Twenty days before the thrushes are taken, they re more bountifully fed, and that is done gradually, and they are tow rds the last fed with finer meal.

"There are to be fome additional conveniences to this building. Oppofite to this aviary there is one of inferior fize, in which the keeper is ufed to preferve the birds, when they are dead, that he may give an account of the number of them to his mafter. When the birds are fit to be taken out of the aviary, they are confined in the smaller aviary, which is adjoining, with a larger door, with more light; and they call This the Store-room. When the keeper has fecluded the number he wishes to take, he kills them: he does this privately, that the other birds, if they fee it, may not defpond, and die at a time unfeasonable to the feller.

"Thrushes do not breed as the ftork does in the field, and the fwallow under cover; and although they are called by a name, which is of the masculine gender, it does not follow but that there are female birds among them: and this method of reafoning holds in relation to black. birds, which come under a name of the feminine gender. Besides, fome birds are adventitious, as (wallows and cranes; fome are vernacular, as the common poultry and pigeons. Of the adventitious kind, are thrushes, and they fly to Italy over the fea every year, about the autumnal equinox; and they fly back about the vernal equinox, and turtle doves and quails at another feafon, in immenfe number. That it is fo is evident in the neighbouring iflands of Pontia, Palmaria, and Pandataria; for when they come there in their first flight, they stay there a few days to reft themselves; and they do this, when they return from Italy over the fea." P. 207.

It appears from this fpecimen, and from other pages which we have examined, that Mr. Owen has accurately ftudied, and properly translated, the original. Some words, however, fif our copy be correct) are rendered negligently; as at p. 78,

he mentioned the number of culei;" the Latin is, "tantum numerum culleorum," fo large a number:-p. 91, "Serpyllum may be tranfplanted, &c." the words "quod dictum ab so quod ferpit," are not rendered, but are thrust into a note :p. 96," robufta aliqua materia," is tranflated, "a piece of oak:"-p. 176, "In fuillo pecore tamen funt quæ fe vindicent;"" fome of the fwinifh breed can vindicate themfelves: -p. 147, Why fhould the original not be tranflated, "capras non ut reliqua animalia naribus, fed auribus fpiritum ducere:"-and again, p. 233, "Perdices, propagate in a miraculous manner,' "" voce maris audita, concipiunt." "Thele

words might as well have been rendered in the text as in the note. This indeed is one of Varro's marvellous tales. We believe fuch a prodigy has never been related concerning English Partridges.

Tt

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXI. JUNE, 1803.

These.

Thele little oversights are perfectly excuseable in a tranfiation, which must have demanded a very extraordinary degree of attention, on account of the numberless words and phrafes which do not occur in claffical writers on any other fubject. Readers the most converfant in Latin would find it difficult to read "Varro de re ruftica," without the aid of such a work as this. To them, therefore, we ftrongly recommend Mr. Owen's tranflation, as well as to readers lefs literate, on account of many very curious, and fome ufeful pieces of infor mation, which may here be met with.

ART. VI. Religious Principle the Source of National Profperity: a Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Richmond, in Surrey, on Tuesday the First of June, 1802, being the Day appointed by Proclamation for a General Thank)giving. To which are fubjoined (in the Form of Notes) Effays on various Subjects connected with the Occafion. By the Rev. Edward Pattefon, M. A. formerly of Trinity College, Oxford. 8vo. 183. pp. 45. Faulder. 1802.

THE

HE difcourfe here printed, though valuable in itself, is rendered more important by the Notes or Eflays fubjoined. The Sermon, which is of confiderable length, treats chiefly on two topics, the Scarcity, not long paft when it was written, and the benefits of Peace; but it touches also on the confpiracy of philofophers against Religion, as one principal caufe of the French Revolution. Of the Sermon, which is in general well-written, the following paffage appears to us the most original, and contains undoubtedly fome Ariking obfervations.

