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spreading over a surface at least equal to that of the present United States. The objection is weighty; but my answer is at hand: by encountering this inconvenience, which is new, and therefore formi dable in appearance, we avoid those that are infinitely more serious; though, from being familiar and thought unavoidable, they are less attended to. There is no political inconvenience so great as the neighbourhood of independent and rival nations. Their commercial. restrictions, their military preparations, their fortified frontiers, their interfering jurisdictions, their whimsical and undefinable points of honour, give so many occasions of dispute in the minds of passionate or ambitious men, that such nations, if not always at war, must be always in such a warlike posture, as to present a perpetual image of the savage state, degrade the morals and devour the substance of the people.

Besides, I apprehend that if we well consider the nature of a federal government, we shall have less reason to dread the extension of its limits. The objects of its legislation are few, according to our present system; and I have no doubt but this might still be simplified, without risk of lessening its energy. If its simplification should be found practicable, this circumstance may add to the inducements that our neighbours may one day have to join us in confederation, and may diminish on our side the inconvenience which many will apprehend from the first view of the case.'

The author next discusses the subject of Commercial Liberty, proposes plans for establishing and supporting it, and invites America and France to exert their influence in favour of a revisal of the law of nations on this head. He recommends it to be enacted, under the auspices of these and other states, that the flag of a neutral power shall protect an enemy's property; that there shall be no contraband of war; that the situation of a neutral power shall not be changed by the breaking out of a war among its neighbours; that there shall be no blockades of kingdoms, and large districts, by proclamations; and that neutral vessels, going to places in a state of siege, shall be made prizes only in the second attempt. He farther proposes that a maritime convention shall be established, whose business it shall be to define and declare, and at the same time to guarantee, the rights of commerce; and that, under this convention, into which all commercial states shall be invited to enter, there shall be constituted, in one of the Hanseatic towns, a Chancery of Commerce, invested with powers to determine all commercial differences between the contracting parties: the Chancery to consist of delegates from the several states thus confederating, each state sending one. For farther infor:nation respecting this proposed tribunal, we must refer to the work itself. - A very desirable and beneficial extension of the functions of such an institution is intimated in the following passage:

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A sincere desire in the contracting parties to preserve the peace of Europe against all the other pretexts on which it is usually violated, may possibly induce them to extend the powers of the Chancery in question to all other branches of the rights of nations, as well as to those relating to commerce. In that case they will doubtless agree upon, and declare a new code of public law, or law of nations, complete in all its parts, and commit the conservation of it to this body of delegates.'

This writer ranks among the most able and temperate of those who have lately employed the pen in the cause of pure democracy. Like his associates, he deals largely in professions of general benevolence: but in this common stock, the parent of the nation to which he belongs has but a trifling share. Great Britain only occurs in his pages to be reprobated and stigmatized. Is there nothing discoverable in this singular country, which merits praise; nothing in its constitution, nothing in the security of person and property enjoyed under the protection of its government, nothing in its administration of law and its observance of religion, nothing in the general character of its people, to extort one single respectful expression?-We cannot dispute the ability of this writer. but that he is free from partiality and bias is a testimony to which, we believe, he must be himself conscious he is not intitled.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE,
For OCTOBER, 1800.

EAST INDIES.

Art. 18. Journal of a Route to Nagpur, by the Way of Cuttac,
Borosumbher, and the Southern Bunjar ghât, in the Year 1790 ;
with an Account of Nagpûr, and a Journal from that Place to
Benares, by the Suhaji pass. By Daniel Robinson Leckie, Esq.
Illustrated with a Map. 4to. pp. 103. 78. Boards. Stock-

dale. 1800.

T

HE writer of this journal accompanied the late Mr. Forster, in an official capacity, on his embassy to Nagpur. His route lay through the countries inhabited by the Orias, and the Gonds, formerly two independent nations of Hindus, but now subjected to the Merhatta prince, Ragoji Bhusla. From Sonpur on the Mahanadi, to Nagpur, the capital of Ragoji's dominions, the stations are little known to European geographers.

