"To shew how little disposed men are, under a despotic government, to think of their own happiness, we must not omit to remark, that the people, on this occasion, saw their rulers trembling before them, and without the means of opposing their just demands for recovering their rights, and yet not one voice was heard to demand a remedy for their evils, that they might not occur in future. Forgetting, I should rather have said, not knowing their own interest, they contented themselves with the stupid pleasure of seeing Ferdinand on the throne, without considering that he might abuse his power as much as his father

had! How different would have been the conduct of Ferdinand, and the lot of the nation, if the people, instructed in time by the evils they had suffered, had refused to submit to the arbitrary government of the king and his ministers; but so far from this, the man who had ventured to tell the people of the only remedy for their disasters, would have been considered guilty of high treason. The people always have been, and always will be, the victims of their ignorance, the primary cause of all their

evils.

"The King, convinced of the faults of his minister, and alarmed at the resentment of the people, ordered him to be arrested, and tried by the laws of the kingdom. The people having found Godoy, would have torn him to pieces, if the Prince had not interposed, promising them that he should be tried and condemned. Though Providence, in our eyes, is slow to do justice, it always fol lows in the end. Notwithstanding the Prince sent him with an escort of the King's guards, the people loaded him with insults and reproaches, and this monster, so detested by the nation, was conducted to the quarters of the Palace Guard, and from thence to the castle of Villaviciosa. The moment he saw his life in danger, he cried out that he would confess all. To fear the Gods, to importune them with ardent supplication in the moment of danger, such has been, such is, and such ever will be, the conduct of the ignorant and profligate man. Humbled and depressed, be did not belie his character; and the cowardice which he then manifested, deprived him of all that interest which

calmness and valour alone can attract on similar occasions, even towards the vilest criminals. He remained for three weeks in the castle before mentioned, till they took him to France. Left to himself in that terrible interval, he must have suffered all the misery which the for criminals need no other punishment mirror of his conscience, could present; than their own crimes; the penalties which the law imposes are only intended

to deter others.

"The commotion being appeased, in which not one word was heard against the royal delinquents, Charles, when he terrified by his conscience, or unable to found that intrigue had done its utmost, govern without his minister, proposed to resign the crown to his son, who was immediately acknowledged, throughout the whole nation, as king; and, as persecuted innocence cannot fail to interest of the persecution and the person opmost men in proportion to the greatness pressed, Ferdinand, whose sufferings had always attracted sympathy, was received by the nation as king, with an unexampled enthusiasm; and this was nister, who had for twenty years caused not a little increased by seeing the mithem to groan under a heavy yoke, dismissed. Such is the ignorance of the people, that they are generally content with making war against the tyrant and not against tyranny."

The imbecility, and folly of the royal father seem to have been fully equalled by his son: his leaving the kingdom, and throwing himself into the arms of France sufficiently prove, that notwithstanding the indecent reproaches of his mother the queen of Spain, he was, at least in some respects," his father's own son." What, had he been possessed of common sense, he might have done, our author has pointed out.

"Murat, finding that his first scheme had succeeded so well, ventured on a second, and solicited Ferdinand himself to meet the Emperor, promising that it would be attended with most happy consequences to the whole nation. The counsellors of Ferdinand, either dazzled with the power and fame of Bonaparte, because they knew not the causes that produced it, or interested in maintaining the despotism of their sovereign, knowing that it is much more easy to

