t14 
_thefe northern-regions, and fo perpetually 
recurring as an object of defcription or 
fimilitude,inthe fuppofed poems of Offan, 
3s only once made the fubjeét of a fimile 
in Homer. He is deferibing the filent 
march of the Greeks towards the enemy: 
As on the moufttairi-top when Notus fpreads 
A mit, the fhepherd’s bane ; but, more than 
night 
Friend to the thief; a ftone’s caft bounds the 
“fight : 
So rofe beneath their feet the dufty cloud, 
As on they march’d. Tei. te, 
Tt cannot be doubted, that, in this paf- 
faze, not only the obvious reéfemblance of 
a cloud of duft to a mift was intended, 
but a farther correfpondence between the 
filence with which the Greeks advanced, 
and the concealed approach of a robber. 
Nor ig the apparent degradation of his 
countrymen, by fuch a comparifon, any 
cbjeCtion. to this», interpretation; for 
Homer was by no means nice in his 
comparifons, as many imffances fuffi- 
ciently fhow.—The image of “a thief 
coming by night’ is uled on a much 
more jolemn eccafion, by another writer, 
as all may recollect. . 
Milton has a fimile of uncommon 
auty derived from the fame natural 

—— All in bright array 
The-Chernbim defcended ; on the ground 
Gliding metecrous : as evening mift 
Ris’n from a river o’er the marifh glides, 
And gathers ground faft at the lab’rer’s heel 
Homeward returning. Par. L. xi. 629. 

The airy form and fmooth motion of 
thefe celeitial beings are finely imaged 
by the comparifon here fuggefted ; and 
the Homeric prolongation of the fimile 
is highly piéturefque. 
The fame poet gives a fhort, but very 
poetical fimile taken from the dew, which 
will clofe cur examples on this head ; 
Innumerable as the flars of night, 
Or fiars of morning, cew-drops, which the fun 
Impearls on every leaf and every Hower. 
* Par. Li v.745. 
The fubieét of this comparifon is the 
hoft of fallen angels; and the point of 
refemblance is nat only their zamber, but 
their driliancy. Yet it may, perhaps, be 
thought that the refembling objeét is of 
too gay, and pleafing a ‘nature for a. pa- 
rajiel with an infernal troop, agitated by 
the blackeft emotions. aXe 
{Fo be continned.¥- 
Letter of French Commiffioners of Arts, Gc. 
(Od. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, : on toe 
THE ftatues, bufts, and vafes, cue 
by the hands of ancient Greek fculp- 
tors, which once adorned the free cities 
of Athens, Corinth, and Argos, were 
formerly transferred to. Rome, and, along” 
with the moft celebrated mafter-pieces of 
the modern painters, have of late been 
ordered to be removed to Paris. It is, 
no doubt, the intention of the direétory, 
to indemnify France for the expences of 
of the war, by colleéting the céef 
d’ceuvres of the fine arts, in a ceniral 
fituation, and levying contributions 
on the curiofity and tafte of all Eu- 
rope. : 
Buonaparte’s zeal, on this occafion, has 
not efcaped the notice and animadverfion 
of his contemporaries ; but the full feope 
of the original plan, has never, hitherto, 
been fully developed; it, indeed, in- 
cludes all that can. cither embellith life, 
or render exiftence agreeable, as it ex- 
tends not only to the elegant, but ufeful 
arts, and has even the fciences them- 
felves in. its train. 
The following letter, which never gp- 
peared before in an Englith dreis, will 
thow, that the viétories of the army of 
the Sambre and Meufe, procured a con- 
fiderable acceffion to the national mu- 
feum, library, end botanic garden, of the 
republic, which its fervants were pru- 
dent enough to fecure before the recent 
reverfe of fortune oecurred. 
As the fubje& is intimately conneéted 
with literature and policy, I doubt not 
but you will give this a {peedy infertion 
in your very. weful and inftructing -Mif- 
cellany ; and, in the mean time, I beg 
leave to fubfcribe myfelf, fir, your very 
humble and obedient fervant, 
Loudon, Od. 1, 1796. VIATOR. 
_ Letter frem Fauyas and THOUIN, mem- 
bers of the Commuiffion of Arts and Sciéncés, 
wiih the Army of the Sambre and Meufe, 
to ibe temporary Commiffion of Arts, at 
Paris. 
CITIZENS, 
~ 
c 
AFTER tranfinitting onr laf package 
rom Liege, on the 28th laft Vendemaire, 
(Sept. — Oétober — 1795—1796) under 
Ahe care of citizen Bonnet, we vilited 
the cities and villages of Derviers, Spa, 
and Atx-la-Chapelle, in fucceffion, and 
alfo the mines, manufa¢tures, and prin- 
cipal farms in the neighbourhood .of 
thofe places.. Thefe vifits have produced 
: a convoy 
