THE REMARKER. Just assumption of authority, because they in some measure include the power of punishing, as well as of judging; which powers, in every free state, should be kept perfectly distinct. To explain this anomaly I will attempt to give you some hints, which I have gathered from Bayle, who was long a dictator in the republick of letters. The commonwealth of learning is the only permanent example of pure and original democracy. In this state, under the protection of truth and reason, whose authority alone is acknowledged, wars may be carried on with the utmost innocence, though not always with impunity; for here every man is sovereign, and every man also under the jurisdiction of every other. The laws of civil society have in no degree abridged the independence of the state of nature, as to errour and ignorance. No man can be excluded by the social compact from his unalienable right to be a fool; and, on the other side, every man retains the right of the sword, and may exercise it without a commission. " If it is asked," says Bayle, "why the civil authority should leave every one at libr erty to expose the mistakes and follies of authors, it may be an swered, that to criticise a book tends only to show, that the author does not possess a certain de gree of knowledge or of talent Now, as an author may enjoy all the rights and privileges of the community, in which he lives, note withstanding this defect of knowledge and of talent; and as his re, putation, as an honest man and a good subject of the commonwealth, does not receive by it the least blemish, it is evident, no usurpation is made on the majesty of the state, by showing to the publick the faults of a book." [Bayle's • Dict. art. Catius. Note D.] If then the correlative rights of publishing and of censuring nonsense remain alike unimpaired by the conventions, and established by the immemorial customs of soci ety, it follows, that, if every writer of a book may publish anonymously, the writer of a review cannot be compelled to declare himself; and, as the object of criticism is not persons, but works, there is no cowardice in this concealment. There is nothing dishonourable in firing at a senseless mark out of an ambush, or from behind a trec It will perhaps be esteemed a more difficult task to maintain the expediency, than to establish the right of critical severity, in the present state of American literaIt will be said, that our ture. country is young, and therefore her infantile productions in the field of letters deserve rather to be cherished by the gentle and perfumed gales of flattery, than to be checked by the chills of neglect, or beaten down by the blasts of angry criticism. It will be said, that our most able minds will continue to shun the dangers of authorship, if every thing, which issues from the press, must be subjected to the unrelenting severity of anonymous remark. But is he a friend to the literature of his country, who wishes to excuse it from examination? Does he think, that the easy multiplication of feeble works will eventually establish a solid basis for our future fame? No: the ever. lasting oaks of our forests were not raised in a hot-house. The indulgent remarks of candid friends, the simpering smiles of kitchencriticks, the puffing advertisements of newspapers, and the lullaby strains of poetasters, will never patronize the growth of solid learning, nor confer immortality on the authors of our country. We have yet to learn, that to write correct, ly and to think sensibly ought to be made inseparable habits; if then, when a poet is a dunce, we say that he is a genius; when an orator talks fustian, we say that he is eloquent; when a writer is solecistical, we say that he is a little inaccurate; or when a book is composed in a Babylonish dialect, we excuse it because it is American, we are only feeding children with sweetmeats, or wrapping them up warm against the cold, and thus laying the foundation of perpetual vanity, imbecility, and idiotism. The earliest reviews, which appeared in Europe, were undoubtedly the most gentle in their animadversions. It is true also, that they were recommended by some of the most celebrated names, which the annals of literature can furnish. Bayle, Le Clerc, Basnage, and S'Gravesande* did not disdain to be editors of literary journals. But the first has always been cen. sured for the encomiastick strain of his remarks, and the others commonly restricted themselves, except where their peculiar prejudices were concerned, to bare analyses of the works, which they announced. Since that time the state of the republick of letters has essentially altered. Then the iterature of Europe was just awaking from its long repose in the cloisters of monks, and the .... • Bayle began the Nouvelles de la Republique de lettres, in 1684, but it was discontinued in 1687, on account of his ill health. Basnage de Beauval wrote a sequel of them under the title of L'Histoire des ouvrages des Seavans, which commenc. ed in 1687, and was concluded in 24 vols. 12mo.in 1709. Le Clere conducted the Bibliothèque Universelle from 1686 to 1693, 25 vols. 12mo. the Bibliotheque Choisie from 1703 to 1718, 28 vols. 12mo. and the Bibliotbêque Ancienne & Moderne from 1714 to 1727, 29 vols. 12mo. S'Grave legends of popish superstition. The liberty to think, and the