-he who fpeaks fo contemptibly of those who give forty, fifty, nay one hundred ducats for his picture in little. It is exceedingly natural, for him to have his father's about him, but the ready production of his uncle's has an appearrance of premeditation, which the context does not counte nance. Mr Holman with more propriety, points with avert. ed face, to a painting of the regicide, on the wall. I observe, that formerly the performer ufed no miniature of either.

I have been endeavouring to find something to carp at, in Mr Kemble's Hamlet.-Shall I attempt to describe his towering greatnefs in the tout enfemble? My pen fhall not do him that injuftice :-I will only add, that the paffages in his performance, that come home with most effect on me, are his annunciation of himself, HAMLET THE DANE his indig nant-"To be demanded of a spunge? What replication should be made by THE SON OF A KING?"-and fuch parts as require dignified or energetic expreffion.

Mr DALY the manager of the Dublin theatre, once procured a rich treat for the Hibernian critics. Within four nights he gave them Hamlet, by Holman, Pope, Kemble, and Henderson, fucceffively; the four best performers of the character then on the ftage. The fuffrage of the Dublin amateurs, refpecting their merits, was the the following "Pope is the actor, Holman the gentleman, Kemble the prince, and Henderfon the Hamlet." It is worthy of notice also, that the four gentlemen met at Holyhead, and each had previously been ignorant, that any other star was to be in Dublin but himself at the time.

ERNESTUS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GENERAL MAGAZINE.

"He cenfures those brave and able men who refifted and defeat-ed ufurpation, and to whom we are, at this day, indebted for our liberties." Lord Gardenftone's Critical Remarks on Hume.

SIR,

IN turning up the 3d volume of that excellent fund of ufeful and important information, SIR JOHN SINCLAIR'S Statistical Account of Scotland, I lately fell upon paffage, which surprised me not a little. It occurs in the

a

rev. Mr RICHARD WATSON'S account of the parish of AR BIRLOT, in Forfar fhire, p. 477.

After mentioning the Cafle of Kelly, he fays, that "Tra dition has handed down a circumftance, which deferves notice, viz. that "one OUCHTERLONY, laird of Kelly, was violently active in demolishing the abbey at Aberbrothock. Nor is it unlikely, that he confidered every religious fabric as a relic of idolatry. And being remarkable for the activity of his zeal, he was appointed by the convention to carry this barbarous deed into execution."

Although I regret the demolition of that grand edifice, as much as the worthy parfon, I cannot think that the deed was, ftrictly speaking, barbarous. In reflecting on the convulfion that unavoidably took place in this country, at the reformation,, we ought to make allowance for the violence of paffion, naturally excited by a long course of oppreffions and barbarities in the ftriet fenfe of the word. The philofopher and the philanthropift will confider the life of one individual of the human race, as of more real value than, all the pyramids of Egypt, and the iniquitous condemnation and death of one innocent man, as a greater act of barbarity, than the demolition of the moft beautiful edifice that ever was erected.

It seems rather ungrateful, and even savours of difaffection to our present happy conftitution in church and state, for minifters of the Church of Scotland, to exprefs themfelves in fuch fevere terms, against thofe men to whom we are in a great measure indebted for the civil and religious li berty we now enjoy. What would have become of our clergy, Sir, had not the reformation taken place? Popery with all its terrors would ftill have been eftablished, and our prefent clergy muft have been either Monks or Martyrs. Even fceptics, infidels, and atheists, who laugh at all religion, ought to venerate the characters of John Knox, and our other heroes of the reformation, and to make a charitable allowance for the errors their zeal led them into; for had no fuch zealous and courageous perfons ftood up to oppose the errors of popery, and overthrow the power of the priests, people of their fentiments would not now have had the li berty of diffeminating their opinions; but must either have become hypocritical conform ists to the doctrines and rules: of the church, or been fubjected to all the fiery vengeance of ecclefiaftical perfecution.

In offering thefe remarks, I hope I fhall not be fufpected of intending the most diftant perfonal reflection against the rev. author of the Statifical Account of Arbir!ot, which, in

every

every other respect, is well written, and merits due praise. I only mean to hint to that gentleman and all others of the cloth, that, in an age like the prefent, when religion is but too apt to be ridiculed by the difciples of HUME, VOL. TAIRE, ROUSSEAU, and PAINE, the minifters of the gospel fhould beware of giving additional occafion of offence, by ripping up the old fores of the imprudent acts of our first reformers, of whose well meant zeal, however ill directed in fome inftances, we now reap the happy fruits. I am,

PERTH, 25th Y
March, 1801.S

SIR,

Your's respectfully,
PHILELEUTHER US.

THE SONGS OF SELMA.

