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was of a character too pure and exalted to lead him into the paths of error; and if she had led him to the very altar of Hymen, (which must have been the ne plus ultra of her fascinations,) there is every reason to suppose, that it would have been the most fortunate event that could have occurred. That brilliant accomplishments, combined with good nature and sensibility, are to be avoided as dangerous, is an assumption which the biographer will find it difficult to prove. But the truth is, his book throughout is written under a strong dread of giving offence to any one who has the happiness of being enrolled in its pages; and it is therefore the less surprising, that in his eagerness to avert the blame of this transaction from one female friend, he has unwittingly laid the full weight of it on the attractions of another. Indeed the zeal with which he labours to acquit all the parties, as well as the air of mystery he throws over an incident in itself extremely natural and simple, are not a little amusing. Something is said of a copy of tender verses which the poet had addressed to his fascinating friend, an effusion which, although unknown to himself, was very probably dictated by love. The character of Cowper was no doubt singular in many respects, but his singularity would have been superhuman, and certainly most unpoetical, if he had not regarded with a warmer sentiment than that of friendship, a lady, who, accomplished and engaging as she was, appeared willing to devote her life and fortune to the promotion of his happiness. This fact to be sure, like many others, is only hinted at by Mr. Hayley; but it is quite in accordance with human nature; and it is difficult to conceive, what motive short of attachment could have led a lady, enjoying all the advantages of wealth and station, to renounce the gay society of the metropolis for the solitude of a manufacturing village. The little god, like the animal he resembles in his blindness, is a miner that carries on his operations unseen; and we confess, when we first read in the letters of the shy and bashful Cowper requesting to be introduced to a lady whom he had merely spied from his window, and of that lady in her turn becoming so fond of him, that she soon pitched her tent by his side, we began to leap to conclusions by a process well known to the readers of novels, and anticipated nothing less than a courtship, or a marriage. Unfortunately, too, Mrs. Unwin appears to have been of the same opinion; and, appealing to the poet's gratitude for her past services, she gave him his choice of either renouncing Lady Austen's acquaintance or her own. Although the alternative was doubtless a painful one, he determined to adhere to the friend whose claims on his gratitude were greater than he could ever hope to discharge, and sent a farewell letter to Lady Austen, which, however affectionately and admirably written, had the effect of banishing her from Olney, and of putting an end to their acquaintance. But we have already, perhaps, dwelt too long upon a transaction, the whole blame of which appears to fall upon Mrs. Unwin. Had she been young and handsome, and likely to fall in love herself, her conduct would have been less surprising, and much more excusable. But this has never been insinuated, REV. Nov. 1822.

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and there is not the most distant probability, that even Cowper's union with Lady Austen could have interfered with his platonic affection for their mutual friend. In this 1 happy country a man have wives or may have as many friends as in some others he may concubines; and although there are preferences in these matters, very few are so unreasonable as to demand an exclusive and undivided friendship. Yet this was the failing of Mrs. Unwin; and we must again regret, that her want of generosity in this instance should have dissolved a connexion, of

already boasted so much, and which, when ch Cowper had drawn could scarcely have had any other effect than that of increasing his happiness.'

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MONTHLY CATALOGUE

FOR NOVEMBER, 1822.

Art. 13. A Clue for Young Latinists, and Non-Latinists, to trace the Original Forms and Signification of Nouns and Verbs, from their Terminations, alphabetically arranged, with Explanatory References to the Grammar. By John Carey, LL.D. Author or of "Latin Prosody made easy," &c. 12mo. Longman * and Co.

