Jamium on the marriage of King Charles I. and a Panegyricum Carmen on the embafly to Spain. Thefe verfes were found in the British Mufeum, and are placed, in this edition, immediately after the Tractatus de pro effu rei politica.

The book intitled De Statu Prijci Orbis, though placed first by the Author himself, and by his prefent Editor, was, as we have already obferved, laft in the order of publication, and dedicated to Charles, Prince of Scotland and Wales. The Cicero Princeps, which first appeared in 1608, and the Cicero Conful, which followed it in 1612, were dedicated to Prince Henry. Before their republication, in 1616, this Prince was dead; and from that event, Bellendenus takes occafion to pay the following compliment to the furviving brother:

Uno avulfo NON DEFICIT ALTER

Aureus, et fimili frondefcit virga metallo.

The politician may difpute the juftnefs of this eulogy, but the man of feeling will be captivated with its elegance and pathos.

The book De Statu Prifci Orbis, contains fifteen chapters, Cicero Princeps, twenty-four, and Cicero Conful, fifty-fix. In the fecond and third books, we meet with the opinions of Cicero, in Cicero's own words, on topics of the highest importance to the character of princes, to the duties of fubjects, to the prefervation of vigorous and uncorrupt government, and to the general interefts of fociety. In the first work, we feem to read Bellendenus's own expreffions; the fentiments are certainly his own; yet we perceive, that he embraces every opportunity of interweaving the moft choice and proper phrafeology from his favourite author, Cicero. The hiftorian, the scholar, and the politician will find equal information and entertainment in this most valuable book. We will not, however, anticipate the pleature of the Public by quotations from a work, in which our own eye has every where met with diction that must please the most faftidious critic, and with matter that muft intereft the most curious enquirer.

The anxiety of learned men has been in no common degree excited by the contents, and their induftry employed in fearching out the writer, of a long and very fingular Preface. In refpect to ourselves, we confels, the fubject is not yet determined by any evidence which we have heard; and, therefore, we shall remain in quiet fufpenfe, till this fecret is made known through the reftlefs inquifitivenets or loquacious vanity of those, to whom the difcovery of it may be more important, than it seems to us.

The Preface contains fome judicious criticifms on the style of Bellendenus, and a perfpicuous account of the order in which his three treatifes appeared. The Editor has added fome curious information concerning the pofthumous book of Bellendenus, De tribus Luminibus Romanorum. He explains the full import of the title, which was involved in fome obfcurity from the fcattered

and defective state of literary anecdote, relative to this unfinished work. He avows his firm conviction, that Middleton, in his celebrated hiftory of Cicero, was much indebted to the writings of Bellendenus, whofe very name he has ftud oufly, and, it should feem, difengenuously omitted in his Preface. A fufpicion of this kind had long been entertained; but the fact is we think determined by the teftimony of the Editor.

He obferves that the Scots were once far fuperior to the Englifh in Latin compofition, and he refers his readers to Morhof's treatise De pura dictione Latina, which Mofheim republished in 1725. We admit the juftice of the preference given to the Scots: but we hope to be pardoned, either for our national, or for our literary prejudices, if we infift a little on the exceptions which may be made to the general pofition. Morhof fays, "In Anglis ne unus quidem fuccurrit, qui pura Latina di&tionis genium exprefferit." To this harsh and unqualified cenfure, we cannot accede.-The men of Cambridge will zealoufly contend for the merits of Thomas Watfon, of Sir Thomas Smith, and Sir John Cheke*, and they will be joined by a formidable and illuftrious band of Etonians, when they apply the proudeft language of panegyric to the tafte and erudition of Walter Haddon. Morhof, who gives a cold and flovenly kind of praise to Ascham, paffes over in filence the diftinguifhed merit of Afcham's friend. This omiffion, we are perfuaded, is to be afcribed rather to want of information, than to want of candour. But we fhall endea vour to counteract its effects by producing the threwd decifion of Queen Elizabeth, when a difpute had arifen, on the comparative excellence of Buchanan and Haddon: "Buchananum omnibus antepono: Haddonum nemini poßipono." To this fuffrage we give our hearty affent, and we feel our felves juftified in giving it, by the authority of Janus +, who, in his very learned and ingenious differtation, De nimio Latinitatis ftudio, has admitted the name of Walter Haddon into the catalogue of those scholars, qui genium atque indolem ftyli Ciceronis adjecuti feliciter funt.

