• Religion, Politics, and Literature, are the three great objects that employ every mind raised by education above the level of the labourer or the mechanic; upon them, every thinking man must have a decided opinion, and that opinion must occasional y influence his conduct, conversation, and writings. Sincere and u disguised in the belief and profession of the Roman Canlic Religion, the Author affects not to conceal, because he is not ashamed of its influence. However unpopular it may be, he is convi ced that its evil report is not the result of any inherent defect, but the natural consequence of polemic animosity, of the ex iggerations of friends, of the misconcep tions of enemies. Yes! he must acknowledge that the affecting lessons, the holy examples, and the majestic rites of the Catholic Church, made an early impression on his mind; and neither time nor experience, neither reading nor conversation, nor much travelling, have weakened that impression, or diminished his veneration. Yet with this affectionate attachment to the ancient Faith, he presumes not to arraign those who support other systems. Persuaded that their claims to mercy as well as his own, depend upon Sincerity and Charity, he leaves them and himself to the disposal of the common Fa ther of All, who, we may humbly hope, will treat our errors and our defects with more indulgence than mortals usually show to each ether.' Preface, p. xi. xii.

It is pretty manifest, that a person who feels thus warmly attached to the Catholic religion, visits Italy with far livelier interest than they who are merely attracted to it by its classical associations, or the objects which it presents to gratify more ordinary curiosity. He is making a pilgrimage, where others are only on a tour; and his spirit is edited by contemplations, which merely excite their speculations, or, at the most, awaken secular and profane recollections. He must also find himself more at home, as it were: -he is among his own sect; and in the places to which his thoughts have been turned from his earliest years. The fluence of these circumstances is perceptible through the whole of the volumes before us. Mr Eustace sees Italy with far different eyes from Mr Addison;-exactly as the latter derived a gratification at each step of his journey, which one ignorant of Latin, or who had not been educated among the antiquities of the Romans, could neither conceive nor participate.

The title page has already informed the reader, that the principal object of our author is classical illustration; and unquestionably, this must ever form one of the most copious sources of gratification to the traveller who crosses the Alps and Appennines. But we regret that Mr Eustace has not extended his views of what is interesting and important a little farther. The political state of Italy, in its various communities and governments, forms a subject of contemplation scarcely less attractive to the

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observer than its ancient history; and although our author by no means passes over this topic, it occupies him in a much less proportion than it ought. Two large volumes like those before us, should contain more valuable information than Mr Eustace has thought it worth his while to communicate. His quotations are numerous, and highly useful to the classical reader though perhaps somewhat too frequently taken from the less exquisite sources of Claudian and Silius Italicus. His descriptions are proportionably copious; and if not very often distinguished by picturesque and happy touches, yet they faithfully and industriously go through the country, and register the prominent features of it as in a catalogue; though they can scarcely be said to preserve its image. But when we have said that our author quotes copiously, and describes diligently, we have well nigh exhausted his merits. In reasoning he deals moderately; his professed object being, as he repeatedly reminds us, classical, he dwells little upon those views of men and things which bear no relation to their ancient state; and he expressly states, that he considers the fine arts, excepting where they now and then force themselves upon him, as not within the scope of his design. If a good deal of the details respecting churches had been abridged, and the size of the work either reduced, or the vacant space filled up with facts and anecdotes, conducive to instruction or amusement, the book would have been, in either case, considerably lightened and improved. As for the style, it is rather free from great faults, than distinguished by any very striking excellences. It is somewhat monotonous, and by no means either close or concise. It is certainly sufficiently easy and copious, but frequently a little heavy and feeble. Our readers should, however, bear in mind, that it is rare indeed to find a book of travels written in so good a style; and that there is, perhaps, less of absurdity in the composition of these two volumes, than in those of any traveller who has for a long time past come before the public. For the rest, Mr Eustace seems to be not only a very learned and well-informed man, but an amiable and an honest onewhich is a far better thing; and we sincerely rejoice to find, that there are persons of such accomplishments and apparent worth, to superintend the education of our Catholic countrymen.

The preliminary discourse contains a full account of the branches of information requisite, or at least highly advantageous to a traveller who wishes to visit Italy with profit. Our author certainly takes care to provide his traveller pretty handsomely. He must be intimately acquainted with the Latin classics, and also with the modern Latin poets of Italy. The language of Italy, and its history, must be familiar to him. He should be know

ing in medals, and have a competent skill in architecture. He must know sculpture and painting; and to the former, some 'acquaintance with anatomy is a desireable preliminary.' As to music, he hesitates-from an apprehension that its seductions may lead towards idleness or bad company. He then recommends an unprejudiced mind; and his chief argument, in favour of it, is rather of a bullying description. It seems, that Empire, like the sun, has hitherto rolled westward. And therefore, though it now hovers over Great Britain, 'yet it is still on the wing,' and will either fly back to the East,' (which seems scarcely to follow from the premises), or continue its flight' across the Atlantic. Now, this being the case, we are desired, in visiting Italy, and judging of its fallen inhabitants and institutions, to remember that it may be our turn next. The inhabitants, The inhabitants,' says our author, of these islands may, like the sons of Greece and Italy, lie prostrate at the feet of a victorious enemy, and claim his compassion as a tribute due to the greatness of their ancestors. Let us, 'therefore, extend our sympathy to the now enslaved offspring of our predecessors in the career of glory, of the former lords of human kind-terræ dominantis alumni.' A similar exhortation to religious tolerance and charity is subjoined, though founded upon much more rational and practical grounds. The rest of the preliminary directions relate partly to the books (among which he warns us against the strong prejudices of Addison), maps, routes, accommodations, and other points of the same description-highly interesting to a real traveller, and therefore most fit to be inserted-but unnecessary for one who is only about to accompany the author on paper;--and partly to the general objects of a traveller's attention-scenery, ruins, churches, and monuments of modern art. Any thing relating to national manners, political institutions, or public economy, we presume our author considers as dangerous ground-leading, perchance, towards French principles, of which he seems to be haunted with a vague and superstitious terror throughout his whole journey; as if there existed the least fear of such principles taking root any where in the present day, when the French government seems itself to vie with the stoutest antijacobins of other countries in its abhorrence of them.

