by his implicit belief, as well as by his diligent ftudy, of all the abfurdities of magic. His writings afford a strange mixture of genius and folly, of wit and weaknefs, of candour and duplicity. Yet his virtues deferve an honourable mention. He was as brave in the field, as diligent in the ftudy; most exemplarily temperate, and fober; difdaining the indulgences of the animal man, and eager to acquire the title of philofopher; and what above all deserves a tribute of praife, in all his enmity and opposition to Chriffianity, he indulged nothing of that cruelty, which had fo often, marked his pagan predeceffors. With fovereign power he maintained univerfal toleration. He favoured, indeed, the fuperftitions which he himself practifed; but he compelled no man, by any pains and penalties, to conform to them. He condefcended, as an author, fairly to enter the lifts with argument and ridicule, as more potent adversaries had done before; and if accused of attempting to undermine the church, encouraging fetaries and fchifmatics; and fhutting up the schools of philofophy from the Chriftians: I fee nothing in all this inconfiftent with the character of perfectly honeft but miftaken man; and only admire, that with the force of the empire at his beck, he fhould refrain from ufing weapons too congenial with the fallen fpirit. His tolerant indulgence of all fetaries is but the duty of every governor, whatever his religion be; and the policy of it, as well as justice, deserves to be imitated. He did not much harm to true Chriftianity, by fhutting up the philofophic fchools; whilft he left to every man the free perufal of the word of God: and how he undermined Chriftianity, more than every rational philofophic Christian has done fince, I fee not. I admire his candour, his lenity, his tolerance: I pity his misfortune in being exposed to fuch advisers, and being deftitute of understanding, as of grace, in adopting fuch fenfelefs fuperftitions. Chriftians have abused him with an afperity, and infidels vaunted his excellencies with an exaggeration, of which he was equally undeferving.' Vol. i. P. 313.

The characters of the chief perfonages who diftinguished this period of the hiftory are drawn with equal fidelity. Origen is claffed among the doubtful Chriftians; the pride of Cyprian is justly reprobated; and Novatian is vindicated. On the dif pute between the two laft chiefs is this juft obfervation.

The infolence, the abufe, and the condemnation, heaped on the devoted heads of all that presumed to differ from a bishop of Carthage, I utterly condemn, fully perfuaded that the peace, the unity, and purity of the true church, will be a thousand times better preferved by leaving our brethren who may differ from us to themfelves, bearing and forbearing, than by all the anathemas hurled against them by a Cyprian, a Gregory, or a Laud.”.

The Arian herefy is properly attributed to the false maxims and proud fcience of the fchool of Origen; but, in defcribing

the character and doctrines of this celebrated heretic, our author, as in too many other places, introduces names of a much later date; and we muft reprobate fuch affertions as these→→→→ Dr. Clarke is as much a blafphemer as Socinus.' The ftand made by Athanafius is well defcribed; and on the controverfy at large Dr. Haweis exclaims with his ufual impartiality, • Deeds were done on both fides fo contrary to every principle of love and the fpirit of meeknefs and truth, that I ftand like a man in court between two witneffes fwearing to contradictions. In the prefent days his opinion of the Athanafian creed will not be received with fo much fatisfaction; nor will the charity of the fuppofed author be admitted by numbers who believe in the greater part of his creed.

Athanafius was firm in the truth, and could not yield a tittle in point of doctrine, but he was no fuch bigot as he is represented, or uncharitable. The truths of God will not bear accommodation to a fancied candor or charitablenefs of judgment. I may poffefs the kindeft fpirit, and practice the fulleft exercise of toleration and forbearance, and yet decifively declare that except a man believe the catholic faith he cannot be faved. In my view, the damnatory claufes of the creed, which bears his name, breathe the nobleft exerçife of true Chriftian charity.' Vol. i. r. 307.

On the character of Auguftin we perceive ftronger marks of found judgement; and there is a juft comparison between his works and thofe of Edwards.

Auguftin figures among the moft eminent of the fathers, as an author; but a confiderable portion of his writings will be found jejune, declamatory, and fometimes highly objectionable: and in the very point of the doctrines of grace, wherein he excels, there is more deep reasoning, folid argument, precision of language, and fcriptural evidence, in one page of Edwards on Free Will, than in all the voluminous works of Auguftin put together. His conduct respecting the Donatifts will never find a parallel in the scriptures. His arguments against them fhall be allowed all their real weight; but they are greatly weakened by calling in the fword of the civil magiftrate, and the harth fyllogifms of fines and imprisonment. Surely fuch are not the weapons of our warfare. Yet is Auguftin an eminent character; his principles evangelical, and the general tenor of his life highly exemplary. His little diocese of Hippo eminently profited by his labours, and, in a day of great decay, exhibited fpecimens of primitive Chriftianity.' Vol. i. P. 337.

The fourth century clofes with a church very different from that which began on the day of Pentecoft. Its government is thus defcribed.

The government of the church was quite new modelled. Inftead of the people chufing their own biflops and prefbyters, they

were no more confulted. The prefbyters wholly depended on bishops and patrons: the bishops.were the creatures of patriarchs and metropolitans; or, if the fee was important, appointed by the emperor. So church and ftate formed the first inaufpicious alliance; and the corruption which had been plentifully fown before, now ripened by court intrigues for political bishops of imperial appointment, or at the fuggeftion of the prime minifter.' Vol. i. P. 340.

(To be continued.)

The Geographical Syftem of Herodotus, examined; and explained, by a Comparison with thofe of other ancient Authors, and with modern Geography. In the Courfe of the Work are introduced, Differtations on the Itinerary Stade of the Greeks, the Expedition of Darius Hyfiafpes to Scythia, the Pofition and Remains of ancient Babylon, the Alluvions of the Nile, and Canals of Suez; the Oafis and Temple of Jupiter Ammon, the ancient Circumnavigation of Africa, and other Subjects of Hiftory and Geography. The whole explained by Eleven Maps, adapted to the different Subjects, and accompanied with a complete Index. By James Rennell, F. R. S. &c. 4to. 21. 25. Boards. Nicol. 1800.