That Dr. Carey is one of our most useful elementary writers, the list of his works (enumerated in the title-page of the tract before us) may be admitted to evince, when we add that all those works have their degrees of merit; while, to mention at present no others of his labors, his revision and correction of the press o the Regent's Classics have conferred, as far as we have had any opportunity of ascertaining the point, very material advantages on that useful and cheap publication.

of

The plan of the present little work is, as the author observes simple, and so obvious at first sight, that a single instance will be sufficient to exemplify its application and use. Suppose, then, the young Latinist, or the Non-Latinist, to meet with the word Pugnavissemus on turning to the termination AVISSEMUS in its alphabetic place, he will at once find that it is the first person plural of the pluperfect subjunctive, from Pugno, of the first conjugation. But suppose, on the other hand, that he should mistake

the point of division between the radical letters and the grammatical termination and, instead of looking for AVISSEMUS, should, direct his attention to ISSEMUS, EMUS, MUS, EMUS, or even the single syllable, MUS, o US-he will, under any of those heads, find references, to guide him in his search, nikwajani Jeng side We niust remark, however, that in the multiplicity of helps, and props, and vade-mecums, with which modern education abounds, some chance is incurred that the advantage will be lost which arose out of the hard work and hammering at the Dictionary and

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Grammar;

Grammar; and which strengthened the natural powers, while it perhaps somewhat delayed the puerile progress of our ancestors. This is too ample a field of argument for us to examine at present; and we pass to another of Dr. Carey's subsidiary aids to learning. To shew the perfect good humor in which we part with the veteran teacher, we shall quote the following doggrel rhymes' from his work, since the Doctor informs us that he has found them useful:'

‹ When IUS ends a proper name,

The vocative must end in I.
The rule for Filius is the same,

And Genius, too, makes O Geni.'

We recommend the modesty with which Dr. C. designates this happy little ballad-stanza, to the imitation of many of our contemporary minstrels; who print thousands of similar verses every season, but forget to mark them with their appropriate title. Art. 14. The Greek Terminations, (including the Dialects and Poetic Licences,) alphabetically arranged, and grammatically explained, on the Plan of the "Latin Terminations," or Clue for Young Latinists." By John Carey, LL.D., &c. 12mo. Longman and Co.

This natural sequel to Dr. Carey's "Latin Terminations" has added to the obligation which that gentleman's works have bestowed on the youthful scholar. The present book, as far as we have been able to examine it, is well executed; and it certainly forms a serviceable little manual of reference for the beginner, and perhaps occasionally for the more advanced student in Greek. "In tenui labor est, at tenuis non gloria." This old quotation may be justly applied to many of Dr. C.'s new publications. 10 2 The author's dedications to Davies Gilbert, Esq., an independent senator, an accomplished scholar,' &c. &c. are natural enough: but we venture to admonish Dr. Carey that it appears to us in better taste to omit any notice of that gentleman's son, promising youth, now in his tenth year; who, having already made a creditable, proficiency in the Latin language, intends soon to enter on the study of the Greek.' See the Advertisement, p.5. Art. 15. A Series of Latin Exercises, selected from the best Roman Writers, and adapted to the Rules in Syntax, particularly in the Eton Grammar, &c. By Nathaniel Howard. 12mo. A 3s. 6d. Bound. Longman and Co.

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Art. 16. A Key to Howard's Latin Exercises. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Longman and Co.

94t The Eton exercise-books are certainly liable to many objections, though they are greatly diminished, if not removed, by the valuable oral instruction which accompanies them at their own peculiar seat of learning, and by similar advantages in other places: but, if it should happen that in any seminary, where sound learning (or, perhaps, learning in sound,) is professed, the deficiencies of the Exempla Minora, Moralia, &c. are not supplied by the teacher,

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then Ellis's Exercises, or Howard's Exercises, with the Key to them*, would be much better than the more difficult and dangerous Eton elementary works. With respect to the Eton "Peculiars," a more advanced though still initiatory book of exercises, we are credibly informed that it was written by an unsuccessful candidate for an Eton-mastership, purposely and expressly to avenge himself on the teachers of the school for his disappointment. If, indeed, any one of those distinguished scholars should be unfortunate enough not to possess any clue, either of memory or written reference, to the passages in the original authors from whom the "Peculiars” are translated, or rather perverted, we defy the brightest genius and the most practised erudition to hit on the right Latin for sentences, which at least succeed in inculcating wrong English. Our own idea of a completely useful exercise-book, teaching English and Latin at once, has never yet been satisfied. Clark's Exercises are not classical: the Latin will lead into sundry canine obliquities, and the student will be taught rather to bark than to speak the language of Livy; and Ellis is not only too easy, but objectionable as being confined to Cicero, for a book of such length.

