642 
tian being, concerned in, and connected 
with, the welfaré of all mankind. It is 
Rere that the brow of our Britannia is 
waifed above the clouds-—that the crown 
ef glory, radiant and cheering as her be- 
mevolenee, compofed of fun-beams, feems 
#a@ play around. her head—and that if 
fpecks, or even fpots, of the darkeft hue 
Gad been difcovered in her orb, miriads of 
Bright emanations have defcended upon 
siiziads of human creatures, who have 
felt, and are feeling {till the rays of her 
beunty: O what of good and great does 
wot that bounty effet ?—ye wretched! of 
ali charagters and countries, {peak its blef- 
fed force, its bleffed energy-—does it not 
dry the tears on your cheeks, heal the 
wounds of your bodies and your fouls 5 and 
Bid plenty, even in times of dearth, drive fa- 
sine from your doors? Yeinfantsand fuck-~ 
tings does it not zadeed fofter ye, even when 
Bereaved of your mother’s care, with the 
milk of human kindneis—does it not hne 
our cradles with down—ye youths of either 
fex does it not novrifh ye to the exercife of 
every health, of every virtue—-and ye of 
the filver hair, does it not form your 
erutches of whatever is mof foft—and, 
does it not fmocth your pillows even with 
the tender hand of parent or friend—is 
¥ not medicine to the fick, fcod to 
the hungry, and confolation to the for- 
Fowing ? 
“¢ Ghe Works of SOLOMON GESSNER, 
tranflated from the German. With fome 
Account of bis Life and Writings.” | 
We have had feveral detached pieces 
tranfiated from this accomplifhed author. 
Elis Idyls; and the Death of Abel, are 
Enown to every body. The prefent is the 
fr & complete edition of Gefiner’s works. 
Et is handfomely and correétly printed, 
sod ornamented with feveral defigns trom 
Stothart, together with a portrait of the 
author. The biographical account is fo 
snterefting, and {fo ably executed, that 
the only fault to be found with it is its 
brevity. Geffner was not merely a poet, 
2 
a 
but a painter, and was reckoned among 
the bet artifts of Germany. _ His private 
elraracter was amiable and exemplary.— 
Aisa hufband, a father, and a friend, his 
Wirtues were equally ecnfpicuous. He 
received from his countrymen, who raifed 
him to the fir offices of the republic, 
(Zisich), thofe honours which are due 
to extraordinary talent and incorruptia 
ble integrity. 
“© Effay on Irifh Bulls, by Ricuarp 
Lovet. EDGworTH, aad Maria EpG- 
WORTH.” 
The object of this amufing eflay is to 
i 
_ Retrofpedt of Domeftic Literature—ALifcellanies. 
vindicate the talents and virtues of the 
Irifh, and to fhew that their propenfity to 
blunder is not fngular. Many inftances 
are adduced to thew, what was never dif- 
puted, that bwlls are to be faund among 
‘all Janguages, and are common. to all 
people: 
“fhe Arabian Nights. Tranflated by 
the Rev. EDwarD Forster. . With En- 
gravings from Pidétures, by Roperr 
SMIRKE, R.A.’ 5 vols. 32 } 
- What muft be the intrinfic excellence of 
thefe tories, if, notwithftanding ,the exe- 
crable tranflation in which we are in the 
habit of reading them, they ftil] continue 
to intereft and amufe at every perufal ?— 
[tis well known that they are read and 
admired throughout Afia by people of alk 
ranks, all characters, and all ages: fo faf- 
cinating are they, that forgetting all their 
fatigues and al] their hardfhips, parties of 
Accabs will fit round a fire on the defart, 
and lifen to the oft-told tale with rapture. 
A few years ago, Mr. Hole publifhcd 
fome Critical Remarks on. the ‘Arabian 
Nights Entertainments, with a view of 
fottening fome of their incredibilities. He 
there oblerves, that notwithftanding we 
are amufed by them, they are feldom tho- 
roughly relifhed but, by perfons whole 
imagination is complimented atthe ex- 
pence of their judgment : and this ts rea- 
dily accounted for, as the tales in the or1- - 
ginal language abound with poetical ima- 
gery and moral reflection, of which but 
little is preferved in the tranflation, So 
execrable indeed 1s this tranflation, that 
the merit of having furpaffed it is little or 
nothing. Mr, Foriter, however, has pre- 
fented the public with one which is neat, 
elegant, and coneife ; and he has, after 
the example of Mr. Hole, elucidated fome 
few ob{eure paflages by notes. But five 
volumes o¢tavo—three pounds in boards! 
Mr. Forfier would confer a real favour on 
us, if he would condefcend to publifh a 
cheap edition of his tranflation; if he 
would increafe the number of his notes, 
which he might.eafily do by the affiftance 
of thofe Orientalifts, whofe perfonal know- 
ledge of the manners and cuftoms of, the 
Eaft would enable them to throw confider- 
able light on unintelligible allufions and 
incredible incidents; and laftly,; if he 
could obtain from Mr. Hole permiffion to 
- print his learned «nd ingenious remark 
as preliminary differtations to thee ftories, 
and as notes to thole paffages, to which 
they refpestively belong. ; 
It has often been fufpected, that no ge- 
nuine copy of The Thoufand and One 
Nights is in exiflence ; and the oe 
ee 
