THE

MONTHLY REPOSITORY

OF

THEOLOGY

AND

GENERAL LITERATURE.

POPULUMQUE FALSIB

DEDOCET UTI
VOCIBUS.

Hor.

“ To do something to instruct, but more to undeceive, the timid and admiring student ;-
to excite him to place more confidence in his own strength, and less in the infallibility of
great names;-to help him to emancipate his judgment from the shackles of authority ;-10
teach him to distinguish between showy language and sound sense ;-to warn him not to pay
himself with words;-to shew him that what may tickle the ear or dazzle the imagination,
will not always inform the judgment;-to dispose him rather to fast on ignorance than to
feed himself with error."

Fragment on Government.

JANUARY TO DECEMBER, INCLUSIVE,

1825.

VOLUME XX.

HACKNEY:

Printed for the Editor, by GEORGE SMALLFIELD :

PUBLISHED BY SHERWOOD, GILBERT, AND PIPER,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1825.

THE

Penthly Repository.

No. CCXXIX.]

JANUARY, 1825.

(Vol. XX.

Dr. Evans on Lord Byron's Infidelity.

Islington, his inind to overcome them. ResentSIR, December 20, 1824. ment, anger and hatred held full sway

CANY years ago, I published over him, and his greatest gratification the Infidelity of EDWARD GIBBON, pen with gall, which flowed in every diEsq.". Looking over its pages, I am rection-against individuals, his counsurprised to find that the causes there try, the world, the universe, creation assigned are applicable to the infidel- ani the Creator! He might have beity of LORD Byron, The Historian come-he ought to have been-a difand the Poet were in many respects ferent creature; and he but too well similarly circumstanced. : They lost accounts for the unfortunate bias of either one or both their parents at an his disposition in the following lines : early period; they came in contact «"E'en 1, least thinking of a thoughtless with fanaticisin; and, passing much throng, of their time on the Continent, wit. Just skilld to know the right and choose nessed the disgusting mummeries of

the wrong, Popery. Add also their thirst for Freed at that age when Reason's shield

is lost, fame, which was absolutely inextinguishable. It absorbed every other

To fight my course through Passion's

countless host, - 4 passion; and, by running counter to Whom every path of Pleasure's flowery what they deemed the religious pre- way judices of civilized society, they adopt. Has lured in turn, and all have led ed a never-failing means of wafting astray.' their names to the ends of the earth. But justice demands that I should of the first-rate talents, moving in the

What a deplorable picture of a man mention, one trait in LORD BYRON is highest ranks of society!" not to be found in EDWARD GIBBON a love of dissipation and profligary. between GIBBON and Byron in the

Another similarity may be traced The Historian was a learned recluse, attempts made to recover them from whilst the Poet was immersed in all their infidelity. The common benethe licentiousness of the fashionable volence of our natures must excite world.

“At this period of his life, (1809,)” pity for their state, besides the worksays his friend Dallas," his mind was peculiar offspring of our holy religion.

ings of that compassion which is the full of bitter discontent. Already satiated with pleasure, and disgusted

with LORD BYRON at this time having those companions who have no other published his maiden piece, entitled Hours resource, he had resolved on master- of Idleness, which was roughly handled ing bis appetites. He broke up his by the Edinburgh Reviewers, amply reharams, and he reduced his palate to sented it by his satire, English Bards a diet the most simple and 'abstemi- and Scotch Reviewers. He, however, now ous. But the passions of the heart

went abroad - returned, and published were too mighty; nor did it ever enter his. Childe Harold, with the success of

which he was intoxicated. Soon after,

he contracted his unfortunate marriage; * LORD BYRON was born at Dover, left the country for Italy, whence be his mother being on the way from France never meant to come back; and, finally, 10 England; and, losing his father soon migrated to Greece, where he died last after, she took her son with her to Aber- Easter, in the 7th year of his age. deen, in Scotland. Here he passed his He was on the eve of achieving deeds boyish days — going thence to Harrow, of glory by assisting the noble-minded whence he withdrew to Cambridge, where Greeks, engaged in throwing off the gallcommenced his scepticism-and, coming ing and degrading yoke of the Turks, of age, he plunged into every species of who for centuries past bave proved the gratification, even to satiety.

disgrace of the Eastern world.

VOL. XX.

B