Creative imagination, or a power of inventing things which have no actual existence.

• With fuperficial judges, who, it must be confeffed, make up the greater part of the mafs of mankind, talents are only liked or understood to a certain degree. Lofty ideas are above the reach of ordinary apprehenfions: the vulgar allow those who poffefs them to be in a fomewhat higher state of mind than themselves; but of the vaft gulph which feparates them, they have not the leaft conception. They acknowledge a fuperiority, but of its extent they neither know the value, nor can conceive the reality. It is true the mind, as well as the eye, can take in objects larger that itfelf; but this is only true of great minds: for a man of low capacity, who confiders a confummate genius, resembles one, who feeing a column for the first time, and standing at too great a distance to take in the whole of it, concludes it to be flat. Or, like one unacquainted with the first principles of philofophy, who, finding the fenfible horizon appear a plain furface, can form no idea of the spherical form of the whole, which he does not fee, and laughs at the account of antipodes, which he cannot comprehend.

Whatever is excellent is alfo rare; what is ufeful is more common. How many thousands are born qualified for the coarse employments of life, for one who is capable of excelling in the fine arts! yet fo it ought to be, because our natural wants are more numerous, and more importunate, than the intellectual.'

In the fubfequent reflections the author appears to equal advantage, as a critic.

A writer of correct tafte will hardly ever go out of his way, even in fearch of embellishment: he will ftudy to attain the best end by the most natural means; for he knows that what is not natural cannot be beautiful, and that nothing can be beautiful out of its own place; for an improper fituation will convert the moft ftriking beauty into a glaring defect. When by a wellconnected chain of ideas, or a judicious fucceffion of events, the reader is fnatched to "Thebes or Athens," what can be more impertinent, than for the poet to obftruct the operation of the paffion he has just been kindling, by introducing a conceit which contradicts his purpose, and interrupts his business? Indeed, we cannot be tranfported, even in idea, to those places, if the poet does not manage fo adroitly as not to make us fenfible of the journey: the inftant we feel we are travelling, the writer's art fails, and the delirium is at an end.

Proferpine, fays Ovid, would have been reftored to her mother Ceres, had not Afcalaphus feen her ftop to gather a golden apple, when the terms of her reftoration were, that the fhould talle nothing. A ftory pregnant with inftruction for lively writers, who by neglecting the main bufinefs, and going out of the way for falfe gratifications, lofe fight of the end they fhould principally keep in view. It was this falfe taste that introduced the numberless concetti, which difgrace the brightest

of

of the Italian poets; and this is the reafon, why the reader only feels short and interrupted fnatches of delight in perufing the brilliant but unequal compofitions of Ariofto, instead of that unbroken and undiminished pleasure, which he constantly receives from Virgil, from Milton, and generally from Taffo. The firft-mentioned Italian is the Atalanta, who will interrupt the most eager career, to pick up the glittering mischief, while the Mantuan and the British bards, like Hippomenes, prefs on warm in the purfuit, and unfeduced by temptation.

A writer of real tafte will take great pains in the perfection of his ftyle, to make the reader believe that he took none at all. The writing which appears to be most eafy, will be generally found to be leaft imitable. The most elegant verses are the most eafily retained, they fasten themfelves on the memory, without its making any effort to preferve them, and we are apt to imagine, that what is remembered with ease, was written without difficulty.'

It is undoubtedly the bufinefs of every writer, to take fome pains in bringing his ftyle to a proper degree of cafe and elegance: for the finest fentiments can never appear to advantage, if the language, in which they are expreffed is careless or pedantic. The falfe fublime, the tumour which is intended for greatness, the diftorted figure, the puerile conceit, and the incongruous metaphor, are defects, for which fcarcely any other kind of merit can atone.' Thefe are the fentiments of our author, under the full influence of which fhe feems to have compofed these effays: for her ftyle is, in general, correct and nervous, and at the fame time eafy and unaffected.

There are very few incongruous metaphors, perhaps the following is the only one of any confequence, in this volume. 'Violent debate has made as few converts as the word; and both these inftruments are peculiarly unbecoming, when wielded by a female band.' The following remark feems likewife to want fome little correction. The blandifhments of Circe were more fatal to the mariners of Ulyffes, than the strength of Polypheme, or the brutality of the Leftrigons.' This is not true. Polyphemus devoured fix of Ulyffes's companions, and the Læftrigons, all his mariners belonging to eleven fhips. Circe, indeed, transformed twenty-two of his men into swine; but they were foon restored to their former shape.

We make these remarks, not with a design to cenfure or depreciate the Effays; but in order to give the ingenious author an intimation to correct these trivial inaccuracies, if she thinks proper, in the next edition.

The

The Incas: or, the Deftruation of the Empire of Peru. By M. Marmontel. 2 vols. Izmo. 6s. fewed Nourse.

N this work, M. Marmontel has chosen a subject every way IN fuitable to the exertion of thofe talents by which he has diftinguished himself. The objects of his description are fplendid and romantic, the manner of the Incas are fuch as afford pleasure to the imagination, both by their novelty and innocence, and the hiftorical tranfactions mentioned in the narrative, are adapted to excite the moft lively emotions of horror, indignation, and fympathy. The defign of the author is obviously to expose the fuperftitious and deftructive spirit of fanaticism, by which the Spaniards were fo much actuated in the conqueft of Peru; a defign that is founded on the interests of humanity, and in the execution of which, not only the most generous feelings of the heart are awakened, but also the nobleftfentiments of virtue, with the inviolable fanity of moral obligation, prefented to the mind in their greatest force.

