fluys he proceeded to Rotterdam, the Hague, Leyden, Utrecht, Breda, Antwerp, Bruffels, Valenciennes, Paris, Amiens, Boulogne, and Dover. The merit of this work, we have faid, depends principally on the beauty of the tinted etchings, which are executed with much foftnefs and effect. If that they are not more beautiful, as plates, is owing to the country which they reprefent; a flat, unvaried, uninterefting fcene, where strait canals, rows of trees and pyramidal houses, are the chief objects it is creditable to the artift, that he has not facrific ed truth of reprefentation to the beauty of his picture. The printing and paper are excellent. We fhal! felect a fpecimen or two, and shall firft transcribe the defcription of Helvoet, chiefly to remark, that in this and a few other places, the effect is not fufficiently preferved in the plate, chiefly, as it appears from the view being taken in an unfavourable fituation.

We landed here about ten this morning, after a very fine paffage of about eighteen hours. In approaching the coaft of Holland, the island of Scouwen firft appears, joining a ridge of bleak rocks, which added to a multitude of fhoals, renders the paffage fometimes rather dangerous.-Helvoet, a league diftant, appears a wretched little fishing village, but, on a nearer approach, picturefque and beautiful. The novelty added not a little to the fcenery, The drawing was made just at the entrance of the harbour, the guardship appearing in the distance, is conftantly ftationed there to examine the thips palling to Rotterdam and the Maes.

Helvoet is furrounded with a deep fofle, and well fortified by a trong rampart faced with brick, which is equally a defence against the irruptions of the fea or the attack of an enemy.

The barbour runs through the middle of the town, and projects a confiderable distance into the fea. The entrance is between two large piers, fupported by immenfe piles, one hundred and ten feet in length, and driven near forty feet into the fhore. Dutch indudry and perfeverance alone could have accomplified fuch an undertaking; it is divided from the bason (which generally contains twelve or fifteen men of war, lying in perfect faiety) by a pair of flood-gares, over which is a bridge of a curious contruction, opening in the middle by means of bafs-wheels turning on an axle, which is moved with great facility. The dock and admiralty magazine are well worth attention; and a walk round the rampa.ts will not prove unpleafant.

The houses are built on a fingular conftruction; they are all pyramidical, which renders the upper rooms very small, and almost useless; exemplifying the proverbial fatisfaction of the Dutch with old habits, and their indifpofition to novelty, either in objects of convenience, or tafte. The fronts are painted at least once a year, their neatnefs, and variegated colours have a whimfical

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whimsical and pretty effect; the streets are paved with clinkers; and the cleanliness of the people, both within and without their houtes, is aftonishing. The infides of their churches are very plain, adorned only with efcutcheons, with neither monument or epitaph.'

The account of the fair of Rotterdam is entertaining and defcriptive.

The commerce of this place is conducted with the utmost régularity, and fo little noife and buille of business, that you might rather imagine yourfelf in a village than in the fecond city of the most commercial people in Europe. The annual fair is now held here; during which the principal streets are lined with booths, or stalls, arranged close to the canals. They are filled with articles of merchandife, from the penny toy for children to the rich gold and filver trinket for those of larger growth."

The Dutch lads and laffes, tricked out in their large trunk hofe, long flowered waistcoats, and plaited petticoats, form altogether fo grotefque an appearance, that "nature feems to wear an univerfal grin." Such is their style of drefs, that it is no uncommon thing to meet the North Hollander in a family suit of three or four generations. An old Dutchman, whom I fpoke with on the fubject, obferved, that out of one pair of wedding breeches, made up about forty years ago, he fome twenty years afterwards, made himself a complete fuit of clothes.

It is no fmall pleasure to fee the produce of our own country make fo confiderable a figure, and held in fuch high eftmation.

During this fair, which lafts about three weeks, beggars of all nations are permitted to range unmolefied; the fame priviJege is granted to Amfterdam, and in most of the provinces in Holland. How this host of wretches exifts in the intermediate space, under the feverity of Dutch police, is matter of astonishment; as a beggar is not fuffered to appear in the streets at any other time.