The inhabitants generally presented an appearance of poverty, and in some places seemed to yield little submission to their nominal chief. Mr. Leckie draws a flattering comparison between the peasantry of the East India Company's territories, and their southern neighbours. Cuttac is the capital of the province of Orissa; (it is inaccurately spelt Cuttae throughout this work.) Mr. Leckie places it near the

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pex of a delta formed by the Mahanadi and Cujara rivers, while Major Rennell's map exhibits it seated on a small island; and he states the revenues of this province at 22 lacs of Rupées, of which ten only are remitted to Nagpur. The whole of Ragoji's revenues he estimates at 70 lacs.-In stating the boundaries of the antient kingdom of Gondwana, Mr. Leckie supposes the Urdha river to fall into the Bhimagunga, and not into the Godaveri; were this certain, it would supply an important correction in the geography of that quarter. The source of the Mahanadi, which is placed by M. de la Rochette to the north of Dongur Ghur, is said by Mr. L. (though only from report) to lie 120 miles south-west from that station. This performance may prove useful in the construction of a future map of Hindustan.

Art. 19. The Asiatic Annual Register; or a View of the History of Hindustan, and of the Politics, Commerce, and Literature of Asia, for the Year 1799. 8vo. 128. Boards. Debrett. 1800.

The plan of this work is nearly similar to that of Dodsley's Annual Register; except that the events of the year, instead of being digested into an historic form, appear in the original documents. A cursory but judicious view of the principal events in the history of Hindustan, previously to the year 1608, is prefixed to the volume.To periodical publications, in which original composition forms a small and no very important part, the nature of our work does not require us to advert: but the utility of the present volume, to those who are interested in Oriental affairs, has induced us to announce it, and to state that the first volume suggests a very favourable opinion of the industry and talents of the conductors.

HISTORY.

Art. 20. An Introduction to the History of Poetry in Scotland, from the Beginning of the Thirteenth Century down to the present Time; together with a Conversation on Scottish Song. By Alexander Campbell, Author of Odes and Miscellaneous Poems, &c. To which are subjoined Sangs of the Lowlands of Scotland, carefully compared with the original Editions, and embellished with characteristic designs, composed and engraved by the late David Allan, Historical Painter. 2 Vols. 4to. 21. 25. Boards. Printed at Edinburgh; London, Ridgway. 1799.

In the history of poetry, we expect to find at some length the lives of those eminent persons, whose vivid fancy could recall into existence the fabulous heroes of antiquity; lend new charms to the simple beauty of unsophisticated nature; transport the rapt mind, with magic force, into remote or aerial regions; or embellish the ideas of polished society with the bewitching graces of flowing wit. We expect an analysis of the productions to which they owed their celebrity, accompanied by a candid appreciation of their positive and comparative excellencies; and finally, a critical estimate of the progress or retrogression of taste at different periods, since genius must be presumed to be equal in all times.-Such expectations the work before us is not calculated to gratify. Indeed, the field selected by

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the author for his exercitations is by no means fertile in prodigies. Of the poets who wrote in the Scottish dialect, perhaps, Douglas, Drummond, Dunbar, Ramsay, and Burns, are all to whose biography the attention of the literary world would be impelled by admiration. To write indifferent verses is a task of little difficulty, and less advantage; and time cannot be more unprofitably spent than in such an occupation; if we except that which is employed in detailing the history of such poets. The Scottish nation has too solid pretensions to literary excellence, to wish to elevate the obscure versifiers of her vernacular dialect to the rank of poets; or to admire, because presented in that form, verses which would be judged execrable if they were divested of words endeared by familiar habit, and of that association of ideas which connects them with infantine amusement, and the simplicity of childhood.

