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which we could have wished to have feen introduced; and of feveral paffages, from the difference betwixt the English and the Greek languages, he could not transfufe (d) the idiomatic propriety. But whether any epitome, or even the original itfelf, tho' ever fo unexceptionably tranflated, would greatly affift the generality of our Readers in their notions of Beauty, the nature of the human Soul, or, indeed, of the Art of Oratory, may be very much doubted. To enter fully into Plato's ideas, the Reader muft poffefs fome portion of that divine furor which, in this Dialogue, he requires of him who approaches to the POETICAL GATES OF THE MUSES.

As a fpecimen of our Author's tranflation, take the fol lowing prayer of Socrates.

Propitious Pan, and all the other Deities of this place, • vouchfafe to me to o become beautiful within; and grant that • external things may be friendly to those within me; may I deem the wife man, wealthy; and may I have such a quantity of gold as no other can bear, or manage, than the temperate man

The above is by no means felected as a fpecimen of the moft glaring defects in this writer's language; which is, in general, not only incorrect, but abounds in low phrafes, and North-British modes of expreffion, to a degree that is equally intolerable to a judge of the original, or of the English.

(a) Thus Socrates derives epws (love) from pan (strength); and μavTixn, ars divinatoria, from panen, furor.

Ω φίλε Παν τε και άλλοι όσοι τηδε θεοι δοίητε μοι πάλω γενέσθαι πανδοθεν. ταξωθεν δε όσα έχω, τοις εντος είναι μια φιλία, πλουσίον δε νομι ζουν τον σοφόν. το δε χρυσου πληθος είη μοι ὅσον μητε φερειν μητε αγειν ναιτο αλλος η ὁ σωφρων. Ρ. 358.

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Mifcellaneous Remarks made on the Spot, in a late feven years Tour through France, Italy, Germany, and Holland. By Sacheverell Stevens, Gent. 8vo. 6s. Hooper.

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S nothing contributes more to enlighten and improve the understanding, than a personal acquaintance with foreign climates; and as no people travel more than the natives of Great Britain; they ought, therefore, to let none furpass them in manly and generous perceptions. The man who, by his birthright, is a member of a free fociety, not a flave to defpotic power;

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and who, in matters of religion, enjoys the invaluable blef fing of private judgment, fhould not fail to vifit other na tions: for this will not only rub off all the selfish asperities he may have contracted, from a narrow furvey of things, but will alfo re-land him at home, with a more rational attachment to that conftitution, under which he had the happiness to be born. *,},,!6, s{

On the contrary, when the fubject of an arbitraryngovernment, has travelled into countries which enjoy the ineftimable advantages of civil and religious liberty, he returns with a diminished affection for his own; and learns to defpife, and hate, that conftitution which denies him the enjoyment of thofe natural rights, the knowlege, and the value of which, he has learnt from his happier neighbours. Hence it is, that defpotic Princes are cautious how they permit their subjects to range abroad; and, for the reafons above intimated, travelling has ever been encouraged in free ftates: in particular, our own countrymen have been remarkable for their Jegard to this finifhing branch of education.

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But tho' one would think, that every Briton who makes the tour of Europe, fhould return, not a nominal, but à real patriot; yet this is not always the cafe! for alas; too many of our young gentlemen bring home only a miferable reverse of every good purpose for which they were fent out: and we have reafon to fear, that what Pope obferves of one of them, may be applied to most,

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Europe he faw, and Europe faw him too! ? }¢¥ ® ¥

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But whence does this proceed?-Lord Molefworth, in his excellent obfervations on Denmark, imputes it to our early vifiting France, where flavery is fo artfully gilded over, as to hide its native deformity; and he thinks that if his countrymen were firft to make the tour of Denmark, &c. where the people are more apparently flaves, it would remedy this evil. His lordship's remark is judicious, and the remedy feems appropriated. Yet, if our traveller is either too young, or has never been accustomed to reflect; if he is unacquainted with the conftitution of Britain; or is committed to the guidance of those who know men, or books, only *; it is not to be expected, that even the genuine 752 OFW and

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*The young traveller ought, more efpecially, among other prerequifites, to have his morals well formed and fettled; and particucular care fhould be taken, that the perfon intrufted with his tui

and difguftful appearance of flavery in the north, will have the defired effect, or produce all the advantages that ought to accrue from fo expenfive, and even fo laborious, a courfe of ftudy, if travelling may be fo denominated.

But after all, without natural good fenfe, and a manly turn of mind, all foreign helps will avail but little. If this foundation is wanting, our travellers may, in time,' be able to defcribe the ceremonies practifed when the French King dines in public; or they may even attain a smattering in the virtù of Italy; but they will never make any improvement in our commercial interefts, nor, by reflecting on the miferies of foreign flavery, be incited to hazard their lives, and fortunes, in guarding their native country against a like mortifying ftate of subjection.

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But if fo many things are required ere the Briton can make a proper and natural ufe of travelling, are not the fame, and fill greater qualities, equally neceflary in those who publifh to the world, an account of their travels? Many, however, of this clafs of writers, entertain us with fcarce any thing more important than Sir Polydore Woud-be's journal, in Ben Johnson.

