44-0 Lilerarj; and Cl- 



io one of flie prime reconimeiulations of 

 tliese Conversations, tliat a (iinniatic Miita- 

 l)loness jiervafics tlirin lliioii!jliont ; and 

 that, wliilc in each siicakir, a unity «{ 

 chataoter is undeviiitiuuly observed, iUh 

 sentiments are convtycd witli all the 

 pucrjjy due to thefr validity, and in the 

 veiy language uatiual to the perjonage by 

 vxlioni tliey are avowed. 



Mr. M'Dermot has analyzed, with 

 greatelab.!ralion,//;e Source cf the Pleasures 

 derived Ironi tiagic lejircMniation. Mr. 

 iVI'DernioTs theory ascribes these plea- 

 sures to high degree of exeileiiient ; and, 

 whether he be right in his principle or not, 

 lie has handled the subject in an able and 

 masterly manner. 



To those who prefer rhyme to sense, and 

 .•■ound to knowledge, the reprint of Hall's 

 Satires may be acceptable ; bnt really, the 

 sooner the lainbow which was seen at 

 iiiiiht over St. James's, before the deatli of 

 Prince Henry, and the providences in the 

 life of Bishop Hall, are forgotten, the nioie 

 ■will human nature and religion Ije ho- 

 noured. The whole is a tissue of low 

 monkish superstition, though the prodiic- 

 lion of an eaily Protestant bishop. 



As llrose who have ne«er been in prison, 

 nor experienceil the overwhelming priva- 

 tions which accompany the loss of per- 

 sonal liberty, are apt to imagine that a 

 prison is a place of luxury; so we have a 

 great many contrivances for addhig tor- 

 ture, under difierent names, to the prison- 

 er's hapless state. Among other drawing- 

 looni mveiitions, we rank the modern 

 tread-wheel, the introduction of which 

 afforded great n)erriment to that chi^s of 

 minds wlio enjoy a cockfight or a rat- 

 Intnt. Happily, the liberty of the press 

 lias thwarted ;hese contrivers ; and their 

 niithinking sport upon the helpless victims 

 of legal uncertainty, has been arrested. 

 In accordance with these feelings, a stu- 

 <lent of the Inner Temple has pubhihed. 

 Thoughts on Prison L/ilwur, in a respecta- 

 ble volume, which we recommend to tiie 

 perusal of all in authority, from the king to 

 the turnkey. 



Mr. Godwin, in his Historii of the Com- 

 momveaUh of England, from its Cmiimtncc- 

 incnt to the licsloratiun of Charles the 

 SicO'd, gives us a book as tlie production 

 of his mature life, in peifect consistency 

 with the principles avowed throughout 

 his career as a politician and an au- 

 thor ; and Las developed facts which 

 cuglit to be universally known ; and ad- 

 vanced doctrines which in a coimtry 

 complimenting itself with the appellation 

 of a free community, cannot be loo gene- 

 rally propagated. Mr. G.'s modesty only 

 permits him to consider himself as a nar- 

 laior of events; and even that character 

 alnuo, supported in the style in which he 

 litre maiiiiains if, would reikct no slight 



itkal Pictmittm. [Jui)« \, 



credit on his talents and industry; but ac- 

 companied, as is every part of his rela- 

 tion, with reflections, as much calculated 

 to iiiuiuct as to amuse the reader; eir» 

 riclied, as we tind it, with many collateral 

 and curioHs particulars ; and dignified, as 

 is the whole, with sentiments worthy of a 

 Hritish writer and genuine patriot,— his 

 woik (leniaiids our sayins, that, in its pro- 

 lUictinn, his labour has been as happily as 

 laudably bestowed; and that, while no 

 portion of onr history more rt quired to be 

 enlarged upon and elucidated than that 

 which concerns the era of the ptotectoraie, 

 no living writer was better qualitied than 

 the author of " Political Justice," to per- 

 form the important task. The motives 

 and seusatiinis by which Mr. Godwin 

 vras influenced, when he determined to 

 enter upon this undertaking, we shall, 

 perhaps, best explain, by fjiiotiiig a few 

 words of his preface. Speaking of his 

 book, he says, " It relates to a great and 

 interesting topic, a series of transactions 

 not to be surpassed, in iinporlaiice, by any 

 thing that has occurred on the theatre of 

 the world. I have no desire to be tlioiiidit 

 to look upon such transactions with indif- 

 ference. I have no di sire to be thought 

 to be regarded as having no seritiments or 

 sensations, when any thing singularly 

 good, or singularly evil, passes under my 

 review. 1 wish to be considered as feel- 

 ing as well as thinking. If to treat good 

 and evil as things having no essential dif- 

 ference, be impartiality, such impartiality 

 I disavow." He then proceeds to explain 

 what impartiality he aims at, and consi- 

 ders as comniendable. And who will not 

 concede to him, that tliat only is a c<ini^ 

 mendable impartiality, the essence of 

 which consists in " a fair and severe exa- 

 mination of cvidcBce, and the not siiffer- 

 iug any respect of persons, or approbation 

 of a particular eailse, to lead the writer to 

 misapprehend, or niisie present, the nature 

 of facts f" True to this principle, iMi, 

 Godwin has produced, if not a work dis- 

 tinguished by the elegance of iisstyle, a 

 book, tlie general spirit and clearness of 

 which throw on certain historical facts a 

 degree of illumination they never, till 

 now, leceivcd ; on facts, too, that, in the 

 mind of every lover of his country, and its 

 constitutional rights, possess the greatest 

 weight and consequence. As a human 

 being led to the block, and publicly and 

 iguoiiiiniously pouring out his life-blood, 

 Charles Stuart is an object of pity with 

 every reader of bis fate ; but, as the mo- 

 narch of a free people, employing every 

 force and every artifice to oppress and 

 enslave that people, and suffering conse- 

 quences which his virtues ought to have 

 taught him not to deserve, or his disceru- 

 nu'iil instructed him to foresee, — as such a 

 mouarcb, be will never draw down a single 



tear 



