but in breeding an inconfiderable number of cattle, and feeding fome red deer, who wandered about the upper parts of the eftate. Humanity, however, required, that above five hundred individuals, who inhabited the eftate, should not be driven from their ancient poffeffions, without having fome other means of fubfiftence pointed out to them: Hence it was neceflary to proceed with caution in extending the farm, and to form fome liberal plan to provide for the people. The following measure was at last adopted for that purpose, that of giving two Scotch acres of arable land, or at least fit to be made arable, with a house and garden, to each of those little farmers, under the name of "Cottage Farms," the proprietor becoming bound to employ them for 100, 200, or 300 days in the year, as the cottager chofe, paying the labourer fo much grain, and fo much money, in proportion to the number of days agreed upon; and thus the cottager, in a manner, received rent from the landlord, inftead of paying any. p. 227-8. The ninth effay is a republication of An account of the origin and progrefs of the Board of Agriculture,' which was publifhed in 1796, and does not require any farther notice in this place. The tenth effay contains a propofal for establishing a great experimental farm, to be fupported by fubfcription. Sir John beftows a whole fection in anfwering the objections which had been ftated to this inftitution; but there is one, of which he takes no notice, that would probably render the whole scheme abortive within two years after its eftablishment: the subscribers would quarrel about the management, and the theorists would difpute and contradict each other about the actual result of the experiments. Experimental farms are beft where they now are, in the hands of individuals; nothing fhort of the monarchical power of a proprietor can preferve any thing like uniformity or fteadiness under a new fyftem of operations. The next eflay is really a curiosity. It is a letter to a proprietor on the means of promoting the comfort of the people in his neighbourhood; and contains fuch an enumeration of truifms as has rarely been laid before the public in a ferious compofition. His directions for making the cottages of the lower orders comfortable, for instance, are as follows: 1. They should be dry and healthy; 2 They should be warm, cheerful, and comfortable; 3. Convenient; 4. Of a proper width,' &c. &c. On the fubject of fuel, in like manner, we are gravely informed, that it is of ufe, 1. For cooking victuals; 2. For warmth; 3. To remove damp,' &c. All proprietors,' it is then faid,fhould make Statistical furveys of their eftates; and take care to fee the people of their district amusing themfelves with mufic and dancing,' in imitation of the wife administrations of ancient Greece ! The The laft effay, On Longevity,' is the most amusing of the whole collection, though it contains as few traces of original genius, or judicious felection, as any of thofe that go before it. Among the circumftances tending to promote longevity,' we do not know by what rule of logic the learned author has enumerated the renewal of youth, by the reproduction of new teeth, new hair,' &c. This may be an indication of longevity, but can scarcely be accounted a circumftance tending to promote it. Mountainous countries, even though expofed to moisture, feem to be by far the most favourable to long life; and habitual expofure to the open air, appears of much greater importance than the moft rigid temperance and regularity. Annexed to this effay is a curious lift of ninety-fix in-penfioners in Greenwich Hofpital, above eighty years of age, (the whole number being 2410), with a fhort note of their prefent ftate and past conduct. Almoft all of thefe veterans have used tobacco constantly for a great number of years, and most of them acknowledged the habit of drinking freely. It is a fingular proof of the admirable management of this inftitution, that while fuch is the proportion of aged to the whole among the in-penfioners, there fhould be no more than twenty-three among 2500 out-penfioners who are upwards of eighty years of age. Upon the whole, there is not much to praise in this volume, but the motives from which it appears to have been compofed. Sir John Sinclair would certainly be an useful man, if he knew how to fet about it: though there will probably be always a confiderable difference between his own eftimate of his importance, and that which is adopted by the public. ART. XXIV. ANAAEKTA