Prussians, Poles, from every province. Two or three hundred different inilitary uniforms were to be seen. Warsaw appeared as a neutral town in the midst of several contending armies: however it still maintained all the external appearances of peace. Neither the circulation of interior trade nor the navigation of the river was interrupted; the shops were still opened, and goods, as usual, were displayed to public view. Boats laden with corn peaceably navigated the Vistula, and workmen were quietly erecting the bridge which was to communicate with the electoral camp. Almost all these men continued to call one another brethren, ac cording to the dialect of the Slavic language; but they were secretly preparing their arms for the contest, unmindful of that ancient and sacred custom, which forbade them to sharpen their sabres in their civil discussions. Each of the Russian ministers had a train of In We are forced by our limits, to omit the second part of this description, which paints in glowing colours, the moral state of Warsaw, at this momentous crisis. The views of the Czartorinski, and of Russia, were no longer doubtful. vain, did the undaunted Mokranouski protest against the opening of the diet; in vain did the bravest and most independent nuntios, take up arms, and leave Warsaw, in presence of the Russians, who dared not oppose their retreat. The remaining deputies, composed of the zealous friends, and of the timid adversaries, of the Czartorinski, proceeded to an election, which the presence of Russian troops on the Polish territory was itself sufficient to annul. Under such ominous circumstances, Count Poniatouski was unanimously pro claimed King ; Sept. 7th, 1764. But four thousand nobles only attended this mock election, instead of eighty thousand, usually present on those occasions; and, according to the Poles themselves, the ceremony of his coronation, was considered as a funeral pomp, in which they mourned over the loss of their laws, and constitution. Previous to the election of a king, the Czartorinski had carried their plans of reform into execution. By the changes they had introduced into the constitution, they had succeeded, in spite of the opposition of Russia, in lessening the power of the great officers of state, which left the King but an empty shadow of authority; and in rendering almost impossible the use of the liberum veto, which they had not been allowed to suppress entirely, Poland was on the point of being indebted to them for a constitution less democratic, contrary, it is true, to the wishes of the majority, and established by unjust means, but sufficiently strong to save the country from the rage of factions, and from a foreign yoke. Far different were the views of Catha rine; hardly was Poniatouski seated on the throne, ere she set about overturning the new regulations, by all the nefarious intrigues of modern diplomacy, assisted by the terror of her atins. She sought all the means of incessantly diminishing the strength of Poland, of creating fresh occasions of trouble, and of exhausting in civil wars that remaining strength which might have saved the country from her grasp. After eight years of unequal struggle, the Poles, still animated with the love of independence, but disunited, and opposing only a blind courage, to the discipline of their ferocious opponents; abandoned by all Europe, after the unsuccesful interference of the Turks, saw part of their wasted country pass under the dominion of Russia, Prussia, and Austria; and that unprincipled partition sufficiently announced, what they were to expect from those rapacious neighbours, who, accordingly, shared the remainder of the country among themselves, twenty years afterwards. Such is rapid view of the principal events which are unfolded in M. R's work, with many interesting particulars. The unparalleled situation of Poland, the contrast between the manners of the Russians and those of the Poles, atford a fair scope to the talents of this able writer. But, he seems to have indulged with peculiar complacency, in drawing the characters of the personages which figure in his work. The patriotic Poles, the misguid. ed Czartorinski, are represented in their true colours. Catharine herself, Sultan Mustapha, Maria Theresa, Munich, and several other historical characters, appear in a point of view far different from that under which they have been usually considered. As a specimen we shall give M. R's opinion of Peter 1. whom he mentions only occasionally. where even the word honour is unknown; triumphal arches, trophies, nonuments in wood; a consciousness of their inferiority, and the persuasion that they rival in every respect the glory of the most celebrated naresult of those astonishing works of Peter I tions: such is, after half a century, the because, he never thought of giving laws to his people, because he left them all their vices, and hastened to call in