both upon this tuneful ancient and his reputed poems, which neither lame arguments, nor bold, it may be said impudent, assertions, could contravert, it was convenient thus obliquely to throw a slur upon her of barbarism; for if the people were wild when the Doctor wrote, they must have been, according to fair induction, wretched savages indeed in the days of Ossian, and therefore incapable of producing such a writer or such poems. That this subject was near his heart, is evident from his dissertation, asserting, against all evidence, internal and outward, traditional and actual, the authenticity of the works published as his by Macpherson. It is not my intention to argue this point further than to remark, that the Doctor, in his Essay, displays much more nationality on this point than dispassionate judgment and inquiry. That Ossian may have existed, is probable; that he wrote the poems,is questionable, perhaps very improbable, considering the utter variance existing among barbarous people of the professions of poet and warrior; that he was born in Scotland, if a real personage, is mere assumption; and that the poems are the production of that country alone, is an assertion, among the thousand broached on this subject, most absurd and unsupported by fact.

This air of literary and national arrogance which so strongly pervades our friends north of the Tweed, is really insufferable. Where they truly excel, no one, I believe, denies their merits;-they themselves take care their light shall not be hidden under a bushel;—I take plea sure in doing justice to it. But why attempt to monopolize what is not yet proved to belong to them; or assume those gratuitous airs of superiority in civilization and attainments which Dr. Blair meant to convey. In him, I must confess, I was surprised to find it. In the pert flippancy of the Edinburgh Review, it is less extraordinary; but still the same points are systematically upheld, as if Scotland and its authors could not exist in public opinion, if they admitted of any excellence but their own. I wish not to be ungenerous in these remarks, and am sure I am not unjust; for the illiberality of Blair has been often of late repeated in a variety of forms in that publication, one of which I cannot avoid noticing.

Mr. Charles Phillips the Irish barrister made, it seems, a very cloquent, or supposed cloquent, speech at the bar;

this being published, gave the author considerable celebrity. Mr. J editor of the Review, likewise a limb of the law, alarmed at the growing reputation of a rival advocate, though in a different meridian from Edinburgh, took the generous resolution of doing his utmost to throw him into the shade. The unfortunate speech therefore was seized, mauled, nay, attempted to be torn limb from limb, by a critique, as remarkable for literary and critical blunders as perhaps any among the numbers of that kind contained in the series of the Review. It is remarkable, that not even Mr. Phillips's party-attachments could save him. No: though of the same opinious on political affairs, the same views on religious disabilitics, the same distaste to the general policy of those in power, he attempted to render himself eminent, if not cloquent, in the line of his profession, an effort which the Review determined to prevent. The article was peculiar in many respects. It aimed at a certain tone of civility, to conceal a strong though evident feeling of professional jealousy; it seemed laboured with unusual pains, yet abounded in mistakes and contradictions, arising from the unqualified wish to find fault, not only with what was perhaps indif ferent in the speech, but with those points which were generally admitted to be unexceptionable. To do this, passages, paragraphs, sentences, words, nay even letters, were seized with an avidity of misrepresentation quite disproportionate to their importance. One of the canons of criticism in this article is remarkable. After admitting that Ireland has had some orators, it adds, that this arises from her imperfect civi lization. This is but a repetition of the slander of Blair; yet how any man, with history before his eyes, could seriously advance this position to the public judg ment, is astonishing, as it is not merely contrary to fact, which indeed the Review cares little about, but contrary also to theory, the point in which it chiefly amuses its readers. The truth is, we have no instance of any orator of eminence having ever existed among imperfectly-civilized nations; nor even one in the darker ages of Europe. Greece possessed them only in her most polished days; Rome in her highest state of refinement; England and France alone, in the brightest days of their literature. These nations possessed great orators, precisely because they were of all

others

For the Monthly Magazine. LETTERS from the HAVANNAH, descriptive of the STATE of SOCIETY, and em bracing ORIGINAL INFORMATION relative to the ISLAND of CUBA.

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11.

others the most civilized. In Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the northern nations, we have not one, or scarcely one instance, simply because the human mind was contracted and obscured by the policy of their governments. Oratory, in fact, is more an art than a gift; an ignorant or an "imperfectly-civilized” man cannot practice it; it requires, above all other arts, a vast acquaintance with every thing animate and inanimate in nature; a deep insight into the human mind and the springs of human actions, and a ready application of this knowledge to the subjects. Whether Demosthenes, Cicero, Massillon, Bossuet, Lord Chatham, and Burke, were imperfectly civilized" men, must be determined by other tribunals than the Edinburgh Review.