The narrative commences with the state of the kingdom of the Incas, and the celebration of their feftivals, before the arrival of the Mexicans; the defcription of which scenes, and the laudable emulation that accompanies them, is conducted by the author in the agreeable colouring of Arcadian fimplicity.

To the banquet fucceed the games. 'Twas on this occafion that the young Incas, deftined to stand forth as patterns of martial virtue, ufed to exercise themselves in the arts of

war.

The conchs founding all the while, they began to shoot the arrow and to dart the javelin; and foon the victor, while the herald is proclaiming his fuccefs, faw the hero who gave him birth advance towards him with looks of exulting rapture, clasp him in his arms, and say to him, "My fon, thou bringeft back to me the days of my youth; thy triumph reflects honour on my old age."

• Wrestling fucceeds; and then is feen what fuppleness and activity practice can give to nature. And now the ftout and active combatants rush on; they feize, they clafp. each other with mutual gripe; they bend, they recover themselves; each redoubles his efforts to lift his antagonist off the ground, or bear him down: they part, they take breath; they fly at each other anew; again they interlace their brawny arms; now fteady, now tottering, they fall, they roll, they difengage themselves, and with ftreams of sweat bedew the trampled turf.

The combat a long time in fufpence, keeps the hearts of their parents vibrating betwixt hope and apprehenfion. Victory

at

at length declares itself: but the aged fires, while they adjudge the prize to the victors, disdain not to throw in a word or two of commendation to confole the vanquished: for they well know that praise is, to generous minds, the germ and the aliment of emulation.

• Of the number of those whose antagonists had made them bend the knee, was the king's own fon and heir apparent to the empire, the high-fpirited and haughty Zorai. Not one of the prizes had yet fallen to his lot: tears of fhame and vexation were streaming from his eyes. One of the ancients perceived it, and faid to him, "Prince, our father the fun is righteous in his difpenfations; he giveth force and addrefs to those who are to obey, wisdom and intelligence to him who is to command." The monarch overheard thefe words. "Old man,'

fays he, let him alone: let fhame and fenfibility do their work. Do you think he was made to fleep upon his throne, and to grow grey in idleness ?"

The young prince at these words caft a glance of reproach. at the old man who had thus flatter'd him, and threw himself at the feet of his father, who preffing him tenderly in his arms, faid to him, 66 My fon, the moft forcible, as well as equitable of all laws is that of example. Never will you be ferved with fo much ardour or fo much zeal as when the road to obedience lies through imitation."

• When the wrestlers had taken breath, the illuftrious youth began to prepare themselves for the exercise of the race. This was of all their trials the fevereft. The ground was five thoufand paces in length. The goal was a purple flag, which the conqueror was to snatch and bear away. All the way between that and the starting-poft, the people had already formed themfelves into two lines, watching the competitors with impatient eyes. The fignal is given; they ftart all at the fame inftant; and on each fide of the lifts, one might have feen fathers and mothers calling out to their children, and animating them with their voice and geftures. Not one of the racers gives his parents the mortification of feeing him diftanced: they all reach the end of their career, and all of them almoft at the fame time.

Zorai had left the greateft part of his competitors behind him. One alone, the fame who had got the better of him in the wrestling-match, had a little the advantage of him, and was got to within a hundred paces of the goal. "No," cries the prince, "not a fecond time, however." That inftant, fummoning up all his ftrength, he gives a fpring, and bears away the prize.

VOL. XLIV. Sept. 1777.

P

passes him,

• Thofe

Those who had come in nearest to the conqueror had fome fhare in the triumph. Of this number were those who had borne the prize at the feveral exercises of wrestling, fhooting, and throwing the javelin. Zorai advanced at the head of them, holding a lance from which the trophy of his victory hung streaming, and with them prefented himself before the ancients. The latter delivered their opinions on the respective merits of the competitors, and proclaimed them worthy of the name of Incas, true and genuine offspring of the fun.

• Upon this came their mothers and their filters, and with a tender and modeft air, faften'd on their nimble feet, in the room of the bark matting of which the people make their fandals, a plat of the fineft wool, worked by themselves, and of a lighter and softer texture.

• From thence, conducted by the ancients, they went and proftrated themselves before the king, who from the height of his golden throne, encircled by the royal family, received them with the majesty of a god, and with the tender condefcenfion of a father. His fon, in quality of victor in the severest of all the exercises, was the first to embrace his feet. The monarch did his utmost to avoid fhewing him any preference, or betraying any fign of weakness: but nature was too much for him; and while he bound on his head the diadem of the Incas, his hands trembled, his heart beat and melted within him; a few tears escaped him; the young prince felt the moisture on his forehead: he perceived from whence it came: it affected him; and he clung to his father's knees with a tender and refponfive preffure. These tears of joy and affection were the only mark of partiality which the heir apparent to the throne obtained over his rivals. The Inca with his own hand conferred on them the most illuftrious token of dignity and nobility; he bored their ears, and to each hung on a ring of gold : a diftinction referved to their line; but which never was beftowed on any one who was a difcredit to it, or failed to fhew himself an inheritor of its virtues.

And now the king makes a fign for filence; and addreffing himself to the new Incas, "The wifeft of kings," fays he, "Manco-Capac, your ancestor and mine, was also the most active, the most courageous of men. When the fun, his father, fent him to found this empire, he said to him, Take me for your example: I rife, and it is not for myfelf; I fpread abroad my light, and it is not for myself; I fill my vaft career, I mark my path by the bleffings I beftow; 'tis the univerfe that enjoys them; and all that I referve to myfelf is the pleasure of feeing that it does fo: go, be happy, if you can, yourself; but at any rate make your fubjects happy. Incas, offspring of the