Further Man is a creature of strong appetites and passions. These are evolved in him earlier than the principles of reason and understanding, and, in much the greater part of the species, they continue to take the lead during life. Sensual pleasures have attractions for all men; and it is only that class who, by means of the bodily labor of the majority, are able to live in comparative ease and leisure, that can acquire a relish for intellectual enjoyments. Now, the more numerous mankind become, the more sedulous must be their exertions to procure the necessaries of life, which must ever be the first concern. The more refinement and luxury prevail among the higher classes, the greater proportion of the lower must devote the whole of their time to labor, in a variety of new modes. Even the improvements in arts and sciences require the additional manual toil of inferior artists; and the ingenuity of one head sets at work a thousand pair of hands. What is implied by the sublime discoveries of a Herschel ? — the existence of the collier, miner, forgeman, smith, brazier, glassmaker and grinder, carpenter, &c. &c., all of whom must be hardworking men, living in garrets or cellars, drinking porter and drams, when they can get them, and placing their summum bonum in a hot supper and a warm bed. This is what they are made for. And when the government under which they live, and of which they must always be subjects, not members, chooses to quarrel with a neighbouring state, about the right of fishing or trading on the other side of the globe, or some equally worthy matter of debate, these very men must be compelled or debauched to clap an uniform on their backs, and a musket on their shoulders, and learn to kill and be killed, at the word of command; - for this, too, is what they are made for. - An acquaintance of mine, who is fond of the Linnæan mode of characterising objects of natural history, has amused himself with drawing up the following definition of man : Simia Homo: sine caude: pedibus posticis ambulans: gregarium, omnivorum, inquietum, mendax, furax, rapax, salax, pugnax, artium variarum capax, animalium reliquorum hostis, sui ipsius inimicus acerrimus.' We may next quote A Word for Philosophy. Unfortunate Philosophy! not only to have retained the enmity of all her old foes, the tyrants and deceivers of mankind; but to have incurred the reproaches of many who in better days were well pleased to be regarded as her friends and coadjutors! Perhaps, however, the prejudice conceived against her is beginning to subside; at least, an inquiry how far the imputations under which she has labored have been merited, may at this time hope for a patient hearing. Philosophy has been accused of contributing to the subversion of every thing sacred and venerable among men, of vilifying authority, insulting dignities, unsettling established customs and opinions, and substituting her own crudities and fallacies to the `results results of long experience. I have no doubt that her real in fluence has been greatly exaggerated, and that the bad passions of mankind have been the true causes of the deplorable evils which the world has lately witnessed: but admitting that Philo sophy has had her share in the work of destruction, let us calmly consider what were the things against which her batteries were erected. 'Politics and religion, the two master-springs of human affairs, have both been touched by Philosophy, and, it must be acknowleged, with a free hand. She has been guilty, too, of what many seem to regard as an unpardonable offence-resorting to first principles in order to justify her attacks upon existing systems, and lay a foundation for proposed improvements. Thus, in the science of politics (to begin with that department) she has boldly assumed that men come into the world with rights that the maintenance of these rights ought to be the great object of social institutions that government was intended for the good of the whole, not the emolument of the few-that legitimate authority can have no other basis than general consent, for that force can never constitute right-that civil distinctions, originating from the agreement of society, always remain within the determination of society — and that laws, in order to be just, must bear equally upon all. These principles have doubtless borne a hostile aspect towards the greater part of existing governments, which have supported themselves upon maxims so much the reverse; but has Philosophy urged the demolition of all such governments? Certainly not, unless she is identified with Fanaticism. It has been her invariable method first to recommend to the usurpers of undue authority to repair their wrongs by gradual concessions; and, secondly, to the sufferers under tyranny to state their grievances in a quiet way, and patiently, though firmly, to expect redress. This she has done as the decided friend of peace; for Philosophy (and Philosophy alone) has been incessantly employed in