THE MONTHLY VISITOR. 53 introduced fome inoral and affecting pieces of exquisite merit, particularly the Tired Soldier, by OPIE, of which too much cannot be faid in its commendation. A Vifit and Contributions to the Sailor's Orphans, is beautifully imagined and executed; Minerva refuming her proper Form, and giving her laft Inftructions to Telemachus, is a pleafing excursion of fancy; whilft Morning, from Dr. Langhorne's Visions of Fancy, is accompanied by thefe expreffive lines: Life's morning landfeape, gilt with orient light, Nor fees the dark cloud gath'ring o'er the fky- Of reprefentations belonging to nature we mention fruit, by Mr. HEWLETT, fketched with inimitable beauty, even the transparent drops of water appear trembling on the leaves, and, like our firft parents, we were almoft inclined to pluck and eat of the repast laid before us. Dr. THORNTON'S Botanical Plates are of a very fuperior kind, They are defigned to enrich a work of the utmost confequence in the department of medicine, and in the republic of letters. The production, we have reason to believe, will reflect an honour on the British nation. The MINATURES made a beautiful appearance, though of very unequal merit. There is, in this kind of painting, a fineness which is gratifying to the eye, for with the delicacy of the pencil we are delighted. The frame, containing the portraits of Mr. Markland, Mr. Salterwaite, Mr. J. Curtis, Mrs. Lloyd, and Mr. James, by HAZLITT, afforded a very favourable specimen of that artist's talents. E 3 Among 54 THE MONTHLY VISITOR. Among the LUDICROUS pieces we obferved, with most pleasure, the Ceremony of Beard Washing, performing upon Don Quixote, at the Table of the Duke, by SMIRKE, and Mrs. Peachum fainting at the Idea of her Daughter marrying for Love, Beggar's Opera, by SMIRKE. Munden in the Character of Arden, and Fawcett in the Character of Dr. Panglofs, in the Heir at Law, are humorous reprefentations of originals, which excite our rifibility. Of the SEA PIECES, the principal were thofe which exhibited, with a terrific grandeur, the ever memorable battle of the Nile. The two first pieces of this kind are by Pocock, entitled, A View of the French Line of Battle, in the Bay of Bequieres, with the Approach of the British Squadron, under Rear Admiral Lord Nelson, to the Attack, on the Evening of the glorious ft of August, 1798, and a View of the Pofition of the Two Fleets, taken from the Van of the French Line, in action at Half paft Nine o'Clock at Night, Le Guerrire, Le Conquerant, and Spartiale, difmafted; the L'Orient on Fire, Auguft ift, 1798. The next-The Battle of the Nile, by CLEVELY; and alfo, by the fame hand, The Deftruction of the French Fleet off the Nile, are, as well as the former, poffeffed of merit. We have, alfo, another exhibition of this terrific fcene, by TURNER, being The Battle of the Nile at Ten o' Clock, when the L'Orient blew up, from the Station of the Gun Boats between the Battery and Cafile of Aboukir. In all these five paintings, except the firft of them, the L'Orient on Fire, makes a confpicuous figure, and is encircled with all the tremendous horrors of an explofion : -Immediate in a flame, But foon obfcur'd with smoke all heav'n appear'd. Their dev'lifh glut-chain'd thunderbolts, and hail MILTON. We THE MONTHLY VISITOR. 55 We obferved with pleasure, The Elevation of a very elegant new Caft-Iron Bridge, propofed to be erected over the River Thames, from the Strand, in the Vicinity of the Adelphi, to Lambeth—Sketch of a Naval Triumphal Arch-Design for the Improvement of the Port of London, and the principal Part of a Monument for the late S. Whitbread, Efq. Religion Supporting his Head, and Benevolence weeping at his Feet. This laft is a very appropriate token of respect to an excellent man, who abounded in works of charity. A pleafing Frame, containing Six Drawings, we apprehend is intended for the imal edition et Young's Night Thoughts, by HEPTINSTALL, who is already known to the public by the clegant engravings with which he has adorned other works. We fhall here only add-The View of Tilbury and Gravefend, with Sections of the intended Tunnel under the River Thames. The fections are truly curious. The Tunnel is feen lighted by lamps, at regular diftances, a greyhound in full fpeed, the mailcoach pushing