In the Sangs here presented, we discover nothing new: The Gaberlunzie man, and the Jolly beggar, are attributed to King James V. by the present writer; and "Christ's kirk on the green" is thought to be a production of the same period. A sort of low humour is the characteristic of these, and we presume of most of the popular songs of Scotland previously to Ramsay, of which the words are preserved; for the original verses of the plaintive airs were forgotten when he composed those which are now sung. In times of little refinement, the tricks of mendicants might afford much diversion; and the boisterous jokes of a country ale-house might appear poignant, and be felt as such; while personal defects would be considered as fair objects for the derision of the poet and his audience. In such days, the follow. ing verses might find their admirers:

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"And there will be sowlibber Peatie,
Aud plouckie-fac't Wat in the mill,
Capper nos'd Gibbie and Francie,
That wins in the how of the hill
And there will be Alaster Dougal,
That splee-fitted Bessie did woo,
And sniffling Lillie, and Tibbie,
And Kirsty, that belly god sow."

The re-publication of such stuff now may justly excite some surprise. In the work before us, indeed, the lover of poetry will find nothing to admire, and little that he will wish to recollect.We have discovered two couplets that will convey a general idea of the poetry which it contains, and a pretty correct notion of two books at once. What these are cannot elude the discernment of our readers.

"He said, that book which he gave to me,
Was of Mr. Michael Scot's historie,
Which history was never yet read through,
Nor never will, for no man dare it do."

ANTIQUITIES.

Art. 21. Reliquia Divi Andrea; or the State of the venerable and primitial See of St. Andrews: containing an Account of the

Rise,

Rise, Advancement, Dignities, Honours, Jurisdictions, Privileges, and Revolutions of this antient See; and of the Church Benefices of old belonging thereto, and of late annext thereto, in the Kirks now belonging to the same, &c; with some Historical Memoirs of some of the most famous Prelates and Primates thereof. By a true (though unworthy) Sone of the Church. 4to. pp. 253. ros. 6d. Boards. Printed at St. Andrews, by the Printer to the University. London, Johnson. 1797.

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Though this work appears now for the first time in print, it was written in 1683, by Mr. George Martin of Clermont, who seems to have held some office, probably that of Secretary, under Archbishop Sharp. In the time of the author, some traces of the Bardic order still existed in Scotland. They are called by others, and by themselves,' says Mr. Martin, Jockies, who go about begging, and use still to recite the sluggornes (watch words, or cris de guerre) of most of the true ancient surnames of Scotland, from old experience and observation. Some of them I have discoursed, and found to have reason and discretion. One of them told me there were not now twelve of them in the whole isle; but he remembered when they abounded, so as at one time he was one of five that usuallie met at St. Andrews.

The diffusion of the Druidical tenets, founded on the dogma of transmigration, and stained with the blood of human sacrifices, gradually superseded the more innocent superstitions of our remoter ancestors. Their doctrines are said by Cæsar to have originated in Britain; and he also mentions that their records were kept in the Greek character. 'The name of druid continueth still among the Irish and Scottish highlanders; for not only in the histories and romances written by their Senecios or Shannachies, mention is made of an enchanted horn, called by them corn druid heacht, ancientlie in use in those parts; but the translator of the New Testament into Irish renders Magi by Druids, and Simon Magus is called Simon the druid; and it is said that he wrought druidh, i. e. sorcerie. Elymas the sorcerer is called druidh.'

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The Christian faith became the established religion of Scotland in A. D. 203, by the conversion of king Donald; and Mr. Martin, as a' true sone of the church,' may exult that "nullus unquam populus leviore opera ad Christum est conversus, et tantus fuit ad doctores concursus, ut baptizando populo sacerdotes deessent."-In A, D. 365, Regulus, a Greek monk, living at Patræ, a city of Achaia, was warned by a vision to transport the relics of St. Andrew to a western region named Albion. By force of a storme, the ship was driven into the bay, near the place where St. Andrews now stands, and there split asunder on the rocks.' At this period, Hergusts, in his capital of Abernethy, ruled the Picts, or Pights, who inhabited the eastern coasts of that country, which has since their extinction been named Scotland. He gave to Regulus and his company all the lands of that forreste, with all the men dwelling therein, and his own palace, and near thereto erected a church, the same whereof (with the steeple yet intire) we see a pairt yet remaining on the south-east side of the ruined cathedral, (built many years after,) called to this day the church of St. Rewle.' These Christian priests and their successors were termed Culdees, i.e. cultores dei. The word Kil, which we find prefixed to the names of

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