ed it. Medicine they reduced to fuch a form, that, till within these few years, it was the model to which we looked up with veneration, and to which ages were almost afraid to add any thing, left they should contaminate the fimple majefty of the original. Their metaphyfics we fhall leave to the defence of lord Monboddo; it is at leaft fufficient for us to obferve, that it contains the foundation of all the modern systems of logic and ontology: the author's conclufion is, however, candid. To conclude: the inconfiderable territory of which we have been treating, was certainly the nursery of great and eminent ftatefmen; of accomplished generals, and deep and fubtle philofophers; the unrivalled patronefs, if not the parent, of va rious arts and fciences; but farther than this, candour forbids us to go. That she was the fource of knowledge cannot be admitted. Her claim to perfection in what the undertook is indifputable; and with this we will let her reft: for to say that the has not been equalled, would be erroneous. Experience in a fucceffion of years, diffufed fuch light over the ancient, as it fince hath over the modern world, that with a distinguished, though not with a pre-eminent, rank among the kingdoms of the earth, the and her admirers may certainly be fatisfied.' The European nations are foon furveyed; and, as Akbur is lefs minute in his detail, and lefs original in his obfervations, we shall pass them over, and only notice one strange, but general error, that the world is lefs populous now than it was two thousand years ago. This is a part of the system of those who perceive an increafing depravity in all nature's works; who think the cheering light and genial warmth of the fun leffened, that the face of nature looks lefs gay, and that every thing feems to fhow a decaying world. It is not eafy to demonftrate the error of our author; but that it is an error is highly probable, from the vast tracts now fully populated, which were once deferts, and, from the comparatively small ones that have been deferted. We now speak of what actually happened, and will not admit as evidence, the vast armies of Sefoftris or of Xerxes, thofe pious frauds, with which we have been hitherto amufed. We must now take our leave of this entertaining author, who indeed often errs, but feldom on fubjects of importance. We have not stayed to enumerate his errors; for even to follow his fteps more generally, has detained us too long. He is always candid and benevolent. He accompanies us with fmiles and good humour, except when he meets with inhu manity or ingratitude; even then the frowns are foon fmoothed, and he goes cheeringly along. In short, we have feldom met with a more pleafing companion. An [10] An Enquiry into the Fine Arts. By Thomas Robertson, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 4to. 1. 1s. in Boards. Cadell. THERE is an aukwardness in the title of this work which The prejudices the reader against it; and the prejudice is ftronger. as the fubject ought to be elegantly treated. author himself. obferves, that useful books may be written in a mode that is minute and abftrufe, as well as in one that is general and plain.' He prefers the latter, and thinks that a treatife on the Fine Arts ought to rife with the fubject, and、 fpeak to the audience of all mankind.' We entirely agree with him in opinion; but, if this was his aim, he has not been very fuccefsful in attaining it. To pafs by minute object, but to treat of great ones minutely, is a fecret in fine writing in general, which feems to have been known only to a few. To pursue this plan, requires an acute judgment, and an exact difcrimination: our future remarks will afcertain how far the author is qualified for the task. Mr. Robertfon profefles, in the firft volume, to enquire into the ancient and modern ftate of mufic, as the chief of the fine arts which apply to the ear.' He chufes to begin with modern mufic, which is the fubject of the firft chapter; the fecond is on ancient mufic; the third contains fpeculations on mufic; and the fourth, fifth, and fixth, the hiftory of the fcience. Thefe are followed by a poftfcript on the mufic of the South Sea iflanders; and the whole is preceded by an introductory difcourfe. The author, in his introduction, thinks that the love of ornament, the paffion on which the fine arts are founded, precedes the gratification of natural appetites. The traveller, arriving in countries where the people were in the rudeft ftate, where they hardly knew how to dress food, or keep off the weather, has always remarked a paffion for finery. The favage is indolent; to look out for his daily nourishment, feems a force upon his nature: but fhew him a toy, and he will ufe prayers, or fraud, or violence, to obtain it. În the favage ftate, the ftudy of fine things has always been greater than of things that are neceffary,' He feems to forget that the favage muft exist before he can defire; and that he cannot exift without fatisfying hunger. But to go on. It is vain to enquire into the order of the arts of neceffity and of pleasure; which firft, which laft, made their appearance. They appeared both upon the fame day, the moment men exifted. Fully formed by the hands of God, man fet his foot upon the earth; but his fteps were left to his own guid ance, ance, and his road to his own direction. While the arts of amufement and of fubfiftence were thus born together, the former appear to have been foon