Coromandel and Orixa. The terms were arranged between general Saunders, and M. Godeheu, but had not yet received a final fanction in England and France, when war was declared between those countries, in confequence of difputes relative to America*. Dupleix was now removed, and replaced by the unfortunate Lally; the flames of war again raged in India, and the English, after fuftaining many reverfes, finally fucceeded in reducing every place poffeffed by the enemy, whofe power, after the capture and deftruc tion of Pondicherry, feemed to be irretrievably loft. "Such was the fituation of Great Britain and France, with refpeft to thei Indian territories, when the treaty for peace was commenced in 1762. The importance of the acquifitions made by the Englif Eaft India Company were fully appreciated by the minifter, and he was properly tenacious of their interefts. At an early period of the negotiation, he applied to the court of directors for inftructions in fettling the affairs of Indiat. Before the court gave the required determination, the duke of Bedford figned the preliminaries; and an article contained in them relative to the Carnatic, appearing to lord Bute fubverfive of the benefits to be expected from the fucceffes of the British arms; he immediately informed the duke it was inadmiffible. "Worn out," he faid, " as we are, and loaded with debt, we must however continue the war, if that article is not altered.". This refolute remonstrance had the defired effect; the treaty was revised, and rendered agreeable to the Eaft India companys. "Yet lord Clive animadverted on this part of the treaty with fome difapprobation. He admits that it is calculated to fecure to the com pany the benefits they had a right to expect from their general's foccefs, and that upon the whole it is highly advantageous; but he expofes fome geographical and topographical errors, and condemns the manner in which Salabat Jing and Mahomed Ally are acknowledged, as pregnant with future hoftilities||." P. 245. On the other hand, an occasional pause, to reflect briefly on what has been actually a part of the history, is an artifice of distinƐt narration which this author has not neglected. We fhall inftance this in a paffage pleafing to us on many accounts, "At the diffolution of the firft parliament called by George III. the afpect of affairs prefented no confolatory views to his mind. The king, from the beginning of his reign, had manifeftly fought the ad. vantage and honour of his people; yet fuch were the effects of a con ftant and acrimonious oppofition, that not only the prudence of his measures, but the purity of his intentions, was doubted. At his acceffion he found a large portion of his fubjects, confpicuous both for property and talent, excluded from all share in the government, and-by Raynal's Hiftory of the Eaft and Weft Indies, vol. ii. b. 4. A Gallicifm. To be replaced by, means in English, to be reftored to his former place, by the perfon mentioned. In French it means, as here, to be fucceeded by. 14 Smollet's complete History of England, vol, xvi. p. zog. Lord Clive's Letter, &c. p. 9. an affected ftigma rendered incapable of enjoying confidence, or ren dering fervice to the crown. He relieved them from this profcription, and fought, by abolishing party and national diftinctions, to reign, indeed, king and protector of all his people. This meafure, fo wife, and just in inself, was productive of endi fs feuds and jealoufies. Every infroduction of a new fervant or family, occafioned diffatisfaction and difgutt: the difappointed formed new parties, avowed new principles, and fought by every device to diftr fs and impede the operations of government Thus fo many fucceffive miniftries, who afforged the direction of public affairs, were all feeble and inefficient, while no fingle oppofition was in itfelt frong or refpectable, Every, leader of a party commanded his fhare of influence, which, joined to the influence refulting from ministerial fituation, was fufficient to procure aunajority. But the parliament itself, delivered to fo many op pofite leaders, making laws in one feffion, repealing them in the next; affirming a principle at one period, and retracting it at another; loft much of the refpect and confidence which ought to flow from the people to their reprefentatives... The king's benevolence was confpicuous in every act which he performed or fanctioned. He found the country at war: it was the firft with of his heart to restore the bleffings of peace. In pursuit of this object, he made no facrifice of the national honour, but raised the glories of the country by a campaign of matchlefs vigour and fuccefs. From this circumftance refulted much of the obloquy thrown on the peace: the profperous progrefs of the British arms infpired exaggerated hopes, and many who affected to deplore the mileries of war, decried the peace because it was not founded on principles which would have furnished an unanswerable motive for future aggreffion. Against the private life of the king, calumny itfelf could not dif cover an objection. Vice of every kind was not only unpractifed, but difcountenanced at court; and it was not poffible to furvey without an accumulated fenfe of refpect and admiration, the first perfonage in the realm, the most confpicuous in the performance of every focial law, and the most happy in the interefting centre of a domestic circle. -The king was a patron, and liberal encourager of the polite arts, and anxious to give them a permanent establishment in Great Britain. At an early period of the reign, lord Bute afferted, from his own knowledge, that rewards would never be wanting, provided proper fubjects occurred, worthy of the royal protection; and the inftitution of the royal academy dilplayed at once the king's judgment, fpirit, and patriotifm. Notwithstanding, however, his blamelefs life, and conftant exer tions to deferve the affection of his fubjects, the king was not happy. The unceafing efforts of oppofition in every part of his dominions, and the fuccefs which attended thofe infidious and baleful endeavours, deprived him of a great portion of tranquillity. His firmness, fortu nately, prevented him from relinquishing a mode of conduct which his judgment led him to adopt; but although he was enabled to break the firm eftablished phalanx, which, while it fupported, obfcured the Z z