is well known, is the beft nurfery for British feamen. Sailors bred up in that trade, can hardly be equalled for skill, fpirit, and hardinels in their profeffion. By taking off the duties upon coals carried coastways, an invaluable treasure, of perhaps 10,000 feamen would be added to the maritime force of the country. Nor would the number of fhipwrights neceflary for building the veffels in confequence of fuch an additional demand for fhipping, be an unimportant circumstance. It is commonly remarked, that manufactures flourish best wherever coals are the cheapest and most abundant. In fo co'd a country as Great Britain, fewel is a real neceffary of life, and is required in fabricating almost all our manufactures. Whilt this tax continues, the various manufacturing advantages refulting from the cheapnefs of that article, are confined to par. ticular districts. Whereas, by abolishing that duty, all places would be more nearly on a footing; and hence industry and commerce will spread over the whole face of the country. Nor is the duty on coals lefs pernicious to agriculture. It renders it neceflary in many parts of the kingdom, to devote confiderable quantities of improveab'e ground to rear wood for the purpose of firing. And in tho e parts of the island, particutaily in the more remote parts of Scotland, where peat and turf can be had, the fumn er is not spent by the farmer in procuring manure, in fallowing his fields, or in raifing crops to enrich and fertilize the foil, but is principally wafled in collecting firing for the winter feafon. 6 If any fer of men are entitled to public encouragement, furely thofe who maintain themfelves by fishing only, who procure tublilience in a manner fo truly precarious, who run fuch perpetual hazard of being lot n the little boats in which they truft themfelves, and who form a fpecies of naval militia whofe fervices the public can at any time command, have by far the beft founded pretentions; and of all the encouragements that could be given to them, that of enabling them to fupply themfelves with firing at an eafy rate would perhaps be the most acceptable. Their whole labour might then be devoted to their own profeffion; nor would the nife.ble neceflity of procuring a feanty fupil of fewel tempt them to wafte fo confiderable a portion of their time in any other occupation.* Our author ftrongly reprobates the practice adopted by government, of farming the poft-horfe tax, upon the principle of its being condemned in every part of Europe where it is carried into effect. But while he cenfures this mode of finance fo feverely, he ought to confider, that in Britain the farmers of the tax hold it not on thofe unjustifiable terms which render it odious in other countries. The objection of its being inconfiftent with the principles of a free conftitution, feems to have no greater foundation in juftice, than an objection to the power of imprisonment for any civil debt. It would be unneceffary to proceed any farther in the account of this work. It contains much information relative to the public finances; on all the branches of which the author gives his opinion with freedom, and, in general, on fuch principles of policy as will not be greatly controverted. He fometimes, as was hinted above, difcovers a degree of acrimony approaching to petulance, for not having, we fuppofe, received the co-operation, of which he was defirous in the profecution of his defign. But thefe inftances of the author's refentment are rare, and cannot affect the praise to which he is juftly entitled for his extraordinary induftry and perfeverance in the detail of the public revenue and expenditure, from the earliest ages of its history to the prefent time. Epigrams, tranflated into English Verfe from the original Greek. And felected from the Compilation of Rich. Fr. Phil. Brunck, published at Strafburg, A. D. 1773. fmail 8vo. 35. jerved. Robinfons. T HE ancient epigram contained fragments of philofophy, remarks on life and manners, fentiments of morality and religion, instead of refembling the little infect of modern times, which is chiefly noxious or pleafing from its fting. The term originally implied an infcription; but epigrammatic authors foon went beyond this idea, and it was only neceffary that the fubject should be a single one, and the whole be comparatively fhort. The contrafted defcriptions of life by Pofidippus and Metrodorus are apparently exceptions to this rule, though not fufficiently ftriking to destroy its force. The Golden Veries of Pythagoras, which have in fome collections been claffed with the Epigrams, were not allowed this title in former ages. The elegant collection of Brunck has fupplied our ingenious. tranflator with the materials of this pleafing little volume. The former Anthologia are familiar to