found, and by the introduction of general and philofophical terms, which leave much to the reader's mind after directing it into the proper channel-Mr Stewart fills up thofe finer paffages, where language is required to make its greateft efforts, to pourtray the most fleeting and delicate forms of thought. As one writer describes by fimile; another by skilful enumeration of particulars; a third by fine quotation from thofe claflics whofe beauties are univerfally well known, like the beauties of nature: our author, in a more abstract and comprehenfive manner, presents a great general idea, rather than a peculiar feature of his fubject; awakens lively affociations, by indirect movements, and conjures up thofe conceptions which are perhaps a little factitious, and owe their origin to the conventional figns of language. We may farther remark, but it is a defect of almost unavoidable occurrence in a style that abounds with metaphorical and abftract turns of expreffion, that we not unfrequently find a little inaccuracy, perhaps confufion of figure; and, without any more general illuftration, we fhall prefent one or two examples, involv ing all the peculiarities, both the eminent beauties, and the flight in perfections, which we have now endeavoured to point out. In the following admirable paffage, the advantages of choofing the reign of Charles V. for a fubject of hiftorical compofition, are happily illustrated by a new and appropriate comparison. The advantage of making the transactions of a particular nation, and fill more the reign of a particular fovereign, a ground-work for fuch comprehenfive views of human affairs, is fufficiently obvious. By carrying on a connected feries of important events, and indicating their relations to the contemporary hiftery of mankind, a meridian is traced (if I may use the expreffion) through the vaft and crowded map of time; and a line of reference is exhibited to the mind, for marking the bearings of thofe fubordinate occurrences, in the multiplicity of which its powers would have been loft.' p. 89. 90. Immediately after, we meet with another fine period in Mr Stewart's peculiar ftyle of expreffion. The reader who is previously acquainted with the last scenes of his enterprifing aud brilliant life, while he follows him through the splendid career of his ambition, can fcarcely avoid to indulge occafionally thofe moral fympathies which the contraft awakens; and to borrow from the folitude of the cloifter fome prophetic touches, to foften the fternness of the warrior and the ftatefman.' p. 91. 92. In the whole of the paffage formerly quoted (p. 242-3.), the fame peculiarities are obfervabie. In one part of it, we meet with the flight flight and venial inaccuracy of figure which has been hinted at— • a compass and richness of diction rivalling the majestic eloquence which defined Buffon to be the hiftorian of nature.' The diction of Robertfon rivalled the eloquence of Buffon. Compafs and richness are qualities of that diction, which enabled it to stand the competition, and which could only be compared with some quality of Buffon's eloquence, A rich diction may rival a majestic eloquence, or richness of diction may rival majefty of eloquence; but richnefs of diction does not properly rival majestic eloquence. In the following fentence, we meet with the character of Mr Stewart's ftyle, although the fubject is of a nature much more humble and tame than that of the above paffages. A letter from William Lord Mansfield, though it bears no marks of the fuperior mind of that eminent man, is valuable at least as a teftimony of his refpect for Dr Robertfon: nor will it, perhaps, when contrafted with the fplendour of his profeffional exertions, be altogether unacceptable to those who have a pleasure in studying the varieties and the limits of human genius.' p. 103. 104. We may remark here, that a letter of Lord Mansfield' is contrafted with the Splendour of his professional exertions'—a figure fomewhat more violent than the unimportant nature of the occafion required or juftified. Perhaps the varieties and limits of human genius' is intended to mean a good deal more than several fentences would fuffice accurately to defcribe. For the reft the ftructure of the period is a good fpecimen of that repose which diftinguishes Mr Stewart's ftyle. Before taking our leave of this fubject, we must offer to the author our thanks for the pleasure which we have derived from his very skilful and appropriate illuftrations drawn from antiquity. The allufions and quotations which he introduces, diffufe a claffical light over the fubject; awaken a thousand delightful affociations, which endear the difcuffions to us; and caft upon objects, in themselves not always the most elegant or pleafing until they are foftened through diftance, the charming tints fpread by the evening of a brighter day. ART. ART. XXVII. The Poetical Works of the late Thomas Warton, B. D. Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford, and Poet-Laureat. Fifth Edition, corrected and enlarged. To which are now added, Infcriptionum Romanarum Delectus, and an Inaugural Speech, as Camden Profeffor of Hiftory. Together with Memoirs of his Life and Writings; and Notes, critical and explanatory. By Richard Mant, M. A. Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford. 2 vol. 8vo. Oxford, Clarendon Prefs. 1802. IF we may be allowed to judge from our own feelings, the curiofity and expectation of the admirers of Mr Warton can fcarcely fail to be agreeably excited by the external appearance of thefe volumes, which would feem to promife a large acceffion to the poetical works' which the author himself had formerly given to the world. In this expectation, the reader will be quickly undeceived. With fome very trifling exceptions, he will find that no addition has been procured to the ftock of original compofition; and that the industrious editor has fwelled out the work to its prefent fize, by the introduction of a very copious admixture of biographical, critical, and explanatory matter. Among the literary artizans of the prefent age, it has become a favourite and prevailing occupation to set forth the writings of the older English claffics, with all the tedioufnefs of annotation and commentary, which, till of late, was exclufively bestowed on thofe of Greece and of Rome. For these voluminous compilations, there is an obvious apology in the obfcurities which time has thrown over the language, and manners, and accidental affociations of a remote period, from which the veil can be withdrawn only by the diligent and fatiguing ftudy of prior and contemporary writers. Even while we turn away, with