220 Philosophy of Conlemporar 



Earl of Essex, a f!;randson of Sir 

 Charles : a representation which Mr. 

 Jcfl'rcy himself was afterwards com- 

 pelled to retract in the public prints. 

 We sliall not stop to inquire whether 

 this misconduct, which has excited the 

 indignation of the critic, is altogether a 

 terra incoynila in editorsiiip ; but, when 

 we look at the character of Sir 

 Charles Williams, who, as an author, 

 could certainly claim no higher praise 

 than that of an easy writer of lani- 

 l)oons, we are confirmed in the opinion 

 we have already expressed, that tiie 

 critic, in devising an article of some 

 length to such a subject, has gone out 

 of his way for the sole purpose of 

 breaking a lance with Mr. Jefl'rey. 

 And, if his assertions be correct, that 

 " thchc volumes are a disgrace to good 

 manners, good morals, and literature," 

 that they " contain beastly and blas- 

 phemous trash, and the grossest inde- 

 cencies ever seen in print, with ex- 

 pressions put into the mouths of the 

 muses, which, at present, would not be 

 used by common prostitutes ;" he 

 would, surely, have best consulted his 

 duty to the public, though not his party 

 spleen, in wholly suppressing the no- 

 tice of a publication, the injurious in- 

 iluence of which must evidently be 

 augmented by any increased degree of 

 notoriety. 



The succeeding article is occupied 

 with a Review of various Voyages and 

 Travels in Egypt, Nubia, Sennaar, and 

 other parts of Northern Africa. The 

 strictures and remarks which it con- 

 tains, are those of a discriminating ob- 

 server, and a sound reasoner; and the 

 writer has shown great acutencss in 

 exposing the self-suiliciency, the ab- 

 gurd spoeulations,and practical errors, 

 of M. Jcmard, the editor, or principal 

 managcr,ot the French " Grand Livre," 

 as it IS ciilled, on the subject of Egypt. 



An examination of M. Jouy's Tra- 

 gedy of Sylla, which has been attended 

 in Paris with a degree of success pre- 

 eminently superior to that of any other 

 modern French drama, is distinguished 

 both by candour and aeuteness, though 

 w c think the writer might have spared 

 the a prupos des bottes, in which he is 

 so kindly anxious to convince us, in 

 how high a degree the liberty of the 

 press is enjoyed under the existing 

 French government. In poetical cri- 

 ticism, however, he is (piite at home ; 

 and having, after a very liuid aiialysis 

 of the tragedy, conceded to M. Jouy 

 the piaibc to which his merits fully 



y Criticism, No. XXIX. [April I, 



entitle him, he makes some very just 

 comments on that want of deep and 

 intense feelingobservablc in all French 

 tragedies. 



The fifth article embraces a review 

 of different publications relating to 

 Java, Sumatra, and other parts of what 

 is usually termed the Indian Archipe- 

 lago. The superficial reascming and 

 precipitate conclusions of Mr. Craw- 

 furd's history are justly animadverted 

 upon ; indeed, these faults are so con- 

 spicuous, as to disappoint the reader 

 greatly in the expectations he might 

 reasonably have formed of the informa- 

 tion to be gained from a person, who, 

 as British resident at the Sultan of 

 Java's court, enjoyed such favourable 

 opportunities for collecting valuable 

 materials ; besides that they render the 

 details, which he has given to the 

 public, far less valuable than they 

 might have been, as full dependence 

 can hardly be placed upon them. 

 The philological remarks by the writer 

 of this article bear evident marks both 

 of considerable ingenuity, and of a 

 thorough acquaintance w ilh the subject 

 of discussion. 



Moore's Irish Melodies have been so 

 long before the public, and are so well 

 known to almost all persons, who pro- 

 fess a taste either for poetry or music, 

 that the notice of them with which we 

 are here presented, appears at once 

 tardy and superfluous. Suffice it to 

 say, that the critic, who seems to be 

 fully aware of the unrivalled popula- 

 rity which these productions have ob- 

 tained, has apparently been actuated 

 by a wish to add his mite of eulogy to 

 the tribute of praise which has long 

 been universally paid to the first song- 

 writer of almost any age. 



The Reviewer next takes cognizance 

 of Mr. Whateley's Bampton Lectures 

 fur the year 1822, which treat princi- 

 pally of the use and abuse of party 

 feeling in matters of religi(m, a subject, 

 if properly handled, pregnant with 

 useluland interesting reflections. Con- 

 sidering the circumstances under 

 which these Lectures were delivered, 

 and betbre what audience, wc are 

 disposed to consider Mr. Whatcley, 

 not only as a preacher of superior 

 talent and considerable eloquence, but 

 as one more than usually exempt 

 from those prejudices and narrow 

 views that have too often been with 

 reason imputed to persons placed in 

 his situation. Still we did think, 

 when wc pcrubcd these discourses, 



that 



