AS

S we mean to dedicate a special article of our Mifcellany to the general History of Letters, both domeftic and foreign, we will, in this Number, give, by way of Preliminary, a concife retrofpective view of the ftate of learning in Europe, fince the commencement of the prefent century.

In comparing the prefent century with thofe immediately preceding, it will not be found, that fo much has been done toward the improvement of fcience, as may be imagined by fuperficial obfervers, and might have been expected from progreflive experience. The philologifts, orators, poets, hiftorians, and novellifts, of the fixteenth and feventeenth centuries, were by no means inferior, and were in fome refpects fuperior, to thofe of the eighteenth. In mixt mathematics, particularly in aftronomy, fome valuable, at least curious difcoveries have been made, from the great improvement of telescopes, and other inftruments of obfervation. Mechanics have been carried to a much greater degree of perfection; and natural and experimental philofophy have acquired a certitude and accuracy, beyond what they had in any prior period: pharmacy bas alfo been purified from the dregs of former times; anatomy and chirurgery have been eagerly and fuccefsfully cultivated; and the principles of the healing art have been fimplified and better arranged.

Such are the parts of fcience, with refpect to which our age can boast fome fort of fuperiority: for, with regard to the fine arts, as they are termed, we apprehend they are rather languishing than acquiring vigour. A partial or local improvement, in fome of them, may have taken place, and has, no doubt, taken place in this nation; but we greatly mistake, if on the whole, they have not loft more than they have gained.

Whether in political, moral, or religious knowledge, we are a whit wifer than our forefathers, appears to us a problem, that may be difputed with MONTHLY MAG. No. I.

equal plaufibility on both fides of the queftion. It is true the general principles of focial compacts and civil inftitutions have been more thoroughly canvaffed, and perhaps better understood; the natural rights of man more clearly afcertained and more ftrongly afferted; the various forts of government better difcriminated and more impartially appraifed: but how far these fine theories are compatible with practice, or are likely to be attended with permanent bleffings to fociety, is yet to be feen.

New fyftems of ethics have likewise been created, and bafes of various forms have been contrived for the ftatue of Virtue; yet we think it must be confeffed, that the goddess is not more fincerely worshipped, nor her votaries more numerous than in the days of our predeceffors; we fear the reverfe is true.

As to theology, or the fcience of religion, it has certainly undergone fome confiderable changes within thefe fifty years, and is apparently on the eve of ftill greater alterations: but whether thefe alterations will produce a more genuine religion, that is, a more exalted idea of the Supreme Being, a greater refpect for his behefts, and a more humble fubmiffion to his will; in fhort, a more fervent and difinterefted piety, feems to us highly problematical: Time, the greatest inftructor, will fhew how far our miftruft is grounded.

One thing, however, may be advanced as true religion in general wears a more amiable face; intolerantifm is no more her infeparable companion; and mankind feem willing to go to heaven, without juftling one another on the road. The principles of religion too have been more minutely examined; many inveterate prejudices exploded; revelation grounded upon more rational motives of credibility; a number of various corruptions eliminated from the facred volumes with which the hand of time had tarnished them; and biblical criticifm eftablifhed on fuch principles, and guided by fuch rules, a huft neceffarily tend to its perfection F

This

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it ?

On the other hand, it is but too true, that irreligion has made great ftrides during the fame period. The metaphyfics of Hume, the eloquence of Bolingbroke, the learning of Freret, the wit of Voltaire, and the fafcinating logic of Rouffeau (not to mention a numerous but lefs formidable tribe of inferior writers) have inflicted fevere wounds on Christianity, and spread the contagion of infidelity far and wide: even Atheism, who before lurked in corners, and covered his face with a deceitful veil, has recently fhewn himfelf without difguife; and Hammonds and Dantons have appeared, who boldly dared the DEITY to punish them for difbelieving his existence. And this is called The Age of Reason!

Having thus given a fhort view of the prefent ftate of literature in general, we will next, in as few words as poffible, and we flatter ourselves with ftrict dif tributive juftice, affign to the different nations of Europe their respective fhares; and begin by

ITALY.

Every one knows that, on the revival of letters, Italy was their first foftermother; and the golden age of LEO will ever be accounted a remarkable ara in the hiftory of human knowledge. For a century, at least, it retained its fuperiority; and although it has fince been vifibly finking in the public fcale, yet it ftill holds a confiderable rank in every branch of science, where religion is not directly or indirectly concerned. It has produced excellent hiftorians, most ingenious poets, and fume tolerable orators; it has greatly embellished its fine melodious language, and was the firft modern nation that had a good lexicon. In mathematics and experimental philofophy, it is not below its neighbours; and it has always been deemed the beft fchool for mufic, painting, and fculpture. Divinity alone (and philofophy in as far as it is con. nected with divinity) has been bound in fetters by monachifm, fuperftition, and inquifitorial tribunals. But thefe fet ters will probably foon be fhaken off by that ingenious people: God grant they may not at the fame time thake off Religion

[Feb.

herfelf, under the idea that he had forged their chains: this is no uncommon procefs in national revolutions. Some change in the religious creed of Italy, appears to be inevitable. The fcriptures are more generally ftudied, and have been tranflated into the vulgar tongue; the bishops of particular diocefes, fupported by their refpective fovereigns, begin to exercise a jurifdiction independently of Rome papal infallibity is fcouted every where, fave in the Papal territories, and even there feebly defended, perhaps not believed; fuperftitious rites and ufages are daily diminishing, and freedom of thought pervades all ranks of men who have had any fort of liberal education. What may we not augur from fuch symptoms?

