brilliant wit of the age. His manner was ingenious, sparkling and peculiar. The Prince de Ligne made him his model, which he imitated rather servilely than successfully. He called Buonaparte "le cochemare de l'univers"-" the nightmare of the world"-He said he felt a particular fondness for certain friends, because they had passed through the storm under the same umbrella. She cites the observation of M. Gorani during the revolutionary horrours. "I knew the great, but I did not know the little." In speaking of the detention of the English travellers, which she thinks would not have happened a second time, she applies a sarcasm of La Fayette's to the people, who wanted to have the oath of the Federation repeated. "My friends, the oath is an arriette, that people do not play twice.

In speaking of the government desirable for France, she introduces the speech of an inhabitant of the Fauxbourg St. Antoine, to a member of the Convention who was haranguing the people on liberty: "I should be very fond, citizen Representative, of a freedom that was free." After Napoleon's second abdication, when the farce of proclaiming Napoleon the second was in operation, some of the soldiers of the old guard understanding the business, and not willing to fight for they knew not whom, were met by their Colonel on the Boulevard, and reprimanded for deserting their post; they answered sternly, that they had too much honour to desert, "but we have abdicated." The army doubted of the truth of his having abdicated, considering it only a trick of state, and said they knew their Emperour too well to suppose he would resign; this, she says, was like the German some years before, who, on hearing a report of his death, observed with great seriousness, "Buonaparte dead! you know little of his character, he will take good care of that!”

There is another piece of simplicity of an honest citizen of one of the Fauxbourgs, which was repeated in the circles of Paris; seeing him on horseback after his return from Moscow, he said to a neighbour, "The Emperour is very well, he keeps a good countenance, not at all ashamed."

On a former occasion we alluded to a definition of the English Constitution by the Abbe Montesquieu, “that it was an oligarchy, balanced by the freedom of the press. Miss Williams gives a definition of Chamfort's, of the ancient government of France, that may serve for a parallel; that it

was "an an absolute monarchy tempered by songs." Songs in France were the substitute for the liberty of the press, and caricatures. It is an old maxim in France; that every thing finishes par des chansons. We shall conclude with one more anecdote. Military men had introduced a cant term of contempt for all who were not of their class, by calling them Péquins. This gave rise to the following neat retort- I am sorry," said a Minister to Marshal L “that after having long waited for you, we are seated at table before you arrive." "I should have come earlier," replied the Marshal, "but I have been detained by some péquins.” "Pequins!" exclaimed the company, "what are péquins ?" "oh you know," rejoined the Marshal, "we call pequins all that is not military.' Yes," said the Minister, "just as we call every thing military, that is not civil."

Discourses on various subjects, by Jeremy Taylor, D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to King Charles the First, and late Lord Bishop of Down and Connor-In three vols. 8vo. vol. 1. pp. 503.-Boston, published by Wells and Lilly, 1816.

When the books of Topham Beauclerk were sold, some one exprest to Dr. Johnson his surprise, that so many volumes of sermons should be found in the library of a man, who had been distinguished by his gayety and libertinism. "It is by no means surprising, Sir," replied the great Moralist; "the productions of our English Divines form so large and so important a part of our literature, that every library must be considered defective, which does not contain a considerable portion of them."

The remark of the Doctor is unquestionably just, and from the reign of Queen Elizabeth to the present age, the has followed, in continued succession, a series of English sermons, which have tended to improve and fix the language. In these we find discussed with the greatest ability, by men of the most powerful minds and profoundest learning, the knottiest points of Theology, Metaphysicks, and Ethicks, whilst they afford the richest mines of nervous and significant expressions. Lord Chatham is known to have studied the

sermons of Barrow expressly for this purpose; and the works of Jeremy Taylor, it is said, have been strongly recommended by the able Editor of a celebrated critical Journal, for a similar reason.

The fastidious delicacy of modern refinement may be occasionally disgusted with the quaintness of these old Divines, and with something that resembles vulgarity. But faults of this nature are rather the faults of the age in which they wrote, than of the writers, and are amply compensated by the earnestness of their manner, the excellence of their matter, the glowing fervour of their thoughts, and the richness and magnificence of their language. In weighing the comparative merits of the old and of the modern Divines, more correctness of composition, and more delicacy of expression are to be found in the latter. But there is little originality or impressive vigour. If the definition of a good sermon by Blair be admitted, that it ought to be "a persuasive oration," we should much doubt whether his own discourses would stand the test. They are, indeed, composed with good sense, and in correct language, and are well adapted to an audience highly refined, and well educated. But whether they would prove 'persuasive orations' to a mixed congregation, (and all congregations are mixed,) is questionable. "To turn sinners from the evil of their ways," which is the exclusive and legitimate object of the Preacher, something more is necessary than a mere moral essay, and cannot, without a miracle, be effected by him, who "never mentions hell to ears polite !" Man is not merely an intellectual animal; he has also passions, which may be roused, and taught to move in the path of Virtue. Coarse minds, to have an interest excited, require to be startled and alarmed. The GOSPEL must be preached to them; and its peculiar doctrines and duties powerfully enforced, cannot fail of producing a due impression. Far are we from being the advocates of cant and enthusiasm, which are disgusting in their nature, and immoral in their tendency. But we would also avoid the opposite extreme of confining religious instruction to moral discourses, which, we think, is the leading errour in most modern sermons. The old Divines we consider the best models in this respect, and among these Jeremy Taylor holds a pre-eminent rank.

