When we first caft our eye over the very flippant, but eccentric performance of this Hortenfius, this very Dionyfia* of the pulpit, from which the above extracts have been taken, we little doubted but that the writer was an epifcopal clergyman of the first note and celebrity in Scotland; who was unwilling that his fecret fhould be loft to the world; a popular preacher of fuch aftonishing powers, as to be able, at any time, as Mr. Smith himself expreffes it, "to gefticulate away the congregation of the moft profound and learned divine among his rivals, and, in two Sundays, preach him bare to the very fexton ;' and that, thus gifted, he has generously undertaken to inftruct and enlighten his brethren of the fouth. But our furprize was great on being informed, that Mr. S. inftead of a practifed veteran is as yet but a mere novice in the gefticulating art. During an occafional vifit, it seems, to the capital of the North, he had frequented the circles of the gay and fashionable; where finding his wit was admired, and his eloquence applauded, he had inftantly become, to himself, a creature of unlimited importance, a concealed treasure;"† and his Sermons and their preface foon iflued, in confequence, from the prefs.

We are well aware of what is related, by Cicero, of Demofthenes, who, on being questioned, gave it as his opinion, that actio (that is, in the antient fenfe, every thing in public speaking, except the compofition) was justly to be regarded as the firft, and the second, and the third property in an orator. But our idea, we acknowledge, of what a facred orator ought truly to poffefs, is confiderably different from that antient ftandard; and we know quite enough of Methodists, and of fectaries of all denominations to wifh, that our established clergy fhould borrow nothing, whether from their principles or their practice. It is related by Dr. Johnson, in his Life of Watts, (perhaps the most eminent character that ever appeared among the fectaries) that "he did not endeavour to affift his eloquence by any gefticulations; for, as no corporeal actions have any correfpondence with theological truth, he did not fee how they could enforce it." Now, greatly as we congratulate our author on difcovering what had wholly escaped the perfpicacity both of Johnson and of Watts, yet we candidly own, that we are not ambitious of feeing the dignitaries of the church of England" articulate with every limb, and talk from head to foot with a thousand voices." The genuine eloquence, which, in our judgment, befits the pulpit, fhould be of a fpecies calm, lofty, and dignified. It should depend little, if any thing, on action, according to the modern acceptation of the term, for its value, or its effect. The fpeaker's manner, withal, fhould be graceful no less than impreffive. He fhould be neither congealed to ice upon the one hand, nor melt into theatrical affectation on the other. He should know how

* See Aul. Gell. Lib. I. 5.

+ See Sermons, Vol. I. p. 119. Cic. de Orat. Lib. III, 56.

to

to touch the true chords of tenderness and perfuafion, as well as rife. to the heights of fublimity and terror: but ever remembering "whose minifter he is," his firft and laft aim fhould be, to be devout, authoritative, and inftructive. Such is the orator whom we should choose to grace the pulpits of the establishment. Do our young clergy pant for an elevation, or an influence ftill higher than fuch qualities will confer, over the great body of their hearers? If fo, we can affure them, that they will never obtain it by the variety of their gefticulation, or the brightness of their wit; but by an exemplary discharge of all the duties of their function; by extenfive charity; by active, unwearied, and "gratuitous" benevolence; in a word, by the usefulness of their example, and the piety of their lives.

It is from the idea which we conceive of the real genius and talents of Mr. Smith, that we have taken the trouble to dwell at fuch length on the extravagancies which he has committed, in the hope that they may yield to falutary correction. As for himfelf, he seems a perfon, whofe moral as well as religious principles are found, upright, and manly; but, if we mistake not, he may, with tolerable accuracy, be pourtrayed in his own words, as among " thofe mifplaced characters, who, in fpite of all claffification and arrangement, have ftrangely deviated into an order, to which every body fees they do not naturally belong."* In regard to the Sermons now before us, we cannot think of ranking them very high among compofitions which truly and legitimately merit that title. They are pretty effays, diftinguished for their vivacity, abounding in images, and fometimes even striking by their originality, and their eloquence. The following are the subjects of which they treat. Vol. I. The love of our country-Scepticifm-the Poor Magdalene-the predifpofing Caufes to the Reception of Republican Opinions-the beft Mode of Charity-the Converfion of St. Paul. Vol. II. The Effects which Christianity ought to produce upon the Manners--the Pride of Birth- the Union of Innocence and Wifdom-Farewell Sermon to a Country ParishVanity-the Treatment of Servants-Men of the World-for the Swifs. Having fo far exceeded our ufual limits in confidering the prefatory effay, we have now no room to make fuch extracts, as we fhould with great pleafure do, from the Sermons themfelves. The following may ferve as a fair fpecimen of the author's manner.

