the greatest) of those who are born into the world, die out of it before they become capable of moral action. Surely, it will not be faid of any of thefe, that their dying was owing to any actual fins they had themselves perfonally committed. It mult be ascribed to fome other caufe. And if we may believe the apostle Paul, it was in confequence of a divine conftitution, occafioned by the " one offence" of their first father.' Dr. Chauncy's difplay of erudition, upon the prepofition and relative ep w, borders upon oftentation. It is using a lever to lift a feather. Upon the whole, thefe Five Differtations are liberal, candid, and judicious, and merit the attention of the public. Boethius's Confolation of Philofophy. Tranflated from the Latin, with Notes and Illuftrations, by the Rev. Mr. Philip Ridpath., 8vo. 55. in Boards. Dilly. Boethius was very early diftinguished after the restoration of letters. His remaining works were foon printed, translated, and commented on, an honour which he probably then owed to his being a follower of Ariftotle, and a Christian : in fome refpects, perhaps, as a Trinitarian martyr. The work before us was tranflated into the Saxon language by Alfred; into English, by the poet Chaucer, by George Colville, by queen Elizabeth, and lord Prefton, fecretary to James the Second. The laft was published in 1695. A metrical version was also found in the monastery of Tavestock, in Devonshire; and is now, we are informed, in the Bodleian library. The tranflation by lord Prefton, is a nervous energetic performance, with numerous explanatory notes; but we fufpect that Mr. Ridpath has not had an opportunity of perufing it. In fome inftances, however, it is incorrect. Works much prized, are fometimes in their turns too much neglected. Boethius has funk with Ariftotle; and the best of his compofitions, the Confolations of Philofophy,' have been only the refource of the mind difeafed,' the comfort of the afflicted, and the balm of the difappointed. It is, however, in other respects, a valuable treatife: it difplays a found judgment, a collected mind, and a fleady refolution. There is an air of pleafing fadnefs fcattered over it, which, in fome difpofitions, is wonderfully captivating; in thofe ftates of mind, when we feel it better to go into the house of mourning, than that of feafting;' with which Milton wrote his il Penferofo, and Burton has called the pleaûng melancholy.' The tranflation is executed with great accuracy and clear: nefs, and with fufficient elegance.-The metra, interfperfed, Gg3 are are executed rather with ftrength than fire; they display a fteady light, instead of a bright dazzling flame. The originals, indeed, are more philofophical than poetical. Some, which are executed by the author's friends, are more animated than his own; we fhall quote one of the shortest of the latter. • Inconftant as the winds or wat'ry main, The cruel wanton fhifts the scenes of fate; To deep defpair to hurl them headlong down.' Boethius' effay is well known, and we need not select any fpecimen of the tranflation, after the character we have given. The notes are useful and explanatory, collected in general from the most refpectable fources, and fometimes the property of the translator, who has, in this part of his work, rather aimed at illuftrating his author, than at raifing his own character, as an ancient metaphyfician. The Life of Boethius is prefixed, written from the best authorities, with great accuracy. We fhall tranfcribe the account of his fall, fince it has feldom been mentioned by his biographers. King Theodorick (who had long honoured and respected Boethius, and governed with ability and humanity in the earJier parts of his reign), was an Arian; Boethius, who was a Catholick, unluckily published about this time a book upon the Unity of the Trinity, in oppofition to the three famous fects of Arians, Neftorians, and Eutychians. This treatise was univerfally read, and created our author a great many enemies at court; who infinuated to the prince, that Boethius wanted not only to deftroy Arianifm, but to effectuate a change of government, and deliver Italy from the dominion of the Goths; and that, from his great credit and influence, he was the most likely perfon to bring about fuch a revolution. Whilst his enemies were thus bufied at Ravenna, they employed emif faries to fow the feeds of difcontent at Rome, and to excite factious people openly to oppofe him in the exercife of his office as conful-Boethius, in the mean while, wanting no other reward than a fenfe of his integrity, laboured both by his eloquence and his authority to defeat their wicked attempts; and perfifted refolutely in his endeavours to promote the public wel fare, fare, by fupporting the oppreffed, and bringing offenders to juftice. But his integrity and steadiness tended only to haften his fall. King Theodorick, corrupted probably by a long feries of good fortune, began now to take off the mafk. This prince, though an Arian, had hitherto preferved fentiments of moderation and equity with regard to the Catholics: but fearing, perhaps, that they had a view of overturning his government, he began now to treat them with severity. • Boethius was one of the first that fell a victim to his rigour. He had continued long in favour with his prince, and was more beloved by him than any other perfon: but neither the remembrance of former affection, nor the abfolute certainty the king had of his innocence, prevented him from profecuting our philofopher, upon the evidence of three abandoned profligates, infamous for all manner of crimes. The offences laid to his charge, as we are informed in the first book of the Confolation of Philofophy, were, "That he wished to preferve the fenate and its authority: that he hindered an informer from producing proofs, which would have convicted that affembly of treafon; and that he formed a scheme for the restoration of the Roman liberty." In proof of the last article, the above mentioned profligates produced letters forged by themselves, which they falfely averred were written by Boethius. For these fuppofed crimes, as we learn from the fame authority, he was, unheard and undefended, at the diftance of five hundred miles, profcribed and condemned to death.