disposition to write, demanded every stimulus and every encouragement. Now the licentiousness of the press has become a greater evil, than its inactivity, and instances of superfetation are more frequent than of sterility. Then the laws of fine writing were imperfectly established, and rarely understood; now they are or ought to be familiar to school boys and abecedarians. Then the method of conducting literary journals was to be ascertained by experiment, and an author was to be flattered into a quiet acknowledgment of their privileges; now every candidate for fame has it in his power to consult innumerable precedents, statutes, and declarations of criticism, by which the verdict of the publick and the sentence of the reviewer may be previously and probably conjectured. Then authorship had pot become a trade; plagiarism was not practised with unblushing effrontery; nor were the scraps of every author's scrutoire swept out upon the publick; now every starvling pedant writes for bread, and all that is necessary to constitute an author is, the industry to borrow or to steal materials, till he is able to swell out a volume. In such a state of things, it is not enougli that a review contains an analysis of a work, for some works defy analysis; neither is it enough cor rectly to state the subjects of a book, for that might be done by transcribing the table of contents; but the faithfal reviewer is daily called upon to detect literary thefts, to expose absurdities, to correct blunders, to check the contagion of false taste, to rescue the pub. lick from the impositions of dull sande, the celebrated philosopher, edited ness, and to assert the majesty of Le Journal Literaire from 1713 to 1722. learning and of truth. In stating these lofty pretensions of the critick, we had almost for gotten the claims of the author. If I am asked, what redress can an author obtain, who has been ignorantly criticised, or unmerci fully castigated; I answer; the redress of an author, who deserves any, will always be found in the ultimate decision of the publick. "The satire of Pope," says Johnson, " which brought Theobald and Moore into contempt, dropped impotent from Bentley, like the javelin of Priam." Besides, the name of an author will always command more intrinsick respect, than that of a critick. The former naturally takes rank of the latter in the ceremonial of literature. It requires less ability to detect faults, than to avoid them; but even if it were not so, the author should remember, that he forever retains the right of primogeniture, and the advantage of pre-occupying the attention of the publick; and while authors may exist without criticks, the latter cannot maintain themselves a moment, if writers should withhold the customary prey. As to the herd of vain and dis appointed authors I have long perplexed myself to find a remedy for their chagrin. I can recommend no better mode of avenging themselves on the criticks and on the publick, than by obstinately refusing to publish any more. It is true that there are many inconveniences, which would follow so decisive a measure; for the world would thus be deprived of much harmless diversion, and per haps some of the brethren of the type would be thrown out of employment; but whenever I begin to be alarmed by these solemn consequences, and tremble at the growing tyranny of criticism, I find myself relieved by the hu mour of the following passage in Baillet, with which I will close the present number. Ceux ..."L'inconvenient de voir le monde sans livres ne sera jamais à craindre, puisqu' il est à présumer qu'il y aura toujours plus d'ecrivains que de gens sages. qui remarquerent que S. Augustin exhortoit fortement toute le monde à la continence, se crurent obligez de lui remontrer, qu'il prît garde aux desordres qui en pouvoient naître, & qui se chacun vouloit garder sa virginité, le genre humain periroit en peu de tems. S. Augustin se moqua d'eux, parce qu'il savoit bien qu'il ne seroit jamais pris au mot, & qu'il y auroit toujours assez de personnes de l'un & de l'autre sexe, qui ne quitteroient pas leur part des plaisirs du mariage. Que l'on dise tout ce qu'on voudra pour la continence, cela n'empêchera point les enfantemens; l'on peut assurer aussi que quelque chose que l'on dise, ou que l'on fasse contre les auteurs, rien ne sera capable d'empecher qu'ils n'enfantent livre sur livre. La superfetation est incomparablement plus fréquente parmi eux que parmi les femmes; car combien de fois commencent-ils un nouveau dessein, avant que d'avoir achevé le précédent. Ainsi l'en ne se doit pas allarmer de leurs menaces; il est vrai que quand ils voyent qu'on maltraite leurs ecrits, ils forment le même dessein qu' Apollon forma lors que son fils Phaeton fut tué d'un coup de fou. dre; je veux dire qu'ils songent à ne plus répandre la lumiere dans l'univers; mais cela ne dure pas, ils reviennent de ces premiers mouvemens; & on les embarrasseroit un peu si on les défioit dans les formes d'executer leur menace. Ils aimeroient mieux qu'on se gouvernât à leur égard, comme l'on fit envers Apcllon, qui se 'vit très humblement suplié de ne laisser pas le monde dans les tenebres, --Neve velit tenebras inducere rebus, Supplice voce rogant. Ils seroient même ravis qu'on les en priât avec l'autorité du com mandement & de la menace, com- FOR