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were blended in those avatars, and manifefted in their more than mortal exploits.

Over how wide an extent of country, indeed, and in what amazing numbers, the difciples of Neftorius, in India, were fcattered in the fixth century may be collected from the account of Colinas Indicopleuftes, who, as a merchant of Alexandria, fo frequently vifited India in that century. He flates that in Malabar, particularly, there was an eftablished ecclefiaftical government, with a regular bifhop at its head, and a train of fubordinate priefts and deacons to attend the other churches in that diftrict, all fubject to the Metropolitan bishop of Seleucia in Perfia*. It will be remembered alfo, that according to Procopius, in this very century, the breed of filk-worms, and a knowledge of that valuable manufacture were, under the aufpices of Juftinian, firft brought to Conftantinople by two Chriflian monks, who are exprefsly faid to have been millionaries in India, and to have travelled thence to China, where they learned the art t.

The ancient accounts of India and China by two Mahommedan travellers in the ninth centory, published by M. Renaudot, fully confirm all the above particulars, with refpect to the great extent and power of the Neftorian Church in India, and during these nine centuries doubtlefs it was that the artifice of the fraudful brahmin was at work in de

corating his gods and heroes with fplendours facrilegiously flolen from the Chriftian altar, and in fabricating from the genuine and the fpurious gofpels, the fictitious hiftory of Salivahana.

Were it neceffary to the purpofe of this enquiry to defcend to ages later in time, and trace the wide-extended influence of the Neftorian faith through other nations of Afia, particularly in Tartary, Tibet, and those countries more immediately fituated on the confines of India, authorities would not be wanting, but nray abundantly be met with in the pages of the above-cited writers, Fabricius, Mofheim, and others. We fhall not, however, at present migrate beyond thofe confines. During the fanguinary conflicts, and wide defolation of fucceeding centuries, occafioned by the irruption of Arabian, Perfian, and Tartar conquerors, the Neftorian Church feems to have flourished with unimpaired vigour in the remote

* See Cofmas Indicopleuft. in Topograph. Chriftian. lib. 3. P. 78.

+ Procopius, lib. 4. cap. 17.

See an exprefs Differtation of Renaudot on the subject annexed to these ancient accounts. P. 67.

region

region of Malabar, and a more striking proof of it cannot be adduced than is to be found in the authentic fact, that, when the Portuguese arrived in India, they found to their astonishment no less than one hundred Chriftian Churches on that coat, whose repose and union, however, they bafely violated on account, as they averred, of the heretical doctrines profeffed by them, though in fact, avarice and ambition were the real principles that incited their perfecution. In spite of all their fanatic rage, combined with the terrors of the bloody Inquifition eftablished by them at Goa, we are informed by Dr. Buchanan, that, even at this day, there ftill remain in Malabar, no lefs than fifty-five churches profefling that creed, and a body of not less than fifty-thousand Chriftians *. From thefe fources, and by thefe channels the Indians might obtain in abundance, and at a very early period both the genuine and the fpurious gofpels, whofe pages they rifled for the purpofe of decorating the hiftory of their fabulous gods and heroes, for certainly the humble and illiterate apoftles had never read the legendary romances of the brahmins of Benares!

Mr. Wilkins, whofe authority is indifputable, has informed us, in the preface to the Heetopades, that few Sanferit books bear either the name of the real author, or the date of the year in which they were written +." What furer fubterfuge than this can be found for the moft daring impofitions? And convicted as the brahmins have been, in the instance of Mr. Wilford, of direct and palpable forgery, how is it poffible to give them a moment's credit for records and facts not fanctioned either by the internal evidence of the volume itself, or other indifputable teftimony! We are fully juftified therefore in ranking the miraculous birth and fupernatural exploits of SALIVAHANA among the moft atrocious of their efforts of this fraudful kind, and we have no doubt in our own minds, that any other attempt at impofition in a fimilar way, on due investigation, will meet with that deferved exposure, that juft fcorn and indignation which muft infpire every Chriftian breaft in regard to the present.

(To be concluded in our next.)

See Dr. Buchanan's Memoir, 58, 59; and our Review of it in Brit. Crit. Vol. XXVII. p. 217.

+ Heetopades. p. 4.

ART.

ART. II. The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper; including the Series edited, with Prefaces biogra phical and critical, by Dr. Samuel Johnson; and the maft approved Tranflations. The additional Lives by Alexander Chalmers, F.S.A. Royal 8vo. 21 volumes. 251. Johnfon, and all the principal Bookfellers. 1810.

THE experiment of an edition of the Poets in this form, was firft tried at Edinburgh, and was noticed by us in 1796*, foon after its completion. That edition was conducted by Dr. Anderson of Edinburgh, and the lives were all compiled by him; but they were compiled, as has fince been perceived, with great careleffuefs; a more complete work of fciffars and pafle than perhaps was ever produced before or fince. As this could not appear, but from an accurate collation of his lives with others which had been pubJifhed before, we must be held excufed for not having made the discovery at the time. The lives in themselves are fpecious; it is not till they are fully traced that the mode of compilation can be detected. Anderson's work was comprifed in thirteen volumes, of which the two laft, as the 20th and 21ft of thefe, contain a collection of tranflations. The paper and print are, in this edition, very fuperior.