eft advanced. Nature 'gave caves to lavage men to retire to; and more food, with little coft of time in acquiring it, than they could ufe. Hence the neceffary arts, after making a few steps, foon became ftationary for ages; till, at length, population encreafing the demand for food, men were under the neceffity to invent, to migrate, or to ftarve. It was not fo with the other arts. Men had little to do but to practise them. Ages of idleness were beftowed upon them. Rude people learned to dance, before they could hew timber, or fhape ftone: they painted their bodies long before they clothed them: while the palate had little choice of meats and drinks, the eye was courted with fhining ores, and fhells, and feathers: while the hand had yet to learn its cunning, the ear toiled not to relifh fweet melody. The arts of pleasure, in fuch times indeed, are in a mot imperfect ftate; yet it is to these arts chiefly, that rude ages are devoted. If there be men bufied about neceffaries more than about any other things, it is the bulk of men in the most refined times: it is the ftupid labourer and mechanic: it is the merchant at his books: it is the liberal and learned themfelves, amid the tasks of study and the functions of office; their pleasures, properly fo called, being fnatched at intervals; for all their other amusement, however genuine, arifes merely from their being employed. The favage dreffes, dances, and fings.' In this paffage, the opinion is much limited; and, if the author had proceeded a little farther in the enquiry, he would have found the refult fo obvious, that the whole would probably have been excluded from the work. The amusements of the favage are certainly the origin of the fine arts; but it is of little confequence whether they preceded or followed the gratification of hunger. It would have been a more important fubject of enquiry, to have examined the favage ftate in general, and to have obferved in what circumstances thefe amufements are most frequent. Many favages, after fatisfying their appetites, fink into the moft torpid infenfibility, till new calls rouse them into action. In this investigation, fomething might have been found to be owing to climate, not as a caufe influencing a particular contexture of the nervous system; but as inviting its inhabitants into the open air, and inspiring a placid chearfulness. This view would not indeed have explained every particular occurrence, nor is it our prefent object to fupply defects. Mr. Robertfon next examines the commonly received principle, that the fine arts are imitative. He denies that they are fo; and mufic ought, he thinks, to be particularly ex cepted. An Enquiry into the Fine Arts. By Thomas Robertfon, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 4to. 1. 15. in Boards. Cadell. THERE is an aukwardness in the title of this work which prejudices the reader against it; and the prejudice is fronger, as the fubject ought to be elegantly treated. The author himself. obferves, that useful books may be written in a mode that is minute and abftrufe, as well as in one that is general and plain.' He prefers the latter, and thinks that a treatife on the Fine Arts ought to rife with the fubject, and、 fpeak to the audience of all mankind.' We entirely agree with him in opinion; but, if this was his aim, he has not been very fuccessful in attaining it. To pafs by minute object, but to treat of great ones minutely, is a fecret in fine writing in general, which feems to have been known only to a few. To pursue this plan, requires an acute judgment, and an exact difcrimination: our future remarks will afcertain bow far the author is qualified for the task. Mr. Robertfon profefles, in the first volume, to enquire into the ancient and modern state of music, as the chief of the fine arts which apply to the ear.' He chufes to begin with modern mufic, which is the fubject of the first chapter; the fecond is on ancient mufic; the third contains fpeculations on mufic; and the fourth, fifth, and fixth, the history of the fcience. These are followed by a poftfcript on the mufic of the South Sea iflanders; and the whole is preceded by an introductory difcourfe. The author, in his introduction, thinks that the love of ornament, the paffion on which the fine arts are founded, precedes the gratification of natural appetites. The traveller, arriving in countries where the people were in the rudeft ftate, where they hardly knew how to drefs food, or keep off the weather, has always remarked a paffion for finery. The favage is indolent; to look out for his daily nourifhment, feems a force upon his nature: but fhew him a toy, and he will ufe prayers, or fraud, or violence, to obtain it. Ín the favage ftate, the ftudy of fine things has always been greater than of things that are neceffary.' He feems to forget that the favage muft exift before he can defire; and that he cannot exift without fatisfying hunger. But to go on. It is vain to enquire into the order of the arts of neceffity and of pleasure; which firft, which laft, made their appearance. They appeared both upon the fame day, the moment men exifted. Fully formed by the hands of God, man fet his foot upon the earth; but his fteps were left to his own guid ance, amplement and of italience were thus bere colt of time in acquiring it, than they come in in umes indeed, are in a mi sm arg inatened at intervan Stege crees, cance. ir tu pallage, the ELSE: BLC procecart a 2 |