force from our nation the palm of excellence, were it not fecured by the impregnable towers of Otranto." " Mr. Spencer apologizes for what he has done very judicioully, the omitting of fuch expreffions of the German author, as are mere imitations of found, fuch as "trap, trap, trap," for the trotting of a horse; and " cling, cling, cling," for the ringing of a bell we may add, und hurre, hurre, hop, hop, hop!" to exprefs the fwift motion of the horse. Of thefe he fays, very properly, that literally adopted in an English verfion, they would appear more ridiculous than defcriptive. This is true, unless, perhaps, the mere ballad ftyle had been ufed, as in the original, which would admit of more licence, and would furely be more proper. Mr. Spencer's translation has great merit; it is fufficiently literal without being ftiff; and, in proper places, familiar, without being low. Smile as we may at the inprobability, or, if you pleafe, impoffibility of the ftory, it is not eafy to read the following dialogue, or, indeed, the greater part of the compofition (efpecially when aided by Lady D. Beauclerc's defigns) without fenfations of horror. Nature, in spite of reafon, has feelings of this fort, which, perhaps, are never totally fuppreffed. "Holla! Holla! my life, my love! "O Wilhelm, thou !-thefe eyes for thee, Aye fear and woe have dwelt with me: "At dead of night alone we ride; From Prague's far diftant field I come: This coal-black barb, to bear thee home." Mount by thy true-love's guardian fide; we ride This night, to reach our nuptial bed." * In German, "hundert Meilen:" the largest German mile being nearly five English. "Our "Our nuptial bed! this night fo dark, No common bridesmen wait us there." It is a minute remark, but one which may easily be ob viated, that, though Wilhelm fays, " My fpurs are fet," he is reprefented in the first plate without fpurs; afterwards he has them. The German artift, Chodowiecki, has represented him as a trooper, with a kevenhuller hat, and pig-tail. The licence taken by Lady D. Beauclere, of drawing him in armour, gives great dignity and effect to the designs; fufficient, we conceive, to excufe the impropriety. The name of the maiden, in German Lenore, has been a fnare to all the tranflators*. Mr. Pye preferves the German form, and tells his reader to pronounce the final e. It would have been much better to write Lenora, according to the idiom of our language, and then neither accent nor direction would have been requifite. Mr. Spencer fometimes makes it Leonora, as in the verfes we have cited, and fometimes Lenora, in pronunciation, though written in the fame manner; as in the second line of the poem, Leonora ftarts at break of day, where the ear demands Lenora; and towards the end, Leonora's heart, it's life blood dried. Mr. Stanley alfo, though in general he ufes Leonora at full length, in fome lines has, or ought to have Lenora, as "Leonora, 'tis decreed." "Leonora, no delay." In fome inftances Mr. Stanley and Mr. Spencer have tranflated the fame paffages in the fame words, which was certainly better than to feek variety by deviating from what was natural and proper. We have feen another Leonora adver tifed. It might furely have been fpared. We did not think * Except the author of the ballad above alluded to. it advisable to reserve our critique till that fhould reach our hands. If inferior to what has appeared, it will easily be difmilled; if fuperior, it will deferve particular and marked commendation. Schürze, is once printed Schürze in Mr. Spencer's publication, p. 18, but we have not remarked many other errors. ART. XVII. Chriftian Philofophy; or, An Attempt to display the Evidence and Excellence of revealed Religion. By Vicefmus Knox, D. D. late Fellow of St. John's College, Oxford, and now Mafter of Tunbridge School. In two Volumes. 12mo. 6s. Dilly. 1795. THIS book, though small, is evidently, at firft fight, a book of no light confideration; a curfory glance difcovered to us, that it treats on matters of the highest import. It was referved, therefore, for a time of calm and attentive confideration. That time has, at length, arrived. We have read, weighed, and confidered it; and, having fo done, helitate not to pronounce that it is a work truly chriftian; meritorious in. its defign, able in its execution, and fo very likely to be useful, that we hope it will obtain extenfive notice. Every clergyman, without exception, ought to read it, as it offers matter to his contemplation, which, if he has not already confidered profoundly, he cannot too foon make the fubject of his meditations. It tends to recall to univerfal notice an important doctrine of chrifiianity, which has been confeffedly disfigured by enthufiafts, but which, in the mean time, has not been always properly diftinguifhed in its genuine purity from those false notions which enthusiasm has added to it; and, doubtless, has too frequently been confounded with enthufiafm, and thunned erroneously under that misapprehenfion. This is the doctrine of divine influence upon the human foul, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; a doctrine not to be feparated from genuine christianity, but by the mutilation of its noblest parts, and, indeed, by the very extinction of its life and energy; a doctrine, the defertion of which has led to the production of that monster falfely called rational chriftianity; to the denial of the most important principles of the fyftem of redemption, and even of the Holy Trinity. The church, indeed, has not relinquished a tittle of the doctrine, nor have the regular clergy forgotten it; but if, through fear of culpable enthurfi fm, or the imputation of it, lefs has been faid upon the fubject than its high impor tance demands, meritorious indeed