the arts, before he had reformed manners. I behold the scattered materials of a magnificent building, injured and blackened by time, before they have been used according to their intention, he cause an improvident architect prepared them on an unsuitable scale, and, in consequence of this error, the work, though scarcely raised above. its foundations, exhibits already a con fused scene of ruins......... What remained after that celebrated reign, was not a civilized empire, as the panegy rists of Peter incessantly repeat, but à ferocious people armed with all the arts of war. We conclude by observing, that M. R. has been by far too lavish of these sketches of character, the usual resource of mediocrity. No personage appears on the scene, though for a short time, without M. R's attempting, which he ought to have disdained, to draw his portrait, and these are so multiplied, that they often interrupt the narration very disadvantageously. M R. is liable to censure on another account (to which Tacitus also is liable,it is noble to err in such company). He attempts too much to dive into the deepest recesses of the heart; and to discover there the latent motives of action, of which the individual himself was frequently unconscious. In this he often shews much ingenuity, but he sometimes wanders in idle conjectures, or in subtle metaphysics. Even an inattentive reader may lose, in the mode, the thread of events. M. R. gives also too much weight to the reports of ambassadors, who mostly see nothing in affairs but the part they Most nations are perpctually in contradic-have acted, quorum pars magna fui, and tion with themselves, because their manners whose testimonies should be received have been altered by foreign influence, and, with caution. to the beholder, they present only an unconnected picture, but the actual jarring extremes in the manners of the Russian people, exceed the most extravagant conception. Primitive poverty and Asiatic luxury, Jewish superstitions and the most unbridled licentiousness, a stupid ignorance and the mania of fine arts, insociability in a court of gallantry, the pride of a conquering nation and the duplicity of slaves; acad ones among an unlearned people; orders of chivalry in a country Notwithstanding these blemishes, which ordinary writer, M. R.'s work appears to we should have passed unnoticed in an us highly commendable, and places him among the most able historians. We should add, that death overtook M. R. in the execution of this work. The two last books have been composed by the editor, after the author's manuscript notes; this task required a more skilful hand. Where they filled all their crops with the dainties before 'em, And the tables were clear'd with the utmost de corum. When they gaily had caroll'd till peep of the dawn, The Lark gently hinted, 'twas time to be gone; And his clarion, so shrill, gave the company warning, The Peacock" At Home:" a Sequel to the Butterfly's Ball. Written by a Lady, and illustrated with elegant Engravings. pp. 16. Price Is. Harris, London, 1807. THIS entertaining little work was caused by the success of Mr. Roscoe's "GrassButterfly's Ball," and the That Chanticleer scented the gales of the morning. hopper's Feast." It is said to be the pro-So they chirp'd in full chorus, a friendly adieu;duction of Mrs. Dorset, sister to the late And, with hearts quite as light as the plumage Mrs. Charlotte Smith: The following is the exordium, by which our readers will perceive the style of the authoress, and the consequent flutter of the winged tribe. The Butterfly's Ball, and the Grasshopper's Excited the spleen of the Birds and the Beasts; 1 And the Gnat blew his horn, as he danc'd in the beam. 'Twas humm'd by the Beetle, 'twas buzz'd by the Fly, And sung by the myriads that sport 'neath the The Quadrupeds listen'd with sullen displeasure, that grew On their merry-thought bosoms, away they all flew.... Then long live the PEACOCK, in splendour un match'd, Whose Ball shall be talk'd of, by birds yet un hatch'd: His praise let the Trumpeter loudly proclaim, Mirth and Metre: consisting of Poems, 66 MIRTH and Metre! well, we are friends with each, separately, why should. we not welcome them in company! Mirth has many agreeablenesses which Wisdom itself does not despise; and Metre is an old acquaintance, formed in the days of our youth, and has cheerfully beguiled our idle hours. We incline, therefore, to treat Mr. Dibdin favourably, since we acknowledge a predilection for those who introduce him. He considers his work but as a Volume of Trifles;" he does not suppose it to be exempt from errors, and his intention extends little further than to raise the smile of the Gay, without exciting the frown of the Grave." The work is light enough; the songs have a better effect in singing and acting than in reading; but those who love laughter, will not stay to examine too critically what has made them