lifting up her voice against war, that monstrous aggregate of all the evils, natural and moral, that conspire against human happiness. The works of all the writers, ancient and modern, who have merited the title of Philosophers, may be confidently appealed to for their strenuous endeavours to correct the false opinions of men with respect to the glory of warriors and conquerors, and to inculcate the superior claims to admiration and gratitude arising from the successful culture of the beneficent arts. Had, then, the dictates of Philosophy been equally listened to by the governors and governed, reforms might have been effected by mutual agreement to the advantage of both, and a progress have been made towards that melioration of the state of mankind, which a philanthropist can never cease to have in view amidst all his disappointments. That such expectations have failed through the predominance of the selfish principle, combined with the impetuous and ungovernable character of a particular nation, is not the fault of Philosophy. She held up a torch to point out the D 3. safest safest path to a necessary reformation, but incendiaries snatched it from her for the purposes of mischief. It is acknowledged that some of the evil proceeded from the fanaticism of her honest but deluded votaries; but much more from those who disclaimed all connection with her. The most sanguinary tyrant of the French revolution was notoriously the foe to all mental cultivation, and obliterated the precepts of philosophy in the blood of its professors. And no one can suspect the man who now aims at uniting all Europe in the fetters of a military despotism, of an inclination to promote liberal discussions on the rights of man and the foundation of government. In point of fact, it appears that the sole European power that steadily resists the present tendency to an universal barbarism of civil polity, is that which is most enlightened by free investigation, and in which alone Philosophy at this time possesses a pen and a tongue. With respect, therefore, to the political system of the world, Philosophy (I mean of that kind which was chiefly prevalent in the latter half of the eighteenth century) may stand acquitted of any thing inimical to the true interests of mankind; and whatever improvements took place in the administration of the continental governments of Europe during that period may fairly be ascribed to her influence. She promoted the enfranchisement of slaves and vassals, the relief of the lower orders from arbitrary and burthensome requisitions, the liberation of internal commerce from impolitic restrictions, the encouragement of every species of useful industry, the melioration of laws, the abolition of cruel punishments and of judicial torture, and, above all, religious toleration, — which leads me to the second point, namely, the conduct of Philosophy with respect to religion. 'Here, again, it is proper to begin with inquiring what it was that Philosophy actually opposed under the appellation of Religion; for nothing can be more unfair than to draw a picture of religion as it has existed only in a comparatively few philosophical minds, and then to display it as the object against which Philosophy has aimed her shafts. A system of faith, the sole essentials of which should be a belief in the existence of a Supreme Being of infinite perfections, the moral Governor and Judge of mankind, and of a future state of rewards and punishments, would, I am persuaded, command the respect of every genuine philanthropist, who would rejoice in such a powerful support to morality, and such a consolation under the unavoidable evils of life, and prize it the more for the sanction of Revelation. But where has national religion appeared under this simple aspect? Certainly not in those countries in which philosophers have been its adversaries. • There cannot be a more copious source of error than to confound under a common name, on account of an agreement in certain particulars, things in their nature essentially different. To instance in the different sects which bear the general title of Christian, though all referring to the same primary authority, it is scarcely possible to conceive of greater variations than subsist among them, both with relation to each other, and to the doc trines of their common Founder. Accuracy, therefore, requires that in speaking of them they should be specifically denominated, and not be grouped under a generical appellative. Thus, it is right to say, the religion of Rome, the religion of Luther, the religion of Calvin, and the like; for the religion of Christ will convey but a very inadequate idea of their several characters and tenets. Let us then see what that Roman religion was which peculiarly excited the enmity of what is called the French School of Philosophy. - 'It was a system which, in the first place, demanded the renunciation of all right of private judgement, and subjected the religious opinions and