"1st. With respect to the qualifications, or authority to kill game, it has already been observed that the extension of this power to occupiers of land, whether owners or tenants, subject to restraint by particular stipulation, would necessarily increase the interest to preserve the game, and consequently add to its general stock, and the amusement of the fair sportsman; and therefore it is proposed that instead of confining the power to persons having an estate of inherit. ance of 100l. per annum, or an interest for life, or a long term of years of the yearly value of 1507. according to the existing regulations, it should be extended to all owners of lands, whatever may be the quantity, and to all occupiers of land, exceeding twenty acres, not adjoining a preserve or wood of another person, and to authorize the owner or occupier of land to empower any person obtaining a stamped licence to sport over his land for a limited time. By this latter permission persons of opulence having no interest in land might legally obtain amusement in sports of the field, and by this means one of the principal objections to the Game Laws would be avoided, without any probability of the quantity of game being diminished; for the occupier finding pleasure and profit thus incident to game, would adopt all possible means to keep up the breeding stock, and renew his annual profit or pleasure. (p. 32-33.)

Though fixed notions are not to be easily or soon eradicated, yet it may be hoped, that whenever gaine becomes property, like other property, it will derive some protection from the moral feelings and habits of the people. It must be confessed, however, that other provisions have been hitherto, and will continue to be requisite for that purpose.

In order to render poaching more perilous, and less produc ive, every one is acquainted with the formalities attending the carriage of game; and that, like exciseable commodities, it cannot travel without a kind of permit. Every one knows that, by law, game cannot be sold; and that, in fact, it is sold every day, and with a very slight attempt at concealment. The inefficacy of these laws is the strongest reason for their repeal. Instead of them Mr. Chitty proposes these regulations.

2dly, , With respect to the power to sell game. For the reasons before suggested, it may be expedient to enable the licensed owner and occupier of land to sell game, either to an immediate consumer, or to a poulterer, or innkeeper licensed by magistrates to sell game, as already proposed; and regulations might be introduced, so that evidence of the game coming from and with the authority of a qualified killer, might accompany it on its lawful passage to the consumer; and all other game, not so documented, should be liable to

seizure, and penalties attach, as in the case of an illegal exposing to sale, The license for the qualified killer of game to sell it, might be obtained and registered, as in the case of game certificates, under the provision of the assessed tax act, 52 Geo. III. But, for the reasons before suggested, the poulterer and innkeeper should obtain this license to sell by retail from the neighbouring magistrates, as in the case of alehouse licenses.

"There should be a larger penalty than 57. on any unlicensed person, whether qualified or not, selling game, as under the present regulations; and the penalty should increase, and become punishable criminally, for repetition of offences; and gamekeepers selling or fraudulently disposing of game, without the leave of their employer, should forfeit double penalties, and be liable to severer punishment, on account of the breach of trust. Though the tax`on the license may seem to have an object of revenue in view, yet the circumstance of there being a public register of the persons who profess to sell game, would afford a wholesome check against evasion of the restraint upon sale, and against poachers.

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3dly, It is highly important to regulate the purchase of game, as well as the sale of it. All persons, whether qualified or not, should be authorized to buy game of a licensed owner, or occupier of land, or of a licensed innkeeper or poulterer. But in order the more effectually to prevent the purchase, either from poachers, higglers, carriers, or other unauthorized persons, there should be a considerable penalty imposed on any person for purchasing game of any unauthorized persons, with an increase of penalty, and even punishment, for a repetition of the offence. This enactment would effectually put an end to the daily encouragement afforded to poachers, &c. by persons secretly buying game of them, and it would be proper to make it incumbent on every party, in case of prosecution, to prove a legitimate mode of coming to the possession of the game." (p. 33-34.)

We own that these proposals appear to us likely to answer all the great ends, which even those have principally in view who think that the higher orders ought to retain a sort of prerogative right to the sport, as well as the luxurious produce: the land-owner and land-occupier will possess rights of chase commensurate with his possessions, and even the wealthy citizen, who has only merchandize and money, may purchase the right to catch game, as well as game when caught; and, at the same time, no offensive and anomalous privileges are given to mere rank and to property, independently of the property which imparts the privileges, while they who are furnished with the means, have also motive to protect, and not to destroy the game.

Still more to protect this property, Mr. Chitty proposes a civil remedy in cases of trespass.

"It may be expedient to subject every person, whether qualified or not, to a penalty of 10l., to be paid to the occupier for each head of game taken; or 107 for attempting to take it after notice, in any preserve, wood, or enclosed grounds, recoverable with costs before a justice of the peace, or by action." (p. 34.)

Nocturnal trespasses, in pursuit of game, have been the subject of legislative provisions. By an act passed in the last sessions, the being at night in an enclosure with nets, guns, &c. for the purpose of catching game, is made a misdemeanor, and punishable with seven years' transportation; a severity, which only the magnitude of the evil can justify, and which will cease to be justifiable, as it will cease to be necessary, when preventative expedients may have lessened the temptation to offend, and added to the difficulties of escape from detection and punishment. This recent legislative provision has in a great degree anticipated Mr. Chitty's suggestions.

