254 Literary and Critical Proémium. 
touch an unsanctified work of fancy, it fur- 
nishes a convenient mode of reconciling 
amusement and conscience. But then we 
must insist that other religious sects be 
treated with tolerable candour ; which, we 
are sorry to say, is by no means the case in 
the volumes before us. ‘The Catholics are 
described as implacable enemies to the 
establishment of the country ; their tenets 
are said to neutralize the best principles of 
Christianity, and their civil emancipation 
is reprobated in the strongest terms. ‘The 
subtleties of Unitarianism, a faith which ‘s 
rather distinguished by its rejection of sub- 
tleties, are spoken of witha‘kind of horror, 
and no opportunity is omitted of deprecia- 
ting every sect but that which, having had 
the good fortune to number the learned 
author (for we take it for granted he is a 
lawyer,) amongst its proselytes, has thus 
become, at once, the standard of spiritual 
truth. Nor are his political opinions at all 
more moderate. The visionary scliemes of 
reform are rejected with contempt, as 
being either the masks of the designing or 
the dreams of the imbecile. In one of his 
views alone do we cordially coincide with 
the author, and this is in the diffusion of 
universal education, for which, strange to 
say, he is a strenuous advocate. Thus it 
is that the advancing spirit of the age urges 
on even the bigotted and the prejudiced to 
the adoption of beneficial measures, by 
which the web woven with so much care 
will be finally unravelled, Universal edu- 
cation is the only engine we ask, to effect 
the most generous and wholesome schemes 
of civil and ecclesiastical reformation. In 
other respects, we have derived considera- 
ble amusement from the perusal of the 
work, which is written in a pleasing and 
correct style, and is not without interest 
in its fable. 
We would willingly hope that the time 
is not far distant, when the government, 
taking advantage of the present interval of 
peace, will turn its serious attention to the 
subject of impressment, on which the opi- 
nion of professional men, we are happy to 
observe, begins to be very unequivocally 
expressed. As lovers of the constitution, 
and as philanthropists, we have nothing to 
say against the prevailing system. ‘To ar- 
guments advanced against it by us in those 
characters, and as landsmen into the bar- 
gain, it would be very cogently replied, 
that we are mere innovating theorists, who 
have never made a voyage, and wish to 
pave the way for reform. We very wil- 
lingly, therefore, turn over the controversy 
to post-captains and lieutenants, who have 
been more conversant with hard blows than 
with subtle speculation ; whose reforms 
will not be suspected of extending beyond 
the body politic of a man-of-war; but 
whose good sense and good feeling 
strongly point out to them the absurdity, 
the wickedness, and the disadvantages of 
[Oct. 1, 
our abominable system of impressment. A 
valuable pamphlet, by CapTain LAYMAN, 
of the navy, entitled, The Pioneer, or Stric- 
tures on Maritime Strength and Economy, 
embraces some just remarks and useful 
suggestions on this topic ; to which we may 
add two other recent publications of con- 
siderable merit, under the titles of Cursory 
Suggestions on Naval Subjects, with a Plan 
for raising Seamen by Ballot, and Reasons 
for abolishing Impressment ; by Lizut. R. 
S.Haty, R.N. The object of the scheme, 
developed at some length, in the Cursory 
Suggestions, is to limit the period of service 
in the navy, and to establish an universal 
ballot, enforced by embargo, on the break- 
ing out of a war; which the author is of 
opinion would supply a_ considerably 
greater number of able seamen than can 
possibly be raised by the impress. The 
Reasons are given in a very plain, honest, 
and earnest manner, and are, to our appre- 
hension, unanswerable. We fervently 
unite with the writer in his warm expostu- 
lations: ‘In the name of God, of common 
sense, of humanity, of mercy, let this vile 
practice be abandoned; let at least some 
attempt be made to do without it.” It is 
to be hoped that these prayers will not be 
given to the winds; that these solid argu- 
ments will not be disregarded ; that corrup- 
tion and abuse are not altogether unassaila- 
ble and impregnable; and that, in this 
quarter at least, they will shortly yield to 
the united arguments and authority of so 
many gallant members of the profession. 
An interesting volume of American 
Biography has lately appeared, entitled, 
Memoirs of Charles Brockden Brown, the 
American Novelist, Author of Wieland, 
Ormond, Arthur Mervyn, &c. with Selections 
Jrom his Original Letters and Miscellaneous 
Writings, by Wm. DunLap. Mr. Brown's 
works have been long known to the Eng- 
lish public, one of them, Arthur Mervyn, 
having been reprinted in this country 
neatly twenty years.ago ; and they appear 
to have obtained fully as much celebrity as 
they merit. The life of the novelist has 
afforded but little matter for the pen of his 
biographers, and exhibits nothing more 
than a sketch of those literary occupations 
to which Mr. Brown’s life was devoted. 
He was originally destined to the profes- 
sion of the law, but a morbid temper of 
mind, from which he was never free, in- 
duced him to relinquish his legal views ; 
and he seems to have had recourse to 
literary pursuits rather as a means of 
filling up his time, than from any desire of 
distinction or ‘love of gain. In his episto- 
lary style he is not successful ; he betrays 
too much sententiousness and formality, 
and affects something of the stateliness of 
Jobnson’s style. The miscellanies at the 
end of the volume are not of much im, 
portance. ‘loan American these Memoirs 
may be valuable; but, om this side of the 
Atlantic, 
