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The Cafe of the Dutch jops confidered. 8vo. 1s. Dodley.

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N the Review for laft month, p. 542. our readers will find an account of an ingenious work, intitled, A Difcourfe on the Conduct of Great Britain in respect to neutral Nations,' which has in fome degree forestalled the matter of the pamphlet before us, and is indei much fuperior to it, in elegance of fentiment and power of expremion.

Nevertheless, as all men have their feveral excellencies, the ab'e Writer of the treatile under prefent confideration, has justifel the conduct of Great Britain, by fome new arguments; and, as truth admits of various illustrations, he has placed those which have been urged before, in different points of view.

He begins, though perhaps forewhat abruptly and irregular'v, with a pofitive affertion, that the fubiects of Holland have no right to cover the enemy's property, either by the common principles of neutrality, or by virtue of fubiting treatics. He examines the principles of neutrality by the authority of the best writers, and the common uge of all nations. He confiders what pravilege the subjects of Holland have acquired, by fubfifting treaties; and he lays, that the whole argument in their fa› your is retted entirely on the words of the treaty of December 4. 1074. He then very methodic lly fates the treaty in queften; dividing the page into two columns; in the one, he inferts the words of the treaty, and, in the oppofite column, he gives his exponition of each article.

He argues, upon the footing of the first and fecond articles of this treat, which extends the ire dem of navigation to all commodit es that might be carried in time of peace, that the procuê ceringuem French colonies to Europe, are commodities which cerever yet be lawfully carried by Dutch fhips in time ofte directly nor indirectly, ner can it be thewn, that they will be heretter to carried.-That therefore they cannot be carred w by all the words of this treaty.

The contents of thefe two articles, he fars, de kad and controul all the other articles; that theref. re, whatever may be detimined to be the meaning of the eighth article, which speaks of carrying the enemy's property, it must be construed according to the ipuit, view, and intention of the articles going before, as well as according to the letter of them.

He jufly oblerves, that the opening a trade to the colonies of France, formante krilo, is a tran adich between France and the

cts of Holland, to the prejudice of England.—and he infifts,

that

that this trade therefore, ex poft facto, cannot be opened in time of war to the subjects of Holland; so as for them to carry it on by virtue of the engagements fubfifting between England and Holland: prior not only to the exiftence, but even probable existence of this object: for, fays he, the abfurdity of an object, no less than the defect of an object, proves a defect of intention.

He very fhrewdly argues further, that if the enemy, for his own immediate and temporal intereft, pleases to give to certain particular perfons, fubjects of any neutral power, a licence to trade to his colonies; yet nevertheless, if an enemy does not give this liberty, as a general and conflant privilege, to the neutral ftate itself, but confifcates all fuch ships of theirs as are found trading thither without that licence, then that licence is /pecial and perfonal.-Therefore that fpecial and perfonal licence does adopt all those who have it, and their property, in the view of fubjects of that government which grants the licence.

He affirms, that a Dutch fhip, trading to the colonies of France, without a licence from the French government, is confifcated as good prize to French captors: and concludes, that therefore all Dutch fhips fo licenfed are adopted French fhips.

In the next place he ftates, that by the words of the 4th article of the treaty of December, 1674 still fubfifting, certain commodities therein particularly mentioned may be carried free to the enemy of either party. He then fhews, that by a fecret artitle of the treaty of February, 1673-4 not abrogated, but revived and fubfifting, fuch commodities may NOT be carried to the enemy of either party. The Dutch, he fays, claim an extenfion of carrying free, not only the above commodities, but all others, being enemy's property, in every place and manner poffible, at any time, by a pretended conftruction of the treaty of commerce, December, 1674.

But our Author argues, that a pofitive permiffive article must yield to a contrary article that is equally pofitive, but negative. If, fays he, we determine more favourably, the point in debate must be left open to common principles of neutrality, as undecided by equally fubfifting treaties: and in refpect of things nominally fpecified in both thefe articles, which are in the terms mutually deftructive of each other, must be withdrawn out of the queftion, as neceffarily null and void.

The Writer then proceeds to examine whether the Dutch have discharged their duty as allies to England. He ftates the treaty of February, 1673-4, and that of Utrecht, January 321712-13, between Great Britain and the States General,

19

by

by which the latter undertake to guarantee the former, and to afford certain ftipulated fuccours when required. He infifts, that notorious or avowed preparations on the part of a declared enemy, to attack or invade, neceffarily endanger the object guaranteed, and are a foundation for the requifition-that therefore Great Britain is intitled, in fuch a cafe, to fuccours, by both treaties.

But it is contrary to the intention of the contract, fays he, that the party who is to fuccour fhould judge of the foundation for requiring it. If it relied upon him, he would have it in his judgment or power to fuccour or not, and the view of the contract might be fruftrated. If he is unable, a temporary inability may be remedied, and it is in his power. If a perpetual inability prevents his giving the affiftance ftipulated, the fame inability prevents his receiving any benefit ftipulated: for the non-performance of part of an alliance, is a diffolution of the whole, whatever are the reasons,

The Writer, in the laft place, confiders the Dutch objections, which he answers feriatim, and, in our judgment, fully refutes.

