gravely, and with the most correct air imaginable, but contrived to get between the lady and the screen. "I beg pardon, madam-I would not willingly intrude upon Miss Fortescue, but I think you said that you were enquiring for some one. Will you permit me to undertake the office? Servants at inns are very inattentive,—if you would favor me with any commands?——

"You are very good, sir; but I have a servant.'

"Indeed, madam, you have.'

"

Eglantine could not mistake the pointed manner in which these words were spoken, and again looked embarrassed. Pray, sir, let me pass.'

p. 29-32.

This acquaintance, so auspiciously commenced at the inn, is renewed at Lady Winterton's, to whom Eglantine was going to pay a visit; and, in due time, the parties marry and are happy. Our readers need not be told that Eglantine possesses almost every personal charm and every mental accomplishment. Heroes and heroines have always a sort of prescriptive right to be perfect; we shall therefore take our leave of Fitzroy and Eglantine, for, perfection being rather unnatural, the representation of it is sometimes rather uninteresting.

The most interesting personages of this novel are Eglantine's father and mother, whose history is introduced by way of episode. Mrs. Fitzroy, then Miss Lavington, marries, against her father's wishes, a natural son of a Mr. Fortescue, who turns out one of the most perfect specimens of complicated profligacy of which we have any account. Soon after his being united to Miss L., he runs away with a married woman; and after having been pardoned and received by his injured wife, he again abandons her, and flies to America, where he realizes some property, and dies. At his death, his natural brother, with whom he had always lived on bad terms, assumes his character; and, by means of great personal resemblance, possesses himself of his brother's property. This man is attached to a young lady in England, who afterwards becomes acquainted with Mrs. Fortescue; and from the identity of the name, and some family jewels, which were sent over as presents to the young lady, Mrs. F. imagines her husband and Miss De Broke's lover to be the same. The state of anxious suspense in which these two ladies wait the arrival of the stranger from America is well described. This part of the story is very well imagined: it has an air of originality about it; and Miss Nooth has executed it without materially violating probability.

As a specimen of our author's more serious style, we sub

join the following account of the situation of governess in Mr. Filmer's family.

"I fixed myself where you find me, and where indeed I have no evils to complain of, except the absolute want of all that gives spring and elasticity to life. I am treated by Mr. and Mrs. Filmer with civility; but they never forget, nor suffer me to forget, that I am a hireling: and the formal invitations I sometimes receive to join the drawing-room party, when there is no particular company in the house, although they break in upon the wearisome uniformity of day after day spent in this room, do not much tend to cheer my spirits or improve my mind. I perceive that I am not expected to join in the conversation. I am not introduced to the visitors; so there is a sensible line of demarcation between them and me; and ĺ feel that the constant habit of restraint and repression of all the vivacity I once possessed, have now quite impaired my power of pleasing, and rendered me as dull and spiritless as Mrs. Maxwell herself could wish to see me." Vol. I. p. 213.

This picture is not overdrawn. Among families of the higher rank, it is not uncommon to see governesses situated as if the mothers took a pleasure in degrading the very persons to whom they commit the education of their children.

We commend Miss N. for having avoided that tedious prolixity, which among novelists is so common a faultprolixity which sometimes expands into four volumes a thin chain of incidents, which would scarcely excite interest throughout one. But we think that somewhat too much of Eglantine is taken up in episode; in consequence of which the main history stands still, while collateral histories are introduced. These may have-and in the present instance they certainly have, intrinsic excellence; but still our ob jection to the excess of the practice remains. It divides, and by dividing, weakens the interest felt by the reader. With respect to the style of this performance, the extracts we have given prove it to be considerably above mediocrity; and, on the whole, it displays talents which cannot fail of insuring for it a pretty general perusal.

367

ART. VIII-Recherches Critiques et Historiques sur la Langue et la Litérature de l'Egypte Par ETIENNE QUATREMERE. Paris, 1808. 8vo. pp. xii+307-319. Imported by De Boffe and Dulau.

OUR readers will remember, that at a very early period of our labours, we had occasion to make favorable mention of M. Quatremère: this we did, merely from Engelbreth's report of him; for we had for some time neglected the study of Egyptian literature, and even continued to do so until our attention was roused by the appearance of the Fragmenta Basmurico Coptica. We had been prevented by the war from obtaining foreign books, and when the continent was again thrown open by the peace of 1814, there were many works on other subjects which were far more interesting to us, and which we therefore in preference procured. This must be our apology for having so long delayed to read and notice this publication: and now that peace has been fortunately restored, we hope to be able to communicate to our readers an early notice of foreign works on Oriental literature and other interesting subjects.

The treatise which is the object of our attention, is divided into several chapters or sections. The first treats "of the state of the Egyptian language under the Ptolemies and the Romans." It might appear unjust to say, that this division of the subject is handled with singular ability and precision, since the whole of the book eminently displays these qualities; but it has more particularly attracted our attention and admiration, because this period of the Egyptian history is remarkably obscure, and is illustrated by few documents, compared with that part which respects the establishment of the Mohammedan empire, and which is fully detailed by the Arabian historiographers.

