Philosophif of Contemporary Criticism, No. XXVIII. [March 1 , 



120 



but we are not inclined to push this 

 feeling to an extent that might almost 

 appear to sanction the modest mention 

 made in a transatlantic journal, of 

 " the sister lands that have given birth 

 to an Irving and a Shakspeare !" 



The observations on Clerical Abuses, 

 contained in the reviewer's notice of 

 the prosecution of Mr. Willianis by 

 the Durham priesthood, form in our 

 opinion the most valuable article in 

 the present Number ; and we recom- 

 mend it to the attentive perusal of all 

 who may be influenced, by early pre- 

 judices, or the weight of prescriptive 

 authority, to doubt the injury which 

 the interests of true religion and sound 

 morality have in every age sustained, 

 from the vindictiveness and hypocrisy 

 that have too frequently characterised 

 a proud and oppressive hierarchy. 



The exposure of the flimsy and flip- 

 pant attack upon the cause of Reform, 

 made ' by the new premier in his 

 speeches to his Liverpool consti- 

 tuents, is acute and ingenious, but 

 not, we think, complete. There was 

 surely room for much more merited 

 severity; but we consoled ourselves 

 with the reflection, tlnit the extreme 

 weakness and palpable absurdity of 

 what Mr. Canning's partizans have, 

 with an involuntary irony, denominated 

 his arguments against reform, are such 

 as to render any refutation almost su- 

 perfluous. 



The article on French Poetry is 

 particularly interestiug, and claims 

 our warmest commendation. It con- 

 tains a most impartial investigation of 

 the characteristics of the best French 

 poets, with a most candid admission 

 of their real excellencies ; while it 

 exposes, with admirable effect, the 

 numerous vain and frivolous preten- 

 sions of our Gallic neighbours; their 

 propensity to mistake, the perversion 

 for the improvement of nature, and 

 hyperbolical exaggeration for genuine 

 feeling and sympathy. The writer, 

 whoever he may be, is entitled to the 

 sincere thanks of every lover of the 

 English muse, and every intelligent 

 student of the principles of true 

 poetry. 



The disputes that have arisen be- 

 tween the Bisiiop of Peterborough and 

 his clergy form the subject of the en- 

 suing article ; and the weapons of wit 

 and ridicule are powerfully and suc- 

 cessfully employed against the inju- 

 dicious and intolerant conduct of the 

 reverend .prelate. Without unneces- 



sarily entering into the particular me- 

 rits of the present case, we may 

 observe, that, though as decidedly 

 adverse as Herbert Marsh can possibly 

 be to the gloomy and comfortless 

 doctrines of Calvinism, we deprecate 

 any additions to those tests and exclu- 

 sive interrogatories, which can operate 

 to the disadvantage only of the con- 

 scientious, and, while they may embar- 

 rass the sincere Calvinist, can consti- 

 tute no obstacle to the Atheist. 



The review of Wordsworth's Tour 

 is well written; but we deem the 

 tourist, in his present abject and fallen 

 state, unworthy even of being present- 

 ed to public notice. This bard's poli- 

 tical and poetical reputation seem to 

 have suflered a simultaneous eclipse: 

 nor can he now claim even the praise 

 of being that — 



Wordsworth unexcis'd, nnhir'd, who then 

 Season'd his pedlar poems with demo- 

 cracy. 



The Bishop of London's celebrated 

 Charge, recommending the general 

 promotion of ignorance, for the pur- 

 pose of advancing the interests of reli- 

 gion and virtue, next falls under the 

 notice of the reviewer, who has be- 

 stowed a severe and deserved castiga- 

 tion on the narrow mind, the illiberal 

 prejudices, and the insuj)portable dog- 

 matism, by which the right reverend 

 father in God has laboured to distin- 

 guish himself from the first period of 

 his elevation to the bench. 



An article on the subject of Parti- 

 tions terminates tiiis Number. It is 

 written with great power of language, 

 and soundness of principle ; and, 

 though the details of the dismember- 

 ment of Poland are perhaps given with 

 a somewhat tedious minulenes?, the 

 article in question is hijihiy impoitant, 

 on account of the just, though melan- 

 choly, picture that it holds out of the 

 gradual, and, with respect to recent 

 transactions, we may say rapid pro- 

 gress, of tiie influence of despotic 

 authority in Europe, by which the 

 happiness of mankind in general, and 

 the real interests of our own country 

 in particular, have been sacrificed to 

 the genius of tyranny and misrule, 

 opposing itself, with desperate deter- 

 mination, to the march of human in- 

 tellect, and the efl'orts of genuine 

 philanthropy. 



In concluding these remarks, we 

 feel gratified at observing in the pre- 

 sent Number of the Edinburgh Re- 

 view, 



J 



