ry VIII. "The author had in view, i publiking this etlay, that, in proving the Gothic to be an original ftyle of architecture, its principles then muft. be fought for in itfelf, in place of having recourfe to objects foreign to it; and, as fuch misconceptions are likely to mislead, they must confequently retard the progrefs that would otherwife take place in this ftyle of architecture." (p. 14, n.) "From what has been hewn in this effay it will be found that the Saracen or Moor and Gothic architecture have not any resemblance. In the Alhambra the columns are round, the fhafts, dimenfions, and the capitals, are of a determined form; in this they agree with the Roman, but have not any affinity with the Gothic, architecture. An entablature breaks over the Moorish column, and from which fprings the arch of a horseshoe form." (p. 13, n.) $50. anxiety for the literary honour of his country had not prevailed over his na tive modefty, the Persian manufcript would in all probability have been returned to Denmark untranflated; but his genius, learning, and induftry, raifed the one, and refcued the other from oblivion. He was now familiar with the French language, and could write it with an cafe and fluency that encou raged him to addrefs a fpirited letter to Anquetil du Perron, containing fevere but juft ftrictures on that gentleman's tranflation of the books falfely attributed to Zoroatter, together with fome remarks on his illiberal treatment of the Orientalifts of the University of Oxford. About this time he published his Commentaries on Afiatic Poetry, which he had written a few years before, hut which he had delayed giving to the world until a more enlarged acquaint ance with Oriental literature had fully confirmed him in his opinions on the fubject. The Works of Sir William Jones; and the Afiatic Amal Regifter, &c. &c. (Continued from p. 547.) CHARACTER OF SIR WILLIAM JONES. He had determined on attaching him IN 1769 he was removed from Har- felf to the profeflion of the faw at the row to University college, Oxford, of age of 22; and although his ftudies, which he was foon made a fellow, and both in general jurifprudence and in where he was equally ditinguished for the common law of England, had been the prematurity of his mind, and his purfied with the moft indefatigable dianexampled diligence in his ftudies. ligence, he neglected not, at the fame His diligence was indeed fo unremit- time, to give his attention to the phy ting, and his memory fo retentive, fical feiences, and to carry on, with that, before he attained the age of 22, amazing rapidity, his refearches in the he had not only mastered the Hebrew, literature of Afia. Between the years Greek, and Latin tongues, but had alfo 1776 and 1784 he published an ingemade great proficiency in the Arabic nious and learned ellay on the law of and Pertian idioms. Neither had his bailments; a tranflation of the fpeeches fearching and curious mind neglected of Ifæus, with a prefatory difcourfe and to cultivate the polifhed languages of a commentary, equally admirable for modern Europe: and of the French his claffical elegance and critical diterimiknowledge was fo perfect, that, at the nation; a grammar of the Perfian lanage of 24, while he was yet a reclufe guage, which cannot be fufficiently ftudent in Oxford, he tranflated the praifed; and a volume of poems, dedi Hiflory of Nadir Shah, from the Per-cated to the Countek Spencer, chiefly fiaa into French, not only with a grammatical correctnefs, but with a purity and elegance of diction that obtained him the applause of the moft diftinguished criticks of France. The Perfian original of this work was fent to England by the King of Denmark, accompanied with a request from his Danish Majefty, that fonie of the learned Orientalifts of Oxford would underke to give a French verfion of it. The difficulty of the talk deterred many from attempting it; and if Mr. Jones's GENT. MAG. July, 1801. confifling of tranilations from the Ara bic. Perfian, and Turkish poets, and including a complete verfion of the Moallakat, or the feven celebrated Ara bic poems that are fufpended in the temple of Mecca. Belkles thefe wellknown performances he wrote feveral fhort tracts on various fubjects, for his * These books crefor DRICALCI France, by fome ingenious writers, and were long. believed to be genuine by the learned for cieties of that country; hut at Oxford the impofture was foon detected. prolific prolific pen was never a moment idle. Among his lighter productions, his character of the celebrated John Dunning, Lord Ashburton, and his poem of Caffe merit our peculiar praife; the former is drawn with the fervour of a friend and the correctnefs of a fcholar, and it is as much adorned