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It will be asked, what could be the motives for broaching this absurd doctrine? One is, that the trade of an anonymous reviewer requires no responsibility; and therefore any thing, no mat ter what, may be safely asserted without loss of reputation to the writer; for there is no question but Mr. J—would never publish such an opinion with his name to it. Another was covertly to exalt the reputation of Scotland. For, if it could be proved that Ireland, which had given birth to several eloquent men, had done so only because she was barbarous, it followed very naturally that Scotland, which scarcely ever owned one but Lord Erskine, must be at the summit of civilization. These petty tricks and little jealousies are very absurd, as well as ridiculous; and, to those who know any thing of Edinburgh, easily seen through. In politics and poetry, the theories and dreams of the Editor have woefully failed, to the utter discomfiture of his eritical reputation; and he promises to sustain equal disgrace on the subject of oratory. But, in common fairness, why aim at monopolizing all talent for his Countrymen. Scotland has her worthies, and deservedly so; but other counties, it is presumed, have theirs also. I know nothing of Mr. Phillips but from his publications; he appeared to me, however, to be very illiberally and unjustly treated by the article in question, one of the striking contradictions of which I have not noticed: it admits he is a man of genius, but neither an orator, nor much of a poet; yet, what kind of genius it is I cannot conjecture, as he has not, to my knowledge, appeared in print in any other character. O. P. Q.

SCARCELY need inform you that the merchants first set the example of providing elegant furniture for their apartments; but hitherto there have been few imitators. The principal families of the island tenaciously adhere to their antique manners and pristine simplicity: you scarcely ever see in their saloons any other movables than trunks, thrown here and there on chairs; these trunks take the names of the different articles which they represent. That which contains papers is called the secretaire, and that which holds the linen, the commode; so that they are no strangers to the use of French furniture.

In a country wherein the state and condition of society are but in their infancy, spectacles, such as the play, the ball, &c. are a sort of needful distractions. Let me say a word or two about the spectacles. They act here very frequently those sacred mysteries which so delighted our good forefathers. I have witnessed the triumph of the Ave-Maria, a tragi-comedy, which closes with the sudden appearance, in the midst of the theatre, of a chivalrous worthy, mounted on a real horse, shaking at the end of a lance the bloody head of an infidel.

This horrid exhibition excited a titter

of enjoyment in all the spectators. The ladies in particular seemed to be highly entertained-no fainting fits, no nervous attacks. How could a mere fiction agonize the blunt feelings of women hardened by the spectacles of bull-fights, and almost every day meeting with the dead body of some human being who has been assassinated?

The ball and gaming-rooms are about a quarter of a league from the city; and you proceed to them through an avenue, at the end of which appears a little pedestrian statue of Charles III. with proportions but meagre, and a conformity of costume which throws over the mo

narch an appearance rather grotesque.

I had almost forgotten to mention, that, close to the statue, and on the high road, you see a block of marble rudely sculptured, surmounted with the bust of Christopher Columbus. It is a sort of shapeless mass of that great man, the design abandoned almost as soon as pro

jected,

jected, the posture, lying in the dust at the feet of a king, is a pretty significant emblem of the ungrateful treatment he experienced from the husband of Isabella.

Five or six hundred volantes convey the ladies and gentlemen to the ballrooms. These carriages can only be compared, in point of elegance, to the most ordinary post-chaises; they are drawn by a couple of horses, with a black postilion mounted on one of them. On entering the ball-rooms, you perceive that dancing is but a secondary object of the assembly; the first apartments that you cross are supplied with tables covered with gold and silver; and immense suns are lost and gained here with a rapidity and a degree of phlegm unknown in Europe. An additional amusement is, to survey, in the groups, a marchioness or a countess seated between a Spanish monk and a Dutch seaman, that waft to her, from the right and left, the fragrant fumes of their cigarres.

Here the vicious tendency of gambling is not soured by public opinion; there is the priest, the noble, the magistrate, the merchant, all sitting in public, about a board of green cloth, with as much indifference as we can appropriate to the most trivial actions. The father of a family goes to place his wife and daughters in the dancing-rooms, and then returns to the gaming-room; all this is in the order of their manners, and no sense of public morals or decorum seems to be hurt by it. Nor does the slightest disgrace attach to the bankers that hold the gaming-money, for some of these bankers are members of the most illustrious families in the colony. It is true that the laws and the ordonnances of the governors hold out threatening penalties against gaming, but those who are to put the laws in execution find it to their advantage to screen the offenders with their protection. They give the governor and the intendant to understand that gaming is a necessary evil; and it should seem that they back their assertions with weighty reasons, as the doors are always kept open, and they play, one might almost say, in the open air.

But now for the dancing apartment. It is decorated with taste and elegant simplicity: a hundred wax-candles reflect their sparkling lustre on the women seated at one end of the room. Your entrance is the most favourable moment to catch the illusion; large black eyes, a MONTHLY MAG. No. 337.

physiognomy full of expression, and the handsomest little feet in the world, would in any country excite an emo tion in the breast even of a stoic; but he would be quite astonished to find also a soul and senses.