occafional difguft, from the profufe and taftelefs quotations of the black-letter annotator, we are forced in juftice to acknowledge the utility of his labours. Such researches are to be regarded as a natural and neceflary step in the progrefs of the literature of every country. We ought to confider them, not as the finished workmanship of an artist, but as the rude materials on which future, and perhaps more enlightened critics, are to employ their powers of felection and combination, and by a more judicious and happy arrangement of which, they may be at length enabled to illuflrate and adorn, without encumbering and overwhelming the pages of Spencer, of Shakespeare, and of Milton. Although the late Mr Warton certainly had the merit of exhibiting to the public one of the earliest and most fuccefsful examples of that fpecies of critical research to which we have been alluding, we did not expect to fee him, fo very foon, become the fubject fubject of a fimilar experiment. To unfold their beauties, to illuftrate their obfcurities, to catch their allufions, and to trace the forgotten fources of imitation, are pious duties, which, in behalf of the generality of writers, have been difcharged only by late pofterity. Whether fortunately or unfortunately for the fame of Mr Warton, we have now before us a very decided exception to this ufual tardiness of procedure; and in Mr Mant he has already found a biographer and a commentator, who has given an edition of his poetical works that would seem intended to vie with the most elaborate of thofe cum notis variorum.' As a man of genius and a fcholar, Mr Warton holds a place in the literary history of his age, which cannot fail to give an intereft to the events of his life, and the delineation of his character. But in undertaking the task of his biographer, Mr Mant labours under the disadvantage of having been perfonally unacquainted with Mr Warton. For this difadvantage, no industry in the collection of materials, no ingenuity or addrefs in the management of them, can ever fully compenfate. In the chronological narration of facts, or in the impartial estimation of literary or political merit, the difadvantage may be furmounted; but it must inevitably deprive the representation of manners and character of all that boldnefs, and truth and spirit, which give, if not the greatest value, yet furely the greatest charm to biographical writing. Mr Mant informs us, that he was himself educated under the late Dr Jofeph Warton at Winchester school; and he would appear to have there imbibed that admiration of the learned bro thers,' by which, probably, he was determined to his prefent undertaking. In the collection of the materials from which his narrative is derived, his diligence, we truft, has been greater than his fuccefs. Befides the flight sketches of his author, which have appeared in fome former biographical compilations, Mr Mant feems to have drawn his information from a few of the furviving relatives and academical friends of Mr Warton; and among the latter, the name of Dr Huntingford, Bifhop of Gloucefter, appears with peculiar advantage. From epiftolary correfpondence, that most favourite and fertile fource of characteristical anecdote, he has derived but very flight affiftance. Mr Warton is faid to have been an indolent and careless correfpondent; and the few letters which have been preserved were fcarcely worthy of infertion, unless as fpecimens of the artless and unaffected good humour of the writer. Among the writers of literary lives, barrenness of incident is an eftablished topic of apology and regret; and certainly no life of equal length, and of equal importance to letters, can well be conceived to have flowed on in a tener lefs diversified or disturbed by by cafual events, than that of Mr Warton. Although a divine by profeffion, he does not appear to have been a very assiduous or fuccessful votary of fortune in the road of ecclefiaftical promotion; and his courfe through life is fcarcely marked by any of thofe enlivening gradations of preferment, which are usually recorded with fo much chronological accuracy and minuteness of detail, in the annals of learned churchmen. From the period at which he firft quitted his father's roof, at the age of fixteen, when he became a member of the University of Oxford, till his death, at the age of fixty-three, his life was completely academical. On ceafing to be a pupil, he became himself an instructor; and his refidence as a Fellow of Trinity College was never interrupted, but by his vifits, during vacation, to his brother at Winchester, or by fhort occafional excurfions of curiofity or amufement. During this long period, though he continued to be the boaft of Oxford, as one of her brightest ornaments for genius and learning, yet the share he obtained of the more fubftantial rewards of literary eminence, either in the Church or in College, was by no means liberal; a neglect which is faid to have excited the indignant exclamations of Warburton, but which, without being fully juftified, might perhaps be traced to fome peculiarities of character and of manners not entirely confonant to rigid notions of academical propriety and reserve, and which, while they made him the delight of the common-room, might be thought incompatible with the more artificial and guarded formalities of office. Whatever may have been the caufes which influenced his profeffional fortunes, they certainly left him at full liberty to follow the literary career to which he was led by the natural bent of his genius. In tracing the different fteps of his literary progrefs, his biographer is, accordingly, very little distracted by extraneous objects; and in the execution of this important part of his undertaking, Mr Mant seems entitled to the praise of fulness, and apparently of accuracy in his details. To praife of any higher kind, he does not seem to have greatly afpired; and the modesty of his pretenfions as an original writer, ought to difarm criticism of her fternnefs and faftidious feverity. In the view which he has given of the literary Jabours and literary character of his author, Mr Mant has feldom had the temerity to think or judge for himself. His aim rather has been, to catch the prevailing opinions and fentiments which have already gone forth into the world; and he has prudently withdrawn from the more perilous enterprise of guiding or correcting the public tafte. His defects in vigour and precision are probably compenfated, in fome degree, by a timid and vague approximation to the truth; and from the details which are prefented, the reader may be enabled to form, for himself, a tolerably correct |