preserve their influence under such a government, than under a free one, never thought of proposing to him the only means of saving both himself and the nation, by calling together a national representation! Had Ferdinand, in the commencement of his reign, placed among the representatives of the nation, hastened to offer the Spaniards the only testimony he could of his regard ; had he, considering alone the happiness of the nation, undertaken to form a just constitution, which might in future shut the gates against despotism; had he, knowing his most sacred duties, consulted them in all his difficulties, and freely exercised those functions which belonged to him, the nation would not have suffered its present misfortunes, nor would he have experienced that unhappy lot which has arisen, notwithstanding his good intentions, from his evil counsellors, and his inexperience. Ferdinand, had he performed all this, would have been the admiration of Europe, and the terror of Bonaparte; he would have given a new tone to the nation, and have made the Spaniards see that it is their interest to defend the interest of their king; he would now have reigned in Spain, and what is of more worth than all the crowns of Europe, he would have reigned in the hearts of the nation. Bonaparte, alarmed by such a revolution, would have restrained his ambitious views, or seen them all overturned. Ferdinand, although he should even have lost the whole peninsula, would have remained master of the greatest empire in the world, which would have been far preferable to his present state: all this he might have foreseen, had he considered all the former conduct of his enemy."

Soon after the royal family had arrived at Bayonne, Napoleon appears to have lost no time in persuading or compelling the different branches to resign' all their rights to the crown; and then to reproach each other as the cause of the recept revolution. The following account of their meeting and abusing each other, though the language is somewhat less coarse, than that stated at the time in our public prints, still serves to represent the parties concerned in the most contemptible point of view, or to adopt the language of

the author, "to render them unworthy of anger or contempt."

"This meeting, which consisted of the Queen Maria Louisa, of Ferdinand, of the Infant D. Carlos, of all the grandees of Spain who were at Bayonne, and the two secretaries of state, M. Champagny and D. Pedro Cevallos, was presided by the Emperor and Charles IV. Ferdinand was the only one not permitted to sit down, in order to shew him the greater insult. Charles began by loading his son with reproaches, and insisting upon his abdication of the crown, without any terms or conditions. The queen followed, and thus addressed him in language the most gross and insulting: Perfidious wretch the very sight of you fills me with horror, for you are the enemy of the persons whom I inost esteem. You have attempted the life of your father, and formed a conspiracy against the Prince of Peace, whose loyalty and zeal have defended us against your infamous projects, and those of your vile accomplices. You have attempted to set the Emperor at variance with us, and to discredit us with the whole nation. I must, with sorrow, confess that you are my son, but you are not the son of the king; and you, who have no right to the crown, have attempted to tear it from us, by means the most atrocious; but to frustrate your iniquitous designs, I entreat the Emperor to be the judge between us, for to him we renounce all our right to the crown, and that of our whole family; and all we ask in return is, that he will punish you and your vile associates for your iniquities; on this condition only, we cede and yield up to him the Spanish nation.'

"Napoleon, satisfied with the indecent violence with which the queen had performed her part, and attempting to soothe her by a semblance of moderation, interrupted her harangue, in these words: Kings are placed at the head perience shews that Ferdinand can no of nations solely for their felicity. Exlonger promote that of Spain, because he has destroyed that of his parents, yet I will act generously by him and his brother. I will grant to Ferdinand the crown of Naples, and to Charles I offer that of Etruria, with one of my cousins to each of them in marriage. What

say you then, will you accept my pro

posal ?

"Napoleon, like other wicked men, when they pretend most to admire virtue, was unable to. practice it, and therefore, to all his other vices he added deceit, in order to complete his triumph.

"The Infant D. Carlos was the only one who had resolution to reply; he expressed himself with a degree of firmness seldom found in those of his age and rank: ‹ I have claimed nothing, I have asked nothing for myself, but you my brother, doubt not that Spain will sacrifice itself in your defence, and to defend its liberty; yield to no infamous proposal which may taruish your honour. Let us depart from hence as soon as possible, even though it should be to perpetual imprisonment, or to a scaffold. That Providence which directs the affairs of men, will not fail to let his vengeance fall on the Emperor, who has failed in all his promises, and given up every pretence to honour and shame. But it is not he who has excited my greatest horror; it is a father and a mother, so unnatural as even at the expence of their own infamy, to attempt to deprive you of a crown to which they have no longer any claim. It is a minister the most insolent and the most unthankful of men, who, in return for a life which he owes solely to you, has been the cause of all these shameful atrocities. He is the only conspirator -he is the only one who has long been plotting the death of our father, and has been prevented from reaping the fruits of his machinations-he is the true usurper of the rights of our family-he is the only calumniator who, in concert with the Emperor, has attempted to fix on you the crime of parricide.'