with beautiful and appropriate colouring, as it is dignified by the fobriety of truth, and chaltened with the delicacies of tafte; the latter is by far the moft highly finished, fpirited, and pleafing, of all his poetical compofitions. The reputation of his genius and great learning had now spread abroad, and his acquaintance was fought after by people of the firft eminence in the republick of letters. He, confequently, foon became known to Dr. Johníon and Sir Joshua Reynolds, who introduced him to the celebrated Literary Club, of which he was admitted a member. (To be continued.) LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. The Bodleian library at Oxford contsins, among other literary antiquities, fome Suras, or chapters of the Alcoran, written on parchment, in the Cufick characters, which were used in the time of Muhammed, and in which the Aleoran was originally written. The chaTacters, as well as the material on which they are written, are a proof of the great antiquity of thefe manuscripts. Soon after the age of Muhammed, other characters and Samarcand paper were introduced. The two moft antient Alcorans fill preserved in the library at Conftantinople, as well as that in the famous library of Giame-el-Afhar, in Grand Cairo, are written in the fame eharacters, and alfo upon parchment. These likewife contain only fome par ticular chapters of the Alcoran, no entire copy of that work exifting of the date of thofe times. The Imperial library at Vienna, and the Royal library at Copenhagen, alfo poffefs a few chap ters of the Alcoran, written on parchanent; the Bodleian library, therefore, is in poffeffion of a literary antiquity which few libraries can boast of. Neither the library nor the collection of medals belonging to Tippoo Sultan are arrived in London. Thefe curiofities are faid to be deftined for the new univerfity at Calcutta. A poem on the game of chefs, written after the manner, though not an exact imitation, of the Sacebia Ludus of Vida, Mr. Munter, at Copenhagen, is preparing a work on the Persepolitan inferiptions, the decyphering of which occupies at this time the particular attention of the erudite. In the French literary news from Egypt we find that Defgenettes, the phyfician in chief of the French army, has received interefting notes, ferving to illuftrate the phyfical and medical topography of Alexandria, to be edited by Citizen Salze, phyfician of the army; and, at the fame time, a very expenfive work, of the fame kind, upon Alexandria, is announced by Citizen Gifleni, in like manner a phyfician to the army. The French are cutting a canal from Rofetta to the lake Burelos. They are alfo digging the entire canal of Alexandria. The antient canal, which fromı Eyrout proceeds to that of Alexandria, is re-establifhed. By this means a navigation is fecured, at all times, from Cairo to Alexandria, without paffing the bar of Rofetta. Gen. Vial, who is arrived from Egypt, has just prefented to the Firft Conful an antique torfos of bafattes, of extraordinary beauty. It is the body of a young man about 15 years of age, or a perfect anatomy. It was dug up in the Delta, and came from the temple of Bebet. Brouffonet the naturalift is preparing an account of the rare plants of the Canary islands. Ten deaf and dumb children are employed in Mofaic works at Paris, under the direction of Belloni, a fkilful Ros man artist. Count Stolberg, whofe travels through Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Sicily, were incorrectly tranflated and published by Mr. Holberg, in 2 vols. 4to, 1796 (which, like Keyfler's and other German travellers, abound with redundant extracts and remarks, fre quently extended to fubjects with which the author was not fully acquainted), has become a convert to Papery, refigned his office of Schirmvogt to a Proteftant abbey, and retired, with his wife and children, to Munfter, where he refides, inacceffible to all, in a gloomy manfion, built in form of a cloifter. A bad compliment this to his own tafte, or to the religion which he has embraced! The University of Pavia has been re-established, divided into three faculties, philofophy, medicine, and law; and are rapidly repairing the lofs of its former profeffors, Spallanzani, Barletti, Prefcianis Presciani, and Mascheroni, by death; the abfence of Mofcati and Gregory Fontana, and the difgrace of Carminati. In our review of Mr. Dallaway's Anecdotes of the Arts we announced an intention of engraving fome of the principal monuments of antient art, at the expence of the Dilettanti Society. A number of very fine ftatues and bufts, in the collections of Lord Egremont and Mr. Townley, are now executing by Shelton, from the drawings of Howard and Tendi, the former