with it and in thefe excurfions I am generally fortunate enough to meet with fomething to make a fmall dish for my table; for a perch, or a partridge, with a good joint of meat, is almost all the dinner you are to expect. "Form'd on the Samian schools or thofe of Ind His life is pure that wears no fouler ftains *." I would not have you mistake me in this matter. He, indeed, especially in my line of life, that minds little more than thooting, or hunting, or dancing, or any other fuch trifling occupation, is deservedly neglected and defpifed.-There is a wide difference between ufing a thing by way of amufement, and making it the principal object of one's purfuit-the wideft imaginable. What alfo furnishes me exercife, is the care and cultivation of my little garden: this I take entirely upon myself. 1 cannot afford, nor perhaps would I chufe, to employ a man on purpofe. And here I make a point to endeavour to excel my neighbours in the neatnefs of laying out my ground, and in the delicacy of my fruit.-Is it not laudable, Eugenio, even in fuch trifles, and efpecially in things of higher moment, whilft we act perfectly confiftent with virtue, understood in its most extenfive fenfe, to attend to that well known line of the noble Grécian ? σε Αίεν 'Tis thus I exercife and amufe myself. But there is no living without fociety and fenfible conver fation this alone can teach us how to apply properly the knowledge we acquire in folitude, polishes our manners, and enlivens the fcenes of a retired life; an opportunity of enjoying thefe pleafures and advantages is afforded me at our excellent neigh bour's, Philoxenus. Here one is always fure to meet with genteel and rational company. Having been formerly engaged in a public and honourable capacity, his connexions are numerous, and among perfons of diftinction, as well as of fenfe and merit. I long to introduce you to this worthy man. He loves and encourages whatever is great and aniable in human nature. He is a fincere Christian, and a profound and elegant scholar-and what can a man be more? I never read the character which Pliny draws of his friend Titus Arifto, without thinking of Philoxenus: the latter indeed is in fome refpects (and I speak with all impartiality) fuperior to the brave Roman; but that fuperiority he derives altogether from his religion. He is, in fhort, among many others, a living proof, that true Christianity and true philofophy may meet in one and the fame perfon; fa αρισεύειν, και υπεξοχον έμμεναι αλλων τ Art of preferving Health. +1.208.' See Pliny's Epiftles, I. 22.' that that they are by no means, as fome bold men have fuggefted, inconfiftent things-Far otherwife. A few other friends I have of confiderable value. Though but a poor curate, I take care to behave with proper referve to wards coxcombs, and all narrow-hearted people; and can, thank God, look down both on their fmiles and fupercilious airs with all poffible indifference.-I hate and deteft the leveling principle, as unnatural and abfurd-But be those also far from me, who can pride themfelves merely on being of this or that order of men, of this or that fituation of life. Than affociate with fuch, give me rather the friendship of one like Philoxenus, and let me enjoy it far from the haunts of these men. Their wisdom, be it what it will, has not made them truly wife. Their thoughts and notions, however specious, are illiberal all of them, and fhallow, and vain. Mere birth, mere money, mere any thing, except virtue and learning, can give no man living any real dignity. • When we meet together, we do all we can to promote innocent mirth and cheerfulness. Some indeed fuppofe that this is not compatible with true religion. Thefe men have their opinion we have our's: but as that is totally different, we exclude every thing of the furly kind, and admit nothing but good humour, and temperance, and candour, and univerfal benevolence, and manly politenefs. 66 Purâ fed libertate loquendi Seria quifque jocis nullâ formidine mifcet *." Thus we find converfation a moft agreeable and instructive exercife, tending to give eafe to the whole conduct, and to our language elegance and propriety. Should any of my rich neighbours, as the country people call them, come and dine with me, I never make much altera tion in my dinner: they know my income, and did I live beyond it, they would defpife and avoid me. They come, like yourself, from motives of friendship; and not in that starched, formal, and moft infipid way, which is fo common in modern times. They live, it is true, in a different manner: I too, had I the means, would probably, on fuch occafions, enlarge my plan, but still fo as to conduct things with oeconomy, fimplicity, temperance; without which it is not to live. But the means are wanting: neque tamen ego invideo aliis bonum, quo ipfe careo; fed contra, fenfum quendam voluptatemque perci pio, fi ea, quæ mihi denegantur, amicis video fupereffe †. I am fenfible that philofophers will tell you, that he who enjoys health and a bare fubfiftence, enjoys enough; that fuch gewgaws as riches, conduce not to the real happiness of man; and fo forth. Confidered merely as riches, no man on earth - * Claudian De Laudibus Stiliconis, lib. ii." See Pliny's Epistles, I. 1o. He had no bafinefs to fay-Neque enim ego, ut multi, invideo.-Pliny had a good deal of pride and vanity in him.' can can admit their affertion in a more extenfive fenfe than myself; but confidered as the means of doing good, of living with comfort and fatisfaction, it must be allowed, on the other hand, that they then become no improper object of defire even to a philofopher. Hæc perinde funt, ut illius animus, qui ea poffidet But by no means do I fay that the man who has inward peace of mind, who has univerfal benevolence in his heart, and can think with pleasure on his life and death, is, in any fituation, an object of pity or contempt. Quite the reverse-He, and he alone, is the truly happy-the truly great man.