Upon the whole, we are well pleafed to find a point, fo national and important, treated with fuch judgment and perfpicuity. We confider it as a happy prefage of fuccess, that our minifters dare to do juftice to their country: and that advocates of found learning and folid abilities, are not wanting to manifeft the equity of the national conduct.

A poetical Tranflation of the Elegies of Tibullus, and of the Poems of Sulpicia. With the original text, and notes critical and explanatory. By James Grainger, M. D.

6s. Millar.

WE

12mo. 2 Vols.

E have long thought it fomewhat extraordinary, that while the other poets of the Auguftan age have had ample juftice done them by English tranflators, Tibullus, one of the most elegant of them, has been fo much overlooked. Nor has the neglect of this bard been confined to Britain; the French and Italians, who abound with verfions of the beft claffical poets, having no good tranflation of this great mafter of elegy. For this, however, fome reafon may be affigned: the unaffected fimplicity of his manner little fuiting the quaint, pointed, love-writers of thofe nations. But whence it is,

that

that (except one Mr. Dart) none of the poets of our country, who have treated amorous fubjects in the Tibullian spirit, ever attempted to render the whole of Tibullus into English numbers? Was it his peculiar fate to be more praised than perused, to be more admired than understood?-But whatever the caufes were, the fact is inconteftible, it was therefore with pleasure we first heard of a new translation of this elegant Roman poet, by one who had formerly given very promifing specimens * of his poetical abilities.

The original Latin of Tibullus is printed with Dr. Grainger's tranflation; and we learn that, on this occafion, recourse has been had to the beft foreign editions; fome material improvements have also been made by the prefent editor and tranflator; and to the whole is prefixed, the Life of Tibullus.

As we have a natural curiofity to enquire into the hiftory of eminent perfons, there are no lives which are perufed with more eagerness than thofe of admired writers; mankind being folicitous to learn their fortunes and adventures, in proportion to the regard they entertain for their writings.

But that genius which difpofes men to ferve or amufe the public by their literary labours, either not allowing its poffeffors time to mingle in the affairs of the world, or giving them a contempt for its common pursuits,―little entertainment is in general to be met with in their ftory. Befides, envy is the infeparable attendant on merit of every kind, and the anecdotes of eminent perfons are generally handed down to us under the difguife of partiality and mifreprefentation. Nor are thefe the only obftructions to our enquiries concerning the lives of literary men, which are usually as much mifreprefented by their admirers; a fond biographer often running into mere adulation, or a frivolous detail of what is little or legendary.

If these are the common impediments with refpect to the memoirs of our own authors, we muft expect ftill fewer materials, and more uncertainty, in those of a foreign poet, who died fo long ago, as before the commencement of the Chriftian æra.

Such then being the difficulties which every writer of the lives of antient authors has to encounter, we must not expect a full banquet, where only a cold collation can be provided; for if a biographer has collected all that is certainly known, if he has offered the moft probable conjectures on the dubious, and thrown what light he could on the obfcure, he has done all that can be reasonably expected from him.

See, particularly, an Ode to Solitude, in Dodfley's Collections, Volume the fourth.

With

With thefe reflexions, we fat down to perufe Dr. Grainger's account of Tibullus; and upon comparing it with those memoirs of that poet already published, we must allow, that the life now given us, is more compleat than any of the former. We fhall therefore make an abstract of it, for the entertainment and information of our readers; adding a few curfory remarks on the state of poetry in the Auguftan age.

Albius Tibullus, a Roman knight, not more eminent for his genius, than illuftrious by his birth, fortune, and perfon, was born at Rome. A. U. C. 690. fix years after the birth of Virgil, and one after that of Horace. His father, who was defcended from the Albian family, having taken part with Pompey against Cæfar, either fell in action, or was butchered by profcription. The young Tibullus adopted the political maxims of his father; and having been prefent, with his great friend and patron the illuftrious Meffala Corvinus, at the decifive battle of Philippi, he lost a confiderable part of his paternal eitate, which was divided among the foldiers of the fuccessful Octavius. However, by the intereft of Meffala, who foon after joined the conqueror, a competence was left for the plundered knight; who being difgufted with the ill fuccefs of his fint appearance in arms, retired to Pedum, the feat of his ancettors, where he devoted his time to love and the muses.

His first favourite was Glycera, but the proving inconfant, he agam accepted of a military command under Meffala, who was one of the generals appointed by Augustus to quell a rebellion in Panonia, A.U.C. 718. In this expedition, TibulJus behaved with uncommon bravery.

tetis mihi vide

Fortis pidie miles, teftis quoque fallax
Pannonias, gelidas paßim disjectus in Alpes.

and with her he During this happy accompany him in

At his return to Rome, he fell in love with Delia, whose real name, as Apuleius informs us, was Plania; palied some time in uninterrupted pleafure. Interval, Mellida again invited our poet to the weld; but Deha, who conjured him with tears not to hayard his life, had to entirely banished every fentiment of military glory from his mind, that he long withflood all his noble friend's joliectations. However, when Meffala was invested with an Extraordinary command over Syria, and was about to make the tour of Greece, Cilicia and Egypt, Tibullus then broke the Þinds of love, and went on board with that General; who, upon t'us occation, was alo attended by many young noblemen, the ends of Tibullus.

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