our recollection; and, as we have not Brunck at hand, we have trufted chiefly to our memory for the examination. So far as that leads us, we think the tranflation accurate; it is often peculiarly neat, and fometimes elegant. We shall felect a few fpecimens: the following (have we not feen it before?) is rendered with the true fimpli city of the ancient epigram: To a NIGHTINGALE. Sweet bird of night, whofe honied throat For For he, like you, with chearful voice, The following epigram of Rufinus is alfo turned with peculiar beauty: RUFINUS to ZENOPHITA. Accept, fweet maid, this chaplet, which I wove Nor lefs inftruct your mind, than please your fight: And fmile confent-for beauty is a flower.' In this epigram of Agathias, who would not suppose he was reading a modern fong? • On COURTSH I P. Would you act the prudent lover, Nor, by fanguine hopes directed, Who, to the most ardent paffion, Joins the lover and the friend.' We have only room for one more; and it must be one of the shorteft, in a very different style: • Оп ап Есно, No more the fportive Echo chide, We We fhall probably from thefe fpecimens induce our readers to examine the whole; and we can affine them that they will find the amufement equally pleafing and rational. The notes are chiefly illufirations of the ancient mythology. Dramatic Sketches of the ancient Northern Mythology. By F. Sayers. M. D. 410. 35. 6d. fewed Johnfon. THE HE intent of this publication is to give an idea of the neglected beauties of the Gothic religion, and to recommend a freer introduction of its imagery into the poetry of the English nation.' By beauties' the author undoubtedly means only its poetical beauties, for nothing can, at first view, appear more abfurd and ridiculous (unless a clue poffibly could be found to unravel its allufions and allegories) than the religious system of the old Scandinavians. We, however, coincide with him in opinion, that it contains many images truly grand and fublime, fuch, as if skilfully introduced, might add many striking and unufual graces to modern poetry. The mythology of Greece and Rome is become trite and infipid: we require fome fubftitute for it, particularly in heroic and epic compofition. Neither in itself, indeed, is it to be compared with that of the North, in refpect to gloomy grandeur and wild magnificence, any more than the Favonian breeze of Aufonia resembles the tempefts that fweep the Hyperborean ocean, and roar amidst the forefts of Norway. Its beauties, however, have not been fo much neglected as Dr. Sayers feems to apprehend, who compliments Gray at the expence of all his brethren. He unquestionably touched the fubject with a masterly though fparing hand,' but others alfo have been fenfible of its charms. Several bold and peculiar images in Mr. Hole's Arthur are borrowed from the rude ftrains of the northern Scalds and the fhort quotation we gave from one of Mr. Sterling's Odes in our LXVIIth volume, p. 358, both of which are taken from the Scandinavian Edda, will give as just an idea of the eccentric fublimity which characterizes their compofitions, as any paffage in Dr. Sayer's poems, though profeffedly written to illustrate their beauties. We mean not. however, to cenfure the defign, nor, on the whole, the manner in which it is executed; as we truft our extracts will demonstrate. The firit dramatic compofition is entitled, The Defcent of Frea; a mafque, in two acts. The ftory on which it is founded is taken from the Edda. Balder, the god of the fun, having been flain through the artifice of Lok, the Scandinavian Satan (for thefe deities were fuppofed to be fubject to casualties, and even death itfelf), Frea, whofe lover he was, defcends to the infernal regions, to procure his release from Hela, the goddefs of death, who prefided over them. The firft act confifts of Balder's lamentation, Frea's interview with him, and application to Hela. The conclusion of it affords an advantageous fpecimen of Dr. Sayer's abilities • Frea. Come from thy murky cells, Where midnight darknefs dwells, Thou dreadful maid; And feeks thy faving aid. Iela. (from within.) Hence, hence, away; From Hela's arms Shall fnatch her prey. Frea. By Allfather's fa red bead, Which bowing fhakes the lofty sky, I charge thee, awful pow'r, Hela. (entering.) I come with iron heart, Speak, and fwift depart Frea. Deep in thy mifty caves my Balder lies; And fullen fadness marks his manly brow. Quick thro' his frame divine chill langours shoot; The boafted roses of his cheeks are pale; Then fmiling hover o'er her melting breast, • And can'st thou, Hela, caft a ruthless look Tear the black leaf from Fate's eternal book, Together let us climb the burning arch*, The Rainbow; called by the Goths Bifroft, and fupposed to burn. It was acceunted the bridge from carth to heaven." • Yield |