Retrofpe® of Domeftic Literature....Drama....Voyages, &5'c. 
Kotzebue has widely deviated from domef- 
tic manners: The f{cene lies in Peru! the 
time of aétion, the cera of the Spanifh con- 
queft ! Notwithftanding the incidents and 
charaéters are fo very remote from thofe 
which occur in the prefent times, yet has 
the author, by the interefting firuations 
in which his chief characters are placed, 
by a rapid fucceffion of events, and a deli- 
neation of undifguifed and artlefs love, 
contrived to render The Virgin of the Sun 
as generally admired as any of his produc- 
tions. The tranflations are both of them 
executed with fpirit, and, from their co- 
incidence with each other, we may add, 
with. fidelity. 
The Noble Lie is a counterpart of the 
Stranger : it feems that in Germany, as in 
England, fome fqueamifh moralifts ob- 
jeCted to the reconciliation between Mrs. 
Haller and her hufband; they thought 
that it would be impoflible to place any 
fecurity in her repentance, and, of courfe, 
that the future happinefs of the couple 
would be deftroyed. Kotzebue, in the 
prefent play, has reprefented the recon- 
ciled pair in the enjoyment of confidence 
and repofe: as the hufband, however, 
perceives that the recollection of her for- 
mer érror difturbs the ferenity of his wife’s 
mind, he invents a “ noble lie,’’ in order 
‘to reduce himfelf, in her eftimation, to her 
own level. The Stranger tries to make 
his wife believe that he had feduced a pea- 
fant girl, and thus endeavours to put him- 
felf upon a par with her. This is buta 
very poor trick; for, if fhe be a woman 
of fuch feeling and fine underftanding 
as fhe is reprefented, far from enjoying a 
triumph over the degradation of her huf- 
band’s charaéter, this degradation would 
inflié&t additional forrow on herfelf. If 
thofe who objected to the immorality of 
the Stranger are fatisfied with this filly 
manoeuvre, Kotzebue will have fucceeded 
jn his intention: and that is enough for 
him. Two tranflations have appeared of 
this piece. 
[tis truly aflonifhing, that, after the 
deteétion which has taken place, the au- 
thor of VYortigern thould ftill infift upon 
its being the produétion of Shak{peare. 
This play is publifhed, together wich 
Henry the Second, an biftorical Drama, fup- 
poled to be written by the Author of Vorti- 
gern. We have no patience to make any 
comments on fuch foolifh forgeries. 
A tragedy, Ox she Death of Mayor An- 
dré has been imported from America. 
Many circumftances attend the melancho- 
ly ftory of Major André, which are fo 
admirably calculated for dramatic effect, 
558), 
that we were never more difappointed, 
than in the perufal of this cold and infipid 
piece : fubjoined to it, however, are Ma- 
jor André’s fatirical poem of The Cowe 
Chace, with the proceedings of the court- 
martial, and other authentic documents. 
concerning him. Thefe appendices give a 
value to the pamphlet. 
Mifs Hannan Branp’s Plays aud 
Pocms have that tamenefs and infipidity, 
which, in fcreening them from notice, 
will fecure them from criticifm. 
VOYAGES, TRAVELS, AND TOURS. 
We here find many interefting and 
very valuable volumes: we {hall therefore 
pay them all the attention which the na- 
ture of our article will admit. 
Mr. SamMueL Huty WitcockeE hag 
tranflated from the original Dutch, in 
three oétavo volumes, illuftrated with 
maps, the Voyages to the Eaft Indies, by 
the late Splinter Stavorinus, Efg. Rear-Ad- 
miral in the Service of the States General. 
Thefe volumes, now become exceedingly 
interefting from the circumftance that al- 
moft all the Dutch fettlements in the Eaft 
have been taken poffeffion of by the En- 
glifh, are curious, moreover, becaufe of 
the very fcanty knowledge which, from 
the former commercial jealoufy of the 
Dutch, we poffefs refpeéting many of 
thofe fettlemernts. We have a curions 
account of the king of Bantam’s houfehold: 
his majeity’s body-guard, and indeed all 
fuch fervantsas are admitted within the 
palace,are of the female fex ! CaptainST.a- 
VORINUS was prefent at a grand enter- 
tainment given by his majefty to the com- 
pany’s fervants: behind his chair ftood one 
of his life- guards, armed with a large gold 
kvis, which the continually kept raifed on 
high : two female flaves were feated next 
to him on the ground, one holding his to- 
bacco-box and betel-box, eithet of which, 
when he wanted it, was handed to him 
wrapped up ina filk handkerchief; and 
the other holding in her hand a gold {pit- 
ting-pot for the occafional accommodation 
of his majefty! The tranflator of this 
work, which comprifes a full and accu- 
rate account of all the prefent and Jate 
poffeffions of the Dutch in India and at 
the Cape of Good Hope, has executed his 
tafk with fidelity and diligence. To thofe 
objeéts of natural hiftory which Stavori- 
nus has defcribed, he has fupplied the 
Linnean names, and has illuftrated the 
text with many very valuable and intereft- 
ing notes. 
Captain CROKER’s Travels through 
Several Provinces of Spain and Portugal af- 
ford more entertainment and information, 
thax 
