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If each of the other chapters,

portion of general information. the number of which is not mentioned, contain as much matter as this one does, they will altogether form, if not a very elegant history, at least abundant materials for one.

The present part opens with the death of Pericles, about the time of the surrender of Potidæa. His character and politics are next discussed, and the banishment of Cimon and Thucydi des, if not vindicated, is at least sedulously palliated. It is contended that the expenditure of the public treasure, though it might promote the personal views of Pericles, was disinterested, at least so far as it respected his private fortune; and that it was not prejudicial to the welfare of his country.

His talents as an orator, with which classical men have long been sufficiently acquainted, are amply and justly described by this writer. But we oniit the passage in which he does so, that we may quote him where he speaks of the attachment of Pericles to the fine arts.

"The mind of Pericles had been opened and enlarged by study; his knowledge in the arts and literature was increased, and his taste in them improved by frequent communications with those who possessed them. By his encouragement, he drew together the most celebrated artists, not only of Greece, but also of her colonies in Asia Minor, and who vied in excelling each other. Genius of every kind, and in every rank, was sure to find in him an enlightened and liberal protector. Under his patronage Athens became the great nursery of arts and learning; which, in succeeding ages, were thence diffused throughout Europe."-pp. 39, 40.

On the political power of Athens during the administration of Pericles, it is observed,

"To be convinced of his merits, as a statesman, besides the testimony of Thucydides and other authors, we have only to compare the situation of Athens when he assumed the reins of government, with the situation in which he left it. In his oration to the manes of those killed in the Peloponnesian war, he observes, that the earth and the sea equally bore testimony of the high power of the Athenian republic; that it had, on both, equally avenged injuries, and extended its protection. He states, that, after defraying all the public charge, augmenting the navy, filling the arsenals and magazines with stores and arnis for the use of the feet and army; after paying the expense of executing various constructions for the utility and security of the city and harbours, and of raising numerous public edifices; when the Peloponnesian war broke out, six thousand talents were found deposited in the treasury; and that besides the revenue which arose to the state front its own immediate possessions, it received six hundred talents in subsidy, annually, from its allies."-pp. 28, 29.

Whom ought we to consider as the Pericles of the present day? Not perhaps the first Lord of the Treasury-not the

distinguished nobleman at the head of foreign affairs;—but, without a doubt, the Chancellor of the Exchequer-the solemn announcement of whose determinations sinks deeper into the hearts of his countrymen than ever did the holy response of any ancient oracle.-In the condition of the Athenians, as above. described, and that of Great Britain at this moment, a strong point of resemblance is 'most evident: For to our power also both sea and land bear ample testimony; and it has been our glory to humble the proud and to spare the vanquished. But our allies, far from ministering to our wants, seem not to make suitable efforts even to pay their honest debts to us. And as for all our own public debts being discharged, the necessities of the state fully supplied, and a large surplus of revenue deposited in the Exchequer, at the time when it shall please Fortune to call Mr. Vansittart from his official duties, these are considerations which we must leave in the shape of a problem to be solved at the proper time and place of cause, by that gentleman and Mr. Tierney.

The author afterwards adverts to the connexion of Pericles with Aspasia, and to her influence on the manners of the Athenian women, and, consequently, on those of society in general.

He then describes the influence upon the Athenians of that luxury which they had derived from their established intercourse with different parts of Asia-a ptincipal source of luxury, and of other questionable goods even in these times.

The section on the state of the arts, follows the Essay on the character of Pericles. Architecture was in a very rude state, at Athens, until the rebuilding of the city after the invasion of Xerxes. The first distinguished statuary in Greece appears to have been Gitiadas of Laconia, who was also an architect and poet. A temple of Minerva Chalciæus was executed by him at Sparta, which, as well as the statue of the goddess, was entirely of Bronze. Phidias, the great perfecter of the art of statuary, was a native of Attica, and his most celebrated statues were those of Minerva, and Jupiter Olympius. Pliny mentions a number of eminent statuaries, who flourished from the time of Phidias in the 89th Olympiad to the 120th; but the art is supposed to have been interrupted for 136 years till the æra of Polycletus of Sicyon; though this is disputed by the chevalier Visconti. In the early ages, statuary was confined to representing divinities according to their various attributes; but afterwards, statuaries were generally employed as portrait painters are among us, to erect statues of those to whore they were de creed publicly; or by private parties, who wished to perpetuate their own resemblances. But it was the worship of their di

vinities, which afforded the largest scope for the genius of ancient artists.

The traditionary report of the origin of the medal called Bronze, is supposed to be incorrect; for we find it used in Italy at a very distant æra, and in Greece it was of still higher antiquity. Corinth was taken and burnt by Mummius, 146 years B. C. and a hundred years before that period, a single statue of a youth, made of Corinthian Bronze, by Polycletus of Samos, was sold for 100 talents.

The origin of painting is uncertain; but great progress had been made in it at the time of the battle of Marathon, 490 years B. C. Many illustrious painters flourished in the age of Pericles; and the works of artists were examined by juries, sometimes held at Elis, during the celebration of the Olympic games, and sometimes at Athens, Corinth, and Delphos. But the great centre of arts and letters was Athens; where they were zealously encouraged by Pericles. The Parthenon, or temple of Minerva, the Acropolis or citadel, the temple of Theseus, the Odeon or Music theatre, the temple of Jupiter Olympius, the Pantheon or Pantheos, were among the public structures finished by his order.

