The reader will fee that were our immortal Shakespeare to be tried before Ariftotle himself, that candid critic (for candid he is in the highest degree) might find him, perhaps, guilty of breaking fome of the municipal ftatutes of the Grecian ftage, yet would he applaud him for the higher merit of ftrictly obferving thofe fuperior Jaws of general propriety and excellence, which are independent of local and temporary regulations, and which are implanted by the hand of nature in the imagination of the real poet, as the laws of morality and juftice are in the heart of the virtuous man.'

We could not refrain from taking notice of what Mr. Pye has promifed, because we approve of his plan, and hope to fee it carried into execution. As to what he has performed, when we confider the difficulties arifing from the clofeness of the original, and a text in fome places injured by time, we cannot withhold the tribute of praife, where it feems to be fo fairly earned. As we forefee, from the circumftance of another tranflation being juft published, that Ariftotle will be in our hands for fome time, we do not propose, at prefent, to enter into a minute examination either of the doctrines taught by Ariftotle, or of the prefent tranflator's merit. Our reafon is, that the opportunity being fair, we shall not content ourselves with a felection of particular paffages, to illuftrate our remarks, wishing rather to lay before our readers a compendious view of the great philofophic critic, diftinguifhing fuch rules, as appear only to be local and arbitrary, from thofe, which are founded in nature, and therefore of eternal obligation on the poets of every age and country. In the execution of this defign, we fhall frequently have recourfe to Mr. Pye's tranflation; and when he is quoted, the elegance, as well as the accuracy of the verfion, will be obvious to the reader of tafte. Before we finally close our review of the Poetic, we fhall proceed to the tranflation by Mr. Twining (which we have not yet feen), and from an examination of both performances, we flatter ourselves that our readers will find in the following numbers of the Monthly Review, a concife, yet not defective, fyftem on the fubject of dramatic poetry. And though it will, perhaps, appear that many of the precepts laid down by Ariftotle, have been fince, or ought to be, rejected by the voice of nature and good fenfe, yet it will be found (to ufe Mr. Pye's allufion to Doctor Harrison in Fielding's Amelia) that Ariftotle is not so great a blockhead, as fome think, who have never read him.

As we have now opened our defign, Mr. Pye, we hope, will excufe our having fo long forborne to do juftice to his elegant tranflation, and, as the fubject is of importance to the literary world, our readers, it is prefumed, will give us credit for the difcharge of our promife, in our fubfequent publications; especially as we have chalked out a plan of no fmall trouble to outfelves, fince we are to cull from various materials, and (after all)

to crowd a great deal into narrow limits. This, it will be admitted, requires fome preparation.

Ariftotle is, certainly, the firft great author of philofophic criticism. He has, with the utmoft perfpicuity, given the origin and progress of tragedy; by a moft ingenious analysis of the feveral parts, that compofe a legitimate tragedy, he has investigated the hidden beauties, proceeding to the fummary perfection of the whole; and he has, with that depth of penetration, which fo greatly diftinguifhed him, laid open the fecret fources of that exquifite art, which raifes delight by a gufh of tears as Boileau fays,

"Et pour nous divertir, nous arracha des larmes."

Such a writer, now brought forward by Mr. Pye, and by another gentleman of high reputation, ought not to be dispatched in too curfory a manner; especially at a time, when it may not be ufelefs to recall our present race of dramatic writers to fome knowlege of the art which they profefs. As the task which we propofe to our felves will take fome time, we think we cannot better close this article, for the prefent, than by refering our readers to fome particulars concerning Ariftotle, taken from ancient authors, which will be found in our Review, vol. . p. 200. where we have given an account of a former tranflation of this part of his works.

[To be continued.]

Mu...y.

