Art. VIII. Modern Anecdote of the ancient Family of the Kinkvervarkotfdarfprakengotchderns. A Tale for Christmas. Dedicated to the Honourable Horace Walpole. 12mo. 1 s. 6 d. Davenhill.

HIS is the production of a sprightly mind, fomewhat of the Rabelaic caft. The ftory itfelf is rather a fimple one, and required very little invention as to plot, machinery, or denouëment, It is called a Tale for Christmas, and a perfon with a lively fancy and a voluble tongue, might have told it extempore for the amufement of a company over a good fire, on a Christmas evening.

Cecil is the beautiful daughter of a proud German Bron, who had nothing to boaft of but a long line of diftinguished anceftry. He was poor, but over full of the fentiment of familydignity, which was conftantly nourished by a fight of his family-pictures. These covered every room of his caftle. They were the chief objects of his contemplation in foiltude; and in company the chief fubject of his converfation.

Franzel, the fon of a Farmer-general, a hand fome young fellow, who bore a commiffion in the army, accompanying his mother on a vifit to the Baron, and conceived a strong paffion for his lovely daughter. The paffion was returned with equal warmth by Cecil. On a propofal of marriage by Madame Franzel, the Baron's pride difdained the connection of his daughter with a perfon not nobly defcended, however fuperior to himself in fortune. Cecil did not enter fo readily into her father's prejudices. She loved Franzel; and at all adventures was determined to marry the man whom her heart had chofen. Her father pointed to the family-pictures; but they could not convince her that her love was ill placed: there was an argument that preffed with greater force, and spoke with an eloquence infinitely more affecting.

Hogreften, a relation of the Baron, and refident at the caftle, had conceived an affection for Cecil. This gentleman was alarmed with jealousy at Franzel's vifit; and was afterwards confirmed in his fufpicions of an amour, by an intercepted letter from Franzel to the young lady. This difcovery enraged the Baron, and mortified Hogreften. From a paffage in the letter, they concluded that Franzel would carry off the prize by ftratagem, or fome other means to prevent which, poor Cecil was doomed to imprisonment in a large room that had. only two windows, which were fo near the ceiling, that it was impoffible for any one to reach them, even by getting on the chairs or tables.

In this confinement she was entrusted to the pious charge of the curate, who was inftructed to use his utmost endeavours to reduce her to the will of her father. She outwitted the curate,

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and interested him in her views of efcaping from her prifon, by affuring him that he was married to young Franzel. Through his hands the conveyed a letter to her lover, who, after reading it, anfwered in his ufual impetuous manner, that after fuch a night, he should pafs every fucceeding one in waiting round the caftle, or under the windows of the room the was locked up in, and receive her in his arms, the only place (added he) where you can be fafe from perfecution!' That is very true, thought the; but how to get there is the dilemma!

The fair prifoner first tried by the help of chairs and tables, and bed-clothes, heaped on one another, to fcale the wall and get to the window. But in vain. They would not reach half way up the horrid room.' At laft, by the lucky help of a dream, which reprefented to her fancy the whole fuite of pictures in the room fallen down on the floor, a thought truck her head, when fhe awoke, that she could make a good ufe of this dream, and turn the pictures to fome better account than her proud father had done. Cecil was cunning: and having outwitted the parfon, thought it no difficult matter to over-reach her father. She arofe (the Tale fays), fent for the Baron, and told him that she could not bear to fee her honoured parents fo neglected. Obferve, Sir, faid the, how the duft hides the refpectable faces of those that hang uppermoft. Might I be permitted a ladder to take them down, and have a little foap and water to clean them with ?'-He hesitated fome time, and then confented. He brought the ladder himself in, and took down about fifty portraits, armed and not armed, of all ages and titles and as he took them down he ranged them according to their defcent upon the floor, against the wall, all round the room. Delightful óc cupation! He grew an inch taller at every great action he recited; for he told the hiftory of each of their lives to Cecil, who liftened with complacency: only the Baron obferved that her eyes were often turned towards the windows, which, as there was no view out of them, made him strongly suspect she had the ladder in view too.

The evening surprised them in their occupations. Hogreften came to partake of the amusement, and inform the Baron that dinner had waited a long time. The Baron, after having or dered the ladder out of the room, quitted it, faying, I fhall return to fee the progrefs of your work, Cecil: and may your Occupation remind you of your exalted birth, and may thofe refpectable perfonages teach you your duty! I intend they fhall be my aid and fupport in future, indeed,' replied the.

As foon as the Baron was gone, Cecil ftill locked in, washed feveral more of her ancestor's faces. Ah! cried the every now and then-ah! grim gentry, who have been the caufe of fo REV. May, 1780.

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many a tear, you fhall once in my life make up to me for all the forrow you have occafioned.'

Soon after dinner the Baron returned with the ladder, which he took great care to have conveyed out at night again; though on purpose to confirm his fufpicions, the defired it might re

main.

She could not refufe herself the malicious pleasure that evening of encouraging Hogreften's awkward addreffes. She promifed her father to marry him. When night came, the permitted Hogreften to kifs her hand, and faid, as her father went out, that he was not at all afraid of fleeping in fo large a room with fo much good company,' pointing to the pictures. Locked in, fhe waited till fhe thought every one afleep: then flew to her honoured ancestors, and without regard to precedency or decency, the heaped grandfathers on grandmothers; knights on old maiden aunts; he-coufins bearing armour on fhe-cousins bearing diftaffs. In her hurry indeed, now and then, she made by turns the ladies fupport the gentlemen, and the gentlemen the ladies here a father's head refted on a daughter's feet: there a mother's face met a fon's bufkins: fharp-pointed flippers rubbed against flowing perukes: coifs and pinners were joined to longnecked fpurs. In fhort, heads and tails were jumbled together, and parts never intended by nature or good manners to meet, kiffed each other. Thus, one by one, the noble family, as faft as he could heap them on each other, made a pile which reached to the windows: Adieu, Meffieurs et Mesdames! faid fhe, as the Sprung out of the window into her hand fome Frederic's arms: -where we will leave her. Can we difpofe of her better?'