His last proposal is that the importation of the game should be permitted by law.

6thly, An increase of game, or at least less necessity for destroying it, might be effected, by authorizing the importation of game from the Continent; whereas several instances have of late occurred of seizures of imported game, and penalties enforced against persons who had brought them into this country. Encouragements might also be held out to licensed breeders of game."(p. 35.)

ART. VIII.-Self Deception; in a Series of Letters. By EMMA PARKER, Author of "The Guerrilla Chief," "Aretas," &c. London, Egerton, 1816. 2 vols. 12mo. pp. 326-324.

MORE than two thousand years have expired since this species of composition has been adopted in Europe; and among the inducements to inquire into its history is, the degradation to which it has fallen, while almost every other kind of writing has been raised to a rank in some degree suited to the lapse of time, and the progressive improve

ment of mankind. These learned ladies will not be offended with us, if we presume to inform the few that may be ignorant of the matter, that the romances and novels in which they are conversant, were known in Asia Minor, when the Kings, or rather the Queens of Persia, governed that luxurious and luxuriant country; but it was not until the conquering son of Olympia overran with his Macedonians these fair regions, that all the sources of fiction were opened to this quarter of the world.

The Dinias and Dereyllis of Diogenes took the lead; the Metamorphoses of Lucius succeeded; then we have the loves and pursuit of Rhodanes and Sinon; when two hundred years of dulness were recompensed by the Theagenes and Chariclea, the seductive fiction of a bishop, who had under his controul the diocese of Tricca. We ought not to omit the remark to those whom we are addressing, that this mitred novelist, and all the ancient writers of the same class, appear to consider the heroes of their story as of no comparative importance, and to bestow all the force of character and spirit of colouring upon their heroines: thus Theagenes is a very insipid person, and the energy and talent is alone bestowed upon Chariclea.

A less polite age altered this scheme, so that we find pirates and robbers among the principal characters; and it is to this period that a noble lord, now an absentee, is principally indebted for the outline, and indeed for much of the dark shading, of his narratives. The prelate we have named has had admirers and imitators after the expiration of thirteen and fifteen centuries: his work suggested to Tasso the birth and early life of Clorinda, in the Jerusalem; and the sacrifice, and subsequent discovery of Chariclea, (the very name adopted) in the Pastorfido of Guarini. Gomberville and Scudery, with their numerous followers, were from the same model, and became extremely popular in France. Hardy composed eight tragedies on the subject; and Dorat one, with the identical title of the romance, which was acted in Paris as late as the year 1762.

Longus, who, in the fourth century, wrote his Daphnis and Cloe, is the parent of the pastoral, and the origin of the ten thousand productions in which both his style and his names are copied, as if he had by his talents wholly exhausted this mine of invention. The error, however, has been, that he has not, in some respects, been sufficiently attended to. In his composition we have no conceited gal

antry, no didactic instruction, no abstract reasoning, no intrusive episodes, no golden age; and he attempts to please only by the correct transcript of nature. Ramsay's Gentle Shepherd is an imitation of Longus. Our fair readers will perceive, that although we are travelling back a considerable way into antiquity, yet that we are endeavouring to preserve the connection with the modern road, in which we are all familiar; for it signifies little to us what these philosophers, poets, and sophists, have done, unless we, with their assistance, are enabled the better to discover the tract we should ourselves pursue: yet as, in the order of chronology, we shall presently be coming to Gildas, Nennius, and other monkish and unfashionable personages, we will even leave them in their own dormitories, and join the cheerful society of Miss Parker.

"Self-Deception" has a most singular introduction; the novel, instead of ending, begins with the marriage of the hero and heroine; so that, when every thing romantic should be disposed of, and the vulgar transactions of life commence, which are imagined to be too mean for the pencil of the artist, we have still the story pursued; and we do not at all know how the attention of the reader would have been kept alive, unless some other candidates for distinction had been admitted, who, indeed, give us enough of marriage, for not one of them remains unyoked,-the last couple submitting to the short forms of the Scottish ceremonial, in order to prevent unnecessary delays.

Another singularity is, that the reader is left wholly in the dark as to any of those best consolations of marriage, a chubby ruddy offspring; for such is the immaculate purity of the heroine, that the most respectful distance is preserved throughout the whole novel; and when reconciliation appears to be happily accomplished, a cast-off mistress, in a paroxysm of jealousy, stabs the hero in the back, and he, poor soul! is left in the most melancholy situation with a priest, sent for to give him such aid as his holy profession will afford. But although this lady is in a situation of vestal abstinence, yet there is not that mental chastity which is recommended in our perfect system of faith and practice. Both marry from motives of interest, with a mutual declaration that their affections are placed elsewhere; and we dare not conjecture what might have been the consequence as to the morals and reputation of the lady, had not her favourite Eugene's sabretache "unhappily entan gled with his legs," and "his spur made a melancholy inciCRIT. REV. VOL. IV. Nov. 1816.

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