Who in convulsive motion yet retain Some shreds of life more horrible than death.' p. 271. One of the most striking passages in the play, though altogether in a different taste, is the speech of Prince Edward, in his dark and solitary dungeon. 'Ed. Doth the bright sun from the high arch of heaven, In all his beauteous robes of flecker'd clouds, And ruddy vapours, and deep glowing flames, Do the green woods dance to the wind? the lakos Do the flocks bleat, and the wild creatures bound Wing the mid air in lightly skimming bands ? There is considerable energy in the following soliloquy of the distracted tyrant. Ethw. And does the fearful night still lie before me In all its hideous length? (rising up with emotion.) O ye successive terms of gloomy quiet! Over my mind ye pass, like rolling waves Of dense oppression; whilst deep underneath Lye all its noble powers and faculties O'erwhelm'd. If such dark shades must henceforth cross My checker'd life with still returning horrors, O let me rest in the foul reptile's hole, And take from me the being of a man!' pp. 349. 350. The introduction of the watch-dog in the same scene, as the only guardian in whom his suspicious nature could now confide, is like one of the striking incidents in a fairy tale, and would probably be very ludicrous in the representation. Before taking our leave of this drama, we may observe, that besides several smaller errors in prosody and strict construction, Miss Baillie appears to have adopted a very vicious pronounciation of the words, support, pursuit, success,' &c. which she VOL. II. NO. 4. X has has evidently accented on the first syllable, in the following and other examples: Fame reports That ye return with fullest success crown'd.' 'I should have known the support of thy state,' &c. There are very few, even among our Scottish versifiers, who would now indulge themselves with so much of their national prosody. The last play in this volume, is entitled, The Second Marriage, a comedy on Ambition;' and we are sensible that we do not speak at all equivocally of its merits, when we say, that it is by far the worst of Miss Baillie's dramatic performances. A more puerile or insipid performance, indeed, is not to be found in M. Berquin's Children's Friend; and as its morality is unexceptionable, we are not without expectation of seeing it included in the next edition of that useful collection. The story is that of a man, who marries a narrow-minded woman of quality, in the hopes of making his fortune, and is nearly ruined by being made the dupe of a crazy projector. The interest of the piece consists in the discontent of the children with their step-mother; and the most brilliant incident, is that of a ghost dressed up by the old cook, and the gardener and old butler, for the purpose of frightening their new lady in her chamber. There are some love scenes among the masters and misses, that are very innocent and edifying; and enough of natural affection, to sooth to profound sleep, any polite audience that could be induced to listen to it. There are some touches of pleasantry, and some discrimination of character, in spite of all this; and we cannot help feeling a considerable degree of admiration for the talents of the writer, even in that production in which they have been most injudiciously exerted. Upon the whole, we think there is no want of genius in this book, although there are many errors of judgment; and are persuaded, that if Miss Baillie will relinquish her plan of producing twin dramas on each of the passions, and consent to write tragedies without any deeper désign than that of interesting her readers, we shall soon have the satisfaction of addressing her with more unqualified praise, than we have yet bestowed upon any poetical adventurer. ART, ART. II. Tableau des Etats Danois. Par Jean Pierre Catteau. HE object of this book is to exhibit a picture of the kingdom of Denmark, under all its social relations, of politics, statistics, science, morals, manners, and every thing which can influence its character and importance, as a free and independent collection of human beings. This book is, upon the whole, executed with great diligence, and good sense. Some subjects of importance are passed over, indeed, with too much haste; but if the publication had exceeded its present magnitude, it would soon have degenerated into a mere book of reference, impossible to be read, and fit only, like a dictionary, for the purposes of occasional appeal: It would not have been a picture presenting us with an interesting epitome of the whole; but a topographical plan, detailing, with minute and fatiguing precision, every trifling circumstance, and every subordinate feature. We should be far from objecting to a much more extended and elaborate performance than the present; because those who read, and those who write, are now so numerous, that there is room enough for varieties and modifications of the same subject: but information of this nature, conveyed in a form, and in a size, adapted to continuous reading, gains in surface what it loses in depth,---and gives general notions to many, though it cannot afford all the knowledge which a few have it in their power to acquire from the habits of more patient labour, and more profound research. This work, though written at a period when enthusiasm or disgust had thrown most mens minds off their balance, is remarkable, upon the whole, for sobriety and moderation. The observations, though seldom either strikingly ingenious or profound, are just, temperate, and always benevolent. We are so far from perceiving any thing like extravagance in Mr Catteau, that we are inclined to think he is occasionally too cautious for the interests of truth; that he manages the Court of Denmark with too much delicacy; and exposes, by distant and scarcely perceptible touches, that which it was his duty to have brought out boldly, and strongly. The most disagreeable