throne, BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXI. JUNE, 1803. EUDORATAO HITI throne, the ftruggle was attended with many painful circumftances. to We fhall here paafe for the prefenol to muitasyxs phal ses prefent, leaving on the mind of the reader an impreffion which, at this moment, every Briton ought to cherish. by bus in t ART, 18. The Triumphs of Poefy vites i a Poem. By J. C. Hubbard, to zapoznas, and PP. 28. The plan of this Poem is perfectly fimple. It is a kind of regular Ode, in ftanzas of fix lines, celebrating a few of the principal poets of Greece, Rome, and England. The introductory part fpeaks of the clofe of the war, the prowefs of our countrymen, the revival of the arts; and then paffes to the praife of poetry, its rife and glories The account of each poet is defcriptive of his ftyle and fubjects. Let us take the celebration of Pindar. "The adventurous Theban, from the Aonian fpring to The impaffion'd bard! to whofe rapt Mufe belong He paints the Grecian bofom's throb for war W The hero's glorious toils, the immortalprize, vas H lib That fwells his glowing heart and lifts him to the kies." P. &. The plan of the Poem is defective, in not mentioning the writers of any country, except the three above fpecified. The infpired poetry of the Hebrew Prophets might at leaft have fupplied one fublimeftanza, had it been only to they were above being Claffed with common peets. The language is not devoid of fpirit and energy, yet there is fomething wanting to attract and granty the reader. What is that yemlib balas alot on fomething? BRITISH CATALOGUE. Poetry Tomething? Perhaps it is a more artificial ftructure of the whole defign, a lefs expanfion of fome fubjects, and a greater variety of exampletim si no par مارا MI. Hubbard has long been the declared author of a poem, which, for its poetical fpirit and good principles, we praifed two years ago, (vol. xviii. p 385;) and, by comparing the two productions, we are led to decide, that he has more fkill, perhaps has had more practice, in the heroic couplet than in the Lyric ftrain. We rejoice that, fince his first appearance as an author, his merit has been noticed by a difcerning patron, to whom he dedicates his prefent Poem. ART. 19. The Lyrics of Horace; comprising his Odes, Epodes, and a Among the various attempts to exhibit the beauties of Horace to the English reader, this verfion of his Lyric Poetry is intended to produce it in a form as fimilar as poffible to the original. Its object, the author fays, "is to give anflation of the Odes of Horace, as may preclude the neceffity of notes; putting the Latin, and the English reader, as it were, upon the fame footing; and leaving them, on the fuppofition that they are equally inftructed, to form their own comments." This is not clearly expreffed; but by the work itfelf it appears, that the tranflator endeavours to give an exact reprefentation of his author, leaving his meaning to be difcovered by the fame means which are required to illuftrate the original. The plan perhaps could not be much better executed than by this evidently claffical writer; but the plan is furely a bad one. The refult of it is to produce an English book as difficult to be underfood, or nearly fo, as a Latin one, which will confequently never be much fought by English readers. Whether it may not, as the author fuggefts, be ufeful in fchools, is a different confideration. So much effort can hardly be required to affift fchool-boys. The following fpecimen will thow how difficult it is to read a tranflation formed on this plan. It is from Ode 3, Book 1. web ads go gobluxe asof bnA « The prudent God in vain some fevers from the unconnecting main, A If impioufly our way ! Nor from the guilt forbidden can withhold Since Japetus' brave fon 15100 gary T Heav'n's fire with impious fraud for mortals won; ellow 160 qasi od Whence from its high domes torn, Wafting difeafe, and fevers new were born to al Ammos de With wings unfit for man the vaulted kyntel adT Out Our folly e'en would rife To fcale the proud abodes of Deities; Let Jove his wrathful thunders lay aside." The tranflator has not been contented with this degree of imitation. Of each Lyric metre employed by Horace, he has alfo given a kind of fpecimen in English blank verfe, as near as poffible to the measure of the original. We should bave thought that the very indifferent fuccefs of lo great a poet as Milton, in this attempt, would rather have difcouraged than invited any other adventurer. But it is not fo; and the "Who new enjoys thee credulous, all gold,' is now rivalled by fuch ftrains as these : By all the Gods, pray tell, Why Sybaris with love you to his ruin hafte! The Sunny Field, to duft and heat habituated? Why foldier-like not ride Among his compeers, or the mouths of Gallic feeds Breaks in with bitted reins ?”** The misfortune of all fuch endeavours is, that the ingenuity employ→ ed in them is lamentably wafed: more effort is required than is neceffary for giving a tranflation which shall have the fpirit of an original, and after all, it is a picture traced with a ftick, all freedom and beauty is gone, and it can neither be contemplated with pleasure, nor comprehended with cafe. We regret that fo much ability fhould be exercifed on an attempt fo hopeless. The Latin original is not fubjoined, as the title fays, but placed on the oppofite page. The book is elegantly printed. The tranflator's name does not appear. ART. 20. Beneficence; ar, Verses addreffed to the Patrons of the Society for bettering the Condition and increasing the Comforts of the Poor. By Thomas Alfton Warren, B. D. Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and Curate of Flamfted and Kenworth, Hertfordshire. 4to. 2s. 6d. Rivingtons. 1803.. We commend, moft unrefervedly, the kind and benevolent feelings of this writer; but we cannot, in juftice, pay any particular tribute of praife to his poetical fpirit or tafe. Yet we fear he will hardly thank us, for what is neverthelefs of far the greatest value. ART. 21. of The Sacred Meditations of John Gerhard. Tranflated into Blank Verfe, by W. Papillon, Clk. M. A. of Univerfity College, Oxford. 8vo. 248 248 pp. Egerton and Scatcherd. 1801 * We grieve whenever our commendation is refused to the execution any well-intended and pious work; but so it must be in the prefent cafe. The tranflator's Preface" gave us a hope of fomething |