Of the florid and brilliant Lord Bolingbroke, you should read,
for the sake of style, the letters on the Study of History, and

those on the Spirit of Patriotism, and the Idea of a Patriot King. Nothing can be more contrasted than the eloquence of this splendid writer, and that of Algernon Sydney: the one, all words; the other, all sentiment and thought: that of Sydney, like a fine Grecian statue, which owes its beauties, and effect to the naked graces of just proportion and natural attitude: that of Bolingbroke, like a figure which, derives its merit rather from the elegance of its drapery than of its form.

Of another cast still, is the eloquence of Burke, who possesses an abundant source of it, and pours forth lavishly, the treasures of an inexhaustible imagination: which fertilise and enrich even the barren soil of Metaphysics, and render the essay on the SubTime and beautiful an entertaining work.

Among eminent and eloquent writers, it is impossible to omit the unknown, invisible Junius. Though his relentless pen, devoted to a party, mangles its victims with insatiable cruelty; though his satire is local and personal, yet the unequalled poignancy of his delicate irony: the strong tone of reproach which he assumes when the occasion demands it, without losing his dignity; his powers of reasoning and of eloquence, his judgment in choosing the vulnerable parts of vulnerable characters, and in pushing his blade where it is sure of being most severely felt his purity, elegance, correctness, and brilliancy of language, will send down to posterity, a work which (from its subject) was not calculated to outlive the age in which it was produced.

Clarissa, as the first of novels, claims a place in your library. I have heard a celebrated author say, that he knew no iustance of a story so well invented and conducted.

Grandison (though inferior) is of the same family and has the features of his sister.

If you expect a long catalogue of sermons, I fear I shall disappoint you and come to disgrace. There are many, no doubt, in our language, that for piety, argument, and good sense, are unrivalled by those of other nations; but few that have elegance of style, animation, or eloquence to recommend them. The first in those respects are Blair's; moral, pathetical, always elegant, and often eloquent,

Ogden's have spirit, originality, acuteness, force, and vivacity

of style with an affectation of singularity that sometimes lessens their effect.

Sterne's, purified from the mixture of ludicrous that peeps out, often in very improper places, would deserve all praise. Having mentioned Sterne, I cannot help observing that, in his Tristram Shandy and his Sentimental Journey, he seems to me often to miss the humor he aims at, often to lose it, by plunging it parmi les ordures: but to succeed invariably, whenever he wishes to succeed, in the pathetic. In that respect, he is a master of the human heart, and of its tenderest and finest feelings.

English Poetry.

Of English, and indeed of all other, poets (in my opinion) Shakspeare is the first.-Milton: after being enraptured with Paradise Lost, you must be delighted with Comus, and the Allegro, and Penseroso.

Spenser's Faery Queen. Gray, before he composed poetry, always read some stanzas of Spenser. You should have Warton's

Annotations on Spenser, 2 vols. 12mo.

Dryden. Derrick's edition, in 4 vols. 8vo.
Gray's Poems, with Mason's Memoirs.

Swift: rather indeed to be valued for his prose than his poetry. Thomson to whom nature sat for her portrait. His descriptions have never been surpassed, and seldom equalled; they breathe the smell of field and grove." He is, however, often verbose, and generally dull and prosaic when he attempts to be moral.

Goldsmith is a genuine poet; of which his "Traveller," and "Deserted Village," will be everlasting proofs: but alas!

"Chill penury repress'd his noble rage,
And froze the genial current of his soul."

His degraded pen was compelled to submit to the drudgery of writing Histories, English and Roman, for the use of schools, instead of immortal verse.'

'It has been stated that those Histories, &c. were not written by Goldsmith, but only sanctioned by his name.-An author, however, is equally responsible to the literary republic for the productions sanctioned by his name, as for those actually written by himself.

VOL. II.

Pam.

No. III.

T

Churchill must be owned as a poet not of vulgar rank, thougir his muse was savage and licentious like himself. His extreme incorrectness, and numberless bad lines, will not rob him of his title it is sufficient that he has composed such as genius alone could inspire.

Mason's Caractacus and Elfrida are among the first poetical works of the present day.

Beattie's "Minstrel," though it cannot be placed in the first class of English poetry, is so pleasing, and exhibits so amiable and just an image of his mind, that it is impossible to exclude it.

French History, Hemoirs, Letters, &c.

Histoire de France par l'Abbé de Velley et ses continuateurs. Abrégé de l'Histoire de France, par Hénault, 2 vols. 8vo. This masterly outline comprehends more than many voluminous Histo

ries.

Mémoires de Philip de Comines. The style is old, but the matter and manner very curious and entertaining. He was an actor in many of the scenes, and knew thoroughly the characters he describes we are obliged to him for a more perfect knowledge of those of Louis XI. of France, and Charles Duke of Burgundy, than we can acquire of the illustrious persons of our own age.

Mémoires de Sully: an exact account of so rare a thing as a great, though absolute, Monarch, given faithfully by his favorite Minister, who was greater than himself, and proof against all the temptations of power and of fortune, has been presented to the world but once.

Mémoires du Cardinal de Rets, whose commanding genius had power to disturb the peace of a great kingdom, and shake the throne of its sovereign, without having any regular object, either of Interest, or of Ambition, in view for himself.

Mémoires de Madame de Motteville. She was Dame d'Honneur to, and a favorite of, Ann of Austria, and heard and saw all that passed in that busy Court and interesting period. Her habit and bonne foi tell many curious circumstances, of which the dignity of graver Historians would have left no memory.

Siècle de Louis XIV. par Voltaire.

Mémoires de Gourville, honest and full of information, but not elegantly written.

Lettres de Madame de Sévigné, though most properly historical, are full of anecdotes of the times. Her enchanting pen gives life and grace to every subject. Its negligence is so happy, that sentiments and expressions beyond the reach of art and study seem to drop from it by accident. Elegance unsought always attends it, and her strong feeling elevates her style to eloquence, whenever "fit occasion demands it from her."

Lettres du Comte Bussy Rabbutin are perhaps worth reading on their own account, but much more, because among them is his correspondence with his Cousin Madame de Sévigné, with several of her letters.

Lettres et Mémoires de Madame de Maintenon. The world has produced only one widow of a nominal husband of low degree, married to a great Monarch, without being, or desiring to be, a Queen, and she has left to it a faithful image of herself in her Letters.

Souvenirs de Madame de Caylus, her favorite niece.

Mémoires de Noailles, containing, among much other curious matter, an account of the reign of the Grandson of Louis XIV. who succeeded to the Spanish monarchy, and of his first Queen, a Daughter of the Duke of Savoy, who had uncommon talents: Many particulars of Spanish manners, of Louis XIV. himself, and dispatches written by him, that give an idea of his abilities far superior to that generally entertained.

Mémoires de Madame de Stael, not Historical, but very entertaining.

Natural History, Moral Works, &c. in French.

Histoire Naturelle par Buffon. Without this work no library can be complete.

Caractères par la Bruyère. Of all Books of morality, this appears to me to be the best adapted to the uses of common life. He had studied it and understood it well: his work is the school of