sealed the fate of the Austrian power in Italy, and it placed Napoleon on the pinnacle of fame and of political influence. Melas has been much blamed for his signing the armistice of Alessandria after the loss of the battle, but Napoleon proves that that concession was imposed upon him by the necessity of the case.

The volume ends with the battle of Marengo, and is followed by an appendix of official papers relating to the events which have been previously described. We particularly call the attention of our readers to the note, (page 360) addressed by Napoleon to our late King, and of Lord Grenville's reply in the succeeding page. Impartiality will oblige future historians to lament that the government of his late Majesty took so erroneous a view of the then state of affairs, and that they did not stop the effusion of blood by listening to the First Consul's proposals of peace. The documents, establishing the constitution after the revolution of 18 of Brumaire, must be of great importance at an epoch like the present, when every nation is desirous of improving the form of its government. We have read the whole of this volume with great pleasure, and we flatter ourselves with great improvement, for it elucidates a period of history replete with events, which for many ages must have an influence on the affairs of mankind.

can wish to know of the island of Jamaica, and considering it only as a work of this nature, we have no hesitation in bestowing upon it our commendations, and in pronouncing it a work likely to supercede all others upon the same subject with which we are acquainted. There is no work, we believe, that, within the same compass, says so much of what is useful and agreeable upon the subject upon which it treats. But, in pronouncing this laudatory judgment, we must not be considered so indiscriminate in our praise as to neglect our duty of censuring the author for two very material faults in his performance. In the first place, the style is inaccurate, loose, and redundant to a degree, which shews either that the author never condescended to revise his manuscript, or that he is not gifted with the faculty of close thinking. Travelling from form to substance, we must observe, that, analogous to these faults of style, is the author's habit of formally stating the most obvious and puerile reflections, and of detailing with his facts all those simple and ordinary associations of ideas that would either strike every common mind, or which would be of no sort of consequence if they had never entered into the mind, either of the author or of his readers. The second fault is rather one of omission than of commission. Considering the author's long residence in Jamaica, he is remarkably free from what may be called creole prejudices, and particularly free from all of those prejudices which militate against humanity and the first principles of religion and ethics. But yet, on certain subjects, he is prejudiced, and he evinces those prejudices, not, we must allow, by any mistatement of facts, but by often omitting a part of his story. He always tells the truth, and nothing but the truth, but he does not tell the whole truth, and this suppression, or, we will be so liberal as to say, this omission of a part of a story has frequently an effect equivalent to making a positive mistatement. Our observations will be borne out by the succeeding matter.

Mr. Stewart does not woo the muse of history, for he despatches

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the whole of the ancient and modern history of Jamaica in less than twenty-five pages, an offence for which he deserves to be cited before the court of Clio. We shall make no further remark upon this part of his work, except reprobating his account of the Maroon war of 1795, an event which affords every opportunity of exciting breathless anxiety in a reader, and which Mr. Stewart has slurred over with such a culpable negligence as not only to produce no effect on our feelings, but even to leave erroneous and very immoral impressions on the mind. He justifies the Maroon war, by charging that singular people with making demands in "an arrogant tone of defiance," and with their wanting a superintendant of their own choosing." Now the war with these people was excited by an act of wanton insensibility on the part of the whites, which could only arise from that lassitude of intellect and want of decency, which seem to be the offsprings of the luxurious and tropical climate of the western Archipelago. The "arrogant tone of defiance," of which Mr. Stewart complains, can be attributed, not to the Maroons, but solely to the whites. Mr. Stewart must have heard of the conduct of Mr. Gallimore, one of the gentlemen who was authorised to treat with the Maroon chiefs. He broke off the conference, by taking a handful of musket balls out of his waistcoat pocket, and, shaking them in the faces of the Maroons, declared that those were the ambassadors that should in future obtain the demands of the whites; an insult, for which the Maroons inflicted a horrid vengeance by a night attack on his house. But the Maroons requested that the government would not remove from them a Mr. James, a popular superintendant, merely on account of that gentleman's petitioning for an increase of salary, and this Mr. Stewart has construed into their demanding a superintendant of their own choosing.' But at a crisis when the North side of Jamaica, with its crops and immense property were at the mercy of the Maroons, the brave and skilful General Walpole induced them to lay down their arms by a

