mity under the mask of lofty expreffion! This is no new charge against Kotzebue; you may remember, Mr. Editor, it is juft the fame in his Lovers' Vows. In fact, it is only part of a fyftem adopted by the new philofophy, and affiduoufly cultivated in every poffible way, fo as to loofen those bonds which have hitherto fo fuccefsfully held fociety together; and we all of us know, by daily experience, how far the feduction of the female mind has that powerful tendency. But I maintain that Elvira is nothing lefs than a complete Godwinite heroine, ftark ftaring Mary all over! for the loves not Pizarro from principle, although the unblufhingly acquaints us that to him he had facrificed her honour! Why could not Kotzebue have made Elvira a WIFE, inftead of a mistress? No, that would not have done! it would not have been confiftent with philofophifm to have decorated a wife with those brilliant fentiments that infpire a miftrefs! Had this character been drawn for the pur pofe of inculcating noble and pure fentiments on the female mind, who will be fo hardy as to deny that, in the mouth of Pizarro's WIFE, the effect would have been infinitely more ftriking than in that of his MISTRESS? but then the great philofophical purpose of holding up vice in a palliating attitude would have been loft, and Kotzebue had been left without a plaudit from his fellow labourers. Shall I in this be told that I am an alarmift? If I am, I fhall not avail myself of the ready answer the anti-alarmifts have furnished themselves, on the occafion of alarms in general, for they have been compelled, by untoward circumftances, to confefs, either in word or deed, by open acknowledgement or expreffive filence, that all our alarms have been but too well founded. Let me, however, instead of this fubterfuge, be combated on the juftice of my principles, or fallacy of my conclufions-let me be tried by the unerring rule that guides the moralift and the true poet. The character of Valverde seems to be brought forward with no other view than to heighten the character of Elvira; for, after this is done, Valverde is left to indulge his own views, and the author, fo far from finishing him as a vicious character, drops him all at once, without even the smallest form of dismissal, indeed, when we were led to expect great things to be brought about through his means. Cora's character, like that of Alonzo, is brought forward under fuch circumstances as muft extort a fuperficial tear from the spectator, unlefs, like myself, he will be determined to fteel his heart against any distress which does not rife intrinfically out of the moral position of the party-here it is the irrelevant incident of a child fuddenly loft, and very strangely picked up, (but more frangely introduced to Pizarro,) which excites the pity of an audience. Now, what are we to think of an author, who, in order to make fomething like a tragedy of his piece, is compelled, nolens volens, on one of the most romantic ideas that ever entered into the human head, and executed in as improbable and romantic a manner, to facrifice the life of a man, Rolla, whom he has held up to our admiration, with no one view which had before any connection with the piece? Does his NO XII. VOL. III. P love love to Cara form a leading trait in the production? Is the piece put together in order to bring about Rolla's death? No-it is the effect of chance medley. Is this a performance finished, or even began on the regular rules of the drama, or conducted with any decent degree of arrangement? Indeed, it has no other appearance, than that the author has thrown together a jumble of characters, fomewhat in the form of a dramatic piece, in order the more fuccessfully to foift his fapping principles on the undifcerning multitude; nor can we wonder that Sheridan fhould exert his abilities, when the main tendency is to promote the views of his party, by a gradual diffolution of the most facred ties of fociety. Speaking of the language of the piece, I fhall furely be joined by all, in not finding much of pathos in it. I fhall be told that is loft in the tranflation; but I answer that, in a literal translation, which this profeffes to be, fuch pathos, if it ever exifted, could not be concealed; for pathos and fublimity confift in idea, more than in the polished expreffion of that idea. There is a curious circumftance brought forward in the fourth fcene of the first act, which is, the toleration of a religious and moral character, that of Las Cafas, by a fet of bloodhounds in council, after having been hardy enough to reprove them for their many barbarities. I am forry to obferve of Las Cafas, that he should fuppofe fuch a woman as Elvira could poffibly be elected as the guardian angel of the unfortunate Peruvians. The fplendour of the fcene where Ataliba and the priests affemble to facrifice, must be allowed to be worthy of the purpose; but the aweful name of the Divine Being is too often appealed to, and fire defcending from heaven to confume their offering is an additional piece of familiarity with facred fubjects, which rather fhocks the feelings than adds folemnity to the ceremony. These things the church, and not the theatre, has to do with. As well might a pantomime be performed in the pulpit! There is not a foliloquy in the whole piece that is worth reading; but, indeed, I do not believe that Kotzebue is capable of writing one. The eye may be delighted with the actor's and the painter's art, but the understanding meets with nothing but difguft!