House of Austria-but I am going against Frenchmen, whose country. men have given the signal against European despotism. And I am going to battle in some wood-to be shot at from behind a tree, and to die like a dog.'. . . . Which, alas! was realized on the 14th of September,

1793.

"Poor man! his intellects were greatly out of harmony. He is the author of a little work, intitled, The Cry of Nature in favour of Animals,' published by Johnson, St. Paul's Church-yard."

The style in which this production is written, is wel! calculated to depict the uninterrupted succession of horrible events, which marked the progress of the French Revolution. Mr. Thomson, it seems, was once a violent revolutionist. But his sentiments are changed, and he justifies the change in the following manner.

"I am considered," he says, "by some of my old acquaintance, as apostate from democratic principles; that is, because, instead of going down in apostacy to the cause of bondage, under a Corsican despot of 1815, I continue firm to my republican love of liberty of 1791. The cameleon changes colour, or, in different positions of the light, reflects green, blue, white or yellow-is the change in the animal, or in the gazer's eye? Does it follow that because I admire white, I must also admire red that because I then admired freemen promising reform, I must now admire perjured slaves dashing in pieces every human right?"

Now, though we in general dislike what they call tergiversation, yet, in the present instance there is nothing to blame, but something to praise. Who is there among the earlier revolutionary advocates, who is not ashamed of his partiality to the disturbers of the world? If Mr. Thomson's political friends were good Christians (which democrats never are) they would rejoice at the improvement of his sentiments-aware that there ought to be great joy over a sinner that repenteth. The fol lowing is his account of the fall of the infamous Robes pierre.

"On the 8th Thermidor-25th July, 1794-Robespierre pronounces a discourse in the Jacobin Club, that warns them of a blow he is to strike in the Convention next day. Those who are to be the first victims, wait for him with impatience. Collot d'Herbois is one of them, and he is president; with a list before him of the conspirators, who only are to speak. St. Just, Couthon, Lebas, and others, arrive. The curtain rises, and Robespierre enters with the bloody roll of proscription in his hand. The writer of this was present. St. Just prepares the attack, but he is soon silenced-Couthon's voice is drowned-Lebas is thrown down from the tribune. I demand to be heard,' cries Robespierre. In your turn,' answers the president-Billaud Varennes, against him, speaks Tallien eyes him with his blood-stained countenance, and exclaims, ⚫ They are tearing away the mask, I perceive, and flourishes a dagger

4

before him. I demand to be heard,' cries Robespierre- You have spoken enough,'-they cry on every side-Down with the tyrant! Down with the triumvirate !-Robespierre was foaming at the mouth with rage to be heard-The blood of Danton choaks you,' they said to im I demand leave to speak, or deati'-' You deserve it a thousand times,' they cried."

"On the 16th Thermidor-28th July-the two Robespierres, Couthon, St. Just, Henriot, the general of Paris, Fleuriot, the mayor, Dumas, pre sident of the Tribunal, Simon, the jailor of the Dauphin, Payau, the national agent, with 13 more, were guillotined on the spot where the monarch fell, amidst the loud shouts of The Republic for ever!' and, which would have been pain of death before, The Nation for ever!'-The execution of Robespierre and his accomplices was, literally, a public festival. From the disasters of the Commune, they made a most pitiful figure in the carts. Many of their colleagues were in the crowd to insult them as they passed. Robespierre was the last execufed. He made an effort to stand erect, while the executioner was tying him to the plank. The operation of tearing the rags from his head was painful, and rendered his head, when exposed, the most frightful they had ever seen."

Miscellanea.

THE REVIEWERS.

