the Indians who are forced by the Coribes to fly from the slavery of the Dutch."

In the additional matter respecting Mexico we find a newly methodized arrangement of the work of Humboldt. The condensed mass of information respecting the head seat of government of the Spanish colonies, and the statistical detail of its powers and resources, is what here principally merits attention.

But we must not suppose that the Spanish possessions form the only part of the American Dictionary which give it a claim to our notice, although present circumstances naturally attract our principal attention to this part of the work. The information on Canada is even more elaborate and diffuse than that of some of the Spanish colonies already quoted. In fact, the history of our own possessions in North America, together with an account of their productions, no less interesting to the merchant than to the statesman, is brought down to the present day, as far as we can judge, by authorities and from sources of information by no means of general access. The history and geography of the United States is evidently corrected and enlarged by the incorporation of almost the whole of the information contained in Morse. We could wish to have subjoined some extracts to shew the exactness with which the imports and exports of the West India islands have been arranged, especially as we are informed by the author in his advertisement, that they were made out by authority; but these, together with a minute consideration of many other parts of this voluminous production, we must, for want of room, refer to some future occasion. Scattered over

the voluminous mass, we have observed inaccuracies of language and inelegancies of style, some articles extended beyond all reasonable length, and others of such crippled disproportions as not merely to be destructive of symmetry, but to produce an appearance of mutilation.

What appears to be peculiar in Mr. Thompson's method, is, that in treating of the several kingdoms and governments of the new world, he has scarcely, in any instance, save in some of the British West India islands, followed an uniform plan of delineation. He, nevertheless, appears to shew in most cases a great fastidiousness in his method of arranging his information from the numerous authors from whom he may have derived it, and in many cases where he might have saved himself much labour by translating verbatim and in continuation, he has thought fit to annul the existing arrangement, and to serve up his communications after his own fashion and fancy. We must not call him a poacher, for he seizes with what we should denominate unblushing effrontery, and without any appearance of re

morse or compunction, as well on foreign as domestic publications, complacently makes use of them whenever he thinks it expedient, as if they had been written solely and expressly with a view to his assistance; and seems to feel himself as safe and protected in his avocations as a waterman bearing the badge of some fire-office in the presence of a press-gang. He however, "I shall not fail, in justice to those writers to whom I am so much indebted, to give, in the preface, a list of my authorities, as well as of the original documents to which I may have had access."-An avowal, by the by, with which if those writers be satisfied, it is not for us to be offended.

says,

ART XXV.-Christian Morals. By Hannah More. London: Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies.

1813.

A SOLEMN subject and a beaten path have but little attractions for the general reader. We have been corrected, admonished, lectured, reproved, and exhorted in so many ways; ingenuity has exhausted itself through so many channels in dif fusing the precepts of virtue, and the lessons of Christian piety; and, after all, the Scriptures themselves so abound in persuasives to whatever is comprehended under the catholic appellation of charity, that we cannot, without a weariness which we feel remorse in avowing, listen to the dull propounders of undeniable truths many thousand years old, and many thousand times repeated. When things are in this state, nothing is more ardently to be desired than that these topics should fall into the hands of a real genius, capable of renewing their graces and attractions by immersing them afresh in the colours of heaven. For this task Mrs. Hannah More has shewn herself to be the person of all the writers of the present time best fitted and accomplished. If we are judged to be extreme in this eulogy, we desire to be informed where there is another instance of a writer, who, producing almost year after year volumes entirely devoted to the recommendation and illustration of Christian morality, has yet contrived to command an increasing attention from the public. Whenever she waves her wand, the barriers are levelled which protect folly and impiety from the invasion of truth, and an entrance is opened for religion into countries where she is, at least, sure to astonish the natives; and may, possibly, give a new

impulse towards inquiry and discovery. To a lady that, at an advanced age, can do this at her pleasure, we most willingly offer our humble tribute of admiration.

The title of the volumes now before us does not, in substance, differ from that of her last work; but if, by varying her phrases to express the same thing, she can deceive herself into writing again and again upon the same subject, and cheat the lightminded into reading her again and again for fashion-sake, we care not how often the pious fraud is practised. It seems probable that, had she the life of a patriarch, she could, without exhausting herself, mark each year of her existence with some fresh expansion and decoration of Christian verity and duty.

In a former number we have entered very fully into the merits of Mrs. More's work on " Practical Piety," and we then thought it seasonable to introduce some observations upon the flippant censures with which some of us reviewers, under the appearance of sober criticism, had thought fit to arraign her sentiments and her judgment, and the character of her piety. We doubted, at that time, whether it was sufficiently complimentary to this lady, to enter into any thing like a defence of her against persons who betrayed, in every line, their ignorance of the subject of which they were treating. It would be almost ridiculous to enter any more into a vindication of one whom nothing but the envy of her talents, and insensibility to her worth, has ever exposed to obloquy. Her works, which will live as long as literature lasts, are in array to defend every tenet of her religion, and every maxim of her morality against misrepresentation, mistake, or perversion; and, perhaps, there never was an author who stood less in need of comment, and less in dread of criticism. The real truth is, and we trust we shall have some credit for the confession, that Mrs. More may smile at all that any of us re viewers may say either for or against her. Declining as she is in age, and probably feeble in frame from frequent attacks of indispo sition, were she yet in a frolic of intellectual supremacy to assume the office of reviewer, her vigorous pen would soon thin our ranks, and send one half of us starving to our desks and counters and pulpits for support; which, to carry our candour a step further, might not be much amiss, all things considered. If any thing like this should ever happen, if the sacred duty of insurrection,' when conducted by such a leader, should prove too strong for our usurped authority, we venture to hope that our early anticipation of it will prove our protection; and that in the re

