Art. 57. Commentaries and Effays: published by the Society for promoting the Knowledge of the Scriptures. No. IV. 8vo. 2s. and No, V. Is. Johnfon. 1786.

These numbers contain a numerous collection of critical notes upon detached paffages of the Old Testament,' which will very well repay the attentive perufal of the biblical fcholar:- An Inquiry into the Evidence which points out Chrift to have been only a Creature of the Human Race, invefted with extraordinary Powers from God, as it arifes from his own Declarations, and thofe of the Apoftles and Evangelifts;' in which the main arguments for the Socinian System are brought into a narrow compafs, and clearly ftated: Obfervations on Part of Daniel's Prophecy ;'-and a gleaning of remarks on Mr. Travis's Attempt to revive the exploded Text of 1 John v. 7.

RELIGIOUS.

E.

Art. 58. An Elegy on the Nature and Glory of the Gospel of Jefus Chrift, the Nature and Confequences of Spiritual Blindness, and of Divine Illumination. By Jofeph Bellamy, D. D. New England. 12mo. 15. 6d. Mathews.

Difputes are endless: this little volume relates to fome religious controverfies which have prevailed in America. It opposes Antinomian tenets, and is itself Calviniftical. The book will probably be acceptable to fome readers, particularly to fuch as are acquainted with, or interested in, the circumftances of the debate to which it refers. We obferve that the writer feems in one place to fuppofe that virtue and goodness appear odious to a wicked, or, as he terms it, an unregenerate man; as Jefus Chrift appeared to the Pharifees, and others of the Jews: but of this matter a different account may be given. It is often found that bad men approve and respect that virtue which they do not imitate: the decifion of the Poet seems therefore more probable and exact;

H. Art. 59. A Manual for African Slaves. By the Rev. James Ramsay, M. A. 12mo. 3d. Longman. 1787.

Video meliora, proboque, deteriora fequor.'

This manual is compiled chiefly from Dr. Watts's Catechism, and Bishop Wilton's Family Prayers. Thofe who are employed in giving instruction to negroes, can beft determine, from experience, how far a performance of this kind can be useful. From the Author's intimate knowledge of the fituation of the wretched Africans enflaved in the Weft Indies, we are led to fuppofe that he has suited it to their capacities and circumstances. R--m.

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are obliged to Difcipulus for his obfervations on the two verbs to lie and to lay. After reconfidering the fubject, we are the more fatisfied with the definition of lie, which we gave in our Review for March, p. 258. As to the verb to lay, it frequently fignifies to place; nor is our definition contradictory to this fignification.

ERRATUM in our last.

Page 311, 1. 10, for fettled,' r. fifted.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JUNE, 1787.

ART. I. The Hiftory of Athens politically and philofophically confidered, with the View to an Investigation of the immediate Caufes of Elevation and of Decline, operative in a free and commercial State. By William Young, Efq. 4to. 15s. Boards. Robfon. 1785. T has been juftly remarked, that different perfons, and even the fame perfon at different periods of life, will read the fame book with very different kinds and degrees of information, according to the direction of their former inquiries, or the particular object of their prefent attention. There is fo much meaning and truth in this obfervation when applied to the fubject of history, that we can never conclude the inftruction contained in its more brilliant pages, how frequently foever they may have been read and commented upon, to be entirely exhaufted.

The rife, progrefs, and decline of the Grecian States, and particularly of Athens, is one of the moft fertile topics that can invite the attention of the philofopher; and, notwithstanding all that has hitherto been written concerning them, there is doubtlefs ftill room for ufeful fpeculation refpecting their religion, policy, and manners.

Mr. Young feems to have been very fenfible of the value of the Grecian hiftory, as a fubject of philofophical difcuffion; and has induftriously brought together many particulars of the Athenian State, inftructive both to the ftatefman and the moralift, and deduced from them many important maxims and obfervations. He appears to have undertaken and profecuted his defign with manly views and a liberal fpirit. But we are forry to ob ferve two effential defects in the execution; the first, that the materials of the work are not fo perfpicuously arranged, as to bring into one connected view the feveral documents of political and moral wisdom: the fecond, that the philofophical part of the work is almoft univerfally expreffed in language which has

*For Mr. Young's former work, entitled, The Spirit of Athens, fee Rev. vol. lvi.