THE ANTHOLOGY. SANS SOUCI. Stealing and giving tweets. THE meanness and servility of Dryden's hyperbolical adulation, in his dedications, has been severe ly and justly censured by Dr.Johnson; but the encomiastic language which he always used in these compositions was rather the vice of the times, than of the man. The dedication of almost every author of that age was equally loaded with flattery, and sometimes far surpassed any of Dryden's in extravagance of praise. Of all Dryden's dedications, the one, from which we made the following extracts, addressed to her royal highness the duchess Mary of Este, daughter of the duke of Modena, while it gives abundant proofs of the variety and luxuriance of his fancy, exhibits the most perfect specimen of what is called the celestial style. The duchess was, at the time of her marriage, little more than fourteen, and, according to Macpherson, of exquisite beauty. To her Royal Highness the Duchess. SHAKESP. No. 1. Both these are so eminently joined in the person of your Royal Highness, that it were not easy for any but a poet to determine which of them outshines the other. But I confess, Madam, I am already biassed in my choice. I can easily resign to others the praise of your illustrious family, and that glory which you derive from a long-continued race of princes, famous for their actions both in peace and war; I can give up to the historians of your country the the names of so many generals and heroes which croud their annals; and to our own, the hopes of those which you are to produce for the British chronicle. I can yield, without envy, to the notion of poets, the family of Este, to which Ariosto and Tasso have owed their patronage, and to which the world has owed their poets; but I could not, without extreme reluctance, resign the throne of your beauty to another hand. But with whatsoever vanity this new honour of being your poet has filled my mind, I confess myself too weak for the inspiration; the priest was always unequal to the oracle; the god within him was too mighty for his breast. He laboured with the sacred revelation, and there was more of the mystery left behind, than divinity itself could enable him to express. I can but discover a part of your excellencies to the world; and that too according to the measure of my own weakness. Like those who have surveyed the moon by glasses, I can only tell of a new and shining world above us, but not relate the riches and glories of the place.'.... Fortune has, indeed, but rendered justice to so much excellence, in setting it so high to publick view; or rather Providence has done justice to itself, in placing the most perfect workmanship of heaven, where it may be admired by all beholders. Had the sun and stars been seated lower, their glory had not been communicated to all at once; and the Creator had wanted so much of his praise, as he had made your condition more obscure; but he has placed you so near a crown, that you add a lustre to it by your beauty. You are joined to a prince who only could deserve you; whose conduct, courage, and success in war, whose fidelity to his royal brother, whose love for his country, whose constancy to his friends, whose bounty to his servants, whose justice to merit, whose inviolable truth, and whose magnanimity in all his actions, seem to have been rewarded by heaven by the gift of you. You are never seen but you are blest; and I am sure you bless all those who see you.'.... Thus, madam, in the midst of crowds, you reign in solitude; and are adored with the deepest veneration, that of silence. It is true, you are above all mortal wishes; no man desires impossibilities, because they are beyond the reach of nature. To hope to be a god, is folly exalted into madness; but by the laws of our creation, we are obliged to adore him, and are permitted to love him at human distance. It is the nature of perfection to be attractive, but the excellency of the object refines the nature of the Vol. III. No. 1. D love. It strikes an impression of awful reverence; it is indeed that love which is more properly a zeal than passion. It is the rapture which anchorites find in prayer, when a beam of the Divinity shines upon them; that which makes them despise all worldly objects; and yet it is all but contemplation. They are seldom visited from above; but a single vision so transports them, that it makes up the happiness of their lives.'.... But all my praises are but as a bull-rush cast upon a stream; if they sink not, it is because they are borne up by the current, which supports their lightness; but they are carried round again, and return on the eddy where they first began. I can proceed no farther than your beauty,and even on that too I have said so little, considering the greatness of the subject, that, like him who would lodge a bowl upon a precipice, either my praise falls back by the weakness of the delivery, or stays not on the top, but rolls over, and is lost on the other side.' .... In a tea conversation, at the house of Sir Joshua Reynolds, speaking of Percy's reliques of ancient English poetry, Dr. Johnson ridiculed that kind of writing, by addressing, extempore, the following stanzas to the young lady that made the tea : I pray thee, gentle Renny, dear, Nor fear that I, my gentle maid, Yet hear at last this mournful truth, |