to declare to you the whole counsel of God." Indeed the whole volume loudly controverts a common opinion, that none but the meanest of the clerical profession will choose to labour on the barren deep. His Majesty's ship the Tremendous has possessed the advantage of instructions, far superior to those which are bestowed on many a populous parish. Mr. B. has evidently aspired to discharge the duties of his office with the utmost benefit to his floating flock. His good sense has avoided all attempts to instruct sailors in the abstruse distinctions of metaphysics; yet he has allured them to the use and improvement of their reason. With a fidelity which intitles him to the highest praise, he has denounced the sins of drunkenness, swearing, and lust, even on the deck of a man of war. Mr. B., however, has not made the most of his situation, or his audience. Sermons to seamen should aim to produce, in their minds, an irresistible habit of beholding their Creator in the various impressive phenomena of the ocean on which they wander. Nor should such peculiar references to the Redeemer have been neglected; he might be often presented to view, either sailing on the deep, preaching from the stern of a vessel, walking on the waves, or silencing the tempest. The preacher was perhaps unwilling to remind them too frequently, what a thin partition divided them from eternity. But why has he not imitated the Scriptures in their short sentences, abounding in sudden interrogations, and rapid, cutting appeals to the heart and conscience? To us, a temperate and judicious admixture of hilarity seems an essential requisite in the composition of good marine sermons. The style which Mr. B. has adopted, is by far too grave and tame for his audience; bis diction is too elevated, and his sentences too circuitous. Our readers, however, will be desirous of judging for themselves. On the very delicate subject of the profession of arms, the preacher says, It is clear, from the above statement, that no war is morally justifiable but upon defensive principles; and those who, by their counsels and autho rity, set on foot any other sort of warfare, are but so many cut-throats and robbers, whatever success may crown their projects; or however dignified by the appellation of glorious, those actions may be that have contributed to it. Such, indeed, is the depraved state of men's hearts, that I am afraid there have been but few wars, where the motives or principles either of those who opposed, or those who defended, were strictly justifiable. However, as I once before explained to you (Disc. XXI. p. 205 ), the instrumental agents, in war have nothing to do with the principles by which it is begun or carried on: they are equally to do their duty: whe ther the cause they are engaged in is a good or a bad one; for it is presuming an acquaintance with reasons and motives for entering into a war, in individuals not in the sphere of possessing them (it): whose judgement and opi nion being allowed to operate on their services-whether a war should be carried on or let alone would totally destroy all dependence either for success or security in any war. They might refuse their services to the sup port of a war, in their opinion bad or dishonourable, which, in the opinion of those, who, having a better opportunity of being acquainted with its merits, consequently possess a better judgement to decide is considered a very just and honourable one.' pp. 382, 383. It is . Though in many respects Mr. B. has inspired us with very sincere respect, we have to complain of a capital fault, for which no minor excellences can atone. He may appear a divine among sailors; but his theology savours more of the ship than the lamp. He sometimes approaches near to the sentiments of divine revelation; but this is, apparently, more by accident than design; for, at the very next step, he advances assertions which are hostile to the very existence of the gospel. Several of these theological sins we had designed to expose; but our limits compel us to notice only one. in the prayer which Mr. B. puts into the lips of the mutineers, who were just about to pass from a public execution to the tribunal of the eternal Judge. They were taught to pray, that their violent death might serve as some expiation for the many sins they have committed against" God. (p. 616.) This is implored, indeed, "through the merits of him who went through still greater sufferings for us all:" but if these unhappy men understood either their own guilt, the character of their Judge, or the nature and design of Christ's atonement, they would have shuddered to offer their own death as any expiation for their crimes. Most gladly would we avoid considering this language, from so respectable a preacher, as betraying the melancholy secret, that, whatever complimentary notice he may pay to the atonement, he is far from being deeply and cordially acquainted with the essential nature and reasons of that grand expedient, for reconciling the interest of the transgressor with the honour of Divine Justice and the good order of the universe. When the cross of Christ becomes the vital principle of our religion, we shall be in as little danger of stumbling on such language as Mr. Baynes, on more than one occasion, employs, as a sound protestant will be of praying by accident to the Virgin Mary. Art. VII. The Metamorphoses of Publius Ovidius Naso, in English Blank Verse; translated by J. J. Howard. 