SPAIN and PORTUGAL.

Although thefe nations have, for almoft two centuries, made very little figure in the field of fcience, it is not hence to be concluded that this has been owing to want of capacity: they are naturally a thinking and acute people, and, in the fixteenth century, held a refpectable rank among the nations of rigid and bloody than that of Italy, has Europe; but here the inquifition, more ftifled every fpark of genius that has come within its reach, and plunged the be credited. The time, however, feems inhabitants into an ignorance hardly to nal must be abolished; and, to do jufto approach, when that diabolical tribu tice to this and the laft reign, its power has already been greatly curtailed: ftill, however, it has power enough to pre ledge; and few, comparatively, are the vent a general diffemination of know works of value that have yet been written on the other fide of the Pyrenées. Yet the Spanish language feems peculiarly formed for fine compofition, whether in profe or verfe; and they have

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now a national dictionary that vies with any in Europe.

tongues in the univerfe? Thy Gotho gallic jargon, embellished by the fkill of thy grammarians and orators, became the language of the world, and the vehicle of knowledge to the ends of the earth. "Ah! how are the mighty "fallen, and the weapons of learning perithed!"

Reader, we mean not, by this apoftrophe, to debafe the French nation, nor to throw any flur upon their late exertions to fhake off the yoke of defpotifin, and yindicate their just rights; we are only penetrated with forrow and regret, that the vindication of thofe rights fhould be attended with confequences fo fatal to LEARNING, and we fear to liberty itself, at leaft for a long portion of time. But is France at prefent without learned men are the arts and fciences there totally neglected? Neither the one nor the other! But, alas! the number of truly-learned men in France, at this moment, are like the gleanings of the field: old age, exile, or the guillotine, has fwept the great harveft away; and it will be yet a long, long winter before fuch another crop can appear. The arts and fciences are not altogether extinct; but they fhed only a faint light: the rays of which ferve chiefly to fhew what Vandalic devaftation has been made among their beft productions. Let us turn our eyes from fo difmal a profpect, and cherish a hope, that the genius of France may yet trim bis withered bays, and rife to his former renown,

GERMANY, HOLLAND, &c.

A petulant French Jefuit once made it a queftion,. Whether a German were capable of wit? And not lefs petulant was the obfervation of an Englishman, that the Dutch carried their genius in their backs. Odious affertions! The German Luther had at least as much wit as Father Bouhours; and the Colloquies of Erafmus, of Rotterdam, contain more Attic humour than can be collected from the whole mafs of English writers, from Chaucer to Swift.

That the French, a vain and jealous nation, should contemn German lite rature, is not much to be wondered. They have fometimes affected to defpife their mafters, the Italians. But that we, a Saxon colony, fhould join in the af front, is certainly a matter of furprife. The truth is, that, although the Ger man be the parent of our own tongue, or at least a fifter-dialect, we have not,

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until very lately, paid any attention to German books, unless they were written in Latin. Yet Germany has, in the courfe of the prefent century, produced as many good works, in German, as any country in the world. We know not even if it be faying too much, to affirm, that more German books are annually published than in one half of the world befides: they are not all excellent, to be fure, but most of them are good, and few intolerable; and there is not a branch of fcience which is not highly cultivated, efpecially in the Proteftant univerfities. Formerly, the Germans wrote in various dialects, as numerous as their various provinces; and ftill there are fhades, of difference in the languages of Berlin, Leipfic, and Vienna. But having now an excellent lexicon, and feveral good grammars, they feem to aim at fome fort of uniformity, both in ftyle and phrafeology. Their poetry is greatly improved, and every day improving; in novel-writing, they are more natural than we; of their oratory. we cannot fay fo much; in mathe-. matics, natural hiftory, phyfic, experimental philofophy, they are fecond to none; in rational theology, they have made great progrefs; and in biblical criticifm, hold the very first rank.

What we have faid of Germany is more or lefs applicable to Holland, Sweden, Denmark, and the other northern regions that border on Germany, and fpeak Teutonic dialects. To them the German has been chiefly the great vehicle of knowledge, which they have generally transfufed into their own tongues: but, in Sweden, of late, many very learned men have arifen, who, in philology, and every fpccies of critical knowledge, are not inferior to the Ger mans; and they have one of the best tranflations of the bible that have been, made into modern languages.

The literature of Holland is, in fome measure, peculiar to itself. Although their language be a German dialect, it has not been much written in; their principal works are in Latin or French. This latter was imported by the French refugees, who fled from the perfecution of Louis XIV, and, through them, foon became familiar to the Dutch themfelves: almoft as many French works have iffued from the preffes of Amfterdam, Rotterdam, and the Hague, as from thofe of Paris and Lyons. We speak not at all of the Netherlands, becaufe we know no works of any great

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merit