laugh; neither shall we. The gloomy months of winter, in our climate, require something cheerful by way of antidote, and what better can they have than Mirth and Metre ? The Agami, or Trumpeter, a native of Ame rica, remarkable for a singular noise, resembling the instrument from which it takes its name. As a specimen of Mr. Dibdin's Metre, | Secure from all Temptation's magic snares, Unconscious life is but a dream of death: Sprung from a God, with energy be mine TAX UPON INCOME. Ye quidnuncs so queer, who thro' politics trudge And mumble each crust of the minister's budget; How the great folks must come down with the "When the gem'man he goes round for the Tax upon Income." "Twould be droll if this tax tythe-in-kind should be collected, Then from lawyers, you know, justice couldn't be expected!' The proctors their payment in testaments they'd make it, The doctors pay in physic-but who the deuce would take it? I'll tell you who we'd give it to, 'twould save us all our clinkum, The gem'man, who, &c. Should the gem'man ask the barber's tythe he'd lather him, may hap, Sir; The cobler too, for tythe-in-kind, would give his worship strap, Sir; The baker'd give him short weight whene'er he chose to call, Sir, Except the baker was churchwarden, then he'd give him none at all, Sir, For we know no more what churchwardens do with the clinkum, Then the gem'man, who, &c. Our cits are worth so many plumbs, our nobles too including, Their contributions sure would make a nations plumb-pudding; Of which our foes to get a slice would try, ne'er doubt the question, But they find our British dumplings too hard for their digestion; And but for these, cook'd by our tars, we'd have but little clinkum, For the gem'man, &c. May the incomes of the rich ne'er be taxed by venality; But the incomes of the poor enlarg'd by their liberality; When the income of war shall our taxes increase, Sir, May the score be wip'd off by the income of peace, Sir; And till then may our tars make our foes find the clinkum, For the gem'man, &c, THE BRITON'S ALPHABET. A stands for Albion, the Queen of the Main; C the Corsican emp'ror, invasion who drums; E stands for the Ensign of Britain unfurl'd ; I stands for Invasion, which won't stand at all; it. A Grammar of the French Language; or a New Method of learning to speak and write French, &c. Intended for the Use of Schools, and Scholars of either Sex. By L'Abbé Grandmottet, Professor of the French Language and Belles Lettres in Caroline College, Brunswick. 8vo. pp. 255. pr. 7s. London, Didier and Tebbett, 1808. ANOTHER grammar! exclaims the author in his preface: such is the general out cry, whenever something new of this kind appears. Booksellers delight in no wares but their own: Authors, or rather their friends, pretend that the subject has been already unfolded, simplified and exhausted; that every thing has been said, and that too in the best and most proper manner; as to Teachers, they are daily more and more puzzled how to make a choice; and as to Parents, they see nothing in a new publication of this kind but an additional expense; and poor Children, lost in wonder, sigh for that method which is to exempt them entirely from the trouble of study. This, we think, is anticipating, pretty nearly, all the secret motives of those interested criticisms to which new publi cations are too often liable; as we are, however, utterly strangers to such private considerations, we shall candidly state that of all the numerous publications intended to facilitate to the youth of this country the study of the French language, this in our opinion seems to be the best calculated to attain that end, and in the most direct and most easy manner. To this we might add, that we have witnessed the success of this method on pupils Which our foes, to invade us, must climb, or knock of moderate capacity, and that the real down; Then X, Y, and Z, mean my song's at an end, As all Frenchmen will be who to land here pretend. EPITAPH ON A GOLD FISH. Its thoughtless moments quickly told, Here lies a Fish whose scales were gold; But the rich prize could not from death One moment stay its flecting breath! Reader, on Gold then ne'er depend, At best a weak and faithless friend! But seek that treasure which can save Beyond the all-devouring grave! VOL. III. [Lit. Pan. Feb. 1909 ] progress they made in a short time, was greatly superior to any thing of the kind we had witnessed before. While critics thus pass sentence on the merits or de merits of publications, readers usually expect to know the motives in which such judgments originate; but to explain these would lead us at large intó examinations and statements of the author's plan. We have however serious objections to grammatical discussions, because, although they may be useful, as we readily ac knowledge they are honourable, yet they seldom offer much interest; and we refer such as are inquisitive on the subject, to 2 K |