in teftimony of refpect to the abbé Barthélemi; not from the prefumption of comparing it to the charming Travels of Anacharfis.' He alfo expreffes his fatisfaction at finding a defign conceived near fifty years ago, after so long a lapse of time, and without any knowledge of it, executed by an author fo worthy of the fubject. The abbé replies with equal politenefs, and in a strain of higher compliment, that had he known fooner of the Athenian Letters, he would either not have undertaken his own work, or have endeavoured to affimilate it to fo fine a model of excellence. Why is it not publifhed? Why not tranflated into all languages? &c.'

The geographical index is drawn up with great judgment.-The map, as well as the engravings, is excellent. The engravings are fourteen in number, viz.-The earl of Hardwick, Alcibiades, Pericles, Herodotus, Thucidides, Socrates, Ariftophanes, Sophocles. Thefe in vol. one. In vol. two, the honourable Charles Yorke, Democritus, Afpafia, Hippocrates, Nicias, Euripides. We have also in this edition, the first indeed addrefied by authority to the world at large, an explanation of the capitals at the end of each letter, by. which we learn who were their refpective writers. These were, the late earl of Hardwick, the honourable Charles Yorke, the Rev. Dr. Rooke, the Rev. Dr. Green, late bishop of Lincoln, Daniel Wray, efq., Rev. Dr. Heaton, Dr. Heberden, Henry Coventry, efq., Rev. Mr. Lawry, Mrs. Catharine Talbot, Rev. Dr. Birch, and the Rev. Dr. Salter, late mafter of the Charter House.

The first of thefe letters, written by the late earl of Hardwick, will ferve to give an idea of the nature and plan of the whole. It is dated A. M. 3573, fecond year of the 87th olympiad. The firft year of the peloponnefian war.

CLEANDER to GOBRYAS, chief fcribe to ARTAXERXES, king of PERSIA:

I think it my duty to give you an account of my fafe arrival at Athens, by the first ship that fails for Ephefus. My brother the merchant will take care to convey my letters fafely to Artaphernes, the governor of Sardis, who, I fuppofe, has received orders to fend them immediately by exprefs to court. As I am hardly fettled in this place, and have juft gone through the formalities which are requifite for all ftrangers to comply with, who intend to fettle at Athens, (as being admitted by the areopagitic council, entered in a public regifter, and choofing a patron) I can only pretend to give fuch accounts of the present state of affairs, as are founded on the common reports of the city. The perfian council must already have been informed, that all things have long carried the appearance of a war between Athens and Lacedæmon, upon pretence of injuries done by the former, to the allies of the latter. I fhall lay before thee a fhort view of the rise of these differences, and the height to which they are now arrived. The corcyreans being engaged in a quarrel with the corinthians about Epidamnus, a colony of the former, on the coaft of Illyrium, unable alone to make head against them, fent a deputation to defire an alliance with Athens. Their requeft was ftrongly oppofed by the embaffadors of Corinth; and the people in the first affembly determined against the corcyreans, but changed their opinion in the fecond, by the advice of Pericles, and voted that a league

fhould

fhould be concluded with them. In purfuance of it they fent to their affiftance ten gallies, with orders that they fhould only protect the poffeffions of Corcyra, without attacking the corinthians. Thefe gallies were foon after engaged in a naval fight, where each party laid claim to the advantage; and at the fame time Potidæa, a tributary city of the athenians, in Thrace, revolted against them, under pretence that they had impofed hard conditions upon them. Corinth, it's mother-city, fent troops to it's relief against the athenian army, which laid fiege to it; and at the fame time difpatched a folemn embaffy to Lacedæmon, in conjunction with their allies, complaining that the athenians had broken the treaties, by affifting the corcyreans, and interdicting all commerce with the megareans. The lacedemonians, hurried on by the violent advices of Sthenelaidas, the ephorus, refolved, after a long debate, notwithstanding the remonstrances of their king Archidamus, that the athenians had violated the leagues. In confequence of this vote, they demanded of them to raife the fiege of Potidaa, and repeal the decree against Megara. The athenians declared their readiness to make many of the conceffions required, provided fimilar ones were made on the fide of Sparta; or to fubmit every point in difpute to any impartial tribunal; concluding with a refolution, (even if thefe pacific overtures were rejected) not to commence hoftilities, but to defend themfelves vigorously if they were attacked. I think this fummary neceflary, noble scribe, not to inform you, who have already received information of these events, but to give the better connexion to the fequel of my difpatches. It is now generally agreed, that an open rupture will fhortly enfue; for advice arrived here last night from Platea, a town of Becotia, and an ally of this state, that the thebans, who with the rest of Peloponnefus fide with Lacedæmon, had by treafon gained admiffion into the place, and kept poffeffion fome little time, but the citizens taking advantage of the night, fell upon and cut off the whole party, except two hundred, who were taken prifoners. The people this very day, in an extraordinary affembly decreed, that a fupply of troops and provifions fhould forthwith be fent thither; and that meffengers fhould be difpatched to all their allies, with the news of what had paffed, and with orders to haften their warlike preparations. A report is current, that the fpartans and their allies are affembling their forces at the ifthmus of Corinth. I find the opinions of the people various about the true fprings of this war. The party in oppofition to Pericles fcruple nut to fay, that no other reafon can be given for it but his perfonal intereft, which engages him to fet Greece in a flame, that the athenians may be lefs at leifure to examine his conduct, particularly with regard to the public accounts, and be obliged, through the neceffity of affairs, to commit themselves to his management, Libels and fatires are difperfed against him with great boldness, and at theatrical reprefentations he is reproached to his face in the vileft accufations and moft fcurrilous language. All these injuries he bears with admirable temper. Indeed fuch is the natural inconftancy and impatience of the athenians, that in cafe of any fignal ill-fuccefs, or inconvenience from the prefent measures, he will run the utmoft hazard of lofing the power and influence he now enjoys. It is befides alledged, with good reafon, that thefe divifions in

