not, at leaft, fubfcribe to that faftidious criticifm, which rejects every fact as fabulous, that does not fquare with the measure of modern maxims and theories.' The two preceding paffages will not lead our Readers to give this writer much credit for enlarged views and liberal fentiments. We muft, however, before we take leave of his work, do him the juftice to quote the following obfervations on the fubject of toleration : The perfecutions, to which his [ Abeillard's] doctrinal ideas expofed him, give a ftrong portrait of the times; but it is a portrait, I fear, which, with fome little variation, may be made to reprefent almoft every æra of human existence. Yet we are ftruck when we fee Abeillard before the Council of Soiffons, treated with fuch unmerited feverity, and we feel comfort in the reflection, that we do not live in fo intolerant an age. Comfort we may feel; but he, I think, who with fome attention has obferved the real character even of the prefent times, will be ready to acknowlege that, if they are lefs intolerant, it is not because either their principles or their paffions are different, but becaufe they dare not, or are afhamed, to profefs them. The philofophy of a few, the Chriftian moderation of others, the religious indifference of many, and the modifh vices of more, have gained fo much on the bigotry, the fuperftition, the falfe zeal, the fanaticifm of the multitude, that he who dares to be intolerant is laughed at, and he who would perfecute is ridiculed. Yet what are the points which, in the times I am defcribing, could fo warm the breafts of churchmen, and which, in 1786, would perhaps communicate to the fame order of men an equal portion of holy fire, were the impediments removed, which I have mentioned? View them abftractedly, as they are generally confidered, and it will be found that they regard not the important worship of our Maker, nor the great interests of religion, nor the good of fociety, nor moral worth, nor our own improvement in virtue, juftice, and piety. It has been faid, with fome femblance of truth, that the holy founder of the Chriftian fyftem, therefore expreffed certain doctrines in ambiguous or myfterious language, that men who, he knew, from variety of character, could never adopt unity in belief, might not indeed be free to think as they pleafed, (for his language is fufficiently perfpicuous,) but that, when they differed from one another, they might find indulgence. If fuch was his intention, how much have we ftriven to counteract the wife arrangement? We have quarrelled, and have perfecuted, and have tormented one another, with as much prefumption, and with the fame ftubborn acrimony, even when we owned the matters in litigation were impenetrable to human reason, as if they had been felf-evident principles, or the most obvious maxims in common life. And what is it that can roufe this preternatural zeal? When our intereft is engaged, or the bufinefs comes home to our own feelings, then, I conceive, we may be ardent, we may rush into oppofition, or into faction: but when the object is as remote as earth from heaven; when it conftitutes, perhaps, a part of thofe effential attri butes, which the Deity has pleafed to conceal from us, in the dark 14 abyfs abyfs of his own infinitude; when he has not conftituted us his delegates, to represent his perfon, or to vindicate his rights: why are we arrogantly to erect a tribunal, and call our equals before it? He who made us what we are, would very willingly, I prefume, difpenfe with the forwardness of our zeal, and be more fatisfied, that we lived as men, in the improvement of our own natures, and left the things above us to that administration, the wifdom and beneficence of which are best adapted to the important work.' Though we cannot fay that we clearly understand the whole of this paffage (particularly what is faid concerning an intention, in the holy founder of the Chriftian fyftem, to conceal certain doctrines under ambiguous or myfterious language, which language is, nevertheless, fufficiently perfpicuous), we heartily accede to the general fentiment, and concur with Mr. Berington in reprobating that acrimonious fpirit which theological difputants too commonly discover. In the Advertisement prefixed to this fecond edition of his work, the Author announces this volume as an introduction to the hiftory of the period from the time of Abeillard to the beginning of the fixteenth century, comprehending 350 years. He proposes to complete the whole in two additional volumes, which are to be published feparately. ART. IV. The Microcom, a periodical Work, by Gregory Griffin, of the College of Eton. 8vo. 7s. Boards. Robinfons. 1787. MR R. Gregory Griffin, like his predeceffor the Spectator, and many others of that family, is a Being, poffeffing a compound perfonality;-in other words, the Microcom is for the moft part the joint production of fome ingenious young men of Eton College. With great modefty they speak of themselves as puny authorlings who are fucking the milk of fcience;' had they, however, kept their own counfel, we fhould have concluded, from thefe fpecimens, that they were perfons who had been long feeding on its ftrong meat. Hard indeed muft they have tugged at the breaft of their Alma Mater, rapid muft have been their growth, and proud will the be to call them her children. By way of motto, their work is introduced with this. queftion, Quid vetat et nofmet? which we have ventured thus to tranflate, Why might not young men write a periodical Paper? So far from our having any objection, we thould lament were there any ftatute of prohibition against them in the republic of letters. With pleasure we proclaim them entering the lifts, confident that fome experienced knights would find it no flight-atchievement to break a lance with them. It must be confeffed, that to offer obfervations on human life and manners has generally been confidered as a province be P 2 longing 1 longing to age and grey experience; but we are induced by this work to fuppofe that age and experience have been too prefumptuous in expecting that so very extenfive a field should be abandoned to their frigid and flow cultivation. While Mifs Caroline Herschel (See Phil. Tranf. vol. lxxvii. part i.) is looking at the fiery tails of comets through her brother's