MEIZONA. Pars altera. Poëtica complec tens. Cum Notis philologicis, quas partim collegit, partim fcripfit Andreas Dalzel, S.R.S. Edin. 1802-3. AN N exclufive attachment to experimental philofophy, and a laudable defire of extending knowledge, more immediately fubfervient to the purposes of common life, have induced a very great majority of those who bestow any cultivation on their minds, either wholly to neglect, or, what is truly illiberal, to depreciate the valuable labours of the philological critic. It must be acknowledged, that the accurate grammarian has not always united a delicate taste and a fine imagination, to fkill in analysing the language of ancient authors. Deftitute of elegance, his difquifitions have been fullied with barbarous invective, and the angry O 2 polemic polemic has irreverently rushed into the vales of Helicon, scattering difmay through the peaceful haunts of Parnaffus. But claffical learning is fufficiently vindicated from the charges too commonly imputed to it. We may contraft the candour of Markland with the feverity of Bentley, and the elegance of Heyne with the drynefs of Burmann. The performance now before us is calculated to remove impreflions unfavourable to the study of verbal criticism, by the amiable fpirit which pervades the annotations of the learned Profeffor, and by that happy union of philological erudition and cultivated tafte for general literature, which diftinguishes this elementary work from all others of a fimilar nature. The fecond volume of the Collectanea Majora, prefented to the public in another edition more correct than the former one, and enriched with additional notes, deferves all the attention from instructors which has been given to the profe collection. The poetical Excerpta are divided into five parts. The first confifts of felections from the heroic poets, from Homer, Hefiod, and Apollonius Rhodius. Thofe from Homer are exceedingly judicious, containing the whole first book of the Odyffey-the difcovery of Ulyffes to Alcinous in confequence of the ftrains of Demodocus-his departure from Calypfo: the whole of the ninth book, which includes the molt entertaining part of the hero's adventures-his defcent to the frades, and the first meeting of Penelope and Ulyffes after his return to Ithaca. The reader certainly has here an ample view of Homer's genius, as exhibited in the Odyfley. We are not, however, fatisfied with the Profeffor's reason for omitting to present fome fpecimen from the Iliad. Though this poem is in the poffellion of most students of the Greek tongue, we should have been highly gratified by a commentary on the more fplendid parts of it from fo difcerning a critic. From Hefiod we have every thing which a man of taste can wish to peruse; the defcription of the Ages in the Opera and Dies, and the Battle of the Titans in the Theogonia. We think the selections from Apollonius too copious. He is a poet by no means of the firit clafs. Some few beauties from Quintus Calaber, or Tryphiodorus, might have fupplied the place of part of them. The Second Part confifts of the Edipus Tyrannus of Sophocles, and the Medea of Euripides. It feems a defect to have given no specimen from Æfchylus, and no example of the Greek comedy. An expurgata editio' of fome parts of Ariftophanes would have contributed to the improvement and entertainment of the pupil. The Third Part contains the principal beauties of Theocritus, and fome pleafing compofitions of Mofchus and Bion. In the Fourth divifion, we have the Excerpta Lyrica, which are divided into Odes, Scholia, and Pæans. Thefe These felections are from various authors, and form an agreeable diverfity. The fame obfervation will apply to the mifcellanies compofing the Fifth part, and divided into Hymns, гvõμ, and Epigrams. Upon the whole, though we have taken the liberty of fuggefting fome little improvement, a more amufing and inftructive felection could fcarcely be prefented to the public. The preface to this ufeful volume claims attention, as it contains fome information refpecting a confummate mafter in the cri-. tical art. The Profeffor apologizes for not following the Medea of Euripides, as edited by Porfon. This new edition of the Collectanea was printed before that eminent scholar had published the Tragedy. Dr Raine, master of the Charter-House School, had however communicated to the Profeffor the other plays by Porfon, before the publication of this fecond edition. His encomium on the critical abilities of that editor, is remarkable for its