tration of Robert Bloomfield. The engravings are unequal: we think also that Messrs. S. and G. have taken a disproportionate number of views from that scenery which is most difficult to be delineated with freedom, force, and spirit; namely, falls of water and surrounding rocks. The sketch of Burns's life (taken from Dr. Currie's work) would have been too meagre even for a magazine. ART. XVI.-The Confessions of William-Henry Ireland. Containing the Particulars of his Fabrication of the Shakspeare Manuscripts; together with Anecdotes and Opinions Chitherto unpublished) of many distinguished Persons in, the Literary, Politicul, and Theatrical World. 8vo. AN hour for which there is no better employment may be whiled away amusingly enough over this volume. When Mr. Ireland thought proper to avow the fabrication of the Shakspeare papers, he made his avowal in a pamphlet of three, and-forty pages. This had become so rare, that a copy has been sold at an auction for a guinea, and he himself paid eighteen shillings for an imperfect one, being favoured in the price because he was the author. The present work is published instead of a republication of the pamphlet, because Mr. Ireland hopes to free his character" from the stigmas with which it has so undeservedly been sullied." Mr. Samuel Ireland, the father, when collecting materials for work upon the picturesque scenery of the river Avon, took his son with him to Stratford. "In consequence of the various enquiries set on foot by Mr. Ireland during his continuance at Stratford-on-Avon, he was at length given to understand, by some of the oldest inhabitants, that a tale was formerly- told indicatory of some manuscripts having been conveyed for safety, at the time of the fire at Stratford, from New-place (the former residence of Shakspeare) to Clopton-house, situated at a little distance from the scene of the conflagration. In consequence of this intelligence, Mr. Ireland proceeded to the mansion in question; which proved to be of great antiquity. In one chamber was a very curious carved bedstead of oak, with silk hangings. This, together with all the furniture of the apartment, was an heirloom to the premises; having been the gift of king Henry the Seventh to sir Hugh Clopton, who was one of the lord-mayors of London during the reign of that monarch. In this antique mansion were innumerable chambers furnished in a similar manner, many of them totally darkened to obviate the expence of the tax upon window-lights; and in the cockloft were piles of mouldering household goods, all of the same remote antiquity: among the rest was an emblazoned representation, on vellum, of queen Elizabeth, the wife of Henry the Seventh, as she lay in state in the chapel of the tower of London, after having died in child bed; which curious relic the then owner of Whether you rise yearlye, That died for your sake.' "From the inquiries made by Mr. Ireland, we were given to understand that sir Hugh Clopton, or his descendant, being a very staunch catholic, had gained permission to have this garret consecrated at the time of the Reformation, that the celebration of mass might take place in secret. "Having thus far digressed in my statement respecting the antiquity and great cu riosity of this mansion, I shall again revert back to the general subject, and say, If true, what a conflagration!' "The person who occupied Clopton-house, and rented the lands belonging to the estate, was what is usually denominated a gentleman farmer; rich in gold and the worldly means of accumulating wealth, but devoid of every polished refinement. "On Mr. Ireland's arrival he introduced himself to Mr. Williams (for such was the gentleman's name); who invited us into a small gloomy parlour; where he was shortly given to understand by Mr. Ireland, that the motive of his visit was a desire to ascertain whether any old deeds or manuscripts were then existing, in any part of the mansion: and on a further statement, as to any papers of Shakspeare's being extant, the following was the reply made by Mr. Williams. "By Gd I wish you had arrived a little sooner! Why, it isn't a fortnight since I destroyed several baskets-full of letters and pa 10 pers, in order to clear a small chamber for some young partridges which I wish to bring up alive: and as to Shakspeare, why there were many bun lles with his name wrote upon them. Why it was in this very fire-place I made a roaring bonfire of them." "Mr. Ireland's feelings during this address, which were fully displayed in his countenance, may be more easily conceived than expressed: and it was with infinite difficulty he suffered Mr. Williams to proceed thus far; when, starting from his chair, he clasped his hands together, excl.iming My G-d! Sir, you are not aware of the loss which the world has sustained. Would to heaven I had arrived sooner!' "As my father concluded this ejaculation, Mr. Williams, calling to his wife, who was in an adjoining chamber, and who instantly came into the apartment where we were seated (being a very respectable elderly lady), he thus addressed her: 6. My dear, don't you remember bringing me down those baskets of papers from the partridge-room? and that I told you there were some about Shakspeare the poet?' "The old lady immediately replied as follows, having, in all probability, heard Mr. Ireland's address to her husband: 66 6 Yes, iny dear; I do remember it per fectly well! and, if you will call to mind my words, I told you not to burn the papers, as they might be of consequence.' "Mr. Ireland, after expressing his regrets, requested permission to inspect the small chamber in