The prefent work, being the property of the fame affociation which publifhed the London Poets, as they have been called, has the advantage of containing all Dr. Johnfon's Lives, or Biographical and Critical Prefaces. The reft are fupplied by Mr. A. Chalmers, an author, on whofe eminent qualification for the task it is unnecessary to expatiate. The number of poets here admitted is 126; confequently, as Dr. Johnson wrote lives for 51 only, and that of Young, written by Sir Herbert Croft, is here admitted, Mr. Chalmers is anfwerable for 64. With refpect to thefe he says, in his general preface,

"They are the refult of more anxious and painful research than may appear to thofe who do not examine my authorities. In rectifying preceding accounts, many of which I found erroneous and inconfiftent, either from careleffnefs or partiality, and in procuring original information, in which I hope it will appear that I have not been altogether unfuccefsful, it was my object to afcertain thofe truths, in whatever they might end, which difplay the real character. P. ix.

• Vol. vii. p. 172.-The four firft Vols, in Vol. iv. p. 41. Thefe,

Thefe, from fuch an author, are not merely words of courfe; and the public, we have no doubt, may reft affured that more, rather than lefs, than is here fuggefted, will be found to be performed. As much unmerited obloquy has been thrown upon a late editor of Pope*, for not making his life of that author a panegyric, and for venturing to publifh fome facts not altogether favourable to his character, we fhall proceed to cite what Mr. Chalmers next fays, which is applicable to the cafe of both biographers.

"I am forry it should be necessary to add, that I have not thought it incumbent to reprefent every man whose works are here admitted, as a prodigy of genius or virtue. This practice, it is true, has been lately adopted in collections of biography, as well as in fingle lives: but I am yet to learn what advantages can be reaped, and what folid intereft can be promoted, by a practice which violates the principles of truth, deftroy's public confidence, and defeats every valuable purpofc of biography. The imaginary beauties of the biographer are at leaft as abfurd as thofe of the portrait painter, while they have lefs excufe, and are attended with far more pernicious confequences. After the lapfe of a few years, it becomes a matter of inferior importance how a man looked; but it is always important to know how he thought and how he acted. Nor if the practice alluded to, proceeds from real feeling, or only an affectation of fympathy and veneration is it lefs objectionable. It is a grofs error in judgment, that any man who deferves to be commemorated, can be the worfe for a disclosure of his failings, unless indeed he has no virtues to counterbalance them; and even in that rare cafe, the portrait, if faithfully given, is not without its ufe. It would be happy if a clofer correfpondence could be found between an author and his writings; if genius were always dignified by vir tue, and wisdom always recommended by urbanity; but we look in vain for objects of uniform panegyric, and the fair display of the ftriking contrarieties we find in the human character, must be ever preferable to those unnatural sketches in which there is no difcrimination, but all is purity and perfection, or in which the moft degrading vices are either fuppreffed by fraud, or vindicated by fophiftry." P. ix.

It will appear, upon comparing these volumes with those fuperintended by Johnson, or indeed by looking through this edition, that Mr. Chalmers has written the following

lives:

The Rev, W. L, Bowles.

Armstrong.

.

"Armstrong. Beattie. F. Beaumont. Sir J. Beaumont. Blacklock. Blair. Boyfe. Brome Brooke. W. Browne. By. rom. Cambridge. Carew. Cartwright. Cawthorne. Chatterton. Chaucer. Churchill. Cooper. Corbet. Cotton, Chas. Dr. Cotton. Cowper. Crafhaw. Cunningham. Daniel. Davenant. Davies. Dodfley. Donne. Drayton. Drummond. Falconer. Fawkes. G. Fletcher. Ph. Fletcher .Gascoigne. Glover. Goldfmith. Gower. Grainger. Green. Habington. Hall. Harte. Jago. Jenyns. Johnfon. Jones. Jonfon. Langhorné. Lloyd. Logan. Lovibond. Mafon. Mickle. Moore. Scott. Shakspeare. Sherburne. Skelton. Smart. Spenfer. Stirling. Suckling. Surrey. W. Thomfon, Turberville. Warner. J. Warton. T. Warton. P. Whitehead. Whitehead. Wilkie. Wyatt."

W.

Accounts of many of these writers had, it is true, been fupplied before by Dr. Anderfon, but whoever fhall compare the accounts, will fee that Mr. Chalmers has, in these cafes, been but little obliged to his predeceffor, and has every where furpaffed him in accuracy and research. When it was determined to make an edition of the Poets, fomething more comprehenfive than that printed at Edinburgh, it was fill found that felection must be made. Among the older Poets, these have been introduced:

"The two Beaumonts. Brome. Cartwright. Corbet. Chas. Cotton. Donne. Fawkes. Gafcoigne. Gower. Habington. Sherburne. Skelton. Stirling. Turberville."

All of thefe have fufficient merit to juftify their introduction, while they ferve to connect the hiftory of our language; and many of them, as A. Brome, Gafcoigne, Habington, &c. are fo extremely fcarce in the original editions, that a curious reader, of moderate fortune, may be glad of any opportunity of obtaining them. Of the following later poets, fome could not be introduced before, on account of copyright; others were, for other reasons, paffed by.

"Beattie. Brooke. Byrom. Cambridge. Cowper. Sir W. Jones Mafon. Jof. Warton."

The whole together are twenty-three. But, on the other hand, fome are omitted that found a place in Anderfon's collection. These are eleven in number.

"Dr. John Brown. Michael Bruce. Græme. Hamilton. Aaron Hill. Pattifon. Penrofe. Sackville. Shaw. Smollet. Richard Weft, the friend of Gray.”

Of

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