• In the fair I met a wretch, as poor of heart, though not in purie, as any of the group here alluded to-the famous mifer old B, id to be ninety-eight years of age, and the richest man in Rotterdam. Picture to yourself an emaciated figure, whom age and avarice have almoft reduced to bone, with a elofe formal peruke, and plain thread-bare fuit, so often brushed that it was become a mere lieve, and would let any thing through but his money. Iu purchafing his daily food, to avoid impofition, this extraordinary character ufually markets for himself; in doing which, he one day obferved the butcher putting a bit of paper into the fcale, merely from cleanliness, when B exclaimed, "What are you doing? take that out: I come here to buy meat, not paper!" A farthing's worth of milk ferves the exigencies of the day, which he orders to be

taken half at one door, and the remainder at the other, to gain the little advantage of extra measure.'

We shall add one more fpecimen of the defcriptive kind.

Having viewed every thing :ecommended to us he e, we made an excurfion, early yefterday morning, to Scheveling, about two miles diftant. The ride is delightful, through an avenue of lime trees, about a mile in length, forming a beautiful vita, which is terminated by the church of Scheveling. On each fide of this charming road the foot-way is perfectly commodious, and fhaded from the heat of the fan.

The fea breaking upon the eye, juft at the extremity of this grand avenue, forms a noble and picturefque object. The beau ty of the morning, with the bufy fenery on the fhore, of multitudes of fishermen and women, all eagerly engaged, and fo characteristically grouped, induced me to attempt the enclosed fketch; in making which, the boors feemed quite as well enrertained with me as I was with them, eagerly couding round, and expreffing their pleasure and furprize, by fuch broad grins and fhouts of applause, as would have alarmed the internal regions.'

Of the anecdotes we shall felect a part of the life of Teniers.

Many of the pafticcios are fo fuperlatively managed as to deceive even the warmest admirers of Reubens, and others whom he imitated. But it was not from the manners of artifts he eftablished his fame. Nature was his principal object, her he fought in retirement, and found among the lower clafles, thofe traits of character, which, though deemed vulgar, have more of truth than is to be found in the elegancies of a court.

This idea induced him to fix on a pleafant village, called Perck, between Mechlin and Velvourden, as a refidence, where he built a chateau, named the Three Towers, and which we often fee reprefented in his lar dfcapes. His village feafts, games, and ruftic amusements were all defigned from nature, and caught in the happy moment of rural fellivity, when the "fcorns fuperfluous aid." The attitudes of his characters are ever diverfifed, and the eye is never fated with dull formality, as in the grouping of mere academical figures. Though he pafled much of his time with these rufties, it is not to be understood they were his affociates. His houfe was magnificent, where gentlemen of the country, crouds of artifts, and amateurs conftantly met, and tendered every flattering mark of their high refpect and admiration of his talents.”

The descriptions of cabinets are neither full nor fatisfactory: every thing but pictures Mr. Ireland faw in hafte. Of the plates we can give no fpecimen; but we must not leave this pleafing performance without mentioning that there is a reprefentation of the Baftile as it was demolishing, and a very picturefque view of the National Assembly at Paris.

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1

A Sta

A Statistical View of Germany, in Refpect to the Imperial and Territorial Conftitutions, Forms of Government, Legislation, Adminiftration of Justice, and Ecclefiaftical State; with a Sketch of the Character and Genius of the Germans, and a fhert Enquiry into the State of their Trade and Commerce. By Thomas B. Clarke. 8vo. Boards. Dilly.

45.