"The Parthenon, or temple of Minerva, the patroness of Athens, stood about the centre of the Acropolis. It was so named on account of the virgin purity of the goddess, or according to others, because it was dedicated to her by the daughters of Erechtheus, King of Athens, who were distinguished by the epithet of the Virgins. The first temple which bore that name, and which was destroyed by the Persians in the expedition of Xerxes, being a hundred feet square, was thence called the Hecatompedon; but that raised by Pericles was, according to Wheeler, two hundred and seventeen feet long, and ninety-eight feet, six inches broad. The architects that constructed it, were Callicratides and Ictinus. The whole edifice was of white Pantelic marble. The two ends, or the fore and back fronts, had, each, as the ancient temple, a peristyle of eight columns, and the sides of the temple had peristyles, or colonnades, the whole extent of the building. The columns were of the Doric order, Auted and without bases. On the front pediment was the story of the birth of Minerva in alto-relief; on the other, her contest with Neptune for Attica. The statue of the goddess, by Phidias, was placed within the temple opposite to the principal entrance. This temple has ever been considered as one of the most perfect edifices of antiquity. It is only the most consummate knowledge of the art, that enables the architect to conceive the just proportions of a building, the fit choice and arrangement of its ornamental parts, and the general harmony that ought to prevail throughout; but all who contemplate a perfect edifice, will have a consciousness of pleasure, though they may be unable to discern all the different combined causes which have produced that effect: and such sentiment, it is said, was in an extraordinary degree felt by every one who contemplated the Parthenon."-pp. 88. 91.

Some interesting details on the subject of engraving conclude the volume.

ART. VIII.-Lectures on Scripture Parables. By WILLIAM BENGO COLLYER, D. D. F. A. S., and a Vice President of the Philosophical Society of London. 8vo. London. 1815.

THIS master of pulpit eloquence has, happily, turned his atten

tion to the parables of our Saviour-the discussion of which affords full scope for the exercise of his talents, and will be found highly instructive. No one will consider such a work superfluous, who reflects that a parable conceals under an obvious natural similitude or agreeable narrative, some practical and useful moral lesson, some doctrine of high import, which may be greatly, if not entirely mistaken by those to whom it is addressed. Our Saviour himself used to explain to his disciples the meaning and intent of his parables; which, without such explanation, neither they nor the multitude, though accustomed to parabolic instruction, could have discovered. Volumes have been written on this most interesting subject; but they labour under some material defect in point either of plan or of execution; and are on this account less studied than the nature of the subject demands. The inquisitive spirit of the times called for a work upon this portion of Scripture, that should be consistent with the rational opinions of an enlightened generation, and of which the style and whole texture should be such, as to please those who willingly receive instruction, only while their taste is consulted.

The practice, in matters of philosophy, of combining intellectual improvement with agreeable recreation-of strewing with roses the rugged paths of science, is a strong feature in the modern system of education. The most abstruse subjects are served up in a manner inviting to the appetite: and the sons, and the daughters too of gaiety, assemble in crowds to listen to investigations which, not very long ago, could have fixed the attention of none but profound scholars. A taste similar to that which is so obvious among those who are in search of humau knowledge, is visible also where the acquisition of divine instruction is the object. No audience in this polished age, will endure to be told their duty with the bluntness that characterized the times of John Knox and Oliver Cromwell: they will expect information to be accompanied with something like deference; admonition with apparent submission; and reproof with more or less of apology. He who can proceed in this way will do good; he who shall proceed otherwise will do harm, but only for a while, for all will speedily desert him.

Those who met to hear these lectures, must have had their wishes and expectations fully gratified, since it would be very difficult to exhibit in fairer colours, or in stronger points of view, the sacred truths which they contain. The plan of them seems faultless, nor does it suffer from the manner in which it is carried into execution: and the style is such as would have rendered even a dry subject agreeable, being sufficiently varied, free from affectation, and, at once flowing, full and forcible. The plan, as laid down in the author's preface, is as follows:

"The grand principle upon which the present volume proceeds (whe ther it be true or false) is, that every parable has one leading sentiment, which is to be determined by the occasion on which it was spoken, or by the direct application which our Lord himself makes of it;-that this sentiment is clothed in language appropriate to the image selected ;— that the sentiment often comprises more than the figure can express; and on the other hand that many circumstances are included, to preserve the integrity of the image, which do not belong to the principle, and which must not be too closely run in the exposition. This method avoids all spiritualization in the interpretation, and refuses it even in the application. The doctrines or precepts advanced, are such as evidently were held in view by our Lord himself: and the application of them always proceeds upon the demonstration of an actual analogy between the circumstances and characters of the hearers, or readers of these Lectures, and those of the persons to whom the parables were immediately addressed. The plan, therefore, of all the lectures, is uniform, and in strict conformity to the principle advanced. Whatever shape the discussion may assume, the following are the three objects held in view in each discourse. First, distinctly to state the occasion of each parable, and from it to demonstrate the sentiment intended to be established. Secondly, to pass over all its parts, as bearing upon oriental customs; and to exhibit from them the peculiarity, the beauty, and the integrity of the imagery. Thirdly, to apply the doctrines, the precepts, the admonitions, or the censures of each Parable to ourselves, by discovering the principles comprehended in it, and the analogy between our character and situation, and that of the parties addressed on cach occasion.”—p. xxii.

There cannot exist a doubt as to the propriety of this method of interpreting the figurative language of Scripture; even if it were not analogous to the practice of our Lord himself, when he condescended to explain the meaning of his allusions. At any rate, we may confidently assert that it is the only safe method that can be adopted; the only one by which we can be preserved from the errors and absurdities into which those expositors have fallen, who have thought that they had discovered a mystical and spiritual signification, even in the mere matters of fact recorded in the Sacred Writings. Most of us know what some of the ancient fathers have attempted in this way-what indeed have they not attempted ?-sometimes to NO. XI. Aug. Rev. VOL. II.

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