practices of all the world to the determination of a foreign priest; — which took from men the direction of their own consciences, and put it into the hands of a cast, detached in all countries from their fellow-subjects, and universally connected by peculiar claims and interests; which uniformly discouraged all inquiries and discussions tending, however remotely, to invalidate its own authority, and exacted implicit submission in all points on which it had thought fit to decide; which taught doctrines the most irreconcileable to reason and common sense, and enjoined observances the most trifling, degrading, and burthensome. It was a system, moreover, radically hostile to every other, spurning all community or accommodation, annexing extravagant ideas of merit to proselytism, and therefore, when allied to power, infallibly leading to persecution: a system, the influence of which was traced in lines of blood through every page of modern history. Was it then no just object to the friends of reason and humanity to loosen the hold of such a religion upon the minds of men? Was it not a necessary preliminary to every attempt for introducing substantial improvements in the countries where it prevailed; and if, in the contest with a mass of opinion so powerfully supported, some things were necessarily endangered which were worth preserving, was not the prize adequate to the hazard? 'A consistent Protestant cannot, certainly, dispute these conclusions; but he may blame philosophers for not fairly examining Christianity at the source, and adopting it in such a form as shall approve itself to a rational inquirer. Before he does this, however, he must be prepared to admit that an inquiry conducted upon such a principle justifies itself, whatever be the system in which it settles. He must renounce all anathematizing denunciations; disclaim any preference due to a particular system because it is that of the state; and disavow any right of annexing penalties and privations to non-conformity to a predominant faith. Unless he agrees to these preliminaries, he is in effect no more a friend to free inquiry than the Romanist; and when he urges examination, it is only upon the tacit condition that its result should be conversion to his own opinions. The philosopher who has thrown off the authority of a pope and council is not likely to yield to that of Luther or Calvin, a convocation or a synod. To conclude: Philosophy, understood in its proper sense of the love of wisdom," or of truth (which is the same thing), is the only principle to be relied on, not only for meliorating the state of the world, but for preventing a relapse to barbarism. If she be excluded from all guidance of human affairs, in whose hands shall it be placed? - in those of Avarice, of Ambition, of Bigotry? She may have had her moments of delirium, but she is essentially the votary of Reason, and possesses within herself the power of correcting her own errors. Policy, if she be not called in as a counsellor, degenerates into craft; and Religion, without her direction, into superstition. They who are afraid of her searching spirit must be conscious of something that will not bear the light of investigation. They are foes to the truth because "the truth is not in them." Many of the occasional disquisitions are as interesting as the foregoing; for instance, the Aphorisms, On the Probability of Melioration in the State of Mankind, on Family-Pride, on the Essential Character of Man, on the Formation of Character, on Self-biographers, and others. We are persuaded that the public will equally welcome the daughter's biography, and the father's posthumous remains. ART. V. German Popular Stories, translated from the Kinder und Hans Märchen. Collected by MM. Grimm, from Oral Tradition. With Twelve Plates by George Cruickshank. 12mo. 78. Boards. Baldwyn. 1823. ART. VI. Popular Tales and Romances of the Northern Nations. 3 Vols. Crown 8vo. 1l. 5s. 6d. Boards. Simpkin and Marshall. 1823. Mos OST of our provincial towns have petty bookshops, where penny story-books and halfpenny ballads are exposed for sale; and whence they are sent about into villages, and hawked abroad by walking dealers. If a "commercial traveller" were to collect, in the different places along his route, all the various tales in circulation among the people at a cheap rate of publication, and to reprint in a single volume this nurseryanthology, a work would be produced much resembling the series of child's stories before us. Tom Thumb, Jack the Giant-Killer, Fortunatus, The Sleeping Beauty, Blue-Beard, Guy of Warwick, Godiva Countess of Coventry, Bevis of Southampton, The Pied Piper, Cinderella, The Wise Men of Gotham, Nixon the Cheshire Prophet, The London Apprentice, The Life and Death of Saint George, Thomas Hickathrift, Mother Shipton, Mother Bunch, Valentine and Orson, The Suffolk Miracle, Philip Quarles, Whittington and his Cat, The Seven Champions of Christendom, Merlin, and a hundred more such |