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Bofwell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with S. Johnfon,

LL. D.

Hanway's Neglect of the effectual Separation of Prisoners, &c.
the Cause of the frequent Thefts, &c.

Brown's Reftitution of all Things,

Scott's (Tho.) Difcourfe upon Repentance,

Plantagenet, a Poem,

Whitmore's Royal Tears,

The Royal Dream,

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THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For JULY, 1785.

Philofophical Rhapsodies. Fragments of Akbur of Berlis. Cont taining Reflections on the Lars, Manners, Customs and Relis gions, of certain Afiatic, Afric, and European Nations Col lected and now first published. By Richard Jofeph Sulivan, Efq. In three Volumes. 8vo. 155. in Boards. Becket.

T

HE following fragments were written by a native of Affyria, who, in very early youth, was removed to the continent of Europe, and thence to England. During his refidence in England with a friend of his father's, he became in ftructed in its language, and in the principles of its religion. He then travelled; and in various countries threw together the reflections which appear in the following sheett..

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This is the account of the editor, and we ought not to dif truft it; but whether Akbur really exifted, or fome European author has indulged his fancy, and wandered in idea under this guife, is of little confequence: the work itself is out object, and merits our recommendation: The author is a candid and intelligent traveller, a friend of his fellow-creatures, and a zealous advocate for the offices of humanity.' He travels, not to defcribe buildings, profpects, or the the various ornaments of differing fancy; but to examine the manners and cuftoms, to delineate the human heart, and to fee it under different difguifes, but ftill poffeffing the fame generous propenfities, the fame virtues, and the fame weakneffes. His mind is en lightened, and his fentiments liberal: indeed his liberality fometimes degenerates. a little into fcepticifm; but we find nothing to reprehend, for we discover it only by the terrors which he seems to feel when on holy ground, and the restraint frequently visible when his enquiries have brought him to the verge of the fanctuary. His language is clear, fimple, and unornamented; and, in general, we think thefe Philofophical Rhapsodies, unconnected in form, rather than in substance, furnish a pleafing and rational entertainment.

Vol. LX. July, 1785.

B

This

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This mental travelling, this, review of the minds and manners, is highly useful. It divéfts us of that unfocial pride, which raifes our own imaginary rank; for virtues and vices are nearly the fame, in all countries; benevolence is always amiable, and a harrow selfishness defpicable, from the hovels of the Hottentot to the caverns of Lapland. It expands the mind, fince it fhows that happiness and mifery are more equally diffused than we fhould fufpect, from a first and tranfient view; and it teaches us to refpect the errors of others, when they are found not to be more grofs and numerous than our

own.

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The first question, which neceffarily occurs to the mental traveller, is the origin of the different nations, and the varieties of the human, race. Thefe queftions are involved with each other; for, if the whole world did not proceed from one pair, no origin is neceffary, or at leaf none can be determined. This is a fubject which has not yet been decided, and the road, to investigation is fhut up, till fome liberal theologian fhall clearly fhow, that the Mofaic account of the creation is not to be understood in a literal or an univerfal sense. The first men for piety and learning, whom we have converfed with, have agreed that it is not fo; and indeed, the account of the early ages feems to have been chiefly defigned to preferve the Jewish genealogies. It is difficult to find one precept, either of morality or religion, except the punishment inflicted on the murderer, neceffary to the conduct of our lives, not to add, that the whole is related in the uncertain made of tradition. We chiefly mean to refer to the ages before the flood; and should not have hazarded this opinion, if we had not known that it was fupported by the best authorities. Our author dwells chiefly on the different races of men, and on thofe tribes, in appearance, moft remote from them, viz. the white men on the ifthmus of Darien, and the Albinoes of Africa. But, in fact, there are no two fpecies of the fame genus, in the whole range of animated nature, more diftinct than the wooly-headed African, and the copper-coloured American. To talk of the effects of climate is abfurd: it may influence the height, the ftrength, and from thence the manners; but it would never enlarge the lip, flatten the nose, or bend the knees. Befides, we know of no effect of climate beyond what may be be produced by the degree and duration of heat and cold, by the effects of moisture more or lefs combined with them. Yet in America there are parts as fwampy, as the banks of the Gambia, and deferts as dry and torrid as thofe of Ethiopia. Akbur does not decide; but he acts a little un

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fairly;

fairly; he leads his reader to determine, without feeming to biafs him.

Those who have examined the different races of mankind, the great families which have contributed to people the earth, must have been ftruck with the extenfive fettlements of the Tartars. Perhaps they are the moft numerous family that we are yet acquainted with; for it is not eafy to limit their appearance. They are faid to be the defcendents of Japhet; but that is little to the prefent purpose. Akbur, with juftice, examines them at the beginning of his travels, and fets out from the North. He is foon attracted by the Grand Lama, and the Dâla Lama, and gives an entertaining account of that religion; but this was in general well known. The vaît hordes with which Scythia has peopled Europe and Afia excites the following juft and natural reflections.

From the prodigious number of people which the regions of Scythia have fent forth, one would imagine that polygamy was beneficial to a community; and that no connection of the fexes could be more favourable to population. The fact, however, has been doubted, and apparently with good reason; for although a plurality of wives has been much more univerfally allowed than the fimple ftate of monogamy, as will more fully. appear hereafter, there yet feem to be natural as well as politi cal confiderations which fpeak forcibly against it. An equal proportion of the fexes is generally allowed to be the confequence of a man's being confined to a fingle wife; whereas, a great majority on the female fide is obfervable in thofe countries where his appetites are unreftrained. Of this, both India and China, together with the nations of which we are now treating, afford fufficient proof. Among thefe people, the women far outnumber the men; nor is the reafon affigned, a bad one. It is obferved by naturalifts, that the offspring of every animal partakes in general of the fex of that parent which has the trongest and most vigorous conftitution; and that the women in India and China have lefs exhausted conftitutions than the men, must readily be admitted. A variety of attraction muft enervate even the most robuft man. The feraglio, therefore, cannot but be hurtful to the male propagation. In fupport of this opinion, we find, that in Europe, where polygamy is exploded, the proportion of males and females is nearly equal. I do not exactly recollect the calculation; but I believe it is as 1c6 to 108. Europe, then, can boast of being in the trueft and most eligible ftate of nature; for woman being formed for man, and nature not allowing of thofe adventitious claims of riches and distinction which first introduced a plurality of wives, the divifion, by her rules, fhould be as equal as poffible; each fhould poffefs his mate, the poor as well as the wealthy. More over the monopoly of beauty is a monopoly of the most injuri B 2

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