VOL. LXXVI.

I i

been

been ftiffened, by laborious compofition, into enigmatical ob fcurity. One good effect of this mode of writing is, that it obliges the reader to think; in return, however, the writer fhould be careful to repay his reader's pains with a large portion of fterling fenfe. How far this is done in the prefent work, a few extracts will fhew.

Almost every chapter opens with a train of general reflections, fuggefted by, or in fome fort connected with its fubject. From thele we shall felect the remarks with which Mr. Young introduces his account of the first Perfian war:

Under certain points of view, and in a certain degree, it is a just axiom of Lord Verulam's, That man is, but what he knows: the extent then of his knowledge, is that of his excellence, to the attainment of which opportunities muft coincide with the capacity thereof; and it is not alone the primary circumstances of birth, the peculiar rareness of the fpirits, or quality of their channels, or what elfe to be acted upon by climate, or other natural contingency, that can fingly elevate the human character; but a further and more refined combination of influences is requifite; of influences, originating not from the material, but mental world, not from the temperature of foil or air, or even temperament of parents; but from the pre-established order of fociety, the prefcriptive objects of its ingenuity, ftudy, emulation, and esteem.

The advantages of country in a phyfical fenfe, it will readily be granted, are not alone equivalent to those of country under the poli tical purport of the word: it yet remains for confideration, how far thefe may agree? whether the vertical funs, which, according to many ancient and modern fophifts, are fo favourable to a finer texture of the brain, are not oppreffive to its further ftrength and energy? whether quickness is not incompatible with ftability? and, as man is not fo much excellent from the gift of poffeffing, as from the faculty of acquiring, whether the retentive and progreffive powers incident to thofe born under lefs brilliant kies, give not, in the courfe of time and things, a national fuperiority, made and ftrengthened by gradual and improved accumulation, which the more vivacious children of the fun muft ever look up to in defpair? the most etherial genius born to the community, finding no previous common ftock of method for its direction, or of knowledge for its bafis, no previous grounds of acquirement whereon to build or improve fystems for the ufe of, and to further again the progrefs of pofterity? Avoiding a too long and digreffive train of reafoning, I leave it to the reader's ingenuity to feek, and fupply thefe queries with, the proper folution; to deduce levity from fancy, and ignorance from inaction; to mark the paffions born of indolence ftifling reafon in its birth; and then, to account-why Eaftern genius hath gleamed in metaphor, rather than fhone in poem ;-why fancied, rather than thought in fcience;-why originated, and not perfected menial trades, and even the finer arts;-grafting the firft fhoots of knowledge, why left it to others to mature the fruit ;-and (touching home to the subject) to develope why the people of Afia, dreading the recondite theories and active practice of republicanifm, have ever fought, and do ftill

feek

feek fhelter from the diftrefs of employ, and pain of thought, under torpid fubmiffion to a defpot.'

The following paffage is an apology for the cuftom of banishing great men by oftracifm:

