formable to human nature," is at once too flattering to that nature in general, and too merciless to this individual instance. Lady Macbeth participates with her lord in the murder of their sove-\ reign; its recollection haunts her repose, and finally drives her to madness and to death. Macbeth, to whom the assassination of Duncan was but a noviciate in guilt, proceeds from crime to crime, undeterred by those compunctious visitings which his better sense continued to him; and finishes his career with full possession of his reason, with a bold defiance of his fate. Which of these individuals should seem the most culpable? Yet the former has been the object of anathema, and the latter of comparative condolence.

It is grateful to the philanthropist to diminish the number of atrocious offenders, and something is also gained for poor human nature by endeavours to lessen the enormity of offence. "Who would wantonly add weight to the stone of Sisyphus?" Whatever items we can fairly deduct from individual guilt, we so far diminish that aggregate which weighs so heavily on our common race. Should the preceding reflections promote in any degree so salutary a purpose, they will scarcely be classed with idle reveries. They refer to a character which, considered either as an historic instance or a poetic fiction, is certainly entitled to justice; and those to whom this claim would be unavailing, who feel not lady Macbeth's interests, may yet take some heed to their own: since it is probable few exercises of the human mind are more pernicious, than that which consists in the contemplation of consummate, unmingled depravity. From this, the intellect in its healthy state revolts with loathing:-it is only when diseased and morbid that it discovers an appetite for poison. We are far from contending that the character of lady Macbeth, with every allowance, does not exhibit deplorable deficiency; but not that desperate criminality which, independent of the disgust it occasions, loses its moral effect, since its excess generates incredulity. We have merely endeavoured that she should not be consigned to entire and unequalled infamy; not be considered a "monster" beyond parallel; not be ranked with the Tullias and Clytemnestras of antiquity; or the Catherines of Medicis and of Muscovy in more recent times. We all sympathize with the faithful follower of "de Montfort," in that simple exclamation over the body of his master:

"Thou wert too good to do a cruel deed,

And so it killed thee!"

Yet de Montfort was the murderer of his fellow. Does not the character of lady Macbeth authorize the same conclusion, since her offence received the same awful expiation? Let this reflection recommend her memory to our mercy, and spare her in future from proving that bitterest imprecation of the sacred writings:"Thine eye shall not pity her!"

To educe good from evil is the high prerogative only of Divine Providence. But it is even here within the province of the moral alchymist to attempt something like humble imitation. He can decompose, combine, or transmute; and if in the process any latent good should be elicited, or any superficial evil obliterated, the la bour will not have been in vain.

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

SPURIOUS WORDS.

MR. OLDSCHOOL,

I HAVE noticed in some recent numbers of your valuable pub fication, an endeavour to detect and outlaw several spurious words, which many good writers and most lexicographers have introduced to the English language. This is a meritorious attempt; for as it becomes every good citizen of the commonwealth to prevent, if possible, its being overburthened with the useless or vicious members of other states, it is no less the duty of each good citizen of the republic of letters to protest against the admission of words, not only useless, but such as usurp the places and privileges of natives.

Permit me, therefore, to occupy a page of your miscellany for this purpose.

Unsatisfactoriness is a complicated and unnecessary word; and although acknowledged by Johnson and Walker, yet it is so nicely distinguished from Dissatisfaction, that I doubt whether either would have allowed the necessity of its use. This word is ad

mitted by even the Edinborough Reviewers; and at the moment when I am writing this, it occurs to me to remark, that

Edenburgh is the German; but Edenborough the English name of that city.

Perfectability and Excitability are used by Fisher Ames; and although they may be not improper, it is doubtful whether every writer should be allowed to give currency to words new and unharmonious.

Uninurned may likewise be acceptable; but Unurned would be more so. This word may be found in "Inchiquin's Letters."The same remarks apply, of course, to Inurned and Urned.

Deception, Conception, Reception, &c. are substituted for Deceit, Conceit, Receipt, &c. and if Exception be urged in palliation, it may be answered, that this is derived from the verb Except, and those from Deceive, Conceive, Receive, &c.

Extention is often substituted for Extent; and Vapidity for Vapour.

From Whence, from Hence, from Thence, &c. are often used by the best writers, for Whence, &c. the evident tautology and impropriety of which, preclude the necessity of any remark.