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It is granted, that the defcription of fine churches, villas, gardens, pictures, ftatues, &c. may be of fervice to the ftauary, painter, architect, and gardener; that the antiquary may find entertainment in the relief of a medallion, or the ruins of a temple; that the naturalift reaps advantage from the phyfical hiftory of foreign productions; and that most people are wonderfully pleafed with a detail of the cuftoms of other countries: yet narratives, where only fuch topics are treated fof, are not the most useful to fuch of our countrymen as ei other have not time, or cannot afford, to travel. To fuch, that book which points out the improvement of any branch of ...commerce, or that which fhews them the felicity they derive from their government, religious and civil, is certainly not the leaft valuable.

In Mr. Stevens's performance, indeed, the merchant will find no plans for extending our trade, nor the farmer any improvements in agriculture; but its perufal will teach both, that

tion, be not only a fcholar, and a gentleman, but a strictly moral man: one who abhors vice, however fanctified by cuftom; and who dares freely to admonith his pupil, be his rank what it will, whenever he finds him adopting principles, or manners, inconfiftent with the characteristics of genuine virtue, and goodness of heart.

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while property is fecured in Britain, we fhall ever surpass the more precarious traders and farmers of the continent. Mr. Stevens travelled, and thought, like an Englishman; sand if his language is far from being elegant, yet, as it is, generally, intelligible, and as he defcribes nothing but what he was an eye-witness of*, his work is fo far preferable to the more flowery, and more marvellous relations of fome others, whose fancy either embellishes what they faw, or fupplies what they never had an opportunity of beholding.

Mr. Stevens's narratives, and obfervations, will doubtlefs ferve to affift the young traveller in gaining fome idea of France, and especially of Italy; and will guide him through many of the first cities in Germany and Holland. The Author, indeed, is far from affecting the character of the scholar, or the antiquarian; and when he introduces any fcraps of French, or Italian, he generally betrays his ignorance of those languages. Neither does he give us many deep refearches into the nature of the feveral governments in the countries through which he paffed. He faw the people in bondage, altho' he did not know how they loft their liberties. He faw that, notwithstanding the gaiety of the French, and the content of the Romans, neither of them enjoyed the folid advantages of the Briton. The former he beheld, the flaves of a King, fupported by a standing army; and the latter, the more abject flaves of bigotry and fuperftition. He does not attempt to amuse his readers with the age, temper, and amours of great courtiers and officers of ftate; nor expatiate on the virtues of a Potentate, or a Prime Minifter: things that can little avail, or intereft, the generality of readers. But he takes every opportunity of expofing the frauds of the priefts, and the ignorance, and fuperftition of the laity. The Bishop of Salisbury, indeed, had performed this protestant tafk before our Author, and with fuperior abilities; but Mr. Stevens's work ferves to corroborate what the Bishop advances, and even points out some instances of laical absurdity, which his lordfhip does not mention.

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Mr. Stevens's book is alfo commendable on another account. Englishmen who go abroad, generally estimate things at thẹ price they are fold for at home; and as they have commonly what the French call une bourse bien garni des guinees, they become the dupes of impofing inn-keepers, lying valets, pimping landlords, and extortioning tradefmen. It is inconceivable what fums are, annually, loft to Britain, by means of such

Our Author's travels were begun in the year 1758.

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vermin. Every attempt, therefore, to guard the young tra veller against the arts of impofition, deferves fome acknow legement; and we, at present, recollect no book of travels, in which this point is more attended to, than our Author's. While other writers of this clafs are abforbed in contemplating the ruft of a medal, or bufied in meafuring the broken limbs of an headless Hercules, Mr. Stevens, with more prudence, perhaps, tho' not more taste, is rather intent on giving us frequent and useful hints of good economy. We fhall extract fome of these in our fpecimens of his performance; and as it mentions a variety of customs, &c. not generally foundin our books of travels, fome of thefe fhall alfo be extracted: but, by the way, we hope our Author will pardon us, if we now and then, for the fake of brevity, fhorten fome of his defcriptions, and deviate a little from his diction.

Page 1. As the French tongue is well understood in most parts of Europe, I would advise you to furnish yourself, be*fore you fet out, with Boyer's Grammar and Dictionary; for at Paris they are fold at an exorbitant price. By the help of these, and converfing frequently with the natives,' [Should not Mr. Stevens have added, the affiftance of a mafter?] you will foon acquire a competent knowlege of that language and in order for your more expeditious arrival at Paris, it will be expedient to embark at Dover for Boulogne, instead of landing at Calais, which is the ufual cuftom; by this means, you will fave at least twenty miles travelling by land. You cannot be too cautious in your choice of a valet; feveral will offer their fervice in that capacity, who 1fpeak broken English; they will address you with the greatest complaifance, and profefs the utmost integrity; but they are not to be trufted, being most of them defigning, impofing trafcals. The best method is, to get one recommended by the master of the inn where you put up at.' [This is not alalways a fafe practice neither, for the inn-keepers and thofe impofing rafcals are often in a confederacy, to fleece ftrangers. J

Be careful to make a bargain for every thing you want,' [at the inn]; otherwife they will charge what they think proper, and you will be obliged to fatisfy their exorbitant demands. "Another most neceffary caution is, to have some English fervants, who speak the French language perfectly well, and whofe integrity you can rely on.'

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P. 10. My firft entrance into Paris, was through the gate of St. Dennis: this is a very fine one, built like an antient triumphal arch, beautifully adorned with basso-relievo, re

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