This great Prelate was born at Cambridge, in England, where he graduated early in the seventeenth century.-His

extraordinary talents, by which he was soon distinguished, procured for him the situation of Divinity Lecturer at St. Paul's Cathedral, where his reputation attracted the attention, and secured to him the patronage of Arch-bishop Laud. Whatever were the faults or follies of Laud, he was the patron of literature and of learned men, and through his interest and recommendation, Dr. Taylor was appointed Chaplain in ordinary to the King. During the consequent troubles and the usurpation of Cromwell, he returned to Golden Grove in South Wales, under the protection of Lord Vaughan, Earl of Carbury, and it was here that he composed and preached the sermons, which are the object of our present consideration.

The volume before us contains twenty-five sermons on the following topicks. Sermons 1, 2, and 3. Doom's-day Book, or Christ's Advent to Judgment. Sermons 4, 5, and 6. The Return of prayer, or the condition of a prevailing prayer. Ser. 7, 8, 9. Of Godly Fear. Ser. 10, 11. The Flesh and the Spirit. Ser. 12, 13, 14. Of Lukewarmness and Zeal, or Spiritual Fervour. Ser. 15, 16. The House of Feasting, or the Epicure's Measures. Sermons 17. 18. The Marriage Ring, or the Mysteriousness and Duties of Marriage. Ser. 19, 20 21. Apples of Sodom, or the Fruits of Sin. Ser. 22, 23, 24, 25. The Good and Evil Tongue. Of Slander and Flattery. The Duties of the Tongue.

The first peculiarity, which strikes us in Bishop Taylor, is the extraordinary fulness of his mind, which pours out thought after thought, in rapid succession, cloathed in the most energetick language. Speaking of the necessity of a future judgment, he observes: "If you reckon all the causes that come before all the judicatories of the world, though the litigious are too many, and the matters of instance are intricate and numerous, yet the personal and criminal are so few, that of two thousand sins that cry aloud to God for vengeance, scarce two are noted by the publick eye, and chastised by the hand of Justice. It must follow from hence, that it is but reasonable, for the interest of virtue and the necessities of the world, that the private should be judged, and virtue should be tied upon the Spirit, and the poor should be relieved, and the oppressed should appeal, and the noise of widows should be heard, and the saints should stand upright, and the cause that was ill

judged should be judged over again, and tyrants should be called to account, and our thoughts should be examined, and our secret actions viewed on all sides, and the infinite number of sins which escape here should not escape finally. And therefore God hath so ordained it, that there shall be a day of doom, wherein all that are let alone by men, shall be questioned by God, and every word, and every action shall receive its just recompence of reward. For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." p. 3.

Splendour of imagination is another excellence, which distinguishes Bishop Taylor; for which he has sometimes been styled, the Shakspeare of Divines. The following

passage contains strong and terrible painting.

"He that stands in a church yard in the time of a great plague, and hears the passing bell perpetually telling the sad stories of death, and sees crowds of infected bodies pressing to their graves, and others sick and tremulous, and death dressed up in all the images of sorrow round about him, is not supported in his spirit by the variety of his sorrow: and at dooms-day, when the terrours are universal, besides that it is in itself so much greater, because it can affright the whole world, it is also made greater by communication, and a sorrowful influence; grief being then strongly infectious, when there is no variety of state but an entire kingdom of fear; and amazement is the king of all our passions, and all the world its subjects; and that shriek must needs be terrible, when millions of men and women at the same instant shall fearfully cry out, and the noise shall mingle with the trumpet of the Archangel, with the thunders of the dying and groaning heavens, and the crack of the dissolving world, when the whole fabrick of nature shall shake into dissolution and eternal ashes." p. 6.

The direct address to the heart and conscience of the hearer, is a very powerful weapon in the bands of a skilful orator. We cite the first specimen that occurs.

"We may consider, that this infinite multitude of men and women, angels and devils, is not ineffective, as a number in Pythagoras's Tables, but must needs have influence upon every spirit that shall there appear: for the transactions of that court are not like orations, spoken by a Grecian Vol. III. No. 7.

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