-there is nothing but dulnefs and error, artifice and confufion-in fhort, it wants more pruning than I have inclination to bestow on it. Let us, for God's fake, look with a little more circumfpection at the claims of thefe German philofophers, before we fo readily admit the value of them; nor fuffer the public tafte to be vitiated thus, without making one fingle attempt to expofe the abfurdity of its feducer. My blood boils with indignation when I fee my beloved Shakspeare, Otway, Rowe, and all thofe ornaments of my native country, thruft afide, to make way for the filthy effufions of this German dunce! Forbid it Britons !-forbid it common fenfe! AN ADMIRER OF THE DRAMA. ΤΟ I SIR, TO THE EDITOR. Was very happy to read, in your last number, a proper animadverfion on Cecil's life of the Rev. W. B. Cadogan; and as different readers are ftricken with different abfurdities, the following has made an impreffion on my mind, which will not foon be worn away. It is in P. 115. "I remember hearing him (Mr. C.) fay, I have no pleasure now to read Homer, Virgil, and Horace, whom I ufed to idolize. To a man who enters into the views of the Bible they become not only infipid, but often difgufting. In genius, taite, and elegance, they have never been excelled, but (as Dr. Horne alfo remarks) in almoft every thing else worth knowing, they were as ignorant as the beafts that peri.” The coarseness and vulgarity of this last sentence will not furprize any one, who has attended the harangues of these pretended Evangelical preachers, for every year furnishes us with fome accounts how they can degrade the word of God and the office of inftructors, by mean imagery and low corruption. And they know that by far the majority of them, poffeffed of little genius, tafte, and learning, could have no weight at all in the world, but by difparaging literary attainments. But the affertion is most palpably and notorioufly falfe, under whatever authority it is sheltered. There is fcarcely a public or a private duty of man, which will not be found incul cated, both by precept and example, in the elegant writers abovementioned. Nay, even the doctrine of a future ftate is not omitted, though enveloped in fable. It is well known that Virgil borrows much from Homer, and that Horace, befides a knowledge of the world, an abhorrence of avarice and fenfuality, gratitude to his father, and an affection for his country, refolved, in his latter days, to lay afide whatever was licentious and ludicrous, and to enquire what was moft interefting, both to himself and all mankind. Many of his Epiftles prove that he was not unsuccessful, and even in his Odes he did not always forget the duties of morality. But his fecond epiftle, beginning Trojani belli, &c. explains, in a fhort and clear way, what useful leffons for the government of the paffions may be learnt from Homer, whofe vaft and comprehenfive mind, like the fhield of Achilles, was co-extenfive with every interefting concern of man. To the learned part of your readers thefe obfervations are fuperfluous, but how many parents are there who may, from Mr. Cecil's mifreprefentation, be led to fuppofe that claffical knowledge is at leaft ufelefs? A Chriftian instructor will always point out what is erroneous, as to religion and morality, in any of the ancient writers, but what is excellent he' will recommend to attention and obfervance. And it is a cafe in point to inform the world, upon the authority of Dr. Johnson, that the ingenious Markland, when, to ufe the Doctor's own words, life was fhutting in upon him, relinquished all other books, except his Greek Testament and Horace. P 2 The The Doctor, whole piety was indifputable, mentioned this anecdote when his own life was drawing to a period, and with evident approbation. So different were these two great perfons from Mr. Cadogan; and every man is left to determine, who can determine, whofe authority ought to preponderate. The Doctor has written many fermons, which will be read and admired, when the motley, flimfy, and infipid, productions of Mr. Cadogan, and many others, will be configned to the fate which one of thefe defpifed authors predicted in the following lines :~ Deferar ut vicum vendentem thus & odores Et pifces & quicquid chartis amicitur ineptís. I am happy to say that Alban Hall is reformed, but Edmund Hall is ftill a receptacle for the ignorant and fanctimonious. They who are admitted there, and are not of fuch a defcription, would