question; which, however, contained nothing but the partridges. Having expressed a desire to go over the house, two lanterns were ordered up; when every chamber underwent the strictest scrutiny; during which research the before-mentioned furniture, chapel, &c. came under our cognizance; but as to Shakspearian manuscripts, not a line was to be found." This is very curious, if true, to repeat the author's own expression of scepticism. This journey, Mr. Samuel Ireland's zealous admiration of Shakspeare (which the event proves was not according to knowledge), and a wish on the part of the son to gratify the father, led to the fabrication. The history of the whole knavery would form a pleasant article in a Shaks periana. Dr. Parr is said, on hearing the Profession of Faith read, to have said to Mr. Samuel Ireland: "Sir, we have very fine passages in our church-service, and our litany abounds with beauties; but here, sir, here is a man who has distanced us all." We doubt this story: the Profession is no better than might be expect ed from a boy of eighteen, of no extraor, dinary talents: and Dr. Parr, though he may be judge of old writings, can certainly distinguish between an empty rhapsody, and a prayer full of meaning. Other anecdotes bear stronger evidence of truth. Mr. Boswell asked for a glass of warm brandy and water, and exclaimed like old Simeon in the Gospel, "Well, I shall now die contented, since I have lived to witness the present day!" and then knelt down and kissed the volume. Mr. P*ws*n (here, as in Dr. Warton's case, Mr. Ireland spells by his ear, and spells erroneously) appeared so satisfied respecting the papers, that Mr. Samuel Ireland asked him to add his name to the list of believ ers in their validity: he replied “ I thank you, Sir, but I never subscribe my name to professions of faith of any nature whatsoever." Mr. Ritson asked short ques tions, all to the purpose, delivered to opinion, and went away, convinced that the papers were spurious. Mr. Sheridan is said to have remarked, that, however high Shakspeare might stand in the esti mation of the public in general, he did not for his part regard him as a poet in the brilliancy of his ideas, and the penethat exalted light, although he allowed tration of his mind. This gentlema, however, seems evidently to have sus pected the play which he brought out. "Previous to the agreement's being signed respecting Vortigern and Rowena with the managers of Drury-lane theatre, Mess, Sh*r*d*n_and_R*ch*rds*n waited upon Mr. Ireland, to inspect the fair copy of the play, which had been made from the manuscript as produced in the disguised hand. After having perused several pages, Mr. Sh*r*d*n came to one line which was not strictly poetic; upon which, turning to Mr. for though you are acquainted with my opiIreland, he remarked, "This is rather strange; nion as to Shakspeare, yet, be it as it may, he certainly always wrote poetry.'-Having perused a few pages further, Mr. Sh*r*d*n again paused, and, laying down the manu script, spoke to the following effect: Ther are certainly some bold ideas, but they are crude and undigested. It is very odd: one would be led to think that Shakspeare must have been very young when he wrote the play. As to the doubting whether it be really his or not, who can possibly look at the papers, and not believe them ancient?” Mr. Ireland's hatred of Mr. Malone is very naturally expressed, but not very jodiciously. He talks of the Malone faction, of working like a mole, of stinging like a viper; and attributes the conduct of this gentleman and of the other commentator on Shakspeare, to a determination "to crush that which would have proved so many of their labours of non-effect, had it passed current with the world." His own conduct, if all which he confesses is to be believed, appears in some instances like a sort of madness; such as promising his father a whole-length portrait of Shakspeare, and two copies of the first edition of his works with uncut leaves. Our good opinion of this gentleman is certainly not increased by the perusal of the present volume; for, though it may not at first have been his design to obtain money upon false pretences, moncy certainly was so obtained: four hundred pounds from Drury-lane, besides what the large subscription volume may have produced. It matters not how accounts stand between him and his father; the fraud was practised. The arrangement of the book ought to have been chronological; at present it is very confused, and we almost suspect that it has been made purposely so, because the more plainly the story is told the worse it appears. ART. XVII.—An analytical Inquiry into the Principles of Taste. By RICHARD PAYNE KNIGHT, 8vo. pp. 500. THERE are many words which are perpetually used, although seldom understood; of these, one of the most noted, is that which forms the subject of the work before us. What gentleman or lady, what milliner or hair-dresser, in the united kingdom, would be supposed ignorant of the principles of taste? yet what philosopher has hitherto been able to determine its nature, or to discern in what it consists? Mr. Knight has, however, undertaken to resolve the difficulty; it remains for us to inform our readers in what way he has attempted the investigation, and how far he has been successful in it. The work commences with an introduction, containing what is called, "a sceptical view of the subject;" in which, after observing how much our ideas of taste are influenced by fashion or imitation, and how various have been the standards of taste in different ages and nations, we are led to inquire, whether there