"Examples have not been wanting, either in ancient or modern times, to demonftrare, beyond controverfy, what features of character may reasonably be expected in any people, whom a long and obftinate contest with neighbouring powers, urged and fupported by the whole weight of their empire, has gradually.converted into a nation of wat riors. Where every individual has felt his own prime and infeparable interefts immediately at ftake; where either himself, or fame of his nearest and deareft connections, have fought and bled to defend thofe interefts; where the appeal to force has become familiar by habit, and the natural irritability of the irafcible paffions has been further inflamed by continued agitation; the peaceful citizen has been loft in the foldier, and every age and fex has been affected by the change.→ Hence, fiercenefs of demeanour, coarseness of address, rashness of decifion, contempt of laws, and a restless impatience under the moft needful and falutary reftraints, have been the prominent qualities of the

mot

most warlike nations; and have been found equally to prevail, whether their previous condition had been that of the rudest barbarism, or the most refined fenfuality.

"Yet let us guard against the hafty conclufion, that a protracted warfare is more fatal to the moral feelings of that particular class of inen, who are the ordinary and direct agents in military operations, than of thofe, who fit at home, and contemplate at a distance the havock that attends them.

"They alone, who have been actively engaged in fighting the battles of their country, can adequately conceive the fcenes which they have witneffed and univerfally do they depict them as fcenes far more adapted to infpire horror than delight! Poffibly the minds of fome men may be fo conflituted, that, under the influence of continued habit, they may behold with compofure the moft pitiable spectacles, and inflict without reluctance the most exquifite pains. But far be it from us to imagine, that, in the general course of things, the veteran in arms contracts any peculiar hardness of heart, or becomes more callous to the impreffions of humanity, than those, in whose ftead, or under whofe authority, he goes forth to combat. Many a transaction does the page of history record, in which the nobleft examples, not only of mercy and forbearance, but even of danger generoufly encountered to fave the lives of enemies, have foftened and palliated the rigours of war.

On the other hand; to us, whofe ears the fhout of battle has never reached, but in faint echoes and imperfect murmurs, it is but too easy to conceal from our imaginations that part of the picture which we dread to fee: and fo highly do we value our own ease and tranquillity, that, the more we are difpofed, by the native tenderness of an uncorrupted heart, to a painful fympathy with terror and distress, the more induftriously do we divert our thoughts to that view of the fubject, which is adapted to foothe and flatter our affections. Accordingly, the benefits which are propofed to counterpoife the evils of war; the arguments by which they are juftified; the circumstances on which the neceffity of them is founded; are eagerly caught up, and zealously improved: and thus it is, that, at length, we even learn to hear of bloodshed and maffacre with frigid indifference; and to regard the flaughter of thoufands as the regular price of political advantages.

"Naturally, indeed, and even laudably, are we ftudious to abfolve the community, of which ourfelves are a part, from that vaft load of guilt, which, by, the needlefs protraction of fo dire a peft, muft furely be incurred but never may our confidence in the motives, the justice, the neceffity, of any particular war, diminish our abhorrence of the thing ifelf, our anxiety to avoid it, or our zeal for its termination! What though the motives be indifputably pure, though the cause be juft, and the object important; though the neceffity be of that fort, which conftitutes the only real neceffity of war-that of felf-defence: yet fill a true chriftian, far from rejoicing that he has a juft caufe for engaging in battle, will feelingly deplore the exiftence of that caufe; will confider the neceffity as a cruel and afflicting neceffity of making a choice between intolerable evils; and will be eagerly upon the watch Tiz for

for the firit moment when fecurity may be attained, and enmity renounced." P. it.

"on

Of the Effays or notes fubjoined, the fubjects are given in. a Table of Contents prefixed. They are in general of an interefting nature, as on the Interference of the Clergy in Affairs of temporal Policy:"-" on the Exiftence and Defigns of a difaffected Party in Britain during the late War;" on the Queftion whether the Imputation of having retarded the Peace by inadmiffible Demands, is rather to be fixed upon the French or British Government," &c. Some of them are of a more general or hiftorical nature, as that "on the Inquifition and the Order of the Jefuits"-" on the progrefs of a Freethinker from Orthodoxy to Scepticifm." They are about 33 in number, marked in general by the letters of the alphabet, or the letters doubled. One note in particular is on a subject which feems unfortunately to be decided before the Sermon is a year old; namely, note (F)" on the Probability of the Permanence of Peace." Yet even here the fpeculations of the author are fufficiently found to efcape being difgraced, even by an event contrary to the general tenor of opinion expreffed in it. We will cite from this note a paffage which appears well worthy of notice, and difplays the writer not only as a political reafoner, but as a fcholar.