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treaty, which stipulated that they "should be suffered to remain in the country, under the whites, as before." This last article," says Mr. Stewart, "the governor and assembly conceived to be highly impolitic and refused to ratify," and then our author adds, only in a note, that this rejection of this article led to a disagreeable rupture between General Walpole and the governor and assembly." Now we are very fond of soft and courtly expressions, but morals are seriously injured when terms of delicacy are used to soften perfidy and dishonour. Had the governor and assembly, in refusing to ratify the treaty, placed the enemy in statu quo ante foedus, they would have done no more than exercise an undoubted right possessed by all belligerents; but as they accompanied this non-ratification by a seizure of the persons of their enemies, and by forcibly transporting them from the island, what Mr. Stewart is pleased to call a rejection of a treaty was, in fact, a most infamous violation of the acknowledged laws of nations, and of the most sacred principles of justice. As such it was treated by the gallant general Walpole, whose indignation at this mean and cowardly conduct was such, that he contemptuously refused to accept a sword worth five hundred guineas, which was voted to him for his conduct in the field.

The Maroons for fifty-six years had faithfully kept the treaty they had originally signed with the whites, under Governor Trelawney, and yet Mr. Stewart expresses an apprehension that they would not have adhered to that which they had signed with General Walpole, and on such apprehension justifies the conduct of the governor and assembly. Such is Mr. Stewart's reasoning!

But the fees of a Governor of Jamaica, during the existence of martial law, are immense; and the time which the whole island was deprived of its civil rights, under the pretence of danger from the Maroons, caused the most general and well-founded dissatisfaction on the part of the inhabitants; and yet Mr. Stewart has not thought it his duty as a historian to allude to

the fact. The arguments, by which our author justifies the use of the Spanish bloodhounds against the Maroons, would equally justify all those atrocities of barbarous warfare, which, thank Heaven, have long ceased to exist, at least amongst Europeans.

With respect to the statistical data in this volume, we can only observe, that Mr. Stewart's figures öften differ, and differ materially from the returns specified in the Jamaica Almanack, now on our table; and he often disagrees with the statistical data in the works of Mr. Dallas, a gentleman of considerable talents and of general accuracy, and who, being a native and for some years a resident of Jamaica, had opportunities of at taining knowledge at its fountainbead. But the fact is, that statistical and all other sciences are at so low an ebb in the island, and such general laxity pervades the habits of business, that no two authors are found to agree on any subjects relating to the West Indies.

Mr. Stewart's volume contains popular descriptions of the scenery, and of the climate of the island, with its botanical and zoological history, and its agriculture, trade, commerce, and civil and military institutions. We must refer our readers to his pages for much knowledge and entertainment on these subjects, and shall content ourselves in observing, that his work bears ample evidence that the whole social economy of the island needs every species of reformation. It is singular to reflect upon that modification of society which now exists in this and similar English colonies, a social condition which, we believe, has no parallel in ancient or modern history; it bears the impress of Eastern luxury and wantonness without its splendour and magnificence; of Asiatic sensuality without its refinement and imagination; of European institutions without their vigour and in tellectual direction, and without their dignity which arises from moral principle. The sensuality of

the island is merely corporeal; there is no revelling of the fancy or imagination-there are no splendid palaces or magnificent habitationsno lofty temples-no luxurious gardens, cool arcades, refreshing fountains, or bust, or statue, or bas relief, or painting. There is no academy of science-no hall of musicno gallery of art-no public library

no theatre-no national festival and no national pride or national feeling. The gallantry of the Spaniard in his serenade, the delicacy of the Italian in his love-poem, the romance of the Troubadour, or the social intellection of modern London, or the gayer and more public conversazione of Paris, are all unknown in these latitudes, and the novellist or poet, who, laying his scene in Jamaica, should represent any thing approaching to these, would be as absurd as a painter who should characterise a Welch landscape by leopards, elephants, and Indian wig-whams. Every thing here is selfish and sensual. The day is absorbed in vulgar toils for pelf and in coercing negroes: the evening passes in sullen and drowsy indo fence, until the return of some periodical ball, the only amusement of the Creoles, and then the cup of pleasure is drained to its last and coarsest dregs. Let us hear what Mr. Stewart himself says upon the subject.