-Theodoric, conscious that his feverity would be univerfally blamed, did not at this time carry his fentence fully into execution; but contented himself with confifcating Boethius's effects, with banishing him to Pavia, aud confining him to prison.' Soon afterwards, on additional provocation from Juftin, the Catholic emperor of the Eaft, and the defection of pope John I. he was condemned and beheaded, in the feventy-first year of his age. Mr. Ridpath thinks, with fome other commentators, that this work is imperfect, and that a fixth book was intended, on the Confolations to be derived from the Christian religion. This is highly probable, from the character of Boethius. The ingenious Dr. Blacklock, when diftreffed by fome cruel oppofitions, tranflated the treatise ascribed (perhaps without foun dation) to Cicero, 'de Confolatione,' and added another on the Comforts derived from Religion. Both were published under the title of Paraclefis *. If our author has fled to Boethius, in fimilar diftrefs, which we hope is not the cafe, we would recommend the example of this refpectable author. He might then fupply what the cruelty of Theodoric checked in * See Critical Review, vol. xxv. p. 40. the bud, raife a monument to his own reputation, and derive the best and firmeft confolations against any misfortunes which may have befallen him. Probationary Odes for the Laureatfhip: with a Preliminary Difcourfe, by Sir John Hawkins, Knight. 8vo. 15. 6d. Ridgway. WE can neither approve of the principles on which this peculiar fpecies of fatire is conceived, nor of the very indecent and unwarrantable mode of abufe with which it is conducted. The writer who holds up innocent frailties to ridicule, from political motives only, who burlefques refpectable characters, and levels diftinétions indifpenfibly neceflary in every well regulated community, deferves a reprehenfion proportionable to the mifchief likely to refult from a defign of fo licentious a nature. Licentioufnefs, under proper controul, is a rapid river confined by a dyke from fpreading general devaftation; a flight diminution of any part of the boundaries which check its impetuofity, may involve the whole country in one undiftinguished ruin. The hiftory of every free nation. records numerous examples of the deftructive tendency of that liberty which degenerates into a defiance of law, a contempt of public decorum, and a difregard to that fubordination which is one of the moft effential fupports of legitimate fociety. While, however, we exprefs the feelings of good men and dutiful citizens, we muft, at the fame time, confefs, that the genuine touches of humour, which, in this performance, atone for many long ftanzas of languor and tautclogy, the ingenious feverity of the fatire, and, in fome inftances, its juft application to vicious and infamous characters, have often afforded us high entertainment. Here is a revival of the old comedy; for, though the vice is ftigmatifed, the name is not concealed. The plan of this collection was fuggefted by the late vacancy of the office of poet-laureat, for which many very confiderable perfonages are fuppofed to be candidates; and accordingly each produces an ode, as a fpecimen of his skill in poetry, and his pretenfions to the laurel. But with what confiftency or propriety do privy-counsellors, lord chancellors, prime minifters, and archbishops, write probationary_odes ? Befides, they are reprefented as competitors for an office or employment, the exercife of which is totally incompatible with their profeffions and fituations. This is a fundamental fault, which affects the whole poem: and there is an apparent want of probability, which should be at the bottom of every fiction. Nor do we fee for what reafon fignor Delpini is appointed the lord chamberlain's affeffor, to decide on the feveral performances exhibited in this ideal contest. The political complexion of this publication is obvious to the reader, which appears to be very nearly related to the Criticisms on the Rolliad; and we cannot but lament, not only that fo much much wit fhould be wafted on the politics of the day, but that it fhould be difgraced by fo ftrong a tincture of virulence. This work is built on too flimzy a foundation to attain, and is dictated by too much malevolence to deferve, a long continuance of popularity. The writer is angry, becaufe his interested views have not fucceeded; and his fatire is evidently the vindictive effort of difappointment and difguft. The Odes are accompanied by fome fatirical pieces in profe; but thefe are of an inferior caft. The author is by no means qualified to fhine in the walk of humour here purfued. His force is in burlefque and poetical parody. In one of the profe pieces, a great perfonage folemnly commands the fcrutiny, fuppofed to be held for determining the true merits of this poetical election, to be fuddenly clofed, in confideration of the cruel fufpenfe, and extreme difquietude of mind, which the prefent laureat muft fuffer, while the certainty of his fuccefs was doubtful. But what real anxiety could be felt from the continuance of an imaginary fcrutiny? Humour cannot fubfift without truth. When the veil of invention is drawn afide, what is the latent meaning ?-Our author's narrative of the laureat's interview with the k- at Windfor is at once impotent and illiberal; and its dullness is only equalled by its feurrility. But we haften to give our reader a taste of the Odes. The following lines are felected from the ode written under the name of fir Richard Hill. We premife, that in thefe pieces difcrimination of character is not always fufficiently preferved. • And thou, fweet bard, for ever dear Defcend, and ev'ry tint beftow, Thou too, thou dread and awful fhade Bend from thy mountains, and remember still Then, like Elijah, fled to realms above, To me, thy friend, bequeath thy hallow'd cloak, That by its virtue Richard may improve, And in thy habit preach, and pun, and joke!' The |