After all, a series of little translated books, each extracted from one author, might best succeed in teaching the variety of Roman styles; and, if due attention were paid to the gradations of difficulty, and to the subject-matter of the extracts, something more might be done for the progressive improvement of the scholar in every class, than any writer has hitherto effected. The difficulty in practice will always be to prevent idle boys from discovering the original, and copying from it: but several methods of judicious and proper disguise, omission, &c. &c. might be adopted, in order to remedy this evil.

As far as Mr. Howard has gone, we are disposed to think very well of his attempt: but it is not, in our judgment, sufficient that we confine ourselves to classical writers, and those of the purest age: we should add an endeavour to teach, in due order, and with constant regard to a gradual increase in difficulty, the prominent varieties of style in the best Roman authors. By a due selection of stories, sentiments, and miscellaneous remarks, much useful knowlege and much good principle, might thus be conveyed and inculcated; together with the great advantage of a practical improvement in order and distinctness of thought, as well as of elegance, variety, and correctness in language. We shall rejoice to witness some living proof that this little sketch of a Series of Classical Latin Exercises is not a mere visionary draft from any Utopia of education, but a substantial and solid addition to the means already afforded to the youthful scholar for attaining a due knowlege of the Latin tongue.

Art. 17. The Eton Latin Grammar; being an Introduction to the Latin Tongue. Revised, corrected, and greatly improved: enriched also with copious Notes. For the Use of Schools, as

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This Key,' we trust, is cautiously sold, i. e. only to persons wearing a shovel-hat, and black, rusty, plush inexpressibles.

well

well as of private Study. By the Rev. T. Smith, of St. John's College, Cambridge, Master of Gordon-House Academy, Kentish-Town, Middlesex. Second Edition. 12mo. 2s. Bound. All Booksellers.

Among the many modern attempts to improve the Eton Latin Grammar, few have been very successful. The truth is that oral instruction, under the management of a judicious and diligent tutor, will remove all the difficulties and supply most of the defects of that manual; while, in incompetent hands, no work hitherto published, or ever likely to appear, can be expected to attain the same purposes.

The chief improvement of the present editor consists in marking the quantities of the words; and, although much may be said in favor of this plan, (particularly, that it prevents wrong impressions of quantity at first,) we are not sure whether the very youthful scholar will not be additionally perplexed by these eternal alternations of long and short; or whether the more advanced student may not have acquired such a habit of trusting to his metrical marks, as to make him hesitating and insecure when deprived of their assistance. These, however, are only conjectures; and Mr. Smith doubtless had tried the effect of his experiment, before he presented it to the public.

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We speak, it will be observed, in sufficiently lofty terms of the author's alleged improvement, with regard to the designation of quantities. As to his corrections of the former Eton accents, we really have no leisure at present to examine the question: but we think that a brief statement of the prominent and palpable differences, between these two divisions of orthoëpy, might have been usefully interwoven with his brief preface. We must at the same

time suffer Mr. Smith to speak for himself, as we have much respect for his ardent zeal in behalf of the correctness of classical instruction:

The limits of our preface will not permit the investigation of the difference of accent, nor of the peculiar beauties it imparts to language when properly applied. The hideousness of false accentuation may not indeed greatly affect a rude ear, but to an ear refined by the charms of correct literature it is more grating than the jarring sounds produced by a novice, murdering an air on an instrument out of tune, are to a scientific musician of exquisite

taste.

There are many pretenders to an acquaintance with Latinity, and (who will believe it?) some professed adepts in the Roman tongue, strenuous advocates of inconsistency. They say that as the Latin is a dead language, it matters little how it is pronounced, and that practical quantity is at variance with the established rules of the English language. To them bonuss, bonáy, bonumm, amabámm, amabáss, amabátt, and the like, are more pleasing than bónus or amábam. We leave them to their fancy, if they are incapable of discriminating between refinement and jargon; for to argue with them would be a waste of time, and to offer them a relish for classical beauty would be throwing pearls to swine." lin

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POETRY.