ART. XII. Oratio ex inftituto Hon. Dom. Nathanielis Dom. CREW, habita in Theatro Oxon. 1788. à GULIELMO CROWE, L.L. B. e Coll. Nov. publico Univerfitatis Oratore. 4to. Is. Cadell, &c,

F Mr. Crowe's partiality to Whig principles we had a fpecimen, Lewefdon Hill, which lately came under our notice; but in the oration now before us this partiality is much more prominent and glaring. So far from concurring with the late Dr. Samuel Johnfon, in calling King William a foundrel, he fpeaks of him with all the commendation of a true Revolutionift, and evidently thinks, though he does not fay it, if the word fcoundrel muft be applied, it should. rather be applied to King James II. His oration is whiggifm in all its glory, the blaze of which fome of his auditors could not perhaps patiently endure. We, however, applaud his manly, con ititutional fentiments; and though the Latin may not in every refpect be the moft claffical, we have read the whole with pleafure. What were the particular objections which the xρITIXштαTOI Ct WONITIXWTato homines made to Mr. Crowe's oration, he has not informed us; but fince he publishes in his own defence (habeant a me defenfionis et refponfi loco, ipfam orationem fuis oculis jubjectam), we hall, that our readers may form fome judgment

of

of his politics and latinity, lay before them a fhort extract taken from the beginning.

Centefimus hic annus eft, Academici, ex quo, præcipue quidem divina ope, deinde conftantia et virtute majorum noftrorum ab graviffimis malis inftantiffimifque periculis erepti fumus atque fervati. Ille enim anno permagna quidem et ante id tempus inaudita in Britannia res gefta eft: Rex potentiffimus, quod multa contra remp. fecerat, ipfe eft una cum facinorum fuorum fuaforibus et miniftris, cum fettæ fue facerdotibus et affeclis, cum tota denique domo in exilium miffus, ejectus, abdicatus. Tum ejus in locum electus à civibus alius, qui jufte et legitime imperaret: civium porro jura, ipfo rege approbante, definite diftincteque recenfita, et novarnm auctoritate legum confirmata etiam et ftabilita. Tanta funt bæc, Academici, et cum noftra omnium falute ita conjunéta, ut fi quis alio tempore ea dicendo commemorare velit, haud intempeftivum orationis argumentum fumpfiffe videatur. Seculi autem fpatio jam exacto, oportere bac eadem felenniori quadam prædicatione celebrari, quis eft qui neget? Juftum ergo tempus mihi oblatum effe video; neque deerit legitima dicendi materies: dicam enim, Academici, de viris, hæc olim intra mania enutritis, qui infigne virtutis documentum iniquo illo tempore dederunt: præcipue autem de illis dicam, qui hac ipfa in Academia nefariorum hominum aufis, inftantifque tyranni minis refiftere, magno licet cum ipforum difcrimine, non recufarunt.' Moo.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. XIII.

1. Fragmens de Lettres, &c. i. e. Fragments of original Letters from MADAME Charlotte-Elizabeth of Bavaria, Widow of MoNSIEUR, only Brother of Lewis XIV. 2 Vols. 12mo. Hamburgh. 1788.

W

HETHER this fportive compilation is genuine or not, we are unable to determine; but of this we are certain, that many of the jokes have been long in circulation. In 1767, a kind of French Joe Miller was published at Paris, in two volumes, under the title of Dictionnaire d'Anecdotes, fomewhat in the ftyle of this book. Those who have leisure and inclination to collate thefe works, will probably find some of their old acquaintance in both. Many of the ftories paint the gallantry of the court of France during the reign of Lewis the XIV. and the Regent, on which, and on jokes of a certain kind, Madame dwells with peculiar fatisfaction.

But though the first volume begins much in the ftyle of a jest book, it grows more interesting, and its materials become more probable as we advance; and if the work is a forgery, the author must be allowed the merit of confiderable ingenuity; for though fome of the pleafantries and anecdotes feem familiar, yet there are domeftic defcriptions, and characteriftic converfations, particularly of Monfieur and Madame, that are at leaft well imagined.

L 4

This

This princess, the mother of the Regent Duke of Orleans, notwithstanding the ceremonials, refinements, and varnished manners of the court of France, where he had refided near fifty years, when most of thefe letters were written, preferves the lefs polished manners and fentiments of Germany, which the had imbibed in her early youth; and relates, in pretty plain terms, many circumftances to her correfpondents, which, though too common perhaps in France to have been thought worth notice by a native, feem likely to have awakened attention in a foreigner.

We have long heard of the gallantry of fashionable people in France, and how vulgar and bourgeois it was for two perfons of rank and condition after marriage to be troubled with any thing like conftancy, affection, or jealoufy. But we have here frag ments of plain unvarnished tales, which paint the manners of the French court, in higher colours than can eafily be found in any of the numerous memoirs written by the gay natives of France during the refidence of Madame in that kingdom.

