constructing which he has drawn largely on Jones, often taking from him whole sentences, or fragments of sentences, without acknowledgment. But these are so adroitly strung together, with the help of a little coloring, and a dexterous use of the arts of insinuation and suppression, that they can hardly fail to perplex and mislead the unlearned reader. Such disingenuous artifice requires to be exposed. We cannot too strongly protest against its use. It is difficult to believe that any real lover of truth can ever resort to it. Such wisdom cometh not from above.

In

ART. II. Dermot Mac Morrogh, or the Conquest of Ireland; an Historical Tale of the Twelfth Century. four Cantos. By JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. Boston. Carter, Hendee, & Co. 1832. 8vo. pp. 108.

THE best and wisest of mortals are liable to mistakes. We have too much respect for truth to consider this Tale as any thing better than a mistake, and too much respect for its author, to treat it as any thing worse. It is an error of

the head, or of the press, but not of the heart. If it had not been the production of one, lately president of these United States, it would not have been noticed as it has been. If one large edition of it had not been exhausted, and another called for, we should not have noticed it ourselves. As it is, we feel obliged to express our opinion of it, which we shall do in a few words.

The poetry of this "Historical Tale," is not very good, nor very bad, but, we are bound to say, very indifferent. The rhymes are tolerably correct. The flow of the verse is, with now and then a serious interruption, even and regular. But if the reader looks for any sparklings in the river, any wellings up from deep fountains, any striking thoughts, or beautiful images, or signs of what is termed poetical inspiration, he will look in vain. The Tale consists of four cantos. Curiosity carried us through the first, a sense of duty through the remaining three. Though we were not sorry that we had finished it, yet the prevailing impression which it left upon our mind was that of regret, -the kind of regret which every one feels, when an unadvised step, which will inevi

tably be attacked and misinterpreted and ridiculed, has been taken by a friend.

The morality of this "Historical Tale" is negative, if there be such a thing as negative morality. We ought rather to say, that, with regard to morality, or moral influence, the Tale is negative. Charges have been made against its character in this respect, but we are convinced they are without foundation. That it was written with a good and moral intention, we have no doubt; and so far as a knowledge of this the writer's purpose produces any effect, the effect is good. But the Tale itself is neither moral nor immoral. There are, it is true, some passages in it which we should not like to read aloud to a lady; and so there are in many excellent books and poems. But there is nothing in it which we should be sorry to have a lady read to herself. If any one, after an unprejudiced perusal, should think that there was a stanza in it which could be of the least injury or advantage to the morals of man, woman, or child, we should be astonished at the opinion. There is nothing exciting in it, one way or the other. Its principal deficiency is not want of good morals, but of good poetry and good taste. The chief objection we should have to the reading aloud of this "Historical Tale," with the exception of those few passages, would be, that we should much prefer to read something else.

It is said that this Tale has a political meaning. Whether it has or has not, is a question which we shall leave to be settled by others, as it is one in which we feel no interest ourselves.

We will now extract one or two stanzas which we consider to be among the best in this publication. The second of the two following has some force.

"For sturdy Becket, Canterbury's saint,

Had turned the realm of Albion upside down :
Because, regardless of his just complaint,
And in defiance of the triple crown,

Henry had dared the primate's rights to taint;
And cast his mitre's bold pretensions down:
And at some pageant (who can give it credence?)
To York's archbishop had assigned precedence.
"Oh! love of place; is there in earth's wide span,
To sway the human heart, a fiercer passion;

Saint Becket was a meek and humble man;
To prayer devoted as was then the fashion
And whensoever into sin he ran,

Prepared himself smartly to lay the lash on. But sooner than resign one inch of place, In ruin would have sunk the human race. -pp. 49, 50. Here is a pretty strong character of the Augustine friars. "In Dermot's time they were a potent order;

Whose vows of poverty, large wealth repaid;
Whose vows of chastity, cost much disorder:
And of obedience, princes of them made.
O'er every hill and valley, plain and border

Of Christendom they drove their gainful trade:
And soon received from Innocent the Third

Powers to crush heresies, and preach the word."-p. 59. This "Historical Tale" will be circulated, not only at home, but abroad, as the production of one of our presidents. We are sorry for this, because it will give him no reputation any where. Happily, his name is united with higher associations, and his fame rests on a worthier and more durable basis. We respect him as an upright and religious man. As a diplomatist and statesman, though not as a poet, he has gained for himself an honorable place in the history of our country; and as a diplomatist and statesman he will be remembered, when this "Historical Tale" shall be, as its hero himself has long been, by the kindness of posterity, forgotten.