THE author of the prefent work has diftinguished himself by his induftry in illuftrating the geography of India. The office which he there enjoyed, and his other opportunities of collecting information, gave him extraordinary advantages for that department, and the public therefore feemed to be highly gratified by his work: but, with regard to other countries, Major Rennell can have access to few fources of information which are not open to every literary man; and one would naturally expect, from an author who endeavours to illuftrate the geography of Herodotus, an intimate acquaintance with the Greek language, many delicate fhades of which may convey various intelligence to a fedulous inquirer into a particular topic, while a general tranflation only conveys the general fense of the original.

The ingenious major, aware of this objection, has made an apology in the preface, which, though fufficient for fome inftances, is not completely applicable to others. What his own modesty has prevented him from urging, we may fafely advance to counterbalance in fome meafure this difadvantage, namely, his profound mathematical study of the mechanical parts of geography, fuch as itinerary measures, the variations of the compafs, the courfe of winds and currents, &c. all which knowledge he has often condensed upon the page of the father of history with powerful effect; nor is he lefs happy in ap

plying modern information with fuch effect as to throw light upon the opinions of antiquity.

With every prepoffeffion in favour of the author's skill and talents, we were a little furprised when we found more than feven hundred and fifty pages employed on such a theme. We should have expected a more lucid compreffion of learning; but, as there is gold in the mine, the reader must take the trouble of digging for it; and, to evince our candour, we fhall begin with the author's apology, which he has himfelf thrown into the conclufion.

"It is poffible that fome readers may have condemned the work, for its containing matter, in their opinion, foreign to the main fubject; and others for its being, altogether, too diffufe. With respect to the first class, it may be remarked that any fyftem, in order to be understood, must be regularly gone through; and it happens that the dryness of geographical detail is fuch, that a continued feries of them would rather be referred to, than read: fo that the intention of explaining a fyftem would of course have been fruftrated. It has therefore been the study of the author, to intermix with the geographical matter, fuch ingredients, as, whilft they served to confolidate the whole mafs into a regular form, would alfo give it the most agreeable colouring: in other words, that by the addition of history, which, it is the proper office of geography to explain; by mifcellaneous remarks and obfervations; and occafionally by remarks on the phyfical geography; he might fupply in part that intereft, which the generality of readers must ever find wanting, in books of science.

In refpect to objections to the bulk of the work, taken absolutely, the author can only answer in the words of an eminent hiftorian, that "he, who in the defcription of unknown things, affects too much brevity, seeks not fo much that which should be plainly told, as that which fhould be paffed over." In effect, a great many of the notices afforded by Herodotus, could not be fo well explained, or illuftrated, as by a reference to the works of other authors; or by the introduction of foreign matter.

It is a remark of Polybius on this very fubject of geography, that the ancient authors who had written concerning it, had fallen into fo many errors, that it was necessary to enter into a full and deliberate examination of them; but, at the fame time, he with great candour, allows," that their labours deferve on the whole, rather praife than cenfure; and that their errors are ever to be corrected in the gentleft manner; fince it is certain, that they would themfelves retract or alter many paffages in their works, if they were now alive."

The author will receive that reward for which he has toiled, if the public, during the perufal of his work, have regarded it with the fame fentiments, as thofe which poffeffed the mind of Polybius:

and which may be productive of more advantage in the prefent, than in the former cafe; fince the author hopes that he may be enabled, in perfon, to retract or alter, what the difcernment of his judges may condemn. P. 745.

In our account of this work, we propose first to give the reader a general idea of its contents, and, laftly, to offer fome remarks on particular paffages, concerning fome of which we hope the major will permit us to be diffentient. We deteft defpotifm and monopoly in any branch of science, and muft confefs, that, when we read the author's angry note concerning a criticism in our review, we were led to imagine that he had more flatterers than friends. But this fenfation was momentary. The experience that it is abfolutely impoffible to fatiate any author with praise, is almost the fole cause why the names of the authors of literary journals are not communicated to the public. The finalleft objection, the flightest hint, will inflame the felf-importance of the generality of authors. Yet no utility could arife from fuch a journal, if it were a mere feast of praise; and our literature would be degraded to the infignificance of Italian flattery, in which a fonneteer could not be mentioned without being ftyled illuftriffimo. Praife is a moft precious commodity, and must not be fquandered; for, if it be lavifhed, where will be the reward of merit? We shall therefore ftill claim abfolute freedom of diffent, where we fuppofe that the major has fallen into mistakes attendant on all the energies of man. But, as our diffent fhall be folely grounded on scientific motives, we trust that he will forget his fpleen, and accept our obfervations with perfect cordiality.

1

We now proceed to exhibit a general sketch of this vo lume. In his preface, the author informs us, that he had feveral years ago undertaken the task of correcting the geography, ancient and modern, of that part of Afia which lies between India and Europe; in effect, the great theatre of ancient history in Afia, as well as of European commerce and communication in modern times.'

• This task he has fome time fince performed, to the best of his ability, and as far as his stock of materials admitted: but the work had grown to fuch a fize, that it would have been an act of imprudence in an individual, to venture on fo great an expence as the execution of the work, in all its parts, required. In the mean time, however, he has adventured so far, as to prepare the first divifion of it, confifting of the geography of Herodotus; and which, as preparing the ground for the remainder of the ancient geography, he now, with great deference, offers to the public; accompanied with maps necessary to its explanation.

The remaining parts will confift of the ancient geography, as it