is the attempt of Dr. Knox X BRIT. ČRIT. VOL. VIII. SEPT. 1796. Knox to place it in the fulleft light, and recall it into general notice. The Chriftian Philofophy is then, according to Dr. Knox, comprised in the following defcription. "From the eternal fountain of light, both natural and fpiritual, there ftreams a light, which lighteth every one that cometh into the world. Whoever loves that which is good and juft and true, and defires to act a virtuous part in his place allotted to him in this world, whether high or low, may be affured of the bleffing of heaven, difplaying itfelf not, perhaps, in worldly riches or honours, but in fomething infinitely more valuable--a fecret influence upon his heart and underlanding, to direct his conduct, to improve his nature, and to lead him, though in the lowly vale, yet along the path of peace. "The nature of all men was depraved by the fall of Adam. The affiftance of God's Holy Spirit was withdrawn. Chrift came to reftore that nature, and to bring down that affiftance, and leave it as a gift, a legacy to all mankind after his departure." P. 46. "The END," he fays, in another place," purfued by this philofophy, is the attainment of the Spirit's influence; the MEANS, prayer, and obedience." The confequence of it, a tranfcendent peace, called in fcripture, the peace of God, which paffeth all understanding; and which certainly conftitutes that SUPREME GOOD OF MAN, in felecting which human philofophy could never yet finally agree." Vol. II. p. 450. The title of Chriftian Philofophy, fays the author, I have chofen," becaufe, from a ftrange perverfenefs, a great part of the world, too often guided by names, is willing to liften to philofophy, while it clofes the iron doors of prejudice against the voice of religion:" and he fupports the ufe of the expreffion by the authority of Juftin Martyr, and feveral other fathers, mentioned by Sozomen. Aware of the difficulty of fupporting, by the authority of any fingle name, a doctrine which had fallen under any fufpicion of enthufiafm, Dr. Knox very judicioufly defends his argument by copious and most appofite extracts, from the writings of Earrow, Bull, Pearfon, Scott, Sanderson, Smalridge, Townfon, Horfley, and feveral others, the most able and learned divines within and without the establishment. The illuftration thus given to the exprefs words of Scripture, in themselves fufficiently ftrong, is fuch as cannot fail to have a powerful effect on every candid mind. Nor are the arguments and elucidations of the author himfelf, which follow thefe paffages, at all deficient in clearnefs, ftrength, or elegance. In behalf of an author fo pioufly and ufefully employed in the cause of true religion, we muft not fail to protest against the imputation of methedifin, which too many will be for ward ward to caft upon him, from the appearance of this book. Nothing can be more unjuft. The author, in direct terms, maintains the neceflity of good works, or actual obedience, in order to obtain the aid of heaven, and fays exprefsly," a state of grace without morality, I firmly believe, is not permitted by him who is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity." Vol. I. p. 233. He maintains the true doctrine of the Church of England, and that which, as far as they do not err by excefs, the methodists alfo rightly hold; but against all the errors and extravagancies of that fect, he is clear and explicit in his cautions. Of this the following chapter, which, for its various merits, we fhall extract at full length, will stand as a perfect record. Cautions concerning Enthufiafm. "So many and fo melancholy are the effects of mistaken and exceffive enthufiafm, recorded in the annals of mankind, that wife men are juffly alarined at every appearance of it, and little inclined to give it indulgence. "Whatever there has been of favage cruelty, whatever of public violence, and tumult, and confufion, the utmoft extremes of all these evils, in all their confequences, have been equalled by the frantic extravagance of falfe enthufiafm. It has exhibited, in fome tempers, all the fymptoms of a malignant difeafe, and terminated, at last, in real and moft deplorable infanity. "If then it be wifdom to obviate the approaches of distemper, thofe men have evinced themselves wife, who have laboured to dif courage, by all the arts of ridicule and argument, the earliest tendencies among the people to religious phrenzy. There are innocent follies, and there is a madnefs, which is only the object of compaffion; but the folly and inadnefs of the bigot are deteftable, because they are deftructive as a peftilence. Against fuch an enemy to human happinefs, philofophy has urged her beft reafon, juftice has unfheathed her fword, and the ftage, to complete the triumph, has played all the batteries of derifion. But argumentation, coercive force, and even ridicule, have been found ineffectual. All thefe are claffed, by the bigot, under the term perfecution; and perfecution, like a current of air, adds violence to fire. The gentler, the kinder, the more chriftian mode of expoftulation and rational conceffion, wherever conceffion can be made, may, like a balfamic vulnerary, heal the fore which oppofition would cause to rankle. "I therefore do not deny the juftice of the enthufiaft's pretenfions, who profeffes himself actuated by a belief that the Holy Spirit condefcends to affift him in virtuous endeavours, by a facred influence from heaven. But I caution him against entertaining, for a moment, the prefumptueus idea, that the fame Spirit which aflifts him, does not, with equal readinefs and efficacy, affift his pious neighbour alfo, and all fincere believers, throughout Christendom, however distinguished by fect, church, or perfuafion. "I urge X 2 |