telescope, why might not the fons of genius and fcience be allowed to trace, with the telescope of moral and critical obfervation, the wild flights, the fiery paffions, and eccentric vanities and follies of mankind? It is always, to us, an high gratification to behold the bloffom of early genius, and contemplate its promifing growth and vigorous expanfion; nor fhould we deem ourselves at all worthy of that confidence with which our judgment is ho- * noured, were we, by any harfh and ill-natured criticifms, to reprefs its laudable efforts. Mr. Griffin may be affured, that the higher powers (by which we conclude he means real critics and the true friends of learning) will not look with a difcouraging eye upon his attempt, nor frown on him for having dared, at an early age, to tread in the fteps of thofe heroes of wit and literature who have preceded him as writers of periodical papers.' It is true that the field which he has chosen to enter has so often been gleaned, that there is little of any real value left to be picked up. Senfible of this, he does not profefs novelty, or aim at abfolute originality. His mode of treating fubjects is in the ufual way of periodical effayifts. The papers are, in general, agreeably written; the language, for the most part, is good; many of them, more especially thofe figned B, poffefs confiderable humour, and there are none without fome merit. We were much pleased with the burlesque critique on the poem, The Queen of Hearts, fhe made fome tarts, &c. and with many judicious obfervations, and little pleasantries, fcattered up and down in the Microcolm, which we have not room particularly to point out; but we think he has failed in drawing fome characters, particularly thofe of Narciffus and Octavius (the Diary of the one, and the Letter of the other, are both out of nature); and he should have left dreaming of dreams to old men, for this juvenile effayift is too much awake to dream well. We muft notice likewife the reflection on the London bookfellers, who are faid to pay for learning and potatoes with the fame remorseless fu pidity. This does not come with a good grace from the mouth of an authorling, as he cannot be fuppofed to fpeak from experiOne who was much connected with them has given them a very different character: "A fubftantial bookseller," faid Johnson," is the best Mæcenas." ence. As to this many-headed gentleman's intention in writing the Microcom, it will be faireft, and perhaps beft, to let him give his own explanation : 12 • My 1 My defign (fays he) is to amufe, and as far as I am able, to in ftru&t. Trifling I fhall endeavour as much as it is in my power to avoid; and the leaft tendency to immorality or profaneness, I absolutely, and in the ftrongest terms, reprobate and difavow. Does any one ask from whence am I to collect the materials for fuch an undertaking? from whence can I have acquired a fund of knowlege, language, or obfervation, fufficient to pursue this arduous plan? My materials are copious; the whole range, the inexhauftible fund of topics, which every event in life, every paffion, every object prefent, lie before me; add to thefe, the ftores which hiftory, reading, and morality, or the offspring of a Mufe juft ftruggling into notice, can fupply, combined with the topics of the moment, or those which our peculiar fituation can afford, together with the hints, which those, who think the correfpondence of the Microcofm worth their attention, may cafually contribute; furvey all these, and can I hesitate a moment, can I complain of a dearth of matter, or call my subject a barren one? Quicquid agunt pueri; noftri farrago libelli. with faithful hints pourtrays The various paffions youth's warm foul displays. • Not that I mean to exclude every thing of the light or humorous kind. The mind must fometimes be relieved from the severity of its ftricter ftudies, and defcending from the fublimer heights of fpeculative thought, deign to bend to inferior objects, and participate in lefs refined gratifications. 'I confider the scene before me as a MICROCOSM, a world in mi̟niature, where all the paffions which agitate the great original, are faithfully pourtrayed on a smaller fcale; in which the endless variety of character, the different lights and fhades, which the appetites, or peculiar fituations throw us into, begin to difcriminate, and expand themselves. The curious obferver may here remark in the bud the different cafts and turns of genius, which will in future ftrongly characterize the leading features of the mind. He may fee the embryo Statesman, who hereafter may wield and direct at pleasure the mighty and complex fyftem of European politics, now employing the whole extent of his abilities to circumvent his companions at their plays, or adjusting the important differences, which may arife between the contending heroes of his little circle; or a General, the future terror of France and Spain, now the dread only of his equals, and the undisputed Lord and Prefident of the boxing-ring. The Grays and Wallers of the rifing generation here tune their little lyres; and he, who hereafter may fing the glories of Britain, muft firft celebrate at Eton the fmaller glories of his College.' There is not much poetry in the Microcofm; but as it may be expected that we fhould give a fpecimen of Mr. Gregory Griffin's verfe, as well as of his profe, we here prefent our Readers with the little poem, entitled, Ars Mentiendi, or The Art of Lying *: By Lord Henry Spencer. • When When fordid man by juftice unreftrain'd • Hear then, whoe'er the arduous task will try, Would you by flattery feek the road to wealth? Tell not the fpendthrift that he hoards with fenfe, Nor praife the learning of a dunce profeft, Nor fwear a floven's elegantly dreft. Thus, if by chance, in harmless sport and play, Or boldly a flat perjurer appear, Nor gallows dread, nor lacerated ear, Still let your lies to truth near neighbours be, So fhall you govern with unbounded reign, Nor longer cringe, and toil, and lie in vain ; That we should review a collection of Effays, by way of analyfis, cannot be expected of us, nor, confidering the limits of our journal, that we should copy the table of contents. We cannot however refift our inclination to transcribe Mr. Griffin's Will, in which, in a method fomewhat new, the feveral Authors of |