As our Editor infifts with fo much warmth on the attainments of Bellendenus, who, as has been observed before, was Master of the Pleas to James I. we fee no impropriety in our endeavours to

Cheke's Latinity, as a tranflator, is mentioned by Huet, in bis inimitable work, De Claris Interpretibus: "Ad Græca ille parum attentus pro libitu divagatur, fermo interim fplendidus, nec impurus." p. 177. Gardiner, his ferocious antagonist, in the famous controverfy about the pronunciation of Greek, begins his fecond letter in thefe words: "Legi libellum, quem ad me dedifti, in quo fane flumen verborum et orationis copiam redundantem video." He repeats this obfervation in the third letter. He feems to confider Cheke's Latin as too elaborate; but never cenfures it for want of purity or elegance. + Sect. 22.

do

do juftice to the character of an English fcholar, who held a fimilar office in the preceding reign of Elizabeth. Haddon's works were collected and published by Dr. Hatcher. We think them worthy of attention from every fcholar, and we particularly recommend the mafterly reply to Oforius, and a charming fpeech, which Haddon delivered before the Eton boys, and which Mr. Upton has inferted in his excellent edition of Afcham's "Plain and perfect Way of teaching the learned Languages." We have heard with pleafure, and fometimes with admiration, the annual fpeeches at Eton fchool, and we beg leave to fuggeft to the very learned mafter, that the oration, which we have been commending, might, with great effect, be pronounced on fome public occafion. It contains, like the introductory verfes of Dr. Barford on the peace of 1762, not general or trite fentiments, but fuch as are marked by their peculiar and local propriety. It abounds with the most exquifite Latinity, the moft judicious obfervation, and the moft falutary and pathetic inftruction. It will animate the honeft emulation of thofe young men, who are now exercifing their genius, and forming their principles in this noble feminary. It will gratify the fineft fenfibilities of every intelligent hearer, and especially of those luminaries in the Church and State, who with enthu fiaftic fondnefs revifit the delightful fcenes, which Gray has defcribed, and amid which they were themselves formerly trained to the attainment of every literary excellence, and to the practice of every focial virtue. Catching a generous fympathy from Haddon, they will recognize and feel,

quid mens ritè, quid indoles Nutrita fauftis fub penetralibus Poffit.

HOR. L. 4. Od. 4. 25.

The political part of the Preface neither contains, nor profefles to contain, any profound research or elaborate reafoning. It is of the declamatory, rather than of the argumentative kind. It is written in a ftyle of perfpicuous and nervous Latinity. Confidered as a mere declaration of the writer's political opinions, or, as we fhould call them, his prepoffeffions, it is very copious, very fpirited, and will both amuse and intereft those readers whom it may not convince. The Editor fometimes points his attacks with the keenest wit, and fometimes affumes a tone of the most impetuous and fervid indignation. The energy of his diction, and the violence of his feelings, feldom forfake him, whether he be fpeaking of friend or foe. But his praises are profufe without adulation, and his reproaches are vehement without fcurrility.

We have obferved, that the Editor feveral times introduces a marked ufage of illis quidem followed by fed. Now the fame kind of phrafeology feems to have been in high favour with

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Tully,

Tully, at fome particular periods, and occurs more frequently in fome of his works, than in others; not, as it should feem, from any peculiarities in the fubjects themselves, but from the mere fondness which the writer felt for this phraseology at the precife moment of using it. The fame kind of temporary partiality toward this or that mode of expreffion, may be traced in many other eminent writers. We fhall establish the juftnefs of our remark upon Cicero, by adding, that the phrafe, of which we have been speaking, occurs rarely in the three books De Oratere, that in the Orator it is found five times, and in the Brutus fixteen.