[From Offian.]

HAIL ftar of foft descending night!
Whofe rays the glimmering weft illume;
Difpelling with thy chaftened light,
The evening's murky gloom.

Fair is thy light, when from the cloud
That caft o'er thy fair face its fhroud,
Thou fhoot it thy gentle beams;
When all is filent calm and ftill,
And o'er the diftant mifty hill,
Thy filvery radiance gleams.

Say, lovely planet what doft thou behold,
When from the clouds thy brilliant rays unfold!
The ftormy winds in gufts no more,
Now fwell along the ftony fhore;
The torrent's murmur from afar,
Now fweetly foothes the listening ear;
In tumults wild, the furging wave,
The rocky channel oft will lave;
The flies of eve begin their flight,
And charm the placid ear of night.

Ah what fair light doft thou behold,
When hovering o'er the ocean's breast ?
The waves embathe thy hair of gold,

When finking in the crimson weft.

Farewell thou meek enlightener of the fkies!
Now let the light of Offian's foul arife.

Lo

Lo! to my mental fight appears,
The fhade of my departed years,
Fancy's vifion hither fends,

The actions of my long loft friends;
Lo! the warriors once again,
Gather round on Lora's plain,
Fingal comes with glory crown'd,
With his heroes rang'd around.'
And fee in order rang'd the bards of fong,.
Ryno and Ullin venerable in years;
Alpin, to whom the rapturous powers belong,
To melt the warlike heroes into tears.
Remembrance bufy power, ah why recall

Days when we flourish'd, now for ever paft!
Ah! deeds that thrill the aged Offian's foul,
Still fresh in memory's bound can yet be trac❜d.
Minona lovely maid appears,

With down caft looks and eyes of tears,
The treffes that her temples bind,
Now wave to the unfrequent wind;
The melting lay the plaintive pours,
And grief the warriors' breafts devours,-
They'd feen the place of Salgar's rest,
Of Colma with the fnow white.breaft,
Thus did the foften'd voice of Colma rise,
When night had veil'd in shades the placid skies.

SONG OF COLMA.

Now dunneft night the folemn scene invades,
And I am here envelop'd in its fhades;
Alone I wander, while the midnight storm,
Now roars aloud, and clouds the skies deform;
Adown the fhaggy rock the torrents pour,
No hut receives me from the driving fhow'r,
Amid the gloom of folemn night, with dread,
The howling hill, forlorn and fad I tread.

Rife beauteous moon in majefty of light,
And the dun fhadows quickly put to flight,
In chafter light ye glimmering ftars arife,
And lead me to the place where Salgar lies;
Tir'd with the chace he's ftretched along the ground,
His bow unftrung and panting dogs around.

Ab

1

Ah! here in forrow muft I fit alone,

And to the moffy ftreamlet make my moan.
The wind now echoes thro' the fadden'd grove,
In vain 1 liften for the voice I love.

When night had thrown around her darkest shade,....
To meet me here how many vows you made;
Here is the roaring ftream, the rock, the tree,
In vain my Salgar, do I call on thee;
Tho' fell contention doth our friends divide,
With thee I'd fly my parent's, brother's pride.

Hufh thou wild wind let all thy howling cease!
And thou, oh ftream be ftill'd a while in peace;
Around the folemn fcene let filence reign,

And my fhrill voice be heard across the plain;
Lo! thro' the clouds the moon-beams glimmer pale,
And the flood brightens in the distant vale,
To the pale beam the gray rocks faintly glow,
But Salgar comes not o'er the impending brow;
No bounding dogs before him hither tray,
To indicate that. Salgar comes this way.

But who are these that lie fo quiet here,
Is it my Salgar and my brother dear?
Alas I fear that ftretched along the heath,
They fleep for ever in the arms of death!
Oh fpeak to me that here fo calmly reft,
They answer not, what fears torment my breast!
Their fwords are covered with the purple ftain,
Oh why my brother haft thou Salgar flain?
And why my Salgar has thy fcalping fword,
My gentle brother's heaving bofom gor'd?
Oh fpeak to Colma hear her voice, O hear,
Ye that to me were once alas fo dear!
Diftrefs'd and forrowful how fhall I raise,
The fong of mourning and the fong of praise,
In you fo fair, my bofom look delight,
Fair on the hills, and terrible in fight;
Speak! hear my voice; no, Colma calls in vain,
For ever clofed fhall thofe lips remain !

Oh! from the windy mountain's fummit fpeak,
Say, in what cave fhall I your fpirits seek,
No feeble voice falutes my liftening ear,
No answer loft amid the tempeft drear!

I fit in lonely grief half drown'd in tears,
And wait till lovely gray ey'd morn appears;

Ye