their innocent pleasures are displeasing to him; and the observance of the Sabbath is so rigidly enjoined, that the day is regarded by them with a kind of abhorrence. Can we be surprised that, when they arrive at an age to shake off the restraints of masters, they should likewise attempt to free their minds from the bondage, to which they have been subjected? Some persons of amiable affections and sound understandings, from having been under the care of bigots in their youth, have conceived so strong an aversion to every species of religion, that they could never afterwards bring their minds to the subject. While religion continues to be presented to youth in such a displeasing form, we must not be surprised, if we find them fascinated with such doctrines as those of Mr. Neef.

From the being and attributes of God Mr. Neef deduces many moral truths; and having at length taught his pupils "to do not unto others, as they would that others should not do to them," he considers their moral education complete. He then addresses them, telling them, that he has formerly been their despot, but shall now become their companion, and that they shall all form one society, of which it will be his highest ambition to become a member. The eighth, ninth and tenth sections are upon natural history, natural philosophy, and chemistry. The professors of these branches of science, like all other instructers, are treated by Mr. Neef with the greatest contempt. These studies are to be prosecuted by his pupil without any aid from the experience of others. Every thing is to be discovered by their own observation upon the objects around them. Speaking of natural history, he says,

"As in all our deliberations, I shall have but one vote, and my individual opinion neither will nor shall in any way influence the sentiments of my fellow naturalists, it is obviously impossible for me to foretell, which will exactly be the classification we shall adopt and establish."

The eleventh section is upon gymnasticks. He says,

"That our bodily faculties ought to be unfolded and improved; that therefore we ought to have means fitted for unfolding and improving them is one of the great pivots, on which all my notions of education turn.'

All his, pupils therefore are to learn the military exercise, which indeed seems to be the principal, if not sole active recreation they are to enjoy. Under the dominion of Buonaparte, where every man must become a soldier, whatever his rank or inclination, this would be an excellent plan; but it can hardly be adapted to a country, whose first object is peace, and where, although every man is bound to defend his country when called upon, scarcely any one makes the profession of a soldier the business of his life.

With respect to the study of languages, Mr. Neef argues, that, as it cannot be of any consequence to know, that a fox was by the Romans called vulpes, and by the Greeks away, which he considers the only benefit to be derived from studying the classicks, it is only a waste of time, to acquire any language, which is not now

spoken. As a thing of fashion, however, he consents that his pupils should learn Greek and Latin. As this is to be done without grammars and other customary assistance, and with an impression upon the minds of the learners, that it never can be of any possible use to them, we readily coincide with his opinion, that they will not receive any benefit from it.

The remainder of this section is filled with a most violent attack upon Dufief, the author of Nature Displayed, who, he says, pretends, that any person by three attentive perusals of his tables may acquire a perfect knowledge of the French tongue; without considering that there are several sounds peculiar to the French, to which there is no resemblance in English, and which therefore can only be represented to the ear.

The next section is upon musick. Upon this subject Mr. Neef is more than usually elevated. His scholars shall teach themselves to compose; and he adds,

"I have even a glimpse of the possibility of writing down at the same time" (that others are singing) "the accords of the principal voice; at least we shall attempt it, and therefore my little band shall be divided into four portions. The first shall write down the tones, such as they distinguish them. The second shall note the bass, the third the alto, and the fourth shall point out the tenor."

The fourteenth section is upon poetry, and is principally confined to a disquisition upon rhymes, which he wholly condemns. The fifteenth section is upon geography, which is to be taught according to the rules of common sense, as well as those of nature. The sixteenth and last section is upon lexicology, or the science of words. Mr. Neef divides words into radicals, or words not composed, and words composed. His pupils are not to become acquainted with the true meaning of the first by etymology, but by studying the nature of the objects represented; but we are not told what is to be done, when words do not represent material objects. We shall not attempt to analyze this section, but shall leave our readers to judge of it from the following pas

sages.

"This second class of words includes all those representatives of ideas, which are expressive of complex or complicated ideas, which result from as many simple ideas as there are elements in the representative sign; whence it follows, that all words, including the same prepositive and postpositive parts, are necessarily productives, which contain the same initial and terminal principles; and consequently express the same number of particular ideas; so that the words only differ in meaning by their different radicals.” “Bytaking off successively the prepositive and postpositive elements, we shall come to the radical met, which means an unit, that serves to compare several other homogeneous units; for met gave the Latins their meta, met produced metiri, mensum; from mensum was derived mensura, &c."

The concluding observations contain the domestick economy of his intended school.

We should not have detained our readers so long upon a work of so little merit, had it not been for the reputation of Pestalozzi, whose system Mr. Neef pretends to have embraced. How far

that system is contained in this work, we are unable to say. Mr. Neef appears to have studied Rousseau so ardently as to have embraced all his wild notions. But Rousseau wrote at a time when education appeared in its worst form; and in combating the false notions which then prevailed, he was led by the ardour of his mind into the opposite extremes. Mr. Neef has not the same apology. Deficient in the genius of Rousseau, and writing when the principles of education are clearly understood, we find nothing to compensate for the extravagance of his plans.

RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW.

ART. 4.

The natural and political history of the state of Vermont, one of the United States of America, to which is added an appendix, containing answers to sundry questions addressed to the author. By Ira Allen, Esq. major general, &c. London, &c. 1798. pp. 300.

General Allen informs his readers in his preface, that the principal motive, which induced him to publish this work, was, that his character, and that of the people of Vermont were called in question, during the trial in England of a vessel, loaded with arms, which he had purchased from the French government for the militia of Vermont. But as nothing more is said of these arms, and as there is not any particular defence either of himself or countrymen, which can bear the most distant relation to the cause, the motive appears singular; but was probably the only one which could be given.

The natural history of Vermont occupies but a small part of the volume. The little, that is said upon the subject, is not of much importance; but such as it is, it has not even the merit of originality, being taken from Dr. Williams's history, and sometimes copied verbatim, without any credit being given for it. The political part contains the history of Vermont, from the first grants under New Hampshire and the subsequent disputes with New York to the admission of Vermont into the federal union. In these scenes general Allen was a principal actor, and however well he may have performed his part, he has certainly failed in relating it. The facts are not well ar

ranged, many are of a trifling nature, the order of time is not preserved, and frequently an occurrence is told with the greatest parade and minutiae; and when the reader is anxiously waiting the result, to his great disappointment he finds it attended with no consequences. Even in this part of his work

General Allen has not scrupled to copy whole pages verbatim from Dr. Williams, without making the least acknowledgment. Possession, we know, in Vermont constitutes a great many points of the law, but we should hardly have supposed that such bold plagiarisms would be sanctioned even there.

san.

General Allen's language is not always very decorous towards his opponents, and he writes with all the bitterness of a partiSome words are used in entirely a new sense, for instance, he says, " Lake Champlain is a noble chart," &c. and there are some inaccuracies of grammar. The appendix contains answers to certain questions proposed to General Allen. They contain a falsely coloured picture of Vermont, from which a person unacquainted with the subject might conclude, that that state was really the garden of the world, and that the inhabitants lived in the simplicity of the golden age, when vice and passion were unknown. We shall conclude with quoting a single passage.

"The contrast between the cultivated and uncultivated grounds is exceedingly pleasing and even inviting to the labour of the husbandman. In this contrast he sees the effect of his own powers aided by the goodness of Providence, he sees he can embellish the most rude spot, the stagnant air vanishes with the woods, the rank vegetation feels the purifying influence of the sun, he drains the swamp, putrid exhalations flit off on lazy wings, and fevers and agues accompany them."

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"Another castle in the air." is received, and shall appear next month. Praesidium et dulce decus.

A communication signed Benjamin Woodbridge is received, and we assure our friend that we shall publish any of his lucubrations with pleasure, if they have not been published before.

INTELLIGENCE AND MISCELLANEOUS ARTICLES.

From Ackermann's Repository---Printed in London.

EXHIBITIONS OF PAINTINGS.

AS caterers of publick amusement and information, it becomes our duty to give some account of the various exhibitions, which, at this season of the year, form one of the principal sources of intellectual gratification. In performing this task, we shall not, as is the custom with some criticks on the fine arts, enter into minute, tedious, and uninteresting details of pictures that "have no character at all." Mediocrity and wretchedness may be glanced at, en passant, bùt merit alone shall arrest our attention and call forth our criticism. We shall commence with the

ROYAL ACADEMY.

THE usual cant of periodical criticks, is to begin by complaining of the increase of portraits, and the comparative scarcity of historical compositions: we shall not echo these lamentations. Knowing, as we do, the character and the nature of the encouragement held out, instead of expressing any surprise that there are so few specimens in this class of the art, we are more disposed to wonder, that a single student should be found hardy enough to attempt it.

Mr. Howard takes the lead. His picture of Christ blessing little Children, is, indeed, an admirable specimen of his powers: the grouping is excellent; the heads are well chosen, and the children are painted with a truth and sweetness, that raise in the mind of the spectator a thousand interesting emotions. It has given us pleasure to observe, that Mr. Howard has, in this subject, introduced a more picturesque distribution of light and shade than is usual with him. That an artist of his taste should so long have persisted in the dry manner of the Roman school,' has often been to us a matter of surprise; the more so, as one painter of the present day (Stothard) has proved that picturesque effect is not at all inconsistent with purity of outline, grace of action, or strength of character. But why should we congratulate Mr. Howard on his improvement? However it may increase his fame, it will not add one iota to his fortune, or tend to avert the general doom which, in this country, awaits all who are bold enough to pursue the elevated walks of art. The present exhibition proves, that, in spite of all his attainments, Mr. Howard is, like the rest of his brethren, condemned to waste his powers and his life in painting the portraits of "christian fools with varnished faces," in vain attempts to give expression to inanity and character to insignificance.

Stothard's emblematical representation of Peace, though secondary in size and situation, stands in the first rank of merit. Here is the union to which we have just referred; the greatest elegance of form and most classical composition, combined with