Review of New Publications. Tny of Ayle. A fimilar motive appears to have encouraged him to revive the ancient practice of compofing fpeeches for his generals and statesmen; a circumftance which, as eloquence once formed a powerful engine both of avar and government, renders his work a more faithful picture, than it could otherwise have been, of the times and manners which he defcribes. In quit ting the beaten track pursued by the most approved English and French hif, 'torians (for thofe of other nations ftill follow the example of antiquity), Dr. G. feems fully aware, that much circumfpection was neceffary, and that the boldness of the defign could only be Juftified by the vigour of execution. His fpeeches, therefore, are feasonably introduced, compofed with uncommon elegance, and, for the most part, diftine guished by a pregnant brevity. (To be continued.} 20. Ancient Scotish Poems. 2 vols. 8vo. MR. PINKERTON, the very learned and ingenious editor of thefe volumes, has, we believe, frequently claimed the attention of the publick; and, from the likeness which the prefent publication bears to the extraordimary Letters of Literature," we cannot be at a lofs to determine their ori gin. Genius, eccentricity, learning, impiety, and faftidioufness, and each in an eminent degree, which characterifed his laft performance, are alfo confpicuous in this. Here he again launches selum imbelle, fine idu, against the vene. rable volume of our faith. On this Subject we will extract the following paffage : "Bayle, I think, fomewhere tells us, that it is the opinion of the "wifeft rabbins, and who fhould cer"tainly be the beft judges of this book, that it was wholly written by Efdras, "who lived about 480 years before "Chrift, the laws of Mofes being tra"ditionally preferved by the priests." We do not undertake to say that this paffage is not in Bayle, but are more inclined to believe that it arifes from what is faid on this fubject in Moreri (Art. ESPRAS), where the opinion re lated by Mr. P. is treated as a vulgar error. Of the compilation and corrections of Efdras or Ezra (for he is well known by both of thofe names) the Univerfal Hiftory fpeaks, in the account of the Jews, where our author will find a full and rational antwer to his objections. It is a melancholy confideration 147 that Mr. P, who wins his toilfome "way" through many an obfcure author, whofe works can neither inform the understanding nor recreate the mind, is yet content to receive, on truft, and from hearfay, fubjects of the highest nature, and the weightieft concernment. If he has not faith to believe the teftimonies of the great and learned of every age, he has ability to investigate their foundation, gifted as he is with a vigorous mind, whofe quick perception, and unyielding perfeverance will open to him every fource of human knowledge. I decus! I noftrum melioribus utere fatis. The Poems now prefented to the publick were found in the Pepyfian collection in Magdalen College, Cambridge, whence they have been redeemed by the patient diligence of the Editor; and they now appear with every advantage that tafte, and learning, and labour can give them. The liberality and kindnefs which facilitated the Edi tor's access to the MSS. receive and merit his grateful acknowledgments. We will now hope that public libraries will be no longer the fepulchres of learning. Prefixed to the Poems is "An Effay "on the Origin of Scotifh Poetry," fubje& which confequently includes a hiftory of the origin of thote three nations, Picts, Britons, and Scots, who anciently poffeffed that country called Scotland. The firft are faid to have come from Belgic Gaul, or from the country immediately North of it; the fecond from Scandinavia, and the third from Ireland, the ancient Scotia, a name which, fays the learned Uther, it retained till the 14th century. Our author then proceeds to treat on Celtic Poetry in Scotland, in the courie of which he makes the following able remarks on the fabject of Offian. "No fragments of BRITISH poetry in Scotland are to be found. Many fpecimens of IRISH poetry in Scotland have been publithed; but none older than a century or two. Tranflations have alfo appeared; but, in general, of no fidelity. Thofe of the defervedly drawn much of the public attenpoems afcribed to Offian, in particular, have tion; but they will only milead any reader who wishes to form an idea of Celtic poetry. Viewed in their proper light, as original productions, they do the author the greatest credit and let him enjoy his fame, for it will be immortal. Confidered as a man of genius he is as much to be admired, as pitied if be held 148 Review of New Publications. held as a man of learning. He perverts his believes Offian to have flour shed about the Dr. Blair, a man above all fufpicion, produces at the end of his Differtation on Offian a cloud of witnefies, and most of them highly respectable, to the tradition of particular parts, ray poems. Does this prove their antiquity? It rather proves that fome paffages, really traditional, were written but a century or two ago, and fresh in 'the memory. The fact is, that the later bards neglected old ditties for their own