At the other end of the room are the men, alike seated, but throughout the ball, the two confronting parties do not mingle; there are certain chevaliers of honour who accommodate the dancers with invitations. In short, there is such an air of strictness and decorum pervading the assembly, that one might fancy it was copied from the rigid ceremonials practised by the Jesuits of Paraguay, in the balls they gave the natives.

All the balls open with a minuet, and it is often repeated, not so much by preference as from necessity. It is rather walking however than dancing, being just suited to a country, where the least motion puts you out of breath, and is a drain upon your strength.

When the ladies rise up from their scats, they lose in a moment half of the graces which fancy had imputed to them. They bound as if they were lame; and indeed, the narrow shoes that compress their feet, pinch them severely at every step they take. Their countenances pretty plainly give a different expression to the features. They have no corset to keep up their shapes, and they do not know how to put on the robe which they wear, the use of robes being of recent introduction. Ten years ago, the ladies used to appear in public much in the simple costume of a woman getting out of bed.

The men display superior graces in motion, from being more at ease in their feet; but they appear destitute of that dignity and noble air which so well become the minuet. They are besides totally unacquainted with the real character of this dance; these semi-barbarians can step up to the ladies very frequently in a riding-coat, and always either without a hat or else with a round

one.

It is only the whites that are admitted to such a ball as I am describing, and it already appears that they cannot boast of having an accurate tradition of the minuct. This honour may be claimed exclusively by the free negroes. How much was I surprised to see these negroes of a noble and supple shape, respectfully advancing to their ladies with a three-cornered hat in hand, and with a dignity which begins to grow

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searce

scarce in Europe? The negresses are not eclipsed by their cavaliers; all their movements are replete with grace and nobleness; nor do they torture their feet to conceal their true dimensions. A right taste presides at their toilettes; their rich dresses do not jostle with elegance; and they wear their robes with an ease that would create admiration in the most assiduous of our opera loungers.

I had entered the negroes' ball, to make merry for a few minutes at their expense; but that was impossible. What I beheld was far superior to what I had quitted; and had any one then addressed me on the subject of comparison, maintaining the superiority of the whites over the blacks, I should have given a short answer: 'Only open your eyes, and speak plainly what you think.'

The decent gaiety of these blacks, men and women; the mildness of their physiognomy, and the affability of their manners, render it impossible to refuse them the sentiments of our benevolence. Nature has gifted them with the endow ments of improvisatori and musicians; and I do not hesitate to predict, that if ever the island shall possess a colonial literature, it is the blacks that will engross the merit of the obligation.

My letter so far is pretty long, and I feel the call for repose. If I recruit my strength in another month, I intend to report the condition of the blacks in slavery; the state of the arts and sciences; to notice the government and the tribunals, the clergy and noblesse, the political bias of the population, the plantations, culture; and, lastly, the deplorable lot of such Europeans as resort hither with the hopes of realizing an establishment. I mean also to furnish you with some statistical notices that may prove interesting to the amateurs.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR,

I

HAVE just read Mr. Burchell's letter to those emigrants who are disposed to go to the Cape. I understand he has lately returned from thence, where he had been nearly four years travelling in search of natural history, botanical collections, and mineralogy ; and, as he must know the country better than any one, his information must naturally be more useful than of any gone before him. He mentions some things as most highly necessary. He says, that the first step is, to pitch upon the spot

where the emigrant and his family would wish to settle. Now, how is this possible, when we have no survey of that country, although we have had it in our possession twenty years. How different the French government on those occasions! The first thing they do, on taking possession of a new colony, is to set their engineers to work to survey it, and publish the plan immediately. Our government sent out a general officer to take the Island of St. Domingo, with a map taken out of the Gentleman's Magazine!

Without an accurate survey of a colony, those who go out there to settle must lose much time, and spend the principal part of their money, before they know where to pitch their tent, as suitable to the line in which they are to follow; whether a wine-grower, a farmer, a grazier, a miller, or in pursuit of mines; because, if there are mines of iron, and I am told there are, and that the iron ore yields from sixty to eighty per cent. : if this be the case, is it not necessary to know whereabouts those mines are? in what district; whether they are far distant from the coast; if they are near to a river; if there is fuel to burn near hand, or if there is coal; if it is possible to have water-communication, &c. &c.

Now, I say it is impossible for a family to go out on such chimerical ideas, as many perhaps will adventure, without ruination to themselves, unless they have an accurate map of the country; and as government have held out to the world, that they will assist in the emigration, they should have published before this an accurate map of that country. Pray, what is the whole herd of engineers about, but eating the bread of idleness, spending their money and time at billiard-tables and coffee-houses? Why do not the government, if they have any maps, publish them? But I doubt it. The people have a right to expect this information. What are all the excessive taxes for, but to pay these people in their several departments? Why not, in this time of peace, make them go out? Our government is supine, and behind every other government in these things.

What have we done at Ceylon? We know nothing of that island; no survey. What have we done, or what do we know, of Demerara? a colony, if it was actually known, worth half our West India possessions put together. We have no survey of that colony, no know.

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