What fhall we fay to that most extraordinary of all characters, a bigotted fceptic? who refifts the force of proof, where he has every temptation to be convinced; who ought to figh for refutation, and to blefs the man who has reafoned him to filence. Bigotry in him is pure, unadulterated vice. It is not the fear of lofing an opinion on which his happiness depends, but the fear of lofing an opinion, merely becaufe it is an opinion; and this is the very effence of obftinacy and pride. Where men pretend to nothing, the world are (is) indulgent to their faults: but it well behoves thofe who lord it, in word and thought, over the reft of mankind, that they be confiftent in their con

* See Sermon on Pride of Birth, Vol. II. P. 72.

duct,

duct, and perfectly free from thofe faults, which they fo liberally impute to others. Ignorance, bigotry, and illiberality are bad enough in a fimple ftate: but when men of flender information, narrow views, and obftinate difpofitions, infult the feelings of fuch of their fellow creatures who (as) have fixed their faith in (on) an amiable and benevolent religion; we are called upon, by common fenfe, and by common spirit, to refift, and to extinguish this dynafty of fools. To thofe great men, on whom God has breathed a larger portion of his fpirit, and fent into the world to enlarge the empire of talents and of truth, mankind will ever pay a loyal obedience. They are our natural leaders: they are the pillars of fire, which brighten the darkness of the night, and make ftraight the paths of the wilderness. They must move on before us. But, while we give (a) loofe to our natural veneration for great talents, let us not mistake laxity for liberality, the indelicate boldness of a froward difpofition, for the grafping ftrength, and impulfive curiofity, of an original mind. Let us fteadily discountenance the efforts of bad men, and of fhallow men, to darken the distinctions between right and wrong; to bring into ridicule and contempt the religion of their country; and to gratify fome popular talent, at the expence of the deareft interefts of mankind.

"Bigotry and intolerance are their terms of alarm; and fome foundation for alarm, in truth, there may be but the danger is not that the world should again fall under the dominion of men who will dictate a peculiar belief, but of men who will prohibit all belief; who will enforce incredulity with monaitic rigour, and annex a papal infallibility to the decifions of the fceptical fchool. The danger is, that, having efcaped from one age of darkness, where nothing was called in queftion, we fhall fall into another, where every thing is difcuffed; that, having reduced the power of one order of men, who would have hindered us from doubting, we shall have to ftruggle with another, who would hinder us from deciding; that the fires of perfecution may be lighted up, to fupport an orthodox phy nonifm, and to check the herefy of piety; and that any pofitive belief in any religion may be just as criminal in the nineteenth century, as to doubt of the real prefence, or any other catholic dogma, was in the eleventh." Vol. I. Pr. 64-69.

66

The language of this writer, though generally elegant, is not always remarkable for its accuracy, and his inattention to all common laws of punctuation is moft unpleating and exceflive. In the above extract we have endeavoured to amend the punctuation purely for bis emolument; and if correctness in fuch matters be not confideredas too minute a labour for genius, we would recommend the perufal of fome good practical effay on the fubject. As to other inaccuracies, he will do well, in future, to avoid fuch as the following. Every confideration influences the mind in a compound ratio of the effects which it involves, and their proximity." to the effects. Preface, "Without the utmoft efforts, he can neither excite it, or preferve it when excited." nor preferve it. P. 34. "He has neither read them in paftorals, or (nor) in fatires." Vol. II. P. 91. "A fervice fome little abridged;" i. e. in fome little, or fmall degree abridged. Pref. P. 35. "The world jet a high value upon illuftrious birth." fets a high value. P. 38. "If you meet with a man, take him to you, and make him your chofen friend;

P. 32.

fuch

and

and worship him with kindness and good deeds, and knit his heart to thine own." your own. Vol. II. P. 219. This inadmiffible tranfition, from the fecond plural, to the fecond perfon fingular, in the fame fentence, as alfo the ufe of the antiquated vulgarifm" amongft," inftead of among, are flips pretty frequent with this ingenious writer. It will, notwithstanding, give us great fatisfaction again to meet with Mr. Smith, when a few more years of life fhall have contributed to ripen his powers, and reftrain the exuberance of his fancy; and particularly when he has laid afide his favourite project of regulating, by new laws of his own, our claffical standard of pulpit eloquence.