productions; uft as we fee Corelli and Handel paffing into Slence, because every fidier is a compofer, Befide, the memory is a moft fallacious en "Ptolemy places the Silva Caledonia of Scotland, or valt forest une, or above the Caledonians. The whole ancient geographers were fo ignorant of Scotland, as to make it bend its extent back to the eaft in stead of going due north. Heuce the utg of Ptolemy evidently means the wettern parts. Ptolemy alfo tells us, that the Sylva Caledo nia ftretched from the Lelamonius Lacus, or Loch Lomond, to the fum Fararis, or Invernefs: that is, comprized all Argyle and in vernefs fhires." gine, and will often deceive a man grossly. That the poems are in the general fiyle of the Gallic pieces is undoubted; and a fimilarity of language, and of melancholy incidents and metaphors, might lead a perfon of the ftrongeft memory to ftrange mistakes with regard to the identity of the poems. Gentlemen of the highlands of Scotland, with whom 'I have conversed on the subject, affured me, that they looked upon nine-tenths of Mr. Macpherson's work as his own: and upon the other tenth as so much changed by him, that all might be regarded as of his compofition. But how old are the traditional parts ? It feems ftrangely fuppofed by the affertors of Offian, that, if the works afcribed to him were allowed traditional, they must be allowed fourteen centuries old! Who fhall trace them from century to century? If MSS. do exist of the Fifteenth Century, does this prove them written in the Fourth? Is all antiquity a mere huddled heap in the ideas of thefe gentlemen? Produce one MS. of the Sixth century, and we will believe: for, jn fo ftrange a cafe, nothing but the strongeft proof will do. It was quite ufual with the old Scot th, and other poets, to write poems in the name of other perfons. Olian may always be regarded as merely an interlocutor, introduced by various Galic writers, to heighten the reverence of their auditors; but to fuppofe him the author of every piece under his name were abfurd. There are pohtive reafons which convince me, that not one of the poems given to Offian, and probably not one paffage of them, is older than the Fifteenth century. We know from charters, &c. that wolves were quite frequent in Scotland down to that period. Now Offian does not once mention wolves; which is not to be fuppofed, had an animal fo violent and mifchievous been at all known to him. Boars are in the fame predicament. The battle-ax, now foolishly called celt*, was one of the commoneft weapons of the ancient Celts: how comes it not once mentioned by Ofían,” The third fection of the Ellay treats on Pictish or Scandinavian Poetry in Scotland; the fourth on Scotifh Poetry, whofe ftream, our author obferves, was formed from the feveral fources of Britifh, Irish, and Pictish fong, but chiefly from the latter. A Lift of all the Scotish Poets, with brief remarks on each, follows this Effay'; thofe, however, who wrote in Latin, are omitted; "for it certainly were no lofs," fays our author, "if all the works of modern La"tin poets were thrown into the flames, without excepting thofe of Buchanan." This decifion is fomewhat extraordinary, but will not, we think, fully the fame of the poet of Scotland, who has Review of New Publications. been graced with the highest poetic honours by the common confent of the learned. Pere Bourbon, as is mentioned by Menage, would rather have Written Buchanan's Verfion of the Pfalms than to have poffeffed the archbishoprick of Paris. The collection from whence the Poems now before us were taken was formed by Sir Richard Maitland, whose family, in the perfon of his grandfon, was raised to the earldom of Lauder dale. The firft poem, intituled, King Hart, is by Gawin Douglas, Bishop of Dunkild, the celebrated tranflator of Virgil; then follow the works of William Dunbar, born 1465, the chief of the ancient Scotifh poets. Many of thefe are highly poetical, and when we confider the period in which he lived, and the rude uncivilifed ftate of his countrymeb, we fhall contemplate his works not only with delight but with aftonishment. What fuavity of numbers, and what beautiful imagery, do we find in the following poem! "MEDITATIOUN, writtin in WYNTIR. Into thir dirk and drublie dayis, Quhan fabill all the hevin arrayis, Quhan myftie vapours cludds the skyis, Nature all curage me denyis Of fangs, ballatis, and of playis. Quhas that the nycht dois lenthin houris; With wind, with haill, and havy fchouris, My dulé fpreit dois lurk for fchoir. My hairt for langour dois forloir, For laik of Symmer with his flouris. I wak; I turne; feip may I nocht: I vexit am with havie thocht," This warld all ouir Ţ caft about And ay the mair I am in dout, The mair that I remeid have focht. "I am aflayit on everie syde. Difpair fayis ay, In tyme provyde; And get fum thing quhairon to leif. Or with grit trouble and mifcheif Thow fall into this court abyde. « Than Patieuce fayis, Be na agaft: Hald hoip and treuthe within the faft; And lat Fortoun wirk furthe hir rage, Quhan that no rafoun may affuage, "Quhill that hir glas be run and past. "And Prudence in my eir fays ay, Quby wald you hald what will away? *Or craif what yow may have no fpace [To bruik, as] to an uther place A journay going every day?' “And than fayis Age, 'My friend cum neir; And be not ftrange, I thé requeir. Cum, brüdir, by the hand me tak : "Remember thow hes compt to mak Of all the tyme thow spendit heir.? Yit quhan the nicht begynnis to fchort It dois my fpreit fum pairt confort, Of thocht oppreffit with the fchouris. Cum, luftie Symmer! with thi flouris, That I may leif in fum difport. 