There is a pleafantry and vivacity in the manner in which this Christmas Tale is related: there is an elegance too in fome of the defcriptions. The reflections are not deftitute of humour and acuteness. As to the moral of the ftory, we must leave the fagacious Reader to make that important difcovery for himself. The grave and the gay will pafs fentence according to their different feelings. The former will call the fair Cecil a giddy, obftinate creature, who deferved to have had her neck broken when the took the lover's leap. The latter will commend her fpirit and addrefs. The inference we fagely draw from this genuine anecdote of the ancient houfe of Kink is this: that love oppofed, produces both craft and fortitude: and that when a young Franzel enters a girl's heart, caftles will be no defence;-fhe will fly to his arms in ipite of fathers, families, and family-pictures.

ART.

ART. IX. Obfervations on An Appeal from the Proteftant Affociation to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. I s. Payne. 1780.

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NE capital object of complaint, to the members of the Affaciation, is, the laxity of the oath now to be adminiftered to Catholics, refpecting the royal prerogative. They are chagrined to think that any accommodation fhould be made for the fake of eafing the fcruples of perfons who are of the Romish communion. There is fomething illiberal (to fay nothing worse of it) in the umbrage that hath been conceived at this qualifying claufe in the late A&t in behalf of the Papifts. The charge on which an objection is grounded, is not only uncandid, but altogether inconfiftent. Firft, they lay it down for an indisputable pofition, founded on the general principles of the Romish church, and confirmed by the arguments of its moft able cafuifts, that no faith is to be kept with heretics'that no oaths are binding any longer than the keeping them is confiftent with the good of the church-of which good the priests are the ultimate judges, and to whom is delegated a power of difpenfing with every obligation under which an oath in common life is fuppofed to fubject a perfon who takes it. And yet, notwithstanding these maxims of popifh cafuiftry, the gentlemen of the Affociation are very anxious to place the oath to be administered to Catholics upon its original footingguarded as it firft was by an equal refpect to the church and the itate. Now let us afk thefe zealous Proteftants a few plain and fimple questions, which we wifh they would take into fericus confideration at their next meeting. If all oaths are indifferent to the Papifts, why were they defirous to have the old teft repealed?-Why did they univerfally refufe to take it? Did they not fubject themselves to great hazards and inconveniencies on account of their refufal ? If the Catholics can apply for a dispensation at any emergency to free them from an obligation in confequence of the moft folemn oaths, wherein lies the neceffity of adminiftering any oath to them at all? It is faid, that none can bind them; then why fhould the Affociation be fo cager to fubject them to any? The authority which can leofen the obligation of one, can diffolve the obligations of all: and therefore, on these convictions, the Affociators can never mean to propose an oath by way of fecurity to the church or ftate, or as a decifive teft of belief or practice: but only as a temptation to perjury, in cafe an opportunity fhould offer in which a Papift. may think himself at liberty to commit it for the good of the church.

We have, we truft, given this matter all the attention we are capable of and on the most cool and impartial judgment

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we can form of it, we deliver our fentiments with freedom. We are not under the leaft apprehenfion from the growth of Popery in confequence of the late Act in favour of Catholics. It is an Act planned with equal judgment and candour, and will do honour to our ftatute book. Proteftants can never ob. ject to the principles on which it is founded, without expofing themselves to the charge of inconfiftency: and Proteftant Diffenters are doubly chargeable with inconfiftency-the groffeft and moft palpable inconfiftency, in endeavouring to obftruct the favour of Parliament in behalf of the Roman Catholics. It discovers a meannefs and jealoufy of fpirit which can confer no honour on their caufe: and at the fame time fhews, that they are too little impreffed with a grateful fenfe of the liberties which an indulgent Parliament hath wifely and graciously reftored to them. We are convinced, that the more liberal part of the Diffenters heartily acquiefce in these fentiments of toleration as for the other fet, whofe cry is orthodoxy, while their wifh, perhaps, is tyranny, may their power never be equal to their inclinations! And this we hope for the fake of humanity -for the fake of truth and free enquiry; and we truft the anticlimax will not be too glaring if we fay, we entertain this hope -for the fake of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

We were led into this train of reflection by the pamphlet before us, which we earneftly recommend both for the goodnefs of the defign, and the fkill and ftrength difplayed in the exe

cution.

ART. X. The Hiftory of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, from the Death of Philip II. King of Spain, to the Truce made with Albert and Ifabella. By William Lothian, D. D. one of the Miniflers of Canongate. 4to. 16 s. Boards. Dodsley. 1780.

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HE period of hiftory which forms the fubject of the work before us, is peculiarly interefting and important. During the 16th century, Spain was the most powerful kingdom of Europe. Her fleets, her armies, and her refources ftruck terror into the neighbouring ftates, and bad defiance to the collected ftrength of diftant confederacies. The ambition of the Spanish monarchs exceeded the extent and power of their dominions. The active reigns of Charles V. and of Philip II. were continually employed in new projects of conqueft. Both princes were fond of glory; but the first fought it at the head of his armies, in acquiring new acceffions of territory; the second afpired at the fame of profound fkill and negociation; and detelling war, fought, by the dark schemes of the cabinet, to extend his royal prerogative, and to deftroy the liberties of his Jubjects.

When