Retrofpect of Domeftic Literature—Hiftory. 631 
demies, hofpitals, infirmaries, manufac- 
tures, and in fhort, every thing which 
is curious, ufeful, or in any degree in- 
tere(ting to be made acquainted with. 
<¢ The Hiftory of Helvetia; containing 
the Rife and Progrefs of Federative Re- 
publics, to the Middle of the Fifteenth 
Century, by Francis Hare Naytor, 
Efq.’” When a man has fubmitted to the 
jabour, and borne the expence of col- 
Jeéting materials for an hiftorical work— 
when he has aétually devoted many toil- 
fome hours to the execution of it, and ex- 
perienced that honourable anxiety for its 
future reception in the world which every 
emulous mind feels with proportionate 
acutenefs, he cannot but in fome meatfure 
be mortified to learn, that his labours 
have been anticipated by a rival, in every 
way competent to the undertaking. 
Damped, however, as his ardour may be 
for the moment, it is not to be expected, 
or indeed defired, that he fhould defitt 
from the profecution of his work: for 
although the grand hiltorical faéts to be 
related mult ever be the fame, the in- 
ferences to be drawn from them are ex- 
tremely various: the fame rcorded nar- 
vative of events and characters of men, 
may poilibly make even an oppofite im- 
preffion on two hiftorians of equally cool 
and unbiafled judgment. It appears, from 
the preface to Mr. Naylor’s work, that 
the greater part of it was ready for the 
refs before he was apprized of Mr. 
lanta’s intention of treating on the fame 
fubjeét. ** No fooner (fays Mr. Naylor) 
did I fee his Hiftory of the He!vetic Con- 
federacy advertized, than I laid down my 
pen, determined to wait for the appear- 
ance of that work before I finally decided 
on the deftiny of my own; finding, bow- 
ever, that Mr. Planta’s view of things 
differed materially from mine, and that 
we frequently confidered the fame object 
in an oppofite light, I faw no reafon to 
abandon my plan. 
Mr. Planta’s very valuable work is 
carried down through the Burgundian 
and Italian wars to “that awful pericd 
when the Alpine vallies ceafed, perhaps 
for ever, to be the abode of freedom and 
of happinefs’’—to that odious era, when 
the government of Swiflerland was up- 
rooted by the arms of the French Re- 
public. Mr. Naylor, in the prefent vo- 
lume, briefly enters upon the hiftory of 
Swifferland, from its earlieft ages—trom 
the time of Julins Cxlar, and clofes with 
the Council of Bale, and a view of man- 
ners in the fifteenth century. He confi- 
ders this to be the molt brilliant period of 
Helvetic hiftory, as the charatter of the 
Swifs underwent a material change after 
the commencement ‘of the Zuric War: 
the ftrength of the Confederacy was im- 
paired, though its members were, en- 
creafed. ‘The reception of thefe volumes 
will decide the hiftorian as to his future 
labours: he fays, that his long refidence 
on the Continent has afforded him an op- 
portunity of following the Revolutions 
both of Swifferland and Italy, through all 
their maze of horrors, and that papers of 
the utmoft importance are probably within 
his reach. 
There are few countries—perhaps there 
is no one—in whofe annals are recorded 
more noble achievements—more roman- 
tic exploits, than Helvtia: no people 
have fought harder battles for their li- 
berties than the Swifs: and none ever 
enjoyed their well-earned independence 
with more dignity and moderation. The 
hiftory of fuch a people mutt ever be in- 
terefting and ever inftruétive. We hope, 
therefore, that Mr. Naylor will be en- 
couraged, by a flattering reception of thefe 
volumes, to proceed in a work for which 
he is fo well qualified. Many curious 
anecdvtes and interefting remarks occur 
in the view of manners which prevailed in 
Swifferland during the fifteenth century ; 
the following is worth relating, for the 
opportunity which it affords of exhibiting 
the fimplicity of Swifs manners in a mucia 
later period :—‘* There are few countries 
in modern Europe, where the licentiouf- 
nefs of the women is carried to a greater 
exce{s.’’—“* When a man became the re- 
puted father of children, which he fup- 
pofed were not his own, or when a daugh- 
ter, led aftray by paflion, returned to the 
paternal roof, with an offspring unfanc- 
tioned by law, in either cafe the hufband 
and parent exclaimed, Ef? i/? Gottes wille! 
(It is the will of God!) and thus recon- 
ciled themfelves to their misfortunes with 
the fame degree of refignation with which 
they would have fupported any other of 
the unavoidable evils of life.” 
This brings to our recollection a cu- 
rious anccdote, related by Count Stolberz, 
in his Travels through Swifferland, and 
on his authority we give it:—he tells us 
that in anciect times a cuftom was intro- 
duced in the German diftriéts of the 
Canton of Berne, that a maiden, having 
once received the Sacrament, fhould leave 
open her chamber-door every Saturday 
evening for the reception of a young man 
in bed: thefe nightly vifits are aid to. 
have been feldom attended with any vio-, 
Jation of chattity: this was called going, 
4Mz2 te 