of whom, by his refidence in Rome, has qualified himself for fuch works. Mr. Walter Honeywood Yate, of Broomfberrow-place, co. Gloucefter, who allifts Mr. Fofbrooke in his new History of that county, has purchafed the museum of the late Dr. Greene, of Lichfield, and, having published a catalogue of it, allows free access to it on particular days. Mr. Tooke is tranflating Storch's "Picture of Petersburg;" and tranflatous of Marchand's Voyage round the World," and Sonnini's Travels in Turkey and Greece, will speedily appear. Dr. Montucci is preparing foine remarks on Dr. Hager's Key to the Chinefe Language (fee p. 843). The former had offered himself a candidate for the honour of introducing the Chinese language to the Europeans; and the latter, to whole Chinele Dictionary the East India Company have fubfcribed 100 guineas, ftands engaged to anfwer his remarks. Mr. Staunton, fon of the late Sir George, has made a confiderable progrefs in that language, and difcovered a curious Chinete monument, quoted in the IVth volume of the Memoirs of the Millionaries of Pekin, but hitherto not feen in Europe, which he propofes foon to bring to England. We may expect to fee fhortly publifhed the difcoveries of Mr. M'Kenzie, who went from Montreal, up the great North-weft river, now called after his name, to the North Sea; another time, from Fort Chippervean, in the Atabafcan lake, up the Slave river, to its fouree, and over the great ftony mountains, whence rife all the rivers running into Hudfon's bay, or, Weft, into the Pacific Ocean; thence, by another river, to the Pacific Ocean, by an inlet near the new archipelago of the Princefs Royal's Ilands. A voyage, by Capt. Broughton, who, having been fent home with dispatches by Capt. Vancouver, after Capt. Bligh's return, was tent in his fhip to make new difcoveries, and furveyed all the South and South-eaft coafts of Japan, the Eaft coafts of Jeffo and Staten illands, where he crolled Vries frait and came to the island of Marican; thence coafted the islands on the Eaft fide, paffed between Jello and Japan; coafted the Weft coaft of the former to Peroufe's ftrait, and alfo the Segalien ifland; advanced 2 miles farther than la Peroufe, in fathom water, and, as he returned, obferved all the Eaft coaft of Tartary and Corea to the island Fouma, on the South part of the latter, and all the Lien-Kien iflands, be tween Formola and Japan, and return ed to Macao. A voyage, by M. Soreer, who ac companied the Ruffian captain, Bilings, from Jakutz, in Siberia, to the Ice-fea, and, after furveying the fea-coaft to the mouth of the river Corina, continued Eastward, and arrived at the most Northern point, which Capt. Cook could not reach, and arrived at Tchu kotfkoinofs; fo that now the whole of the North-eaft coast of Afia is fully plored. Mr. Roffel is employed in London in arranging the journal of his voyage round the world with D'Entrecafeaux, who died in his voyage in fearch of La Peroufe. Lagrandiere, another officer in the fame expedition, has communicated his voyage to our Government. The French traveller Vaillenot has undertaken a new journey into the in terior part of Africa. Commiffioned and fupported by a fociety of French merchants, chiefly of Marseilles, with a view to a fettlement on the Eastern coaft of Africa. The circumnavigator Bougainville has prefented a memorial to the French Government, to fhew that the North Pole may be approached nearer than it was by Captain Phipps, &c. INDEX INDICATORIUS. INVESTIGATOR is answered in almoft every News-paper. CORNUBIUS recommends to MENTOR to re-confider, whether changing preachers once a month may not change doctrine alfor at leaft break that body of inftruction and exhortation which is the aim of every good preacher? Is he one of thofe "who are given to change?" Mr. GEO. SELBY, who afks, "which is the best Hebrew grammar for a beginner ¿” fhould have PAID the Poftage.. Plan of the Entrenchment at MARSTON TRUSSEL in our next; with PODALIRIUS JUNIOR; T.R.; J. Gas, &c. &c. GENIUS. AN ODE. By the Rev. CHARLES SYMMONS, D. D. Recited at a Meeting of the Literary Fund Society, June 25, 1801, by C. TWEEDIE, Efq. N I. 1. TOW Guilt, fubverfive of the plan And Ignorance with Want, of haggard mien, [man. Had torn earth's fceptre from the grafp of In caves and woods the favage lay; Or, preffed by hunger, chafed his prey O'er wild, where Nature mourned her fertile womb; [gloom: Where fick air languifhed in the foreft's Where the pure ftream, defigned to fpread Health and green vigour o'er the mead, Slept in the poison-breathing fen; And the hagged lion ruled from his enfanguined den. 1. 