Greece

Greece will give great advantage to Perfia, which will never fail to encourage them by playing off one fide against the other, till both are reduced fo low, that our mighty monarch may take ample revenge for the battle of Salamis, and the inglorious peace with Cimon. The friends of Pericles are not lefs induftrious in juftifying him; but I own, were I a grecian, I fhould exceedingly lament thefe unhappy quarrels, of which no one can poffibly fee the confequences; or rather, if they continue, the event cannot but be detrimental to the common intereft of Greece.

Thou art happy, illuftrious minifter, in depending, not upon the uncertain pleasure of a mutinous and inconftant people, but the will of a wife and beneficent prince, who measures the counfels of his fervants, not by their fuccefs, but their intrinfic goodness; and whofe prudent conduct, infpired by the great Oromafdes, is able to allay the rude clamours of faction, and fuffers nothing to be heard through the wide empire of Perfia, but the ftill fmall voice of peace and unanimity. From Athens.'

It has been fuppofed, and is now maintained by certain critics, that the Cyropædia, of Xenophon, is of the fame kind of compofition with the prefent work: that is to fay, that the hiftorian has not confined himself to the truth of occurrences and dates; though he has faithfully collected, for the accomplishment of his philofopher and hero, doctrines, fentiments, and modes, and principles of action, that really existed in his times.

It is impoffible not to make a comparifon between the Athenian Letters and the Travels of Anachariis. Both works fhow an intimate acquaintance with the manners, customs, laws, and prevailing opinions of ancient Greece; but the Travels catch, more happily, the true genius and character of Greece; are directed in the felection of facts and circumftances by profounder views of philofophy, and greater delicacy of tafte; and manage more fuccefsfully the mind of the reader, by a nice attention to the probable effects of what has been already laid before him, and by an eafy, as well as ingenious and beautiful transition from one fubject to another.

H. A.

ETHICS.

ART. V. Dr. Gillies's Ariftotle's Ethics and Politics.
[Continued from p. 118.]

WHOEVER fits down to read the Ethics of Ariftotle with an expectation of finding in them that urbanity of ftyle, and fuavity of diction, that diftinguish the Duties of Cicero, will be greatly difappointed. His tranflator feems to have been fenfible of this; and warns his reader of it in the following words:

P. 143. In this first book, our author fays "abundance of fine uncommon things," on the fubjects of human nature, virtue, and happiness. His mode of compofition, however, is fo totally different from that to which the caprice of fashion has given its temporary fan&tion, that much labour and much fkill must be employed, to adapt the form of his work to the tafte of modern readers; to whom both his method and his style, which formerly

appeared

appeared to deferve admiration, may now feem to demand apology. His method requires, that every fubject of difcuffion fhould be accurately defined, and completely divided; and that, how complex foever its nature may be, the compound fhould be refolved into its conftituent elements; viewed in its birth and origin; and examined, in all its changes, varieties, augmentations, and diminutions. This mode of proceeding appeared to him peculiarly useful in moral and political questions, whofe connections and relations are fo intimate and fo extenfive, that erroneous conclutions, on fuch fubjects, proceed far more frequently from narrowness of furvey, than from inaccuracy of reafoning. In practical matters above all, this full and comprehensive examination feemed indifpenfably neceffary, to prevent hafty decifion, to infpire cautious diftruft; and thus to arrest the progrefs of paffion and frenzy in a career which might leave them without retreat.