2 vols. 8vo. pp. 627. Price 17. 18. bds. Hatchard, Symonds. 1807. THE "Thousand and One" tales of Ovid are of considerable value as a literary record, and a depository of the Heathen creed. The stories combined and preserved by him for the amusement and consideration of these happier times, VOL. IV. T furnish important testimony to the truth of the Mosaic history by their correspondence, or to the necessity of the Christian Revelation by their absurdity. But the advantages that may be derived from consulting the Metamorphoses are not so obvious, or so free from the dangerous mixture of indelicacy, as to merit much attention for the work from the general English reader. We are not disposed, therefore, to regard an elegant and uniform version of Ovid, as, in the strict sense of the term, a desideratum in English literature. There is but one respect in which Mr. Howard's design, in undertaking the task of translation, intitles him to the gratitude of the public. A modest dedication to Lord Lonsdale informs us, that he has endeavoured to render the beauties of Ovid more accessible to English readers, and to chasten the pruriency of his ideas and his language, so as to fit his writings for more general perusal." This is the whole of his dedication; beside which there is neither preface, note, nor comment. Our task in noticing his work will therefore be very short. As to the merit of chastening the licentiousness of some expressions, and softening down the high colouring of his original, we cannot but allow Mr. H. the full extent of his claims. The version, however, which is so sedate as not to injure his readers, will unfortunately be found, at the same time, so dull as not to interest them. Of all the classical poets, perhaps there is none more unsuitable for a blank verse translator, than Ovid; the nature of his subject, and especially the quality of his style, decidedly point out the luxurious, the lively, the polished couplet, as the dress in which he should be arrayed. But of all blank verse, perhaps Mr. Howard's is the most unfit for the purpose. .Ovid does not record a more wonderful metamorphosis in his whole work, than that which he himself has undergone, by drinking the waters of Lethe from the hand of a British conjurer. There is but little to distinguish Mr. H.'s poetry from plain prose, except the unquenchable spirit and irrepressible vivacity of the original, which imparts, now and then, a little animation to the meagre lines; excepting also some turgid expressions, partly used to heighten the dignity, and partly to equalize the metre; and excepting further an uncouth inversion of language. Medea, gathering herbs, is said to visit some rivers which In another place, the author thinks proper to mention "The rites of Esculapius introduc'd "That some immense calamity was nigh." In the following curious lines, Phoebus is directing his son what track to take in the heavens: the whole force of his warning falls upon the negative, which Mr. Howard most wisely throws as far off as possible, and conceals in the unemphatic place of the verse; " "let thy right wheel Approach the tortuous snake not." We have met with several instances of false quantity, and bad grammar. -mute "Were all her woes, nor in travailing voice, &c.” "Thou cast thy garments from thy breast." Manes is made a monosyllable; weep'd and sweep'd are substituted for wept and swept. There are not a few heavy lumbering lines of ten monosyllables, almost as aukward as this: "The aunt proud boasts the new-made god's great power." There are also many vulgarisms, such as pincer-like, dabbling, tattling report, full-cramm'd, &c. &c. The translation exhibits, however, occasional marks of inge. nuity. The names of all Actæon's pack, which Addison entirely omitted, are given by Mr. H. in English, and indeed are pretty well translated. At a single whistle we have Tracer, Ranger, Blackfoot, Killbuck, and Snap. To enable our readers to form some opinion respecting the absolute and comparative merit of Mr. Howard's poetical endowments, we will make two short extracts; prefixing the passage as it stands in the original; and also subjoining the corresponding translations of Addison and Dryden. OVID. Interea, volucres Pyroeis, et Eöus, et Æthon, HOWARD. Meantime neigh'd aloud. Which Tethys, ignorant of her grandson's fate, Addison. "Meanwhile the restless horses neigh'd aloud, Mr. Howard is evidently the more faithful translator; but we are surprised at the gross ignorance of prosody which is evinced in his mode of enumerating the horses. In respect of poetical finishing and sweetness, it must be quite unnecessary to make any comment on these rival versions. Mr. H. would perhaps think it an indignity, to set him forth as a competitor with old Sandys, who we are satisfied is in some instances more than his match; being equally anxious to consult the author's reputation, and the reader's patience, we shall make but a short comparison of his version with that of Dryden, by whom it is a less disgrace to be vanquished. OVID. Quam male consuescit, quam se parat ille cruori Rumpit et immotas præbet mugitibus aures? HOWARD. Soon, by ill custom warp'd, does he prepare "What more advance can mortals make in sin, |