be any real or permanent principle of beauty, or any certain combination of objects which are invariably gratifying to the mind, or pleasing to the organs of sensation. This inquiry induces some observations on the meaning of the word beauty, in which our author endeavours to prove that it is as strictly applicable to intellectual as to physical qualities, in both cases being used to express the result of proportion. Taste, as is well known, is appropriated to two distinct meanings; its first and original sense refers to the impression made by certain substances upon the tongue and palate; in its more enlarged sense it is defined by Mr. Knight, a general discriminative 66 faculty arising from just feeling and correct judgment implanted in the mind of man by his Creator, and improved by exercise, study, and meditation." We think this definition incorrect, both because its different parts contradict each other, and because it appears to us not to meet the view which he afterwards takes of the subject. When it is said that taste is a faculty "implanted in the mind of man by his Creator," we must suppose it an instinctive principle, produced by impressions immediately made on the organs of sense, yet this is incompatible with its arising from just feelings and correct judg ment; and, if we mistake not, a main object throughout the treatise is, to show how much more taste depends upon intellectual cultivation than upon mere impressions on the organs of sense. The work is divided into three parts; of sensation, of the association of ideas, and of the passions. In the first part we are presented with some observations upon the five senses, to each of which a chapter is allotted. We apprehend the main object of this part of Mr. Knight's work is to ascertain how far ideas of taste are acquired immediately from our sensations. He does not, however, adhere very scrupulously to his subject, but frequently digresses from his main purpose, and discusses a variety of topics connected with the different branches of literature. When treating upon the sense of touch, he ridicules the idea entertained by Burke, that pleasure is derived from the sensation of smooth surfaces. Such gratifications, he conceives, were confined to that cele brated author. "I have never heard of any person being addicted to such luxuries; though a feelingboard would certainly afford as cheap and innocent a gratification, as either a smelling bottle, a picture, or a flute, provided it were capable of affording any gratification at all." It is indeed acknowledged, that we occasionally attach ideas of a pleasing kind to objects that possess smooth surfaces, but this pleasure depends upon mental associations connected with the object. This circumstance leads our author to offer some remarks upon the connection between ideas and the objects exciting them; it is confessed that they bear no resemblance to each other, and yet Mr. Knight will not allow that the ideas can exist independent of the objects. Every one knows that our pleasures, both sensual and intellectual, are increased by what is usually called contrast; this, so far as respects the impressions upon the senses, our author ascribes to an “inverted action of the nerves." Of the existence of such an action we can form no conception, nor does the author bring forward any proof or explanation of it. But although we may not rest satisfied with the hypothesis, we shall admit the justice of the illustrations brought forward in the following paragraph: "From this inverted action arises the gra#ification which we receive from a cool breeze, when the body has been excessively heated; or from the rocking of a cradle, or the gentle motion or a boat, or easy carriage, after hay ing been fatigued with violent exercise. Such, too, is that which twilight, or the gloomy stude of a thicket, affords to the eye, after it has been dazzled with the blaze of the midday summ; and such, likewise, is that, which the ear receives, tron the gradual diminution o loudness of tone in music; and it is by al ternately ascending and descending this scale, that what is called (by a metaphor taken from painting) the chromatic in that art, is produced." In the chapter on hearing, the pleasure derived from music naturally comes to be considered; this, as it appears, may be distinctly referred both to a sensual and an intellectual source; the first depending upon the combinations of tore, many of which are naturally agreeable; the second upon that kind of sentiment which is connected with feeling and associations. There is likewise a third source of pleasure, derived from the skill of the performer or composer, which is experienced by the scientific proficient in the art. "It is one, indeed, which I am utterly in capable of enjoying: but that is no reason why I should treat it with contempt, accord ing to a too common practice; which, however, always indicates a narrow, or an uncul tivated mind; and generally both." The connection which has been thought to subsist between music and poetry, leads our author to consider the sources of that pleasure which is so generally produced by this latter art. We are disposed to agree with him in the opinion, "That the most melodious versification affords very little, if any at all, of mere seasual gratification; the regularity of metre or rhyme being rather calculated to assist me mory and facilitate utterance, than to please the ear." This opinion is supported by observing, how little effect the metres of the dead languages produce when imitated in our own tongue; and farther, what different impressions are conveyed