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Ferdinand, thus insulted and abused, and, at the same time, feeling a mistaken respect for his parents, burst out into tears, and made no other reply than that he would never resign the crown to any one but his father, to whom alone it could belong. Charles, irritated rather than soothed, by this speech, replied, that if he would not renounce the crown wholly and unconditionally, he would punish him and all his ministers as parricides. On this, the minister Cevallos, repeatedly protested against all the proceedings, and demanded justice for his master, but it was no time to talk of justice, when there was no one to dispense it; his remon

strances were therefore useless and almost ridiculous.

"Although the royal pair, as I have already said, before their entering France, had offered, at Burgos, to join with Ferdinand in resisting the pretensions of Napoleon, it was solely at the suggestion of Godoy, for they had no will of their own. His base soul, unaccustomed to compassionate misfortune, but rather to trample upon it, strove, on that day, to make Ferdinand more than ever the object of his persecution, and the insults of the royal parents were strengthened and aggravated by this insolent minister.

"Cevallos, whose honest integrity made him forget the ties of relationship by which he was allied to him, (he had married a cousin to the wife of Godoy,) could no longer restrain his resentment, and burst out in these words: Wretch, unworthy of the name of Spaniard, you have sold your country and your bene factors, to satiate your criminal ambi→ tion, under the protection of the Emperor, but he who has seduced you under the semblance of protection, has deter mined in his heart to load you with infamy, and make you the scorn of your countrymen, in order to give a colour of justice to his own proceedings. Were the crimes you had before committed not sufficient, but you must add that of being unthankful to a Prince who has saved your life from the resentment of a people to whom it was so justly due for all your oppressions?"

"As anger is the most violent of all the passions, even more so than ambition, the Emperor could no longer endure the presence of Cevallos, but ordered him immediately to get out of his sight, adding, that he did not believe it possible that any one could thus dare to insult the Emperor of the French, but that no one should do it with impunity. It was at length resolved by Napoleon I. and Charles IV. that Ferdinand should renounce the crown unconditionally, within six hours, or he, and all his ministers, should be put to death as conspirators against the lives of the royal pair."

"Scenes so novel, so extraordinary, and so indecent," adds the author," would seem to posterity to "be fabulous if they were not well "authenticated."

"With brows up-rais'd in glad surprise, When first she saw thy heaving breast, She smil'd, and wept, and wip'd her eyes, And hush'd her hungry babe to rest: Thou shalt have food', she said,' WAR's storm is past, 'PEACE from the skies descends with ' vernal days at last.'

ON A SNOWDROP SEEN BY
MOON-LIGHT.

"LILY of Winter! daughter of the storm: Oh! hide thy lovely whiteness from his ire;

For, strong to ruin, o'er thy lowly form, Growls the harsh wrath of thine horrific sire.

Emblem of virtue! wildly sweet, like thee, Worth wakes to mourn, while heedless folly sleeps ;

Clasps to her breast the rags of poverty, And in the desert of existence weeps; Like thee, pale flower of winter's paler

dations from our best periodical Reviewers.)" That the author had not "attained his seventeenth year," we cannot but consider several of his pieces as affording a display of no common talents.

A few Words on the Increase of Methodism, occasioned by "Hints" of a Barrister, and the Observations in the Edinburgh Review. Johnson and Co.

18.

"The Scriptures declare that the sins of "the people are derived from the sins "of the priest: for which reason, as "St. Chrysostom tells us, our Saviour, "willing to take care of the infirm "city of Jerusalem, went into the "Temple to chastise the sins of the 66 priests first, as a good physician, "who cures the distemper from the "root." POPE ADRIAN VI.