"In the conduct of the French government, the only circumstance, which could induce us to doubt of the continuation of peace, is the Spirit of aggrandizement, fo long manifeft in that government, and lately more than ever displayed. This is undoubtedly a juft fource of anxiety; for, fhould that spirit continue to animate the rulers of France; fhould her navy, in the courfe of a few years, be fo far re generated as to revive her hopes of rivalling us at fea; and fhould the war, on fuch motives, ever be renewed, it will indeed wear a most ferious afpect. We may then juftly fay, with the great adversary of the Grecian confederacy-Ποιέειν ή παθέειν προχέεται αγων. But we have fome ground for the hope, either that the ambition so manifest in the prefent government of that country may not always pervade its councils, or, at leaft, that the view of indulging it at the expence of Brixifh îndependence may be fhut out for ever.

一

The empire of our great rival is no longer a républic, except in name. In the very infancy of its exittence it has received that form of defpotick (and, not improbably, hereditary), monarchy, which has been found more fuited to the decline of empires. This premature old age, this paralytick feizure of its nerves and finews, this precipitate defcent into the abyfs of fervility, may be no fallacious omen of an approaching diffolution. It is alfo worthy of notice, that the increafe of power in the French government has been equally fudden, extenfive, and unjaft. The ftride of her ufurpation is too far dilated to be fafe; and we have reafon to thank Providence that it is fo. Abi μου ΘΕΩΝ τις τὴν φιλυπραγμοσύνην ταύτην εμβαλείν Φιλίππων. The indi

vidual himfelf, who is at the head of this government, with an inconfiftency of character rather unexpected than unnatural, has appropriated to himfelf, by rapid advances, every part and portion of that favereigh power, which, according to the conflitution framed, fanctioned and organized, under his immediate direction, bould belong to the ftate: and not fatisfied with the substance, he has affumed even the Shadow, the pomp, the oftentation of defpotifm. A conduct fo ill adapted to excite any other feelings than those of odium and disgust, reminds a contemplative obferver of the celebrated adage- Quos Deus vult perdere, prius dementat." It is not in nature that authority like this, which, abroad and at home, in principle and practice, refts on one and the fame bafis of injuftice and fraud, fhould profper or endure: γάρ ἐστιν, ἐκ ἔστιν, ἀδικοῦντα, καὶ ἐπιορκοῦντα, καὶ ψευδόμενον δυνάμεν βεβαίαν κτήσασθαι.

"In the mean time let us remember that the moff in erefting changes, even in the fortunes of private individuals, much more, in those of nations, are found frequently to turn upon events, which human fagacity had regarded as impoffible. Whether or not the prefent government of France does actually look forward to the period of the renovation of her fleets, as the utmoft limit of the peace; what length of time it may require to reftore a navy fo nearly annihilated; and whe ther or not the occurrences of that interval may give a new turn to the affairs of Europe, it is not for man to pronounce or conjecture. Εστι μέγας εν οὐρανῷ

Ζευς, ὃς ἐφορᾷ πάντα, καὶ κρατύνει.

"There is a power on high, whofe fovereign influence politicians of all men ought to keep in view, and who can difpenfe, at his pleas fure, the fcourge of war, or the balm of peace. He it is, who, if we endeavour to merit his protection, will molt affuredly afford it in either alternative; and, if it accords not with the councils of his wisdom, to grant us a lafting peace without fame further conflicts, his arm will conduct us through the perils of war.". P. 72.

The note (V) on the Jefuits, brings to view a molt remarkable character of that body, and prediction of its fate, taken from a Sermon of Dr. George Brown, Archbishop of Dublin, which was preached in 1551, when the order had exifted only eleven years. It has been noticed alfo by Mofheim; but well deferves to be made more generally known, as a remarkable proof of fagacity or perhaps application of fome fcriptural prophecy. is well remarked by Mr. Pattefon, that the "fagacity even of Dr. Brown must have been guided by fome ftrong indications, to foretell fo minutely the defigns, conduct, and fuccefs of a fociety, at that time in its infancy"; and he very juftly attri butes thefe defigns, not to Loyola, who was confeffedly unequal to the tafk, but to fome of the moft able politicians in the Confiftory of Rome. The notes in general exhibit the refult of much well-directed reading, employed by a found and well-regulated understanding.

ART.