^OftfilG^ CftlTlCAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 2$? 



tliat sublime spectacle at which even the gods are said to look with com- 

 placency and emotion — a virtuous man strugj^ling with adverse fate. 



The following is an analysis of the Colonel's views. The only useful 

 object of the freedom of the press is enhghtenment, and the establish- 

 ment of public opinion — the means, the promulgation of truth and the 

 suppression of falsehood. For this purpose the liberty of the press 

 should be confined within certain liniits ; a sensible but moderate dis- 

 cussion should be prescribed, whilst at the same time care should be 

 taken strictly to prohibit the employment of personality or the passions 

 from being enlisted. He who would disseminate truth, ought to be 

 acquainted with the subject he treats. The member, therefore, of a 

 public body or the employe of a government should alone be allowed 

 publicly to develope his views ; but every kind of discussion in matters 

 of religion should be strongly interdicted, as it is uniformly injurious to 

 that toleration which should subsist among fellow citizens. At the 

 present day the editors of journals in particular insist on the freedom of 

 the press. By what right it is asked ? Are the conductors men of solid 

 education, of unquestionable knowledge, that their voice should be 

 attended to and prevail among the people ? As to professors, they are 

 limited to one or two branches, and although they indubitably possess 

 more extensive and solid attainments than the generality of editors, yet 

 they cannot assuredly arrogate to themselves universal or encyclopedian 

 knowledge. Yet such universality of attainments must be conceded, 

 since these gentlemen presume dogmatically to set up their notions on all 

 things and every thing. The best and only remedy to obviate such 

 impudent assumptions, is to give to the state the power of approving the 

 editors of periodicals and journals, before they be permitted to guide 

 them. 



There need no more to satisfy ourselves that, if any doubt still existed 

 of the sanity of his late Majesty, this work would more than confirm 

 the general belief. 



Homonymes Frangais, or the French Homonymous Words, arranged in 

 sentences, &c. &c. on an entirely new plan, by Dominique Albert, 

 LL. D. and Egerion Smith. London. 8vo. p. 108. 



In the present day, when a knowledge of modern languages is of paramount 

 importance to persons of all ranks and degrees but the lowest, all eflTorts 

 on the part of those who teach them, tending to facilitate their acquisition, 

 *' deserve well of the community." A person incapable of distinguishing 

 homonymous words, will be liable to commit the most ludicrous mistakes. 

 There is some difference in the sound of matelot and matelat, yet an 

 unpractised ear might easily confound these words, and use matelot 

 instead of matelat, a circumstance which is said to have occurred to 

 some English ladies in France, who desired a waiter to provide "des 

 matelots" for their beds. In words sounded and spelt alike the errors 

 into which one is liable to be betrayed might be still more egregious. 

 We will give a sentence to exemplify our meaning — Apres avoir baise la 

 mule du Pape je fus me promener en voiture tiree par les mules du Pape* 

 Now we venture to assert that even many good French scholars would 

 be at a loss to translate this sentence at once, without being puzzled 

 by the similarity of sound and orthography. The study of the book 

 before us will obviate the possibility of errors arising from unacquaintance 

 with French homonymous words, and is, therefore, in our estimation, 

 indispensable to all learners of this almost universal language. 

 * Mule du Pape, Pope's toe, or slippers — mule a mule. 

 NO. IV. 2 P 