pure and elegant Latinity, and for the fpirit and animation of the style. In the prooem to the Notes, the Profeffor acknowledges his obligation to two of his friends in the moft liberal manner, happy to avail himself of the learning and abilities of others, and not af fecting an oftentatious difplay of his own acquifitions. Our readers will peruse the whole paragraph with pleasure, as a specimen of that candour and politenefs, which ought ever to accompany an offering to the Mufes. We affent alfo to the juft praise bestowed on Dr Young in this walk of literature. Had he never attempted to tranfgrefs into parts beyond his reach, we fhould have, on former occafions, been fpared much trouble. The notes upon Homer are preceded by an elegant differtation on his life and writings. In this preliminary treatise, we have occafional glimpses of that accurate and profound erudition, which, to have displayed more fully, would have been foreign to the object of a book intended for novices in the ftudy of antiquity. The reader is every where referred to authorities for more complete information. The following comprehenfive view of Homer's merits, as a poet, is drawn with much judgment, and expreffed in clear and pleafing language. Sed ne longiùs in campum hunc immenfum progrediar (ubi qui cunque Homerum juftis laudibus profequi aggreffus fuerit finis ei circumfpicienti nufquam apparere videtur) mihi tantùm obfervare liceat, quicquid animum humanum heroicorum facinorum admiratione in fublime rapiat, quicquid lætitiam, luctum, mifericordiam, cæterofque affectus, quorum exercitatione aut is valde delectatur aut promovetur, excitet, id omne ineffe carminibus Homeri. Neque effectus hi plani admirandi ex inconditâ rerum geftarum, descriptionum aut narrationum congerie oriuntur: fed in Iliade et Odyffeâ exhibentur duo pulcherrima opera, quorum partes tum benè funt difpofitæ, omnefque tum apti inter fe connexæ ut exempla adhuc abfolutiflima præbeunt nobiliffimi illius fatùs humani ingenii, epici nimirum vel heroici poëmatis.' But to inquire into the merits of fuch difcuffions, would far exceed our limits. The differtation is followed by a catalogue of the principal editions of the poet. The plan of annexing an account of the best editions of each author, is purfued throughout the volume, and cannot be too much commended. The peculiar excellence of the Profeffor's valuable performance, confiits in the fubftitution of philological notes for Latin versions, which are often erroneous, and, even when executed in the molt perfect manner, convey little or no knowledge of the idiom of the Greek language. In the preface to the former edition, he begins with mentioning the propriety of rejecting tranflations for the affiftance of pupils. Fuit jamdiù mihi perfuafiffimum, nihil ad ætatem juvenilem verâ linguæ Græcæ cognitione imbuendam plus collaturum, quam ut præceptores, perpetuis interpretationibus Latinis repudiatis, annotationum philologicarum ufum adoptarent.' The notes which accompany each selection are chiefly extracted from the most eminent critics, who have illuftrated the sense of ancient authors by grammatical accuracy and deep erudition. The reader becomes acquainted with the critical acumen of various fcholars, and is thus enabled to estimate their comparative merits, and incited to make himself more familiar with their writings. In this collection of verbal criticifms, the foundation is laid for the most confpicuous attainments in Greek literature; the fources of more extenfive information are pointed out to the pupil; and his improvement is every where confulted by the moft ample inftruction in matters involved in difficulty and obfcurity. Nor is this the only merit to which the volume may lay claim. Provifion has been made for the cultivation of a refined tafte, as well as for a minute acquaintance with the peculiarities of the Greek language. The pleasures of imagination are not wholly facrificed to verbal minutiæ, which, however important as the bafis of a literary education, are but a means to a great end. In his notes on Theocritus, the Profeffor directs his pupils to feek information on the fubject of paftoral poetry. Cæterùm de poën Bucolicâ multi feripfere. Eft hoc quidem argumentum inter criticos fatis tutum. Qui in eo verfari cupit; præter has ingeniofas Wartoni et Heynii differtationes adire poteft.-Rapin, de Carm. Paftoral.-Differt. fur, l'Eclogic, par Fraguier-Memoires de l'Acad. des Infcript. tom. II. p. 132.-Pope's Difcourfe on Paftoral Poetry. |