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"But fly to his region,-lay open thy zone,
And he'll weep all his brillancy dim,
To think, that a bosom, as white as his own,

Should not melt in the day-beam like him."

which, being interpreted, gentle reader, is, that the Snowspirit will cry bitterly, because a lady's bosom does not melt in the sun!

If these strains, and strains such as these, be ever admired, or even endured, by the fashionable people in London, it conveys to our untutored minds, no very exalted opinion, either of the understanding, or of the virtue, or of the taste, of the British nobility and gentry. And, yet, Mr. Moore, if we may take his own word for it, is a great favourite with the lordlings, and the ladylings, that grace the court, and fill the cabinet, and direct the armies, and controul the senate of England's monarch!

"Yet, who, forgive, O gentle Moore! the word,
For it must out,-who, prithee, so absurd,

So mulishly absurd, as not to join

In this with me; save, always, THEE and THINE?
Yet still, the soul of candour, I allow'd,

Thy jingling nonsense might amuse the crowd;
That lords and dukes hang blubbering o'er each line,
That lady-critics weep, and cry,-" divine!"
That love-lorn priests recline the pensive head,
And sentimental ensigns, as they read,
Wipe the sad drops of pity from their eye;
And burst betwen a hiccup and a sigh.

(To be continued.)

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An Account of the Life and Writings of JAMES BEATTIE, L. L. D. late Professor of moral philosophy and logic in the Marischal college and university of Aberdeen; including many of his original letters. By Sir William Forbes, of Pitsligo, Bart. One of the Executors of Dr. Beattie. New-York: published by Brisban and Brannan, No. 1. city-hotel. Broadway. 1807. One Vol. 8vo. pp. 559.

THE

HE editor of this work has approved himself to the public, by his conduct in his editorial capacity, to be an honest, amiable, modest man, without any pretentions to genius,

or the power of enlarged and comprehensive reasoning. His remarks, which are not numerous, are all good in their kind, but they are, for the most part, mere common-place, containing little that is new, as to their matter, and not much that is interesting, as to the manner in which they are related. His garrulity and egotism are, indeed, sometimes, very sufficiently tedious.

Dr. Beattie's letters shew their writer in the most amiable point of view in all his domestic relations-indeed, as a poet, a scholar, as one endowed with wit and genius, a philosopher, and a good moral man, neither Britain, nor any other country, can often boast of such a bright example as Dr. Beattie.

Christianity, however, as we find it inculcated in the Gospel, does not appear in any part of the letters, either to or from Dr. Beattie ;-his gross flattery of the person and virtues of the duchess of Gordon, must excite an emotion, very different from that, either of respect, or of compassion, in the minds of all those, who are acquainted with the character of that woman;-many of the letters, in this collection, are absurd and trifling; Mrs. Montagu's epistles, however, in general, reflect great honour upon her understanding, and redound still more to the credit of her benevolence and affection ;a strain of nauseous and fulsome reciprocity of adulation runs through nearly all the letters in this book ;-all Dr. Beattie's friends, from King George the third, the British monarch, down to dapper Jemmy Boswell, are the wisest, the best, the most affectionate, the most profound, the most learned, the most pious, and the most exemplary people on the face of the earth ;—and Dr. Beattie, himself, is the greatest philosopher, and the most marvellous man, that ever lived :—

Now the fact is that many of the correspondents, and many of the acquaintance, and friends, of the Doctor were merely good, honest, plodding people; and others of them were very materially deficient, even in the discharge of the common and the ordinary duties of moral obligation; and Beattie, himself, though, unquestionably, amiable in his private, domestic, and social life, and as unquestionably, a most pathetic, and tender poet, yet had by no means, either the vigorous, and the comprehensive intellect, or the profound, and the enlarged

knowledge, which are indispensably requisite to constitute a philosopher; neither had his prose style sufficient energy, or elegance, or variety, or ease, or sublimity, or those frequent out-breaks and flashes of a fiery imagination, which are necessary to form a powerful and an interesting writer.

Nevertheless, altho' one third of the book now under our review, might with great benefit have been spared, and although the defects above enumerated pollute the remaining two thirds of the work, yet, upon the whole, juir William Forbes has conferred a great and a lasting benefis on the community, by presenting to it a publication, which,-(with the exceptions before mentioned)-unites amusement with ininstruction, which sooths and interests the heart, while it excites and improves the understanding.

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FOURTH SECTION.

THE

AMERICAN COMMUNICATIONS.

HE comunicator from our correspondent at Richmond in Vinia, we insert, verbatim et literatim, as we received it. nus

RICHMOND, FEBRUARY 1st. 1807. Called upon to give information in a concise manner, concerning several topics which relate to the City of Richmond in Virginia. I have digested the following explanations in reply to the objects which have dictated the application.

1 Respecting the police.

2 Establishment for the benefit of the poor.

3 Medical establishments.

4 Penal Laws.

5 Regulations for the markets.

6 Regulations for the shipping.

There are no pamphlets,or summary documents, which can be referred to; the answers therefore must depend upon the personal knowledge and opinions of the writer. To go fully into detail, referring to, or extracting from, established authorities, would not only swell into a volume, but require much more time, than any one upon a sudden application could bestow.

With respect to the police, the following may suffice.

The city of Richmond is incorporated and divided into three wards. Its internal police as well as justice, is committed to a Mayor, Recorder, and seven Aldermen, and fifteen common council men. The duties of the Mayor and Aldermen are chiefly confined to the trials of causes, civil and criminal, which arise in the city. The administration of justice is certain, speedy and impartial, much more speedy than in any other court in this commonwealth. As it is a court of inferior jurisdiction an appeal lies in all causes of importance to a superior court. Common law suits, in this court, are generally tried at the second term after service of process. There are four terms in the year.

The common council impose taxes, regulate and repair streets, provide for the poor, superintend the collection and disbursements of Public money.

All these functionaries derive their authority by an annual election of the freeholders and house keepers of the city. Those persons are generally elected in the different wards who are deemed respectable; and altho, in the elections, the voters are generally governed in their choice by the reputed political opinions of those who are considered candidates, yet no instance has occurred of a complaint against any of the magi-` trates, for partiality in the administration of justice, dictated by political or party-spirit. No emoluments are attached to either of these offices or duties.

The militia of Richmond, at present, may be computed at 1000 effective men; commanded by a Lieut. Col. and two Majors. There are several volunteer companies, which are tolerably expert, and generally turn out at a moment's warning. The Governor, who resides in Richmond, is the Commander in Chief of the Militia, and has power, when he pleases, to order into service, any number of men. There is also an established regular company of about seventy men, supported by the commonwealth, who perform constant duty, day and night, at the Capitol, Bank, and Penitentiary, besides performing other incidental services, as occasions occur. Besides all this, the Corporation of the city employs a regular night watch, which traverses the streets, and apprehends stragglers, suppresses petty disturbances, &c.

With respect to the poor, it is not necessary to say much, the common council, who, as before mentioned, are elected annually, have the power to provide the means, and appropriate them as they think fit. It is believed that they have not afforded cause for complaint or censure, either on account of the amount of Taxes or the injudicious application of money to the poor and indigent; but if any errors have been committed, they have been on the side of humanity, in making allowances to those who otherwise might make exertions to support themselves. Besides this there is a benevolent spirit in the city which affords very liberal succour by private donation to the indigent and unfortunate.

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