Thus, sir, I have arraigned these disorganizers, and should be pleased to know the decision of those more competent than myself to judge. In the meantime, if you shall not remand or discharge these, I will hereafter present such as may come under the observation of your

Washington Col.

PLAINTIFF.

Note. Whatever quiddity may appear in the above, it is important to the preservation of its purity, that our language should be rescued from all inaccuracies, by an early interference.

AMERICAN SCENERY.-FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

VIEW OF FORT NIAGARA.

NIAGARA FORT of which an engraving is given, is situated on the eastern side of Niagara river at its entrance into Lake Ontario, and opposite to Newark in Canada. The Fort is a most im

portant post, and secures a greater number of communications through a large country than probably any other pass in interior America. This Fort was built by the French in the year 1725, and was delivered up to the United States, according to the treaty of 1794, by the British in 1796. It is situated about nine miles below the Cataract of Niagara in N. lat. 43° 20′, and W. longitude 79°, and the season is quite as mild as it is in some of the New England states, and vegetation is as early and as forward..

MR. OLDSCHOOL,

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.

THE following morsel of eloquence by the Abbe Raynal, on the celebrated Eliza of Sterne, I have never met with in English, it being omitted in the translation of the Abbe's history which I have read; and I have therefore endeavoured to put it into our language. Possibly, it may not be unacceptable to the readers of the Port Folio, and with some of them, perhaps, it may have the merit of novelty. It is at any rate, a curious specimen of the free and enthusiastic spirit of French literature, contrasted with the reserve of the English. What quarter, would a British writer of the present day, have to expect from the reviewers, for such a romantic, egotizing effusion, foisted into the midst of a grave, historical and philosophical work? By the bye, is there not much reason to suppose, that Petrarch's Laura, Rousseau's Madame De Warens, and Sterne's and Raynal's Eliza Draper, were a sort of Syrens of the same school, a kind of platonic seducers, whose peculiar prerogative it seems to have been, to enthral the hearts of men of genius, and to inspire their pens with the emulation of giving them a literary immortality? D. R.

RAYNAL'S ELIZA.

TERRITORY OF ANJINGA, thou art nothing in thyself; but thou hast given birth to Eliza. One day these marts of commerce, founded by the Europeans on the coasts of Asia, will no longer subsist. The grass will cover them, or, e'er the lapse of a few fleeting ages, the avenged Indian shall have raised buildings on their ruins. But if my writings have any duration, the name of Anjinga shall remain in the memory of men. Those who shall read me, those whom the winds shall waft towards these shores,

shall say, Here it was, that Eliza Draper was born; and if there is a Briton among them, he shall add with eager pride, and she was born of English parents.

Let me here be permitted to indulge my grief and my tears! Eliza was my friend. O reader, whoever thou art, pardon me this involuntary impulse. Suffer me to absorb myself in the recollection of Eliza. If I have sometimes softened thee with the calamities of the human race, deign at this time to compassionate my own misfortune. I was thy friend without knowing thee; one moment then, be mine. Thy soothing pity will be my recompence.

Eliza finished her career in the country of her parents, at the age of thirty-three. A celestial soul was then separated from a celestial body. Ye who visit the place where her sacred ashes repose, write upon the marble which covers them, on such a year, such a month, such a day, and such an hour, God resumed the hallowed emanation that animated her, and Eliza expired.

Original author! her admirer and friend, it was Eliza who inspired thy works, and dictated their most affecting pages. Happy Sterne, thou art no more, and I am still alive. I have lamented thee with Eliza; thou would'st have wept over her, with me; and had it pleased heaven that you should both have survived me, you, with her, would have expressed your grief for me.

The men, who saw her, with one accord pronounced, that no woman united so many graces as Eliza. Her own sex said the All praised her candour; all commended her sensibility; all were ambitious of the honour of knowing her. Envy was never tempted to assail a merit so unconscious.

same.

It is doubtless to the influence of thy happy climate, Anjinga, that she was indebted, for that almost incompatible union of volup tuousness and decency, which accompanied her whole person, and mingled itself in all her movements. The statuary who would have designed the figure of Pleasure, would have taken her for his model; and she would equally have served him who would have depicted the image of Chastity. That soul unknown in our countries, the dark and nebulous sky of England could not extinguish. Whatever Eliza did, was attended with an irresistible charm. Desire, but timid Desire followed her in silence. The