149 Quod Dunbar The remaining part of this volume and the whole of the other contains the works of various poets, of unequal ́ merit; fome of them excellent, and none, we think, unworthy of publication: and at the end of the Ild volume we find copious Notes, a Gloffary, with an Appendix, giving an account of the whole contents, for the prefent publication is a felection from the whole, of the two Maitland MSS. In the courfe of the work various other publications are propofed and promifed, amongft which' is à Refutation of the Arguments of Tytler and Stuart in favour of Mary Queen of Scots, A general Gloffary of the Scotifh Language, Lives of the an cient Scotifh Saints, Editions of ancient Scotifh Foets, &c. &c. We are forry to see our author fo often digrefs to attack both books and men of high fame and credit, What effect can proceed from fuch light and defultory attacks? For a few hard words and bitter hints have not the magic art to diffolve the folid structure of established reputation. To the great Dr. Johnfon not one fingle fpecies of literary merit is allowed, and his acknowledged piety is only introduced to be ridiculed; the witticifm which our author condefcends to use for this purpofe has had many mafters (fee Beattie on Ludicrous Compofition). But we will turn to a brighter part of the volume, where Mr. P. acknowledges himself the author of the Second Part of Hardyknute," written when he was only eighteen years of age! a work which alone would give him an eminent ftation amongst the poets of his native country. As for his fecret, he fays, he has obferved the Horatian precept, Nonum prematur in annum. If he had extended this precept to the publication of his other works, how much fruitless remo:fe had been spared him! how Review of New Publications. 150 We will conclude our remarks on thefe volumes with a beautiful Scotifh Sonnet by Mr. P, addreffed to a redbreast, who ufually regaled him with his fong while' employed in copying these poems. "'S ONE T. To a rudec, quba, fittand on a linden in the back courte of Magdalen College, Cambridge, conRauntly treited the Editour with bis fange gubyle emplogit in copying thir Poemes, Nov. 1784. "Sweit menftral, quha fra that bair linden neir, Werbleft thy notes November's blafts amang, For, as the lonely monathren his fang is And quhat mair murnful chance can mortals hae Than thair minds fruits, and haly fame, to tyne? But ceis! Nae mair is Fortoun now thair fae: And Fame may chance a gracious eir inclyne," 1. Memoirs of the Literary and Philofophic Society of Manchefter. 2 Vol. 800. OF this valuable publication a fpecie men appears in p. 103. It shall be res fumed at more leifure. "This bird is found in England, and is vulgarly, but very foolishly, called the Soliary Sparrow. It is nearly of the bignels of blackbird, of the fame fhape, and not much different in colour. The cock is moft beau tiful, being all over of a fhining blue, or bluith purple, and very gloffy. It ufually fits alone on the tops of old buildings, and roofs of churches, finging very fweetly, efpecially in a morning. Two other kinds of this bird are found in the Archipelago, where they fing among the ruined temples, &c. the one of a dark afh colour, in great efteem at Contantinople, as a finging bird: the other red with a blue head; the back and wings variegated with blue and red; the breaft, lower belly, and tail, gold; the bill and feet black. See Brookes's very fenfible Natural Hiftory, Vol. II. Thefe birds are claffed with thrufhes, but are fmaller, and form a genus by themselves. As they are found in Greece, a Greek name is given them, from povas, unicus, Denyew, cantus lugubres edo. The editor cannot help expreffing furprize, that fo fingular a bird is an utter ftranger to our Doers." 22. BIBLIOTHECA TOPOGRAPHIca Brid TANNICA. NO XXXIII. Containing Tw Differtations on the Brass Inftruments called Celts, and other Arms of the Ancients, found in this Ifland. By the Rev. James Dou glas, F. A. S. 419. EMPIRICISM in fcience is not new in this country, nor confined to it.The Author of this Number, who brings out of his treafures things new and old, has treated us with a curious instance of it, in the walk of antiquity. The tract is addreffed to the Prefi dent of the Society of Antiquaries, but, wanting the ufual forms of, addrefs, may fuit any prefident of that learned body, paft, prefent, and to come. If we can understand the drift of the preface, it fhould feem the Effay met with as civil a repulfe as a well-bred Society could give it. 1 L.: As the purpose of this tract is to throw new lights on those dark infru, ments commonly called the Celts, the first instance adduced is a figure of a bull treading on the "executive part of "the inftrument, which in fhape is "precifely that which, according to BeUnder the ger, we call a celt." bull's belly are fome religious, magical, or ornamental marks: the horns are fhort, and like Ethofe of] the bull or dained for facrifice, pruned for the purpofe. On the back of the animal is lacrymatory, or club. So much for the defeription of this inftrument, which was found, fome time or other, fomewhere near Canterbury, and is believed to have been first in the poffeffion of the late Mr. Scott, of Chigwell in Effex, a man of learning and tafe, but too apt to mislead reflecting antiquaries by his in difcriminate hoarding. A pretty Canterbury tale, and worthy to be impofed on and believed by Mr. S. of Chigwell in Effex. According to Beger, we call it a Celt. Did Beger firft teach us what a Celt was? or, rather, did he not firit apply it to fepulchral purposes, as a Are a club and tonecutter's tool? lacrymatory controvertible things? and is it really true that the horns of bulls ordained for facrifice were pruned? But all this is to prove the celt a funereal inftrument; and in two quotations from Tibullus and Horace, in which is not a word of tears, we find tears to have been fhed over thefe facrifices, to appeafe as well as to invoke the manes. It is curious to obferve how this writer applies his quotations. "The ancients were accuftomed to facrifee Review of New Publications. HOR. I Sat. viii. 25." :151 by being deprived of fepulchre, or by any other difgrace? The paffage in the Hebrews, ix. 13, refers to the Mofaic doctrine of expiation; and it is of the greateft importance to the prefent enquiry, that it should be understood as having nothing at all to do with it. After parading about facrifices of bulls and large beafts, our author determines the celt to have been a hatcher appropriated to the facrifices of the minor animals, by which he means sheep; .but if its fize or the little appearance "of its executive power in this refpe" be objected to, "be it then faid to have "been a funeral enfign for the fervice "of the dead; that it was carried in proceffion, or that it obviated the ac"tual facrifice of animals by its being A pleafant reafon is here given for facrificing to Pluto: that it was in order to pacify the manes of those who were deprived of burial rites, and who were fuppofed to be troubled with fpec-depofited fimply with the athes." As tres, or other nocturnal terrors when the latter of these parties must be living, and not fubjects of Pluto's government. How barbarously is Horace cut up in his citation, which should ftand thus: "In the beautiful prophecy of the Sibyl to Eneas on the death of Mifenus" (which, by the by, was only her account of the death of M.) "he is commanded to facrifice black cattle "to Pluto;" but the lines cited are thofe which represent him making this facrifice. well might we reverfe the celt, and fancy it a focket for a funeral candle, as admit the idea of the facrificing inftrument being adopted as a fubftiture for the facrifice itself. But that no ar gument might be loft about this celtic bull (our readers will excufe a pun) we are told the bull was an enfign of the Celtic nation. The following Celts are transferred from facrifical to mechanical purposes. In short, they are applied to three different offices, warlike, mechanical, and fepulchral. They have been found with Roman coins of Antoninus Auguftus, Divo Conftantio Pio, and Severus Alexander. Conftantius Chlorus, who died 80 years after Severus Alexander, is here put before him. But is this a reafon why the Celts are not the inftruments of barbarous nations? Now for a chef d'œuvre of theologi- In a IId Differtation (in which the eal knowledge: "In St. Paul's Epifle author pathetically laments what all the "to the Hebrews there is a paffage world well knew, the abfurd conduct which feems to relate to a custom of the late Mr. Scott) he refumes the "which the Romans or Jews had of idea of the bull as the fymbol of the "facrificing to the manes which were deity among the Cimbri, the Egyp"polluted by their being deprived [of] tians, and even the Jews, calling in "the honours of sepulchre, or by any M. D'Hankerville to his affiftance, "kind of difgrace. For of the blood of and then rambles back to the use of the bulls and of goats, &c. &c. Whether celt in funeral proceffions, still, how"this paffage relates to the ancient law ever, doubting whether, the inftrument "of the Jezus or the Romans, is of no on the bull's back be a club or a lacry"importance to our enquiry it is well matory. Indeed it is impoffible to run "known that a fimilitude of customs is the mazes through which this writer "obfervable between the Jews and Rb-leads us, over all the fpear-heads of ** mans in respect to facrifice." Will a brafs in the known world, from the celt minifter of the Chriftian religion take 2 upon himfelf affert this conformity between Jewish and Heathén facrifices, or that the Jews knew any thing of facrifices for the dead, whether polluted to Whether the fyftematic D'Ancarville or Hans Carvel "impotent and old," is here, intended, the writer feems to have thrüft "his finger God knows where ! |