circumstance in the style of the book is, the author's compliance with that irresistible avidity of his countrymen to declaim upon common-place subjects. He goes on, mingling bucolic details, and sentimental effusions, melting, and measuring, crying, and calculating, in a manner which is very bad if it is poetry, and worse if it is prose. In speaking of the mode of cultivating potatoes, he cannot avoid calling the potatoe a modest vegetable; and when he comes to the exportation exportation of horses from the dutchy of Holstein, we learn that these animals are dragged from the bosom of their peaceable ⚫ and modest country, to hear, in foreign regions, the sound of • the warlike trumpet; to carry the combatant amid the hostile ranks; to increase the eclat of some pompous procession; or drag, in a gilded car, some favourite of fortune. We are sorry to be compelled to notice these untimely effusions, especially as they may lead to a suspicion of the fidelity of the work; of which fidelity, from actual examination of many of the authorities referred to, we have not the most remote doubt. Mr Catteau is to be depended upon, as securely as any writer, going over such various and extensive ground, can ever be depended upon. He is occasionally guilty of some trifling inaccuracies; but, what he advances, is commonly derived from the most indisputable authorities: and he has condensed together, a mass of information, which will render his book the most accessible and valuable road of knowledge, to those who are desirous of making any researches respecting the kingdom of Denmark. Denmark, since the days of piracy, has hardly been heard of out of the Baltic. Margaret, by the union of Calmar, laid the foundation of a monarchy, which (could it have been preserved by hands as strong as those which created it) would have exercised a powerful influence upon the destinies of Europe, and have strangled, perhaps, in the cradle, the infant force of Russia. Denmark, reduced to her ancient bounds by the patriotism and talents of Gustavus Vasa, has never since been able to emerge into notice by her own natural resources, or the genius of her ministers and her monarchs. During that period, Sweden has more than once threatened to give laws to Europe; and, headed by Charles and Gustavus, has broken out into chivalrous enterprizes, with an heroic valour, which merited wiser objects, and greater ultimate success. The spirit of the Danish nation has, for the last two or three centuries, been as little carried to literature or to science, as to war. They have written as little as they have done. With the exception of Tycho Brahe, and a volume of shells, there is hardly a Danish book, or a Danish writer, known five miles from the Great Belt. It is not sufficient to say, that there are many authors read and admired in Denmark: there are none that have passed the Sound; none that have had energy enough to force themselves into the circulation of Europe, to extort universal admiration, and live without the aid of municipal praise, and local approbation. From the period, however, of the first of the Bernstorffs, Denmark has made a great spring, and has advanced more within the last twenty or thirty years, than for the three three preceding centuries. The peasants are now emancipated; the laws of commerce, foreign and interior, are simplified, and expanded; the transport of corn and cattle is made free; a considerable degree of liberty is granted to the press; and slavery is to cease this very year in their West Indian possessions. If Ernest Bernstorff was the author of some less commendable measures, they are to be attributed more to the times, than to the defects of his understanding, or of his heart. To this great minister succeeded the favourite Struensee, and to him Ove Guldberg: the first with views of improvement, not destitute of liberality or genius, but little guided by judgment, or marked by moderation; the latter, devoid of that energy and firmness which were necessary to execute the good he intended. In 1788, when the King became incapable of business, and the Crown prince assumed the government, Count Andrew Bernstorff, nephew of Ernest, was called to the ministry; and, while some nations were shrinking from the very name of innovation, and others overturning every establishment, and violating every principle, Bernstorff steadily pursued, and ultimately effected, the gradual, and bloodless amelioration of his country. His name will ever form a splendid epoch in the history of Denmark. The spirit of œconomical research and improvement which emanated from him, still remains; while the personal character of the Prince of Denmark, and the zeal with which he seconded the projects of his favourite minister, seem to afford a guarantee for the continuation of the same system of administration. In his analysis of the present state of Denmark, Mr Catteau, after a slight historical sketch of that country, divides his subject into sixteen sections. 1. Geographical and physical qualities of the Danish territory: 2. Form of government: 3. Administration : 4. Institutions relative to government and administration: 5. Civil and criminal laws, and judiciary institutions: 6. Military system, land army, and marine: 7. Finance: 8. Population: 9. Productive industry, comprehending agriculture, the fisheries, and the extraction of mineral substances: 10. Manufacturing industry: 11. Commerce, interior and exterior, including the state of the great roads, the canals of navigation, the maritime insurances, the bank, &c. &c. 12. Establishments of charity and public utility: 13. Religion 14. Education: 15. Language, character, manners, and customs: 16. Sciences, and arts.---This division we shall follow. From the southern limits of Holstein to the southern extremity of Norway, the Danish dominions extend to 300 miles* in length, The mile alluded to here, and through the whole of the book, is the |