The Life of David Garrick, Efq. By Arthur Murphy, Efq. In 2 Vols. 8vo. PP. 780. 14s. Wright. London. 1801. HE prefent generation of theatrical Performers, with very few

exceptions, are fo much beneath what their predeceffors were a few years ago, that there is hardly to be found in any province of art a more lamentable decay of genius. The hero of the prefent work was however fo much fuperior, even to the admirable performers of his day, that his excellence deferves to be recorded, as far as it is poffible to record that excellence which can never be properly eftimated, except by thofe who were living witneffes of its extent and variety. Soon after the death of the admired English Rofcius, Mr. Davies, the bookfeller, who had formerly been upon the ftage, publifhed a Life of Mr. Garrick, which was a work of merit, and which altogether comprized nearly as much as could be known of the profeffional career of that unrivalled actor. Mr. Murphy, to whom the public are indebted for many admirable works, in various provinces of literature, had, we understand, long meditated an intention of writing a life of his old friend Garrick, and it is much to be regretted that he did not fignify his intention before Davies undertook the tafk, for then he would have had the whole field to himself in which, with all his knowledge, good fenfe, and experience, he is now obliged to appear chiefly as a gleaner. Davies would doubtless have retired from the ground if he had known that it was to be traversed by Mr. Murphy, and the latter would then have placed most of the facts and obfervations, relative to fo extraordinary a genius as Garrick, in a more interefting and striking point of view. Befides, the power of memory would have been more vivid, and the impreffion of Garrick's excellence more accurate. Thefe volumes are certainly not equal to what might have been expected from Mr. Murphy at an earlier period of life; but they do honour to his hero, and are creditable to himself. It must be allowed, indeed, that even the profution of materials is not a little embarraffing to a biographer, for when a man has fo much diftinguifhed himself as Garrick, envy and admiration have difcovered and promulgated all that is known, with all the hyperboles which thefe paffions are fo likely to produce. As

Mr.

Mr. Murphy knew that he was following the track of a former biographer, and had nothing very novel to impart, he has judiciously introduced a kind of critical examen into the merits of most of the plays, which were revived or introduced to the public under the theatrical management of his hero. This part of his work, though perhaps it may be thought unfeafonable, when employed upon the plots of old and well-known plays, is very valuable in itfelf; for it is the product of judgment, obfervation, and experience. Many of our diurnal critics will doubtlefs have recourse to it to guide them in their remarks upon the dramatic productions of the day, and it will, indeed, affift the judgment and improve the taste of all who are fond of dramatic amufements. The fubftance of these volumes might have been properly included in one, as at prefent there is an appearance of eking out, which we do not like to see in any works of so respectable a veteran of Literature as Mr. Murphy. The Life is dedicated to Mr. Coutts the banker, in a delicate, modeft, and grateful addrefs. There is an APPENDIX confifting of pieces written by Mr. Garrick, and other productions intended to do homage to his genius. The edition amounted, we find, to two thoufand, which are nearly fold; and a new edition is in the prefs, a circumftance which we are glad to relate as it fhews that the public opinion is in its favour. As our readers may wish for fome excerpt, we fhall take the third chapter which gives the best account altogether of the first appearance of the great theatrical phoenomenon on the London boards; and the impreffion which his unexpected and unexampled blaze of genius made upon the town.

"From this time (1738) the profeffion of an actor was the object of his antbition. The ftage, at that period, was in a low condition. Macklin had played Shylock with applaufe, and Quin was, beyond all doubt, a most excellent performer. Mrs. Pritchard, and Mrs. Woffington fhone in genteel comedy, and Mrs. Clive made the province of humour entirely her own. She deferved to be called the COMIC MUSE. And yet the drama was funk to the lowest ebb: in tragedy, declamation roared in a most unnatural strain ; rant was paffion; whining was grief; vociferation was terror, and drawling accents were the voice of love. Comedy was reduced to farce and buffoonery. Garrick saw that nature was banished from the theatre, but he flattered himself that he should be able to revive a better tafte, and fucceed by the truth of imitation. He was, in confequence, now refolved to launch into the theatrical world, and, accordingly, in the beginning of 1740, he diffolved partnership with his brother Peter Garrick. He paffed the remainder of the year in preparation for his great defign; he studied the beft characters of Shakespeare and of our comic writers with all his attention, but at last, he was frightened by the difficulties that ftood in his way. A new school of acting was to be established, and the attempt, he was aware, would be called innovation. He fhrunk back, not being fure of his own power; but the impulfe of nature was not to be refifted. His genius drove him on. His friend Mr. Giffard was the manager of the theatre in Goodman's Fields. Garrick confulted him, and, by his advice, determined to make an experiment of himfelf at a country theatre. The fcheme was fettled, and they both fet out for

2

the