-How fweetly does your favourite and most correct author express my notion ! "Fortuna, fævo læta negotio, et Nunc mihi, nunc alii benigna :- But to return. It is thus, my friend, I live. If you can relish this fort of life, haften to our humble dwelling. We anticipate the pleasure of endeavouring to make things agreeable to you. Between the harpfichord. rural diverfions, vifiting our worthy neighbours, engaging in friendly converfation, or in the fcientific game of Chefs, we fhall, I hope, prevent the hours from appearing very dull and infipid. Plays, or balls, or operas, or any other public entertainment, here we have none "At fecura quies, et nefcia fallere vita, The twenty-fixth Letter, on ftudying Poetry; and the twentyfeventh, with its continuations, exhibiting fome historical Account of the Greek and Latin Poetry, though they contain not much that will be thought new by more advanced scholars, offer a good deal of useful and agreeable information to younger ftudents, and difplay confiderable reading and erudition: their contents, indeed, cannot fail at once to prove an interefting and fafe guidance through this flowery region of literature. Ter. Heauton. A. I, Sc. 2.' + Lib, iii. 29.' Georg. ii. 467. Difcourfes on feveral important Subjects of Christianity: in most of which the Form of an Oration is attempted, by a Concealment of the Method. By the Rev. Daniel Turner, A. M. 8vo. 65. in Boards. Robinfon. THE 'HE title-page of this collection of Difcourfes is undoubtedly intended to give us expectations of fomething new in form at least, if not in fpirit. We cannot allow, however, that a mere Concealment of Method conftitutes the Form of an Oration. But, were we inclined to allow fuch a position, we must observe, that the method of thefe Difcourfes is not at all more concealed than that of modern Difcourfes in general, delivered from the pulpit. The multiplied divifions, and particularly fubdivifions of our forefathers, have for many years been out of u; but method is, and must be ftill retained by all who understand compofition; and an attentive hearer or reader will be disappointed, if not able to discern it 'without unusual application. It is the best preservative against false or defultory reasoning in the compofer, and the fureft auxiliary to remembrance in thofe who are addreffed. Elegance of compofition requires that the joinings of the piece. fhould not be too numerous, clumfy, or obtrusive to fight; but by no means that they fhould be abfolutely concealed. The author of thefe Difcourfes has, therefore, in our judg ment, fet out on a wrong principle; but it is nearly the best thing we have to concede in favour of the compofition of the first half of this volume, that we can accufe him of no particular adherence to it. Though he incurs little blame on this point, inftances of loofe, or of falfe reafoning too frequently occur; and fometimes little violations of grammar: aukward, obfcure, and affected phrases, too often deform the ftyle; and we were particularly ftruck with the wild profufion, or rather confufion of mixed and difcordant metaphors. We are prepared to produce examples, more than fufficient, of all the imperfections we have mentioned; but as the author, in the latter Difcourfes, has been confiderably more correct, and may be induced, by the intimations we have given, to bestow a careful revifion on his fecond volume, which we hope may not yet be printed, we fhall content ourselves with exhibiting a fpecimen of a certain naufeous and canting ftyle, to which we have the utmost averfion. Notes of mellifluous gratitudePall, prefent, and future, Sweetly linked together-How precious is our Jefus !-Love-exalting page, &c.' 1 The volume before us contains feventeen fermons, the subjects of which are as follow.-I. On Contentment. II. The Chrif Chriftian contrafted with the Mofaic Difpenfation. III. The Danger of halting between two Opinions. IV. The Cha racter of Chrift's Friends, ftated and examined. V. Marks, whereby we may know if that Character be our's. VI. Chriftian Fortitude. VII. An Enquiry into the Nature of religious Meditation. VIII. The Objects of religious Meditation. IX. The Divine Exemplar. X. On the First Commandment. XI. On the Second Commandment. XII. On the Third Commandment. XIII. On Vows. XIV. A Delineation of the vir tuous Character. XV. The Rewards of Virtue at Death. XVI. The Rewards of Virtue in a future State. XVII. The Nature and Confequence of impious Principles. In the thirteenth Sermon, on Vows, Mr. Turner has critically examined the nature of Jephtha's vow; and has, we think, eftablished his own notion of it, against the common opinion of commentators, on folid grounds. A fhort extract will give our readers fome idea of the preacher's particular fentiment. What had mifled them (the commentators) is, that the Septuagint and Vulgate, render the words of Jephtha, "Whatfoever cometh forth to meet me," in the mafculine, as if he had faid-whofoever, or what perfon foever cometh forth, whereas the original is really indeterminate. Again, they did not attend to the particle ufed, which fhould be taken in the disjunctive fenfe, or, inftead of the conjunctive and. This is what fome judicious critics have fince clearly fhewn to be the right fignification both here and elfewhere: fo that Jephtha's words fhould be rendered" fhall furely be the Lord's, or I will offer it for a burnt offering." That is, if it be a human creature, he or fhe fhall be confecrated to the fervice of God, as fome fort of Nazarites were; or if a beaft, it fhall be offered up for a burnt-offering if it be fit for it; if not, it shall be exchanged, at the pleasure of the pries, for another that is fo.' This Sermon, and thofe which fucceed it are, upon the whole, better written than thofe preceding. Though we fhould not recommend any of them as models of fine writing, or even of eloquence, to which, from the title, they ought to have fome claim, it would be unjust to deny, that many of. them contain a great deal of good matter, and that all are written with a pious earneftnefs, which may render them conduciye to Chriftian edification. For which reafon, as well as because the author has published them partly with a view to acquire fome aid toward the education of a numerous young family, we heartily with them many readers. |