* Vol. II

volutionary convulsion of the critical empire, those may be the earliest victims who have been furiously valiant agaiust" feeble old ladies," and have, on former occasions, threatened to "draw blood from them at every line," sparing neither sex nor age in the days of their sanguinary prosperity. If such a moment shall arrive, we presume to expect, that if any of these tyrants shall be found to belong to a profession of peace and piety, they will have no title to mercy on that account.

We shall comprize what we have to say upon this work on "Christian Morals" in a very few words. It is, at least, equal to the former work on "Practical Piety," (of which we gave a very detailed opinion in our second number,) in sprightliness, ease, and vigour of writing, and, to speak in the language of some of our sage newspaper-editors, we are very happy to observe that our suggestions and hints have been attended to in respect to the style which we ventured to accuse of being redundant in metaphor. The present work is greatly purer in that respect, especially the second volume, which is so thickly sown with spirited, acute, and wise observation, that we are really puzzled in the selection of extracts. What we are able to produce by way of specimen will be much less than the interests of our readers require, and we have only to lament that our room will not allow us to enrich this article as we could wish. We will, however, give no more of ourselves, that the reader may have more of the author. If any have ever imputed bigotry or a spirit of intolerance to this excellent lady, we conjure them to read and study with an earnestness of attention; short only of that which they are directed to bring to the sacred writings, the following passage.

"If we were to pursue prejudice through all its infinite variety, we should never have done with the inexhaustible subject. Observation presents to us followers of truth of a very different cast, though their uniform object be the same. These persons, while they sometimes seek her temple by different paths, are yet oftener kept wide of each other by words than by things. Whatever, indeed, be the separating principle, prejudice is always carried to its greatest height by the impatience of the too fiery on the one hand, and the contempt of the too frigid on the other. But both, as we observed, maintain their distance more by certain leading terms by which each is fond to be discriminated, and by an intolerance in each to the terms adopted by the other, than by any radical distinction which might fairly keep them asunder. Now we do not wish them to relinquish the use of their peculiar terms, because they either do, or should designate to their minds the most important characters of religion. The Christian should neither shrink from his own strong hold, nor treat with repulsive disdain him whe

appears earnest in his approaches towards it, though he has not as yet, through some prejudice of education, sought it in a direct way. There are many terms, such as faith and grace, and others which might be mentioned, which subject the more advanced Christian to the imputation of enthusiasm and the charge of cant. These, however, are words which are the signs of things on which his eternal hopes depend, and he uses them, even though he may sometimes do it unseasonably, yet not as the Shibboleth of a pro fession, but because there are no others exactly equivalent to their respective meanings. In fact, if he did not use them when occasion calls, he would be deserting his colours, and be making a compromise, to the ruin of his conscience.

"But let him not in return fall too heavily on what are, to his ear, the obnoxious terms of his adversary. Let him not be so forward to consider the terms virtue and rectitude as implying heresies that must be hewn down without mercy; as substantives which must never find a place in the Christian's lexicon. They are not only very innocent but very excellent words, if he who utters them only means to express, by virtue, those good works which are the fruits of a right faith; and by rectitude, that unbending principle of equity and justice which designates the confirmed Christian. The abuse of these terms may, indeed, make the adversary a little afraid of using them, as the unnecessary multiplication of ordinary cases in which the more scriptural terms are pressed into the service, may make the less advanced Christian unreasonably shy of obtruding them.

"But why must we vilify in others what we are cautious of using ourselves in order to magnify what we chuse to adopt? We should rather be glad that those who somewhat differ from us, come so near as they do; that they are more religious than we expected; that if they are in error, they are not in hostility; or if seemingly averse, it is more to the too indiscriminate and light use of the opponent's terms, than to the sober reception of the truths they convey. Let us be glad, even at the worst, to see opposition mitigated, differences brought into a narrower compass. Let us not encounter as leaders of hostile armies, but try what can be done by negotiation, though never, of course, by concession in essentials. If the terms virtue and rectitude are used to the exclusion of faith and grace, or as substitutes for them, it may afford an opening for the pious advocate to shew the difference between the principle and its consequence, the root and its produce. He should charitably remember, that it is one thing for an honest enquirer to come short of truth, and another for a petulant caviller to wander wide of it. It is one thing to err through mistake or timidity, and another to offend through wilfulness and presumption. If the enquirer be of the former class, only deficient and not malignant, he may be brought to feel his deficiency, and is often in a very improveable state. It would, therefore, be well to let him see that you think him right as far as he goes, but that he does not go to the bottom,

VOL. IV. NO. VIII.

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