to the minds of different nations by the same modulation of verse. Although the sense of sight is that from which a great part of our enjoyments are ultimately derived, it appears that the pleasures which are produced immedi ately by sensible impressions upon the eye, are but few and unimportant. The qualities which we admire the most in visible objects, would convey no corresponding ideas to the mind, if the eye were neither guided by experience not corrected by the information derived from the other senses. The conception of visible magnitude is not gained, as Burke supposed, by the space which the object occupies on the retina; for, according to this principle, a sheet of paper held close o the face has more effect than a mountain when viewed from its base. In the same way objects which are smooth do not give pleasure to the eye from any direct effect which their smoothness produces upon the nerve, because in reality their outline and their shadows are often peculiarly bright and sharp. After thus pointing out the defects of Mr. Burke's system, our author proceeds to point out his own ideas of visible beauty. "This consists, according to the principles which I have endeavoured to establish, in harmonious, but yet brilliant and contrasted combinations of light, shade, and colour; blended, but not confused; and broken, but not cut, into masses: and it is not peculiarly in straight or curve, taper or spiral, long or short, little or great objects, that we are to seek for these; but in such as display to the eye intricacy of parts and variety of tint and surface." The characters which are here assigned to visible beauty, are almost exactly those which Mr. Price has pointed out as constituting the picturesque. It appears indeed that Mr. Knight totally dissents from the opinion of the last-mentioned author, and he labours with much perseverance to prove that there are no distinctive marks by which the picturesque can be separated from the beautiful. To review all the illustrations that are brought forward upon this subject would carry us far beyond our limits; we cannot but acknowledge that in several instances he has been successful in demonstrating the fallacy of Mr. Price's hypothesis, but we still must adhere to it so far as to maintain that the picturesque is a distinct mode of beauty, which in many cases may be accurately discriminated, though it is frequently impossible to mark its limits. After viewing the operation of the senses, as connected with taste, our author proceeds to consider the effect of the association of ideas; a faculty to which the greatest part of our intellectual pleasures seems to be referable. The pleasure which arises from mere imitation is confessed to be considerable, yet our highest intellectual gratifications are derived from a nobler source, and proceed from that improved perception, which is gained by exercising the senses, and applying the understanding to any particular object. Upon this principle we see a reason for the preference which is given to an original painting over the most exact copy of it. The pleasure which we derive from painting and sculpture is ultimately founded upon the resemblance of the pic ture or statue to the objects which they represent; yet, except to the most vulgar mind, the pleasure is of a nature far superior to that of deception. The idea of the artist's ability enters into our feelings, and adds to our gratification. Hence we are not pleased with painted statues; and subjects which are disgusting in nature, may form subjects for the most beautiful paintings. Another reason may be assigned for this last circumstance: the disgust which the objects excite may be in consequence of some unpleasant impressions which they make upon the other senses; these are excluded from the picture, when the form and colouring is all that is presented to us. The ideas which we acquire of poetical melody are perhaps still more dependant upon association. "In a just and skilful application of the va riations of rhythm and prosody, such as arises from just feeling only, does the melody of lan guage consist: but, nevertheless, this melody affords no gratification to the mere organs of hearing; but is solely perceived and felt by mental sympathy, as appears from our feeling it, when we read inwardly, and without any utterance of sound; and also from its varying with the habitual variations of idiom in different languages: for, if it were a plea sure of organic sensation, it must necessarily, as before observed, be the same in all languages." The chapter concludes with some observations on English versification, and particularly on that of Pope and Milton. Our author coincides with Dr. Johnson in his severe judgment on the Paradise Lost. He finds its perusal tiresome and harassing; and thinks not only the Odyssey and the Æneid, but even Tasso's Jerusalem, more interesting. The repulsiveness of Milton he imputes to the peculiarity of his versification, and even to that circumstance which is frequently esteemed its appropriate excellence, the variety of the pauses. We apprehend many of our readers will, like ourselves, dissent from Mr. Knight's decision. Continuing to treat upon the same subject, but proceeding in his usual digressive manner, our author again attacks Mr. Price's notions respecting the picturesque; he points out the original meaning of the word, and endeavours to shew that subjects the most opposite in their visible qualities, strictly belong to this class. We cannot, however, assent to the aptness of these illustrations: the term picturesque, in its most commonly received accepta |