Such is the true and genuine receipt for composing and compiling these much admired publications, purchased from LANE'S MANUFACTORY, Leadenhall-street. Nothing now remains to render this farrago of nonsence complete, than by forming it into the exact shape of the MONK, on which every romance is more or less founded.

"Hoc fonte derivata clades

"In patriam populumque fluxit." "Various and unnumbered woes,

"From this polluted fountain head

"O'er us, and o'er our country spread."

FRANCIS.

Such is the ridiculous absurdity with which the age is fed, being puzzled with such flimsy intricacy, for the most part free from all meaning, whether good or bad; mature in dullness and confirmed in full stupidity. We are indeed much at a loss. which to admire most, the total want of fire and imagination, or the systematic contempt of judgment and sense.

But should these compositions by any chance happen to deviate into sence; we may rest fully assured that every inch of these glorious pages which is not replete with folly, teems with knavery. Such of this kind are in general a descrip

tive manual of speculative debauchery, with infallible rules for reducing it into practice; and may properly be considered as the licensed vehicles of immorality or profligacy. A lively fancy, fair reasoning, and false reprepresentations will soon deceive, and imperceptibly lead astray those unaccustomed to their arts, and ignorant of their consequences.

But let not above all, THESE SACRED RETREATS, be stained and corrupted with their specious evasions and idle absurdity. The imagination fed with these extravagant notions, looses its relish for truth, and can only be satisfied with what is supernatural and violent. It has been well observed, that the reading of novels is to the mind what dram-drinking is to the body. We neglect every good and honourable pursuit, and give up the vigorous and unremitting prosecution of noble and well-directed studies, to the illiterate profligacy, blasphemous sneers, and insuperable folly of these odious and parti-coloured productions.

T.

THE

MINIATURE.

NUMB. III.

MONDAY, May 7, 1804.

Tunc victus abiere feri―TIBULLUS.

Then savage life was softened

To contemplate Mankind in the infancy of society, to trace the gradual progress of nations from a state of ignorance and barbarism, to refinement and civilization, is a subject not merely of curiosity, but of infinite instruction. The human mind, when free from the restraint which polished society, imposes on its affections and propensities, is more open to the researches of philosophy; and the events which are then continually changing the aspect of the political horizon, demand more particularly the attention of History; since it is from the observation alone of Mankind in their primary condition, that the

E

former can with certainty discover the principles of all their actions, and the latter explore the origin of the various forms and modulations which governments, and empires receive in future ages. The passions then acting with that force and freedom which they acquire, from unlimited indulgence, usurp the seat of reason, and become the sole rule of conduct to every individual. Hence we may account for the striking similarity which appears between all uncivilized nations; the leading characteristic features must be the same, although the varieties of situation and climate give rise to peculiar traits of national distinction.

I shall now inquire into the causes which lead progressively to civilization, and the obstacles which retard its advancement. It is evident that a people cannot totally alter those manners and habits, which are become venerable from their antiquity, in a short space of time; that having attempted this alteration, they cannot at once reach the highest summit of cultivation. We scarcely require to be convinced by the testimony of history that the lapse of ages, together with other concurrent causes, are necessary to overcome this difficulty, and to subvert and transform every thing which they respect and venerate; so great

indeed is the strength which habits accumulate; so deeply rooted is the dominion which they obtain in the course of successive generations, that in countries conspicuous even for modern refinement, some traces of customs may be discovered which bear the stamp of a more ancient invention, and recall to the memory, ages of unpolished rudeness, and literary obscurity. Five hundred and eighty years elapsed from the introduction of letters into Baotia by the Phenician Cadmus, tọ the period in which Homer produced his immortal poems; and judging by his descriptions of the manners and actions of the Grecian heroes a century and a half before his own time, we cannot allow any high degree of civilization to their native country.

The very distant, and almost improbable period of antiquity, at which the most cultivated people of America, viz. the Peruvians and Mexicans, dated the original establishment of their several empires, when compared with the advances they had made towards civilization will prove, if necessary, more strongly the delay and difficulty which attend its progress. But notwithstanding the first steps to civilization are unquestionably slow, there seems to be a certain point of