forward with its ufual rapidity, and every object defigned to imprefs the fpectator with the convenience arifing from this wonderful fubterraneous road by which the fhores of Kent and Effex are to be connected. Upon the advantages of this tunnel it is not our province here to defcant; but it exhibits the aftonishing effects that may be accomplished by the unwearied efforts of human induftry. Thus, in a few words, have we imparted to our readers a fketch of the prefent Exhibition. We have fpoken in a manner which accords with our own ideas. Among many indifferent pictures which we leave to their me rited oblivion, there is a much larger number entitled to our admiration. Genius and tafte, in the fine arts, have not abandoned us. Nor will they foon bid us an adieu, when we call to mind the afpiring mind of Britons, and the generofity with which merit is patronifed. Notwithstanding all our defects, there is a national liberality affigned us, even by foreigners; and we may . fafely fafely challenge the world with refpect to our skill and industry, in the cultivation of those beautiful arts which fweeten and embellish human life. DIRECTIONS FOR STUDYING THE ENGLISH HISTORY. IN A LETTER TO A FRIEND, BY THE LATE DR. FARMER. 66 DEAR SIR, You [From Biugraphiania.] YOU will not expect to be fent to the authors who are ufually called claffical, for much information on the English history. Very little is met with in the Greek, and not a great deal in the Latin. Cæfar, Tacitus, and Suetonius, are the only ones worth men. tioning on this fubject. "Nor will you choose to be referred to the monkish writers. Jeffrey of Monmouth, and his ftory of Brute, are now generally given up. Some of them, indeed, as William of Malmbury, Matthew Paris, &c, have a more authentic character; but I fuppofe any one (except a profeffed antiquary) will be contented with them at fecond-hand in the modern hiftorians. Carte has made the most and beft ufe of them, which is the greatest merit of his book. Hume often puts their names in his margin; but I fear all he knew of them was through the media of other writers. He has fome mistakes, which could not have happened had he really confulted the originals. "The first planting of every nation is neceffarily obfcure, and always loft in a pretended antiquity. It matters little to us, whether our island was first peopled by by Trojans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Celts, or Gauls, who have all their refpe&tive advocates; and the famous Daniel de Foe makes his "True-born Englishman" a compound of all nations under heaven. If you choose, however, to read about this matter, "Sheringham de Anglorum Origine," 8vo. 1670, is the best book for the purpose. I may juft mention, that fome writers would cavil at the word island just above, and infift that we were formerly joined to the French continent. "Little real knowledge is to be picked up from our history before the conqueft; yet it may not be amifs to have a general idea of the Druidical government among the ancient Britons; of the invafion of the Romans, under Julius Cæfar, and again in the time of Claudius; the ftruggles for liberty under Cara&tacus, Boadicea, &c., the defertion of the island by the Romans; thẻ irruption of the Picts and Scots; the calling in of the Saxons as allies; who, after a time, turned their arms against the natives, and conquered them (fome few excepted, who fecured themfelves in the mountains of Wales, whence their defcendants affect to call themfelves Ancient Britons); the establishment of the Heptarchy, &c. the union under King Egbert; the invafion and various fortunes of the Danes; and, laftly, the Normans, under William the Conqueror. "The best authors for this period are Milton and Sir William Temple; the latter more pleafing, but the former more accurate. Milton's profe works are exceedingly ftiff and pedantic, and Sir William's as remarkably eafy and genteel; but he fhould have attended more to the minutiae of names and dates. "As to the religion of our ancestors, fomething of the Druids may be learned from "Schedius de Diis Germanis," and an effay in "Toland's Pofthumous Works." Chriftianity feems to have been introduced, perhaps by fome of the Romans, in the first century. Some indeed pretend, that St. Paul himself came over. "The |