The fubtilty of intellect, or fpirit of enterprize, or what else may enter into the compofition of thofe we vulgarly term " great men," are particularly to be guarded against in popular governments: afcendancy of private character may difcompofe the union, or corrupt the virtue of the people; favour to particular men may beget factions in the ftate, and focial love recoil from the extent of patriotifm to the narrow circle of a party; then is it retreated midway to domestics and to felf-intereft; felf-intereft in its turn will quickly fway, and the commonwealth be distracted with various and private influences. Even a virtuous man too much diftinguished and exalted above his peers, may open this fluice to the ruin of his country: let us draw a character more dangerous, as more fitted for felf-elevation; let us delineate the hero of Salamis: his mind was of a fublimate and active fpirit, that pervaded, in a momentary course, the past, the prefent, and the future; and had a command of experience, fubtilty, and forefight, for the exigencies of the hour, or for the protractions of policy; quick in thought, and tardy to execute; or dilatory in purpofe, and immediate and bold in perpetration, as juncture neceffitated, or as feafon required: no fcheme was too deep for his capacity; no enterprize too hardy for his courage; he had not the winning foftnefs, but he had the force of eloquence; his tongue was not perfuafive but commanding; its art was the fimplicity of truth: when he spoke, it was not a plaufibility of addrefs, it was not a fpecious fhow of argument, or an appeal to the pathetic, that drew the favour of the affembly; but a fomething comprehenfive, intuitive, prophetic, a fomething of genius that rivetted the attention, and on the felf-diffidence of the hearer raised an uncontroulable command; the minds of the audience were amazed and daunted into acquiefcence, even when not argued into conviction; and the artful rhetor forgot his act, and the opinionative were abafhed before him! fuch and like pre-eminence of character was fatal to the commonwealth of Athens: Miltiades prepared the way for Themistocles; Themistocles for Pericles: crouching to the fucceffive afcendancy of their great men, the people were habitually brought to confider their popular ftate as dependant; and rather to confide their public weal to the abilities of a statesman, than to the wisdom of the conftitution: they infenfibly deviated from the found and fimple principle of conduct adopted by their forefathers, and to a free progrefs in the ftrait road of virtue, preferred a leading ftring in the maze of politics: they were then often led to injuftice, often bewildered in ruinous. practices, often betrayed to bloody and useless expeditions; at length inured to fubferviency, they were at times the means of glory and power to the ambitious, tools to the crafty, wealth to the avaricious, dangerous to good men, and a fubterfuge to the criminal. We fhall find other caufes co-operate, but much of these evils is imputable to the afcendancy of great men : let not the oftracism be reprobated, for were it not for that weapon, with which the leaders of the people buffeted and depreffed each other, the republic of Athens

Athens had not long withstood the meanest pretender to ufurpa

tion.'

On the manners of the Athenians, and the state of the republic at the clofe of the Perfian wars, Mr. Young thus writes:

Confidering the commonwealth as inftituted by Solon, and as re-established by Cliftthenes, it hath been obferved that whatever general denomination may have been given to its form of government, undoubtedly the larger mafs of the people had but little influence and authority, though they were in poffeffion of general freedom and privileges: opulence, however regulated by agrarian and fumptuary laws, and pretenfions of family, however obliterated by general and equal claims under the fpirit of the conftitution, feparated the noble and wealthy few from the many, who, neceffitated to feek fubfiftence from the menial arts, were contented to forego public Occupation and confequence; and from the bent and habits of life coincided with the intentions of their legiflator to entrust the great functions of ftate exclufively to thofe, from whom the exacted qualification of property warranted a more perfect fenfe of responsibility: nor did this forbearance imply a difregard of the commonwealth, whilft that refponfibility was to the people at large.

At the period we are now arrived at, fuch moderation could no longer be fuppofed to diftinguish the commonalty, whom the circumitances of the times had approximated to the higher claffes (or rather had mingled all claffes together), whilft the Perfian wars ftamped with honour every name infcribed on the trophy of Marathon; and whilft the fpoils of Salamis and Platea devolved hereditary opulence on the family of almoft every combatant in those memorable conflicts.

The riches of the conquerors flowed from the triple fource of military prize, of territory, and of captives; and the latter employed in the meaner handicrafts and trades, allowed leifure and difengagement, as well as competence to each citizen; who, buoyed up with national pride, and the elevation of his country, chofe to mingle in her councils, with the felf-confequence of having fought her battles, and conduced to thofe victories, which encreafing her empire, encreafed the fubjects of public bufinefs, and importance of employ.

The work-fhop being given up for the affembly, more citizens crouded into action, more individuals became public men, and the ftate of Athens became more democratic.

The growing tafte of the people for political interference, was flattered and promoted by thofe leaders, who fought to purchase their favour and applaufe; the obftacles to popular ambition were removed by fucceffive decrees, annulling ancient diftinctions, founded in the old fyftem of landed intereft, and in the policy of Solon, who fought to temperate the democracy with inflitutions fuggested by more partial governments. To thefe caufes of change in the conftitution of the republic, Plutarch adds that of the long walls built by Cimon to connect the upper city with the Piræus, before feparate and fortified apart: "Thefe walls (fays he) taking within the common circuit of the city, the refidence of the commercial and feafaring popu lace, they thenceforward more readily mingled in the public affemblies; ever joined, and often originated, the clamour of the day,

and