ce 
This, therefore, is all well: yet if all 
this conduce not to meliorate the heart 
of man, to infpire him with |a greater 
degree of the love of God and of kis 
ueighbour ; 
it? W 
> On the other hand, it 1s 
that irreligion has made great ftrides 
during the fame period. The meta- 
phyfics of Hume, the elequence of Bo- 
lingbroke, the learning of Freret, the 
wit of Voltaire, and the. fafcinating 
logic of Rouffeau (not to mention a 
* numerous, but lefs formidable, tribe of 
inferior. writers) have inflicted fevere 
wounds on Chriftianity, and fpread the 
contagion of ‘Infidelity far and wide: 
even. ‘Atheifm, who before lurked in 
corners, and covered his face with a 
deceitful. veil, 
felf without difguife ; and Hammonds 
and Daztons have appeared, who boldly 
dared the Deity to punifh them for 
cape bexins his. exiftence.—And this is 
‘galled The Age of R Reafon ! : : 
Gaving chs given a fhort view of 
the prefent flate of literature in Zeneral, 
we wil next, in as few words as potiible, 
and We flatter ourfelves with ftriét dif- 
tributive juitice, affign tothe different na- 
tions of Europe their refpective dhares ; 
and begin by 
but too true, 
4 
’ PhAty. 
a “very one knows-that, on the revival 
i letters, Italy was their firft fofter- 
eetcn: and the. goiden age of LEO 
will ever be accounted a remarkable 
zera in the hiftory of human knowledge. 
For a century, at. leaft, it retaimed its 
fuperiority ; and although it has fince 
been vifibly finking in the public {cale, 
yet. ic ftill holds a eenGee ne rank in 
every branch of fcience, where religion 
is not; directly or indire&tly concerned. 
It. has produced excellent hittorians, 
moft ingenious poets, and fome tolerable 
orators; it has greatly embeliifhed its 
fine melodi Lous language, - and .was; the 
firt modern nation that had a good 
Lexicon. .Jn mathematics and expcri- 
mental .philolophy, it is not> below its 
DeIEND OES 3 and, it has always been 
deemed the bef fchool for mah, 
painting, and {culpture, Divinity alone 
(and philofophy in as far. as it is con- 
igs with divinity) has been bound in 
fetters by monachili fuperttition, and 
Sey oa tribunals. But thefe fetters 
will probably {oon be fhaken off by that 
ingenious people; God grant they may 
mot at the-lame time fhake oli Religion 
2 ae Hiftory of Literature. 
what will religion profit by \ of » Italy 
has recently fhown him-~ 
[ Feb. 
hérfelf, urider the idea that fhe had . 
forged their chains: this is no uncom- 
mon procefs in national revolutions. 
Some change. in the religious creed 
appears to be, inevitable. 
are . more ° generally 
ftudied, and have been tranflated into 
the vulgar tongue; the bifhops of par- . 
ticular diocefes, fuppor rted by their re- 
fpe€tive fovereigns, begin to exercife a 
jurifdigtion independently of Rome ; 
papal. infallibility is fcouted every where, 
fave in tne Papal territories, and even 
there feebly , defended, perhaps not be- 
lieved ; fuperftitious rites and ufages 
are daily diminifhing, and freedom of 
thought “pervades all aks of men who 
have had any fort of liveral education. 
What may we not augur from fuck 
fymptoms ? 
The Atriptures 
SPAIN ond PORTUGAL. 
Although thefe nations have, for al- 
moft two centuries, made very little 
figure in the field of fcience, it is not 
hence to bé concluded that this has been - 
owing to want of capacity: they are 
naturally a thinking and acute people, 
and, in the fixteenth century, held a 
ref (peétable rank among the nations of 
Europe; but here the inquifition, more 
rigid and bloody than that of Italy, has 
ftifled every fpark of genius that has 
come within its reach, and plunged the 
inhabitants into an ignorance hardly to 
be credited.” The time, however, feems 
to ‘approach, when that diabolical tribu- 
nal- #2? be abolifhed ; and, to do jaf- 
tice to this and the lat rein, its. power 
has already been greatly curtailed: full, 
however, it has power enough to pre~ 
vent a general diffemination of know-~ 
ledge; and few, comparatively, are the 
works of value that have yet been writ- 
tem, on the other tide of the’ Pyrenées. 
Yet the Spanifh language feems pecu- 
liarly formed for fine compofition, whe- 
ther in profe or verfe; and they have 
now a national Digtionary that vies wish 
any in Europe. 
FRAN 
Unhappy France! Thou waft once a 
nation of learned men. #ithousn thou 
didft not embrace the mufes fo early as 
thy fouthern neighbour, thou receivedit 
them with not lefs tendernefs, and cul- 
tivatedft them with more .induftry. -In 
what fpecies of writing (Epic poetry — 
excepted) didft thoy not excel? What 
art or fejence didft thou not improve - 
and adorn } What charms didft thou not 
give to one of the mo barbarous 
tongueg 
NCE. 