But, with whatever other advantages a treatise written with this strictnefs and feverity of method may be accompanied, it certainly is not calculated to afford gratuitous information. To apprehend its meaning diftin&tly, and to perceive its full scope, demands much attention and much reflection on the part even of the reader. His patience is likely to be foon exhausted by the too painful tafk; efpecially if his tafte has been corrupted by thofe flowery and fallacious productions of the times, whofe authors (men of narrow views and felfifh minds, and fo long habituated to party politics, that they have loft all relifh, and almost all perception of truth,) are contented to confound and darken a whole region of fcience, provided they can throw a falfe glare on one favourite and fashionable spot. This darling topic they exert themselves to beautify and illumine; adorning with eloquence and metaphors, and all the embroidery of declamation, the dangerous inference that is drawn from their erroneous, because imperfect, argument. Nothing can be more fmooth, or more eafily followed by the reader, than the whole progrefs of their difcourfe. But the very circumftance which renders it fo eafy and fo popular, alfo makes it of no value. The fubject has been confidered under one partial aspect; a different view of it is taken; the incomplete theory is affaulted by another equally imperfect; and both of them fo flimfy and cloudbuilt, that they are unable to withstand even the foft impreffions of their adverfe debility. Yet each party triumphs for a while in the bubble of its own creating, and vainly deems it irresistible; a falfe confidence, that often gives birth to the greatest practical errors. Ariftotle's method is directly the reverfe: his works require attention, but they repay it; they will fully compenfate, in folid instruction, for their defect, (if it may be called one) in point of delufive entertainment.

The Stagirite's style is not lefs unfashionable than his method. It displays not any allurements to catch the reader's fancy; it difdains every attempt to excite furprife, to provoke mirth, to inflame, footh, or gratify paffion. The thirst for knowledge is the only want which the author profeffes to fupply; and this thirst, he was of opinion, will ever be beft quenched in the clear ftream

of

of unadorned reafon; as that water is the pureft and most falutary, which has neither tafte nor colour.'

The Ethics are divided into ten books. In the firft, the author treats on human action, and human happiness; which depends, he fays, upon our own exertions. In the fecond, he gives us the

idea of moral virtue, and practical precepts for it's attainment. In the third, he examines the diftinétions between moral virtue and the other habits of the mind.

P. 193.- Building on accurate definitions and folid diftinctions,' to use our tranflator's words, the philofopher proves, with equal perfpicuity and energy, that our moral conduct is the proper object of praife or blame, of reward or punifliment. His reafonings and fpeculations foar above and fuperfede the abftrufe, or rather the frivolous question, introduced by his perverters the fchoolmen, concerning the freedom of the human will; a queftion which continued to be agitated, long after their other fubtilties were condemned to oblivion. With Ariftotle, all will is freewill; fince nothing can be more free than that which is voluntary: and although fome actions originating in ourfelves are con fidered as of a mixed nature, becaufe they are performed reluctantly, though fpontaneously, this happens merely because, of two evils, we naturally choofe the leaft: fuch actions, how contrary foever to our will in their own nature, being nevertheless voluntary in reference to the unfortunate circumstances in which we happen to be placed.'

In book iv, the author explains the nature of liberality, magnificence, magnanimity,, meekness, courtesy, &c. Book v treats on juftice; and is, perhaps, the most important of the whole. The arguments of the five remaining books we fhall give in the

words of the tranflator.

P. 287. Book vi. Senfation, intellect, and appetite. Their different offices. The five intellectual habits-fcience, art, prudence, common fenfe, wifdom. Quickness of apprehenfion. Juftnefs of fentiment. Importance of the intellectual habits. Virtue, natural and acquired. Their difference.'-P. 307. B. vii. Vice. Weaknefs. Ferocity. Self-command, and its contrary. Unnatural depravities, different from vices. Voluptuoufnefs more deteftable than irafcibility. Reafons of this. Intemperance and incontinency. Their difference.-P. 329. B. viii. Utility and beauty of friendship. Qualities by which it is generated. Three kinds of friendship. Thefe kinds compared. Characters most fufceptible of friendship. Unequal friendships. Their limits. Friendfhips founded on propinquity.-P. 355. B. ix. Friendship does not admit of precife rules. Diffolution of friendship when justifiable. Analogy between our duties to ourfelves, and thofe to our friends. Happiness of virtue. Wretchedness of vice. Good-will. Concord. Exquifite delight of virtuous friendfhip.'- P. 381.

B. x. Pleasure. Its ambiguous nature. Defined. Happiness, intellectual, moral, compared. Education. Laws. Tranfition to the fubject of politics."

We conclude this article with a fpecimen of the tranflation, on which we fhall take the liberty to make a few remarks.

P. 149.