REVIEWERS are self-constituted arbiters. A mysterious and intangible authority veils their proceedings. Whatever be the nature and extent of their individual responsibility, their incorporation in the various and opposite classes they have formed, and the anonymous character of their compositions, shield them alike from equal attack, and from just retaliation. With such dangerous prerogatives, it was to be expected that they would not bear their faculties very meekly; and that numerous instances would occur of unmerited eulogy, and indiscriminate The fact is too notorious to need any particular illus tration. "Who that hath ears to hear," has not hǝard of works distinguished by their original information and beneficial tendencies, being laughed out of notice by the wit or the sneer of a critical satirist-while sufficient proof has been afforded,

censure.

through the misrepresentations or the ignorance of the satirist," that he had examined neither the work nor the subject? His knowledge of the author had been confined to the title-page, and the table of contents; a single sentiment found out by chance and incidentally brought forward, had enabled the soidisant critic to guess at the creed or the party of the writersome dashing common-places in the style of calumny and abuse, arise out of this fortunate discovery; the volume is consigned to oblivion or contempt; and this effusion of political antipathy, or religious intolerance, is entitled-a Review!

It has not unfrequently happened, that a philosophical hypothesis, or a theory in moral or physical science, admired and applauded in one place, has, from its mere locality, been condemned under another meridian! An university becomes the nucleus of a party; and in a review their transactions are recorded, their principles defended; and through it their periodical asperities are conveyed to all around them. A metaphysical dissertation by a disciple of the school of Reid, is answered in the southern metropolis before it can be read, and condemned before it be comprehended. If a work be announced by some well known character, whether it be poetical, political, philosophical, ecclesiastical or religious, nothing is so easy as to predict in what journals it will be censured, in what admired. It is natural indeed for Reviewers, as well as other men, to have their own opinions on questions of literature, politics, and theology: but the ferocity of intolerant partisans, and the harsh, unsparing invectives of newspaper declamation, ought not to degrade and disgrace the repositories of criticism.

Why are not reviews reviewed? Can any reason be assigned why they should be exempted from regular investigation? There really is nothing in their nature or design to prove, that the writers of them are not fitter objects of animadversion than any class of authors whatever. Their number, their clanship, their severity, and above all their invisibility, imperiously require that they, in their turn, should be candidly noticed and some of our readers will not be displeased to find, that it is our intention to undertake the periodical exposure of

critical injustice in the conduct of our own intermeddling captious fraternity. In the arrangements we have made for this purpose, we have two objects in view the reparation due to individuals who have been wantonly traduced; and (what we consider a still more important obligation) the counteracting of the effects of those prejudices and misconceptions, which have originated in the partial statements of modern criticism.

To this project the old adage may be applied, "Physician heal thyself," and we declare, that we shall most willingly include our own contributors, whenever there shall appear proofs of their delinquency. If it be further inquired, “Who gave us authority?" we will answer, that it is derived from the same source in which the authority of all Reviewers takes its rise, and as others do not doubt the legitimacy of theirs, we shall respect our own. We are liable we know, to a similar scrutiny; and we assure all whom it may concern, that, if the interests of truth be at any time promoted by subjecting our proceedings to inquiry, we will not only commend honorable motives, but rejoice in the success of well intended efforts.

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Public Affairs.

WHEN we turn our eyes to the continent, we are astonished at the prodigious change which a few years have effected. We behold the despotic arbitress of the fate of nations suing-not for dignified alliance, but here for protection-there even for mercy-and from those very powers over whom she had often most capriciously tyrannised. Her folly had brought on disorders, her criminality had provoked punishment, through which she is at length so miserably exhausted and enfeebled, that if the leading governments of Europe employ but a moderate share of prudence, they will have nothing to fear from her power for a whole age.

It was the military success and fame of France that placed her, for many years, so far above her neighbours. And has this her proudest distinction also been destroyed? What less could be expected? The blood of millions “cried unto heaven;" Europe was incensed; and the tide of success, which had flowed o long, at length ebbed-leaving the general foe in the presence of hostile armies-naked and defenceless-without means and without hope. Yet, none commiserated the condition of the French, all being of opinion, that no people had ever so grossly abused the favors of fortune.

It so happened, that even those who studied war as a profession, had no ground left for regretting that the French were no longer to give them lessons. The schemes of domination formed by that ambitious people had already obliged them to develope all their military science: and the principle of selfdefence had led those whom they had injured, at first to borrow their maxims, and finally to improve upon them so as to employ them for their utter discomfiture and disgrace. We ourselves have been in the arena long enough to learn much more of the art of war, than a people uniformly fortunate can possi