2. The Almighty faw difhonoured earth, And, pitying, called a power*, who near his throne, Before creation's glorious morning fhone; Before the lars faw Time's myfterious birth, Had held the mirror + to his fight, Where Nature,yet uncalled from night, Stood in bright portraiture.before his eye, Difclofed in all her hues and fymmetry. "Go, Power," the Sovereign (pake, "repair To yon dim world, involved in air; Go with my following grace! difplay Thy force in aid of man, and re-affert his fway." I, 3. And, breaking from the fapphire cloud, His won Frous form difplayed. A rainbow arched his brow; His body of celestial chryfolite Was starred with eyes, that glow With living flame, and make Heaven's ncon more bright. The Seraph train, beneath his glance, Felt Stronger infpiration rife, New glories gild their holy franc; And ampler vifion crowd their eyes. He paifed; and through lumined fp.ce [place. He, with the favoured human few, re tired, [aims, Effaced the low, re-built the towering Difcloted more brilliant day. The crowd admired [with loud acclaim. Great Genius in his works, and hailed 11. 1. Full of the inform`ng power, the fage (Heaven's confcious inftrument to raise his kind), Unlocked the deep receffes of his mind, And pour'd its affluence on a proftrate age. Hark! 'tis Orpheus fweeps the ftrings! Othrys and Hamus while he fings Send forth their stony brood. With range delight [unite. They hear, they glow, they foften, they Each owns, beneath the yoke of laws, The private in the public caufe. Forced by the mafter-mind's controil, The favage grows to man, and feels a human foul. - II. 3. But Science not confined, The toiling hand of Art to guide, Flathed with bright ftroke on every fide, And proved the fway of mind. The aerial tongue of Thought, [place; Embodied now, flood fixed in form and And the page, wisdom-fraught, Bore its great lesson to an unborn race. No more the meteor of an hour, The fage, a lasting light was feen: Mindgrew on mind with gathering power, Thongh teas or ages rolled between.. By Gemus raifed, the exploring eye Refolved the mazes of the sky: And, ftar-led, now the glimmering fail On world-wide waters caught the gale: Till clime with clime, by commerce blended, meet; [attord, And all that earth, and feas, and air, Is laid, as Nature's tribute, at the feet Of Man, by Genius crowned the world's unqueftioned lord. III. I. Now days of power and wealth proceed; Science and Art advance, with kinuling "And will not that fuffice ?” replied A Heaven-fent voice, "is Genius yet to know, [ftow? How great the joys his favour can beHow little thofe, which pamper Senfe and Pride? Can the rich taftes at Pleafure's board, Power's lofty feat, or Wealth's bright hoard Give blifs like thine ?-Ethereal Fancy's play [day: In fields that glow with more than folar That world of mind fublime, and free From mifts of low mortality, Where all the forms of beauty roveThele Thou cinft give on earth, and the fe God gives above !" III. 3. That, fpringing from the encircling main, And challenges command: Albion the Great!-Thiere Mind, Safe in her fansy walks, fhall tafte the good - To meaner power affigned; [trude. Nor Want's pale image on her Heaven inHer golden toils, by all avow'd A nation's blefling, ftrength, and grace, The rich, with patriot zeal, thall crowd To pay their offerings to her race. The standard in one generous hand* Shall wave-and Albion's grateful band la deepening ranks thall prefs to throw Their guardian fhields o'er letter'd woe. Has learning foes? their power thali here be vain. This force: Matchless through air yon, eagle wafts The thunder-bearing hip, with high difdain, [ftately courfe." Befieged by favage barks, maintains her IMPROMPTU, Written after vifiting Dryburgh Abbey, in Berwick thire. By Mr. GERGE DYER. How fweet, on thelter'd bank reclin'd, When noon-tide's fev'rith hea's prevailg Or, near fome oak's thick branches laid, To mufe within the filent shade. And tafte meek Evening's mellow gale. Ah Pleafure, whither would it thou lead? To hill, or clover'd dell? To woodland walks, or flowery mead? To rofy nymphs, and tawny fwains, And wrap him in feraphic trance. Where fportive fairies bend; Then difappear, like morning dew. May yet thy fmile enfure; On hearing the News of the Death of the gallant For thou canft, with a matron's care, SIR RALPH ABERCROMBY. U Sufpenfe had hung thecloud of Care, Wen, lo her eye faw Corbett's prow * David Williams. More fober joy around diftufe; Give him to glow with foul of fire, Teach him to frike the rapt'rous lyre; The humblent votary of the Mufe. *Bonaparte's fovincible Standard. + Mr. THOMAS STOTT. Concerning this ingenious writer, fee our Magazine for June, p. 548, where, by an error of the prefs, the name was printed SCOTT: an error, which we are glad of this oppor tunity to rectify. EDIT. |