To begin with the Grand Monarque himself, who was early married to a princefs of Spain; his miftreffes, public and pri vate, during the life of the Queen, were innumerable. After mentioning feveral of his early favourites, Madame tells her correfpondent, that the late King (Lewis XIV.) was certainly very gallant; and that, fometimes, even to a degree of debauchery. All was fair game with him then-country girls, gardeners daughters, houfe-maids, chamber-maids, and women of quality, provided they did but feem fond of him. I am certain, however, that the Duchefs de la Valliere was the only one who had a true affection for him. Madame de Montefpan loved him through ambition, S*** through intereft, and M*** from both thefe motives. La Fontange loved him exceffively; but like an heroine in romance; for the was romantic beyond all expreffion. Ludri loved him with ardour; but this paffion was not long mutual, for the King foon grew tired of her. As to Madame de Monaco, I would not fwear that the ever rewarded the paffion which the King manifefted for her. While his fondness continued, the Comte de Laufun was difgraced: he had a regular but fecret intrigue with his beautiful coufin, and did not forget to forbid her liftening to the King: and one day, when he was fitting with his Majefty on the fteps of the terrafs, in clofe converfation together, Laufun, feeing them from the guard-room, came out, fo tranfported with jealoufy, that he could not contain himself; but running up the fteps, as if only to pass by to the terrafs, trod on the hand of Madame de Monaco, with fuch violence, that he almoft crushed it to pieces. The King, in a fury, abufed him for his brutality, which the Count anfwering with impertinence, he was immediately ordered to the Baftile; which was his firft vifit to that fortrefs.'

So much for his miftreffes, before he piously attached himself to Madame de Maintenon; which was fo late in life that, when Mrs. Cornwall, an English lady then at Paris, was asked what

The

fhe had feen at Verfailles? anfwered, "I have feen fuch ftrange things as I never expected to fee; love in the tomb, and minifters in the cradle:" meaning the King's favourite Madame de Maintenon, then tolerably old, and Meffrs. de Torcy and Segnelay, his minifters of ftate, at a very early period of their lives.

It feems to have been generally allowed, that Lewis XIV. had more perfonal grace, elegance, and dignity, than any one of his court. His figure was fuch, that in a crowd no one need have asked which was the king; and in converfation with perfons in whom he had an entire confidence, he is faid by Madame to have been the most amiable of men. He had an irony and pleasantry which he played off with infinite grace. But though this prince had much natural wit, he was a stranger to learning and (cience. He had never ftudied; which he seemed frequently to lament. However, though he appeared mortified and ashamed of his ignorance, there were flatterers still more ignorant than himfelf, who made their court to him by ridiculing all kinds of learning and fcience. Is there any thing aftonishing, fays Madame, in the bad education of the King and his brother? Cardinal Mazarin wifhed to reign himself; and if these princes had been well inftructed, his dominion would have fuon ceafed. The Queen-mother approved of whatever the Cardinal thought expedient, and fhe wifhed to have him always at the head of affairs.

It is a circumftance worthy the attention of Sovereigns ambitious of fame, that Lewis XIV. though he was kept in fuch ignorance by the policy of one minifter as hardly to be able to read and write, yet by another, the excellent Colbert, he was ftimulated to encourage and protect men of learning and science, in a more liberal and effectual manner than any prince on record; and this is the only fame that is left him, either in books, or in the hearts of men. The glory of conquest no longer dazzles even his countrymen who reflect on the injuftice of his wars, and the oppreffion of his fubje&s in fupporting them. Even his piety, which feems to have fupplied the place of worn-out paffions, unfuccessful ambition, and fatiated vanity, was fo tinged with intolerance, and ignorance of true Chriftian humility and benevolence, that bigotry itself is now ahamed to defend it.

And as to the pomp, fplendour, and magnificence of his court, palaces, gardens, and public buildings, they have long loft their charms in the eye of wisdom and philofophy, when it is remembered how his fubjects were oppreffed, and his kingdom beggared, to conftruct and fupport them.

Of all his numerous defcendants, legitimate and illegitimate, lineal or collateral, there does not seem to have been one manly robust conftitution or great intellectual character among them.

Madame's