1821.] 



tragedy; but it cannot be admitte<l to 

 rank in the liigher order of Italian 

 dramas, more particularly of modern 

 production. We dare not even say 

 that it casts an additional ray of grace 

 or beauty on the dramatic muse of 

 Italy, who seems to hare lavished the 

 greatest portion of her love on one dis- 

 tinguished favourite. We may speak 

 of his other poems with more approba- 

 tion: he certainly must be allowed to 

 have succeeded in a lighter species of 

 song, and to have kno« u how to weave 

 ^itn a few choice flowers of Pindus, the 

 : *' Haerentem multa cum laude coronam." 



We refer more particularly to " The 

 Vision." entitled Rousseau at Paris, 

 Night, the 21st Jan. 1793. This is dis- 

 tinguished for poetic spirit, full of 

 bright and beautiful imaginations, 

 which only dwell in a poet's heart or 

 brain. Neither is it without elegance, 

 and a certain freshness as well as sweet- 

 ness of thought and style. 



But devoted to more severe and use- 

 ful studies, it is seldom that Matteo 

 Borsa can indulge in that refreshment 

 <»f mind which constitutes the literary 

 business of some, aud is pursued in 

 spite of an anti-poetic nature, "a lean 

 and sallow abstineuce," and most un- 

 propifious booksellers, and other gen- 

 tlemen (critics) in the trade. 



The works of Signor Borsa will be 

 found to contain much sound and 

 practical philosophy, with np little 

 learning, mingled with a vein of hu- 

 mour, and the charm of eloquent Ita- 

 lian composition. A. Z. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine, 

 SIR, 



IT seems tb&t simony is yet more un- 

 defiuable, incomprehensible, and 

 illusory, than I conceived it possible to 

 be. It partakes of the highest uncer- 

 tainty of the law ; and nothing less 

 than a judge and juiy, upon tlie vary- 

 ing evidenves of medical attendants 

 and nurses and servants, as to life and 

 death, with weaker aid from establish- 

 ed testimony aud authority, than in a 

 case of the soundness or unsoundness 

 of a horse, is to determine the point. 

 You may purchase church property in 

 expectation, the price varying according 

 to the age and the health of Ihe incum- 

 bent ; but then you must ascertain cor- 

 rectly what the state of danger is; for 

 if the incumbent die to-day, it may be 

 simony, and you lose your money ; but 

 if he livi; till to-morrow, it may be a 

 Tefy good and fair bnrgiiin : so, Mitli 



Mr. Lucas''s Remarks on Simoni/. 



519 



equal caution, you must make your pur- 

 chase, most advisedly, according as it 

 may be for yourself, or another person, 

 taking care lest haste, or impatience, or 

 improvidence of any kind, shew a kind 

 of expectaHon on your part, which 

 may or may not make it simony. The 



late case of ■ Fox, Esq., plaintiff, 



against the Bishop of Chester, defend- 

 ant, outdoes more than I have stated. 



Mr. Fox purchased the living of 

 Wilmslow for 60001. and presented it 

 to the Rev. Mr. Aj)pleby ; but he and 

 his la^^yers erred, as I have described, 

 and ]Mr. Appleby lost his living, and 

 Mr, Fox his money, and others got the 

 presentation and the living. 



Now, is it not contrary to all that is 

 serious, and good, aud holy, that there 

 should be such a fine line drawn in the 

 definition of an alleged offence against 

 God and man ? Is it not contrai-y to 

 the law and the Gospel, tliat there 

 should be any line of demarcation to 

 such an offence? The purchase of 

 spirituals is out of the question ; let, 

 then, the English law at once say, that 

 tiie temporals of the Church may be 

 purchased, or that they may not be ; 

 and, if purchased, that any one may 

 have a right to make that purchase ; if 

 not, that no one can so act. Till this 

 is done, there will be a continual halt- 

 ing between two opinions, in our laity 

 and clergy, our judges and bishops, our 

 lawyers and juries, to the disgrace and 

 ridicule of all that are concerned in it. 



I send you these remarks as a pledge 

 that 1 have not lost sight of the subject, 

 tiiough 1 wish some one of more per- 

 sona' experieuce, who may have escaped 

 from this wretched lazar-house, would 

 unveil the secrets belonging to it. One 

 of the most artful and iniquitous for 

 the church and state measures, was the 

 act, that, under the pretence of checking 

 the common informer, gave the power 

 to tlie bishops of licensing incumbents 

 to non-residence. The only redress 

 that the people had for the non-resi- 

 dence of their pastor was thus treache- 

 rously taken from them : from that 

 time pluralists have been encouraged, 

 non-residents have been protected, and 

 every kind of l)ase barter and bargain 

 made easy and convenient by interest 

 and influence. When the state of the 

 unbeneficed clergy of the Church of 

 England is considered, that the more 

 retired the life the steadier the habit, 

 and, in most respects, the more consci- 

 entiously llie duty is jierformed the 

 less is tlie chance tif getting a benefice; 



and- 