He is pleased to head a chapter with the words, " Education, Literature, Amusements, Entertainments, Travelling."

Of education, he says, that such is its despicable state, that "no parent with the means of giving his son a British education, would think of placing him in one of these seminaries" of the island; and that the gentry of the country would rather doom their children to perpetual and degrading ignorance than to subject them to the discipline of a school, or "to any thing in the shape of correction." Kingston, a capital with a population of 35,000 souls, contains but one lady's school, "and that school," says Mr. Stew

art, "is the only one in the island where young ladies can receive any thing like an accomplished education." So much for education. Of literature, Mr. Stewart says, with the exception of some medical tracts and a hortus siccus, which no Euro-, pean ever heard of," no work of any note has issued from the press here; periodical works have been repeatedly tried but without success. Nine tenths of the inhabitants never think of reading any thing beyond a newspaper," &c. This being the case, we are at a loss to conceive how Mr. Steward could think of any thing so ridiculous as that of heading a chapter with the words " Education and Literature." But did the earth ever present such a spectacle as this? A rich commercial people connected closely with the most enlightened nation on earth; springing from it, and in constant communication with it, and yet lost in a state of ignorance more gross and complete than the annals of society ever recorded.

"The elegant arts," says Mr. Stewart, "meet with no encouragement in Jamaica, in Kingston excepted, where there is a theatre and concerts occasionally, the only public amusements are monthly or quarterly balls." This is really an odd classification of subjects. The arranging of occasional concerts and monthly hops, under the head of elegant arts, is a great improvement in science. But such is the coarse excess to which the Creoles carry their love of balls, that our author informs us, that whole families will travel forty miles, " regardless of the oppressive heat and clouds of dust," merely to enjoy a ball. Considering what a journey of forty miles is in Jamaica, with ten or a dozen band-box bearers en avant, and with "the uncles, aunts, and cousins, some in carriages, some on horseback, followed by grooms, waiting-men, and waiting-women, sumpter mules, &c. we must pronounce the Jamaica penchant for balls to be one of the strongest and mostextraordinary passions of which our nature can be susceptible. Some idea may be formed of what Mr. Stewart would call a Jamaica concert as well as the sort of music which assists in creating the passion Eur. Mag. Oct. 1823.

for dancing. "The music," says our author, "is in general very indifferent, four or more violins, played by black or brown fiddlers, a tambourine, drum, and triangle, form the usual orchestra band, very few. having the more appropriate accom paniment of a violoncello." Soul of Apollo, what a concert! Paddy's concert of the bagpipes, two hirdygirdies, and five jews harps, is not. to be compared to it.

There are no field sports in Jamaica. "The Creoles," says our. author, "are not extravagantly expensive (i. e. extravagant) in the furniture of their houses." This is an indisputable fact, but Mr. Stewart, it strikes us, might have done his countrymen much service by pointing out the total want of good sense and proprieté which they evince in all their domestic habits and entertainments. A Jamaica gentleman, of wealth and distinction will give a large dinner to his friends; his table exhibiting a profusion of birds and joints, but withal betraying that, except roasting and boiling, the culinary art is unknown in the island. This dinner table will be, graced by a profusion of elegant plate, of rich porcelain, and of costly wines. But the wines will be in black bottles, wrapt in wet cloths, for coolers; much of the furniture of the room will be of the description to be met with in English cottages or kitchens. The room itself will have uncovered plastered walls, the joice and, rafters of the ceiling will be naked, and, to crown the whole, before the dinner is half over, the floors, which are rubbed to a high state of polish, will be rendered filthy in the extreme by the disgusting habit gentlemen have of spitting about the room. This dinner will be followed by the absolute inebriation of every male guest, and, after which, no respect for their host's wife or daughters will restrain the guests in their freedoms with the black female servants of the family. The mentioning of such almost constitutes the remedy, and Mr. Stewart has lost, we conceive, an opportunity of meliorating the manners of his countrymen. We have now given our readers a competent idea of the nature of Mr. Stewart's work, and we shall, therefore, conclude

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