affumed its present form only a short time before Mohammed, there being no trace whatever among them of a more ancient poetry. If the Hebrew poetry had a fimilar construction, which may indeed be suspected from a fimilar use of the vowels, we might by this time have traced, without difficulty, the laws of Hebrew metre by the rules of analogy *.

If the text of the ode, which you mention to have read in the miscellaneous works of some anonymous author, had been correct, you would not have wanted my humble affiftance: but it is fo full of errors, that I must be an Edipus to interpret it. Every one knows, that the mere irregularity of the diacritical points occafions infinite difficulty

*The probability that the metrical compositions of the Hebrews and Arabs were founded on the same rules of prosody, is intimated by Sir W. Jones, in his Commentaries on Asiatic poetry, and proposed to the investigation of the learned. This opinion is suggested, by the close affinity of the languages of those ancient people, whence he argues to a presumption that their poets used the same numbers, feet, and measures, in their compositions.

in the Oriental languages; but this is doubly increased by the cafual omiffion or alteration of the letters themfelves. It is therefore abfolutely neceffary in my opinion, as it is impoffible to find manuscripts without errors, to poffefs two copies of every one which you read, that the faults of the one may be corrected by the other; and this is my method.

I have only to conclude by thanking you for your Italian fonnet, and expreffing the commendation to which it is entitled.Farewel.

* Mr. JONES to C. REVICZKI.

April 1768.

Nothing can afford a stronger proof of your polite attention to me, than your laft very friendly letter, which you contrived to write in the midst of city bustle, during the noise of riotous mobs, and the tumult of

a parliamentary election, and to accompany

it with a moft beautiful Perfian Ode, and a Latin tranflation. Our favourite Hafez deferves indeed to be fed with ambrofia, and I daily discover, with increafing delight, new beauties and elegances in him, The prin cipal difficulty attending the translation and publication of his poems as you have begun, confists in giving them a poetical dress; but this will prove easier than you imagine; for there are many of his odes, which I conclude you will not attempt to tranflate, as containing expreffions wholly foreign to our manners, lofty and daring figures, or abrupt unconnected lines; and this will in fome meafure alleviate the Herculean labour of the task.

If I were not a fincere lover of truth, and averfe from all diffimulation, I fhould lament that our capital has fallen under your infpection in thefe times of turbulence and distraction, when the liberty of my country, fo univerfally celebrated, has degenerated into unbridled licentiousness, not to

fay outrage. The original form of our conftitution is almoft divine;-to fuch a degree, that no ftate of Rome or Greece could ever boast one fuperior to it; nor could Plato, Ariftotle, nor any legiflator, even conceive a more perfect model of a ftate. The three parts which compofe it are fo harmoniously blended and incorporated, that neither the flute of Ariftoxenus, nor the lyre of Timotheus, ever produced more perfect concord. What can be more difficult than to devise a constitution, which, while it guards the dignity of the fovereign, and liberty of the people, from any encroachment by the influence and power of the nobility, preferves the force and majefty of the laws from violation, by the popular liberty? This was the cafe formerly in our island, and would be fo ftill, if the folly of fome had not prompted them to fpur on the populace, inftead of holding them in. I cannot therefore reftrain my indignation against Wilkes, a bold and able, but turbulent torch and firebrand of fedi

man, the very

tion: but what can be faid in defence of the

honour and confiftency of fome of our nobility, who, after having given him their countenance and fupport, fhamefully deferted and betrayed him?

If you wish to obtain more accurate information refpecting our laws and customs, I recommend to your perufal Smith's Treatife on the English Conftitution, and the Dialogue of Fortescue in praise of the Laws of England. Thomas Smith was the English ambassador in France in the reign of Elizabeth, and his work is in Latin, and not inelegantly written. To Fortefcue's little tract, we may apply the words of Xenophon to the Teleboas; "it is not large, but beautiful." He was Chancellor of England under Henry the Sixth, and was compelled by the distractions of the times, to take refuge with his pupil Prince Edward in France, where, in an advanced age, he compofed his little golden dialogue. These books will convince you that our laws are framed with the greatest wisdom, and that as Pindar, quoted by Plato in his Gorgias, fays,