do well to migrate, and the Bishops would alfo do well to accept no candidate for orders from thence, as long as the spirit of fanaticism reigns in it. Let the Vice Principal, who was placed in his fituation by the late Principal, of fcandalous memory, be fent to feek his fortune where he may do lefs mischief. Happy would it have been for the Church of England, if the expulfion, which took place in 1768, had been efficacious; and if greater caution had been used throughout the University, on proper enquiry, fome would have been excluded, who difgrace it by profligacy and immorality, or by ignorance and enthufiafin. Proper allowances may be made for youth and inexperience, many irregularities correct themfelves, but fanaticifin is an incurable evil. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, MISOFANATICUS. SIR, TO THE EDITOR. T is a fatisfaction to me to find, by the perufal of your corref Ipondent Gis, laft letter, that not one fingle affertion made by me has been difproved by him; he objects, indeed, that I had mitquoted his words, by the ufe of "only" for " chiefly," a matter of fo trifling a confequence to our argument even in his own opinion, that he fairly enough adds, this might have been " inadvertently," for, in truth, it was a quotation from memory. But fome greater acknowledgement, perhaps, may be due on my part for his condefcenfion in allowing me fome claim (though but a " comparative" one I obferve) to the title of a gentleman and a christian. With as earnest hope, therefore, of preferving this character, I fhall take the liberty to make fome farther remarks on the fubject we have already treated. As an avowed and zealous champion of " Itinerant Preachers," it were an imputation upon a man of reading to fuppofe that G. negle&s neglects perufing any tracts which may appear upon his favourite topic, ftill lefs fhould I imagine (though he might fometimes overlook what an anonymous writer offers,) that he has failed to read what fo excellent and ingenious a man as Mr. Wollafton of Chizle hurft has published under his own name! I will therefore take it for granted that a pamphlet entitled a "Country Parfon's Advice to his Flock," has, ere this, met his eye, and if fo, what kind of apology will G. now offer in behalf of his obtrusive miffionaries--will he continue to affert that the endeavours to inftru&t," REFORM," and convert the poor villagers are carried on by thofe diffenters only, (G. does not here fay chiefly,) who believe and preach the principal doctrines contained in the church of England? And, above all, will he go on to say that thefe vagrant retailers of the gospel (for what proper appellation, Mr. Editor, can one bestow upon fuch pious non defcripts,) "avoid those places where there are upright and zealous minifters in the church?" I think G. would not fo roundly contradict, as he must by repeating fuch affertion, the united teftimony of the world to Mr. Wollafton's merits as a man and a divine, mentioning him as a fingle inftance, and even G. has allowed that there are many excellent men among the established lergy," though, as I noticed in a former letter, he chofe, with more caut on than candour, to qualify his lukewarm panegyric." It is fair to hope, likewif, that G. will in future be lefs fanguine in his expectations of the falutary fruits of these unc lled " labourers in the vineyard," when he learns that a number of thofe who have taken out licenfes to preach the gospel are so truly illiterate as to be unable, in this age too, to fign their own name! If he doubt this, let him take the trouble to have ocular proof at the places where thefe licenfes are registered, and when he has convinced himself of this fact, and feen, farther, that even many of those who can write cannot fpell the most common words in our language! Will he then afk himself the queftion seriously as a chriftian, unbiaffed by feet or party, whether it be right or fitting, or can poflibly tend to any truly religious pu pofe? If it be fo, in any fenfe, for the glory of God or for the good of man, that fuch totally unqualified perions, even if their characters are upright, fhould be invefted with a worldly power, under a much abufed act of parliament, of miniftering the "important duties of the atonement of Chrift, and the renovating work of the Holy Ghost?"-should it even happen, as G. profeffes to lament, that these doctrines in particular are in fome places neglected by the eftablished clergy. I believe it to be very well underfood that many of thefe miffionaries are the more induced to affume the office of preachers, fince, with their licence, they procure certain other privileges, of which an exemption from the militia (the only way perhaps fuch fubjects could be ferviceable to their King and country,) is no small object; for as to the powder tax, we may fuppofe that particular advantage to be of as little moment to the strait-haired race of ignorant fanatics, as to the modern croppies, or any other |