The author of this well written pamphlet, introduces his subject by some remarks on that fashionable folly in the religious world-the invention of " nick-names, or the mis

appropriation of terms already inа vented, which has always been one

grand expedient to inflame the "minds of the ignorant." This relitical and the religious world. How mark equally concerns both the pofrequently have the sound and wholesome opinions inculcated by the friend of Reformation, been reprobated under the names- - Jacobin, Incendiary, &c. And how common has been the practice of a certain party, and it is to be lamented, a large party in the christian church, the numerous brood of spurious orthodoxy, who, when they would mar the labours, and hinder the usefulness, of their superiors in talents and christian virtues, rattle in the ears of

the unsuspicious and the ignorant, the names Arian, Socinian, &c. al. though the application to the persons concerned may be utterly groundless. Every honest man who has been much conversant with the religious world, must have frequently lamented the iniquitous arts made

use of by sectarian, as well as by established priests, to prevent the bulk of mankind from fairly and impartially judging for themselves, and from attaining to that elevation of knowledge and virtue, indispensibly requisite to the character of a sincere and a confirmed christian.

Our author professes himself to be "neither a follower of Whitfield, nor "Wesley. My religious opinions," he adds, " do not accord with any of "the hundred and fourscore schisms "which Moreri informs us had their "rise from the apostolic age to that "of Luther, nor with any of the in"numerable ones that have had their "rise since." Although he does not pretend to vindicate the peculiarities of methodism, he maintains" most "of their doctrines are, with trivial variations, to be found not only in "the articles of the church of England, but amongst the tenets of 66 almost every christian sect." The assertion, however, that " To John Wesley and George Whitfield we Owe all the religion which now ex"ists among the lower orders of society," is far from being correct, although we agree with Dr. Priestley, who published it as his opinion, that to the labours of the methodists the lower classes were more indebted for the religion they possessed, than to those of the whole body of the established clergy.

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On the subject of religion in general, and the state of religion in the established church, and amongst the methodists, the following observations are worthy of serious consideration.

"Religion is not merely a political institution it has a much higher claim on our attention; and acting as if it were merely a political institution, has been the real cause that the established church already totters to its foundation; and, if similar conduct is pursued, must eventually fall. The people never long brook an open display of priestcraft. To deceive them it must be concealed, at least under an affectation of zeal. But when neither the reality nor the appear

ance is present, contempt and radical reform must soon be the result. When the priest is only distinguished by exactng his tithes, or by riding over his neighbour's corn, in a fine sporting country, in pursuit of a fox, how can popular reverence be expected? And, in such a situation, is it not a cause for much real satisfaction, that the people, instead of being disgusted with religion entirely, have had the moderation and good sense to turn their attention towards other re

ligious teachers, who at least seem to display more zeal and sincerity. Zeal is the only certain proof of sincerity in religious belief; for so much are we interested in the truths of religion, that if our belief be firm, it must be attended

with zeal.

religion cannot surprise any person who "The present state of our established is familiar with the history of similar establishments. As the poet has said of the human body, in their very formation, they have the seeds of their dissolution, which grow with their growth, and strengthen with their strength.'— Make any set of men independent of their duty, and their duty will most probably be neglected. Nor perhaps would the fall of the establishment be productive of much evil, for the beneficial effects of such establishments are not very state, is, however, certainly preferable evident. Our present one, in a weak to one in full vigour; and were a few more of its teeth drawn, it might, perhaps, languish on for another century, and be productive of some advantage. Religious zeal should be approved; but secular power should not be added to religious zeal, and our present lukewarm and religious enthusiasm. The methosystem is better than a union of power dists and dissenting sects merit support as independents; but should be as strenuously opposed were they attempting to supplant the established church. The zeal of the methodists, like the zeal of the established clergy, would soon vanish, were their preachers put in quiet possession of the good things which the clergy possess. But, it

to be hoped,

when once the present establishment terminates its career, such will be the improved state of popular intellect, that a similar institution will never again meet with support.

"Let us now notice one of the most prominent objections which has been advanced against the methodists.

"The methodist preachers are igno