Our travellers left Vienna on the 28th of January 1802, and proceeded to Munich, where they remained a few days, and then went to Saltzburgh. Here they visited the ruins, (of which our author gives an interesting, though rapid sketch), and then hastened through the Tyrol, by Inspruck. Notwithstanding the unfavourable season, the noble scenery of this country seems

to have made a deep impression on him; and he describes it with considerable success. In passing along the precipices which abound in this route, he is struck with the reflection, how easily a traveller might be waylaid-and, by startling his horse, driven down and plundered. That this does not frequently happen, he conceives, is entirely owing to the influence of Christianity, and the authority of the clergy,' which have humanized the rude inhabitants of the Rhetian Alps. As long, he thinks, as the pious mountaineer continues to adore the good Shepherd, and to beg the prayers of the afflicted Mother,' the traveller is safe; but, if French principles should ⚫ unfortunately pass from the courts and cities in the plains, to the recesses of these mountains, the murderer may shortly aim his rifle from behind the ruins of the Cross, and the 'nightly banditti lurk in expectation of their prey, under the roof of the forsaken Chapel. ' Now, although we are very far indeed from disputing the beneficial influence of religion generally upon the progress of human improvement, we think it rather unwise to pursue such a subject into particular details; and for this reason, if there were no other, that such exemplifications furnish the scoffer with frequent matter of insult and of momentary triumph. They resemble the attempts to trace, in the common detail of worldly affairs, that superintending care of Providence, which, in general, no rational man questions, but the special interpositions of which, so fondly dwelt upon by some sincere and pious Christians, may admit of much controversy, and lead to very unpleasant doubts. The influence of the gospel, and even of its Catholic propagators, has been as beneficial as it has been extensive, on the character of society :-But when, from excess of zeal, our author traces to it alone the security of travellers in the Tyrol, and anticipates a return to barbarism, from a diffusion of French principles, it is probable he will be reminded of the swarms of banditti in the dominions of their most Catholic and most Faithful Majesties in the Peninsula, and called upon to point out, in what period of monarchical France the jails were more thinly inhabited than in the present day.

At Trent, as may be supposed, Mr Eustace indulges in some remarks on the celebrated Council, which has bestowed its chief distinction upon this city. Such observations as the following are entertaining enough in the present times,—because they are couched in the very language used among us by the alarmists against all reform. One of the great objects of the Council, says he, was the restoration of peace and ⚫ unity among Christians. In this respect it failed; animosity

prevailed over charity; consciousness of authority on one side, rage of innovation on the other, would submit to no con⚫ cession. Truly, if the same horror of innovation had been epidemic in the sixteenth century, which ushers in the nineteenth, the Reformation would have had much the same fate as our political bigots now flatter themselves awaits the cause of reform, and yet it is somewhat singular, that these same alarmists are the most zealous advocates of the Protestant interIn Mr Eustace, such sentiments are perfectly consistent ;he laments the Reformation; and had he lived in the days of Luther, would no doubt have done his utmost to oppose it. Our bigots, who decide against all reform, merely because it is a change, glory in the Reformation, (as well they may), and envy their ancestors who had a share in bringing about that mighty revolution. It is from the vocabulary of such persons, however, that our author seems always to have borrowed his expressions respecting the overthrow of the Romish religion. Thus, in another part of his work, (p. 130.) we find him speaking of the era of the Reformation, that age of division and mad" ness.

Our readers are now, we doubt not, desirous of being introduced to Mr Eustace himself, and we shall therefore present them with the account of his entrance into Italy, and description of Verona--the first object that attracts the traveller's attention who enters the country by this route.--This will form an appropriate introduction to the rest of his tour.

The descent (for from Steinach, or rather a few miles south of that village, three stages before Brixen, we had begun to descend) becomes more rapid between Roveredo and Ala; the river which glided gently through the valley of Trent, assumes the roughness of a torrent; the defiles become narrower; and the mountains break into rocks and precipices, which occasionally approach the road, sometimes rise perpendicular from it, and now and then hang over it in terrible majesty. Ala is an insignificant little town, in no respect remarkable, except as forming the geographical boundary of Italy. The same appearances continue for some time, till at length the mountains gradually sink into hiils; the hills diminish in height and number, and at last leave an open space beyond the river on the right. In front, however, a round hill presents itself at a little distance, which, as you approach, swells in bulk, and opening, just leaves room sufficient for the road, and the river on the right, be tween two vast perpendicular walls of solid rock, that tower to a prodigious height, and cast a most terrific gloom over the narrow strait that divides them. As the road leads along a precipice hanging over the river, without any parapet, several country men, who live at the entrance of the defile, crowd round the carriage to sup