In the Preface, we did not obferve any Anglicifms; but we are fenfible, how many expreffions incur this reproachful appellation, which may be juftified by examples from the best Roman writers. Henry Stephens has collected many inftances, in which the French idiom coincides with the Latin. Vorfius has done the fame in regard to the German language, and we should be happy to find that a fimilar work refpecting the English were undertaken by fome countryman of our own. We have loft, it is true, a Markland, a Toup, and a Tyrwhitt; but the cause of literature will yet find the moft able fupporters in those who are ftill living ornaments of the age; and whofe modefty we will not on this occafion wound, by prefenting their names to the Public.

The Editor feems to be not lefs familiarly acquainted with the writings of Cicero, than was Bellendenus. He sometimes applies paffages from the Epiftolary and Philofophical works of that writer. He frequently draws expreffions from the Orations; -but his chief fource feems to be the Rhetorical writings. Our Editor does not however confine himfelf to Cicero; but readily admits any expreffion fuited to his purpose, in Cæfar, Salluit, V. Paterculus, Quintilian, and other approved Roman authors.

Though the Editor has derived his phrafeology from poetry as well as profe, and from writers who flourished in what is called the filver, as well as the golden age of Latinity, yet he has preferved a very becoming uniformity of ftyle. On him who writes in languages no longer fpoken, the practice of drawing expreffions from writers of different degrees of merit, is impofed by neceffity. It is warranted by the example of scholars, who prefer real perfpicuity to falfe elegance. It has been vindicated by the pointed raillery of Erafmus, and the folid reafoning of T. F. Picus, Politian, and Budæus. It cannot therefore be arraigned at the tribunal of manly and liberal criticifm. The prefent Editor, perhaps, does not ftand in need of this defence. But we have written it in oppofition to thofe puerile and pedantic opinions, which the German scholars of this century have industri

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ously

oufly combated with great variety of erudition, and with foundnefs of argument yet greater.

In the application of brilliant paffages from Greek and Roman authors, the Editor is often happy. His allufions to ftriking facts and marked characters, recorded by the writers of antiquity, are numerous and appofite. He has, with great propriety, apologized for inferting fo much Greek in a Latin text, and we are difpofed to pardon this motley appearance, for the fake of the intrinfic beauties which fhine in the quotations, and of the confummate judgment with which many of them are introduced.

On political topics we allow to all writers that freedom which we ourselves exercife, in judging of public men and public meaWe do not, however, difcover, either in Mr. Pitt, or his affociates, thofe defects, which our Editor fo acrimoniously condemns; nor do we believe his favourite triumvirate poffeffed of that unfullied and tranfcendent merit which he fo highly extols. But it falls not within the limits or the plan of our Review, to controvert every political tenet to which we do not entirely accede. It is not our wish to difpute the fincerity or the difinterestedness of the Editor, in forming his own opinions. But it is our duty and our right to exprefs fome difapprobation of the fierce and imperious fpirit, with which thofe opinions are fometimes maintained.

Whatever may be the excentricities of this unknown writer as a partizan, he certainly is intitled to much praife as an editor and as a fcholar. The ftubbornnefs of his political prejudices, and the afperity of his perfonal invectives, are, in a great measure, compenfated by his candour toward the failings of learned men; by his admiration of their talents; and by his endeavours to perpetuate the memory, and to extend the utility, of their works. P-rr.

ART. X. Sermons. By Samuel Charters, Minifter of Wilton. 8vo. 55. Boards. Edinburgh, printed for Creech, &c, ; fold in London by Cadell. 1786.

IKE the celebrated Sermons of Dr. Whichcote, these va

preacher delivered himself more at large from the pulpit; but, like them too, they contain many good thoughts, which may ferve as materials for more regular compofitions. Of the author's manner a fhort fpecimen may fuffice to give a competent idea.

In enumerating the fources of evil-speaking, he mentions ignorance, idleness, wit, and pride. Of wit he says:

One who has wit is often fo enamoured of it, fo captivated with the attention the praise and the courtship it procures him, that he

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cannot