That the Egyptian language and characters subsisted under the reign of the Ptolemies, seems to be an ascertained fact. The author remarks,* that although Greek alone was used in the court of these princes; in the remote villages, and especially in the Thebais, the native dialect must have been understood and spoken as before. This is attested by

the Rosetta inscription, and is further confirmed by a pas sage in Plutarch:+ speaking of the attainments of Cleopatra, who did not employ an interpreter, but herself conversed Αιθίοψι, Τρωγλοδύταις, Εβραιοις, Αραψε, Σύροις, Μήδοις, Παρθυαίοις, he contrasts with her acquirements the ignorance των προ αυτής Βασιλεων, ουδε την Αιγυπτίων ανασχομένων περιλαβειν διαλεκτον· ενίων δε και το μακεδονιζειν εκλιπόντων.

-M. Quatremère remarks,‡ that when an uncivilized nation is conquered, it adopts without difficulty the language as well as the laws of the victors: but that the Egyptians at this period being highly polished, the rule will not apply to them; besides, they were peculiarly firm in their attachment to their ancient observances; and we must also remember, that several works which might easily perpetuate their language existed; and the successors of Alexander were on this point extremely careless. This opinion is not invalidated by our finding so few monuments and historical documents by which the existence and the state of the Egyptian dialect might be verified. The history of the country at this epoch is almost unknown to us; and the majority of the writers who might have informed us concerning the reign of the Ptolemies are no longer extant. §

Soon afterwards, Egypt fell under the dominion of the Romans. During the empire of these new masters, the language still subsisted, as we learn from several sources.

Ori

gen remarks, that if any Greek were desirous to instruct the Egyptians in any new doctrine, he ought to learn their language, instead of uselessly addressing them in Greek. We learn that the Roman soldiers inscribed on the tomb of

Namely, the Greek inscription on the stone found at Rosetta, and now preserved in the collection of Marbles at the British Museum. It is there catalogued Room ix. No. 28.

+ Antonii Vita, tom i. p. 913, ed. Ruald. tom. i. p. 927. ed. Francof,

1620.

Recherches, p. 6.

S. Hieronym. Præfat. Explanat, in Daniel. tom. iii. col. 1074. ed, Martianay, cited by Villoison, troisième lettre à M. Akerblad, note 77, p. 37-38. This letter of M. Villoison was printed in Millin's Magazin Encyclopedique, a periodical publication printed at Paris about the year

1802.

Contra Celsum, vii. 60, tom. i. p. 737. ed. De la rue. See also the same treatise, i. 23. tom. i. p. 340.

¶ Hist. Aug. Scriptt. p. 165, ed. Salmas.

Gordian III." titulum-et Græcis, et Latinis, et Ægyptia cis literis, ut ab omnibus legeretur." After the Egyptians had revolted against Diocletian, he ordered all their books which could be found to be burned, lest by alchemy they might obtain means to rebel against him a second time.* Our author has forgotten to mention, that Egyptian was onc of the tongues miraculously imparted to the Apostles.

The author proceeds + to notice the opinions respecting the age of the Egyptian versions of the Bible; which are generally supposed to have existed in the second or third century; and Dr. Woide has endeavoured to shew, by very plausible arguments, that the Sahidic MS. entitled пu¤¿ Cп& TRICTIC Cо1&" Tomus secundus fidelis sapientiæ," was composed about the same period. He afterwards adduces, from various sources, instances of Egyp tian ecclesiastics who were learned in the Coptic language.§ The chief argument against the belief that any considerable portion of the ancient language of Egypt has been preserved in the Coptic, is the great number of Greek and foreign words which are discoverable in it. Michaelis had even asserted, that more than half of La Croze's Lexicon is composed of words originally Greek. Quatremère admits ¶ that some Greek words are discoverable in it; but remarks, that the number is greatly exaggerated. He might have observed, also, that though in other respects the best orientalist of his day, Michaelis knew nothing of Coptic, and was therefore incompetent to form any judgment on the

* Johannes Antiochenus ap. H. Valesii Excerpta Historica, p.834. Suidas. Vv. Xnutia and Aloxλntiavos,—-Quatremère, pp. 7—8.

+ Recherches, p. 9. He has erred, however, in using the words "cette version," and thus classing both versions together, since the Sahidic version has been generally allowed to be prior to the Coptic. See Marsh's Michaelis' Introduction to the N.T. vol. ii. p. 77. 587.

Woidii Dissertatio de Biblioruin verss. Egyptiacis, p. 137. sqq. Oxon. 1799. folio. On the other hand, the reader may consult Mr. Nolan's "Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate, or received text of the N.T. 8vo. London, 1815." p. 50.

§ Recherches, p. 9-15. Had Mr. Nolan read this work, he would not have written as he has done in his Inquiry, p. 50, note 11. Indeed, however valuable his remarks may be on other subjects, he has displayed a very superficial knowledge of the Egyptian language and antiquities in general.

|| Supplementa ad lexica Hebraica, tom. iv. p. 1227.

¶ Recherches, p. 289.