Ex

ART. III. Argument against the Manufacture of Ardent Spirits. Addressed to the Distiller and the Furnisher of the Materials. By Rev. EDWARD HITCHCOCK. Tract No. 242 of the American Tract Society.

We wish to call the attention of our readers, at this time, to a single branch of the temperance question, viz. the production and sale of ardent spirits as a drink. We think the period has arrived, when a free and full discussion of this point is necessary. The evils resulting from the moderate, the misery and crime consequent upon the immoderate use

of alcohol, have been strongly portrayed and satisfactorily proved. The decanter has been banished from the sideboard and the dinner-table; the attention of the well disposed has been aroused, and some progress has been made, in promoting among temperate drinkers the doctrine of total abstinence. These, unquestionably, were objects requiring our earliest attention. The strong and unfavorable pressure of habit and custom was to be counteracted in the very outset of the efforts to cleanse the land from the sin of drunkenness. But, although, in this respect, great things have been done, and much good effected, the struggle is scarcely more than commenced. We have something to contend with, besides the love and use of ardent spirits. We have its production and sale to do away; and it is now time to enter in earnest upon this part of our duty. We deem it expedient to address most plainly all concerned in making and vending alcohol as a drink, and to do what we can to convince our readers that this business is neither right nor justifiable. There is no question, in our minds, about the prudence and propriety of this step; and therefore we are prepared to take it.

But in what manner shall our discussion be conducted? Here is the difficulty, and here, we freely confess, the friends of temperance have sometimes failed. They have not always handled this delicate subject judiciously. They have been somewhat too ready to denounce men, and thus have excited anger, where it was their business to convince reason. We have, but too frequently, seen and heard language applied to dealers in ardent spirits, as a class, altogether too strong, unqualified, and unwarrantable. Generous and ardent men, contemplating the manifold evils of drunkenness, and seeing them flow so directly from the manufacture and sale of alcohol, have been moved to speak of all those employed in this business, as if they were voluntary and criminal agents of sin. Now this we admit to be altogether wrong. Many, although we hope and believe not so many as formerly, many respectable men are engaged in the different branches of the trade in ardent spirits. They are not convinced that the employment is immoral. They can excuse it, as they think, by sound arguments. Their consciences, even now, remain quiet, and allow them, without reproach, to pursue this business. These men are not to be

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denounced and held up to abhorrence as criminals. Such a course is not merely bad policy it is wrong, and savors more Lof over-zealous fanaticism, than of rational philanthropy. The friends of temperance, therefore, should be careful, not to cast indiscriminate odium upon the persons or characters of all who manufacture and sell ardent spirits. Of the trade, let them express their honest opinions; but, while doing this, let them remember, that it is not, at the present day at least, their province to judge the motives of the trader. Here, as in other cases, the correctness and effect of principles and practices are fair topics of animadversion; but the characters, so far as is consistent with the public safety, of those who are conscientiously influenced by these principles, or engaged in these practices, are sacred.

With these explanatory remarks, as to the manner in which the subject before us should be treated, we proceed to our main purpose, which is to convince our readers that the production and sale of ardent spirits, as a drink, is wrong, and inconsistent with man's duty to man. In executing this purpose, we shall, in the first place, show why we think this business wrong; and then endeavour to answer the various excuses or arguments by which it is supposed to be justified.

On

Every man will admit that its effect upon society must be an important element, in estimating the character of any Occupation. To prove an employment or profession lucrative to those engaged in it, is not enough to justify it. the contrary, the very existence of social order depends upon the practical recognition of the doctrine, that no man has a right to elevate himself upon the ruin of his fellowmen, either by destroying their morals, or trampling upon their rights. Consequently, if it can be clearly made out, that any trade is directly or indirectly an injury to the community, then that trade is wrong, and ought to be abandoned. This is a plain principle, one we every day admit and act upon, one which we can easily illustrate. Suppose, for instance, the plague to be raging at Smyrna, to such an extent that merchants find it almost impracticable to hire crews to navigate their vessels to that port; and that, in consequence of this there is an immense rise upon the goods usually imported from that place. Suppose an individual, tempted by this state of the market to great exertions, to succeed at last