A Defire of private information, we are told, firft prompted

the author to collect the materials of this work, which he now lays before the public in the hope of being useful to others. The fubje&t of Mr. Clarke's inquiries is undoubtedly interesting to every person who would obtain a competent knowledge of the political state of Germany. As he feems to have conducted them with great care and attention, and to have had recourse to oral, as well as to written authorities, we cannot question the general accuracy of his obfervations and statements; and with - refpect to the manner in which he exhibits them, we must every where fubfcribe to the perfpicuity of his arrangement. The author fets out with a view of the ancient outlines of the German empire, which he defcribes with an agreeable concifenefs; neither entering deeply into detail, nor remotely into the caufes of the fucceffive forms which the German conftitution has affumed. We are glad that Mr. Clarke, either fortunately or prudently, has declined fuch a detail, as it has lately been given with great precifion in profeffor Putter's Historical Developement.' But it may be proper to give our readers a fpecimen of the narrative.

Thus, in Germany, tibes who were wild as their deserts, and untamed as their beafts, were brought under fubjection by the establishment of mona chy. But again, the regulations of the monarch became a rot of power that over fhadowed his own authority for the offic al instruments of administration collected n importance, wherewith they trampled on the initutions that drew them into existence, and fh ok the throne with its own delegated way. Thas debility often borrows a portion from bound fs fir ngth, and thifts the feene trom yielding fubmiffion to prevailing power.

However, after violent and various agitations of alternate vict ry and defeat, the conftitution of the German empire has fettled on a centre of elective and limited monarchy. But its constituent ftates exhibit a circle of government, that compre. hends the entire feries from tyranny to democracy. The pow er of monarchy is difarmed of defporifm, but the liberty of ariftocracy is not fully reftrained from licentioufnefs; while executive duties and imperial privileges have been clearly marked out for the one, and intermediate and independent importance between the fovereign and the peopic hath been frongly fecur

ed

ed to the other. But the democratical states prove that the forms of free, poffefs the ends of abfolute, government. Ty-ranny and flavery, infolence and fubmiflion prevail, instead of the good of fubordination, or the ideal happiness of republican equality.'

Mr. Clarke next recites the origin of the electoral dignity, with the election of the emperor, and the king of the Romans. He afterwards delineates the relation between the emperor and, the ftates of the empire, and defcribes the rights of the former. From thefe fubjects, he proceeds to give an account of the diet, the imperial chamber, Aulic council, origin of the circles, territorial government, origin of free towns, the ecclefiaftical state, of the empire, particular adminiftration of Hanover, and the character and genius of the Germans. On the last of these, he makes the following juft and candid obfervations:

Government, laws, and religion, as they improve, muft efface in all nations the traces of barbarity. But ftrong as is the hand of time, fome prominent features of the German cha racter, noble and commanding, remain unaltered.

From the age of Cæfar to the prefent period, they have not degenerated from their ancellors in hofpitality towards ftrangers, or fortitude against their enemies. Steady and perfevering, they have, with bravery equal to their fidelity, evinced their attachment toward their fovercigns. Exalted with

the fpirit of liberty, or fired with the love of country, they have advanced through the thunder, unftained by the cruelty

of war.

In the operations of the mind they are faid to be more laborious than bright, more imitative than inventive; but let us look back to the origin of printing, and of gunpowder, of etching and engraving, of the air pump, &c. &c. before we yield affent to this characterstic.

As to letters, in no nation is learning fo generally diffused or more highly honoured. And from this literary protection and emulation proceeds that univerfal thirst for knowledge, which prompts the Germans to fludy all languages, and render into their own, every improvement which is made in every art and science by every nation; whereby the German is now become the key to univer al literature.

As to the polite arts, in mufic they ftand unrivalled. When Handel tuned his ftrains to the Meffiah, he raised an altar to himfelf, on which he confecrated their fame.

If we consider the Low Countries as conflituting part of Germany, in which empire they formerly we e included, its claim to celebrity in painting is undeni by fupported by the Flemish fchool. But though it be not admited that the Netherlands fhould at this day be comprehended in any view of Germany, and thould the Flemith fchool refufe to impart its rays of fame, and caft a luftre upon Germany, yet its highest

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claims