66 fame author informs us from the authority of Strabo, that there were fo many Roman colonies fettled in Spain, that the natives, by the communication and intercourse they had with them, intirely lost the ufe of their own language, and adopted that of the Romans inttead of it. Give me leave to give you the original words of the historian : "Por toda Espana fe fundaron muchas colonias de Romanos, con cuya "communicacion y trato los Naturales mudaron fus coftumbres antiguas y fu Lengua y la trocaron con La los Romanos, fegun que "Eftrabon lo teftifica." Which may be thus tranflated. Through "all Spain were founded many colonies of Romans, by the communi"cation of which the natives changed their ancient manners and ianguage, and affumed those of the Romans, as Strabo affures us." De Thringi, an excellent French grammarian, who wrote in the last century, in his treatife upon the Spanish tongue, expreffes himself much in the fame manner: "Voila la fucceffion des nations qui ont donné "lieu à la langue des Efpagnols, laquelle tient toujours neanmoins "beaucoup plus de la Romaine que d'aucun autre d'ou vient que parmy eux parler Roman veut dire parler la langue vulgare." Upon this principle, the learned Aldrete intitles his curious performance. "Del origin y principio de la lengua Caftelana o Romance." And indeed, if we attentively examine the Caftilian language in its prefens fituation, and have judgement fufficient to separate from it the Moorish words and expreffions, which are very copioufly fcattered among it, fome Gothic, a Punic one or two, with a few Gallicifms, we shall plainly diftinguifh, that the remains will be nothing more than a fome, what corrupted dialect of the Latin. "The word, and the fource it was drawn from, being thus eftablished, it will be eafy, I apprehend, to account for its introduction into France; and how that people came to adopt it for that kind of writing, which they, as well as ourselves, at this day call Romance. It is natural to fuppofe, that, as the Saracens came over enriched with various forts of learning, fome ingenious men among them foon ac quiring the language, where they immigrated, tranflated their own authors into Spanish or Romance, particularly thofe amuling and fictitious compofitions fo peculiar to that people; which, being embel lished with all the pomp of diction, and luxuriancy of imagery, made an early impreffion upon the natives; who, though not capable of conceiving the abftrufer branches of Arabian knowledge, eagerly caught up this, and univerfally received it. Thefe tranflations in thé Roman or Latin tongue, the Saracens foon carried over the Pyrenees; for, very shortly after their admiffion into Spain, they became masters of Languedoc, Guenne, and Poictou: and the French, meeting with performances fo coincident with the livelinefs of their imagination, embraced them with avidity; and from reading them with delight, naturally grew defirous of imitating them. Hence this mode of compofition prevailed early and generally among them; and as the originals they copied after were the ficticious tales of the Arabians, tranflated into the Roman language, they adopted the name Romance for their works of this fort, and tranfmitted it to their posterity. "And that this method of writing called the Romance prevailed in Spain before it appeared in France, though Dr. Percy has afferted the contrary, 7 contrary, feems pretty certain from fome parts of Mr. Warton's own performance. One of the very first of the French Romances, which was Archbishop Turpin's hiftory of Charlemagne and his twelve peers, that gentleman tells us, a very learned critic, to whom he seems to pay very great deference, fuppofes to be the work of a Spaniard, and, with the greatest probability, fubjoins the author. He further adds, that the fame critic quotes an authentic manufcript to prove, that that work was brought out of Spain into France before the clofe of the twelfth century; and that the miraculous exploits performed in Spain by Charlemagne and Earl Roland, recorded in this Romantic hiftory, were unknown among the French before that period. The fuppofition, concludes he, that this hiftory was compiled in Spain, the centre of Oriental fabling in Europe, at once accounts for the nature and extravagance of its fictions, and immediately points to their Arabian origin. In other places he informs us, that fome critics have fuppofed, that Spain, having learned the art or fashion of Romance-writing from their naturalized guests, the Arabians, communicated it at an early period to the rest of Europe. If then Mr. Warton will acknowledge, that the earliest Romances extant, were Spanish productions, that Spain was the centre of oriental fiction in Europe: and that Romance-writing, acquired from the Saracens, was communicated at an early period by the Spaniards to the rest of Europe; where must we look for this word Romance, but in the country where I have placed it? To this let me add, that the learned Dr. Hurd very judiciously affigns an Arabian origin to that fpirit of Romantic chivalry, with which the Spaniards above all the Europeans were infected. This fanaticism, fays that gentleman, was especially inftigated and kept alive by the neighbourhood of their infidel invaders, the Arabians.' In juftice to Mr. Drake as well as Mr. Warton, it may not be here unneceffary to obferve, that the former defires his ftrictures may not be regarded as an attempt to derogate from the juftly established merits of Mr. Warton, whofe character he venerates, and whofe learning and truly elegant tafte he justly admires. Art. XIII. Some Obfervations on Lincoln Cathedral. By Mr. James Effex. This article is embellished by a neat view of the front elevation and ground plan of the cathedral, and contains several ingenious remarks on the beauty of the ftructure, as well as occafional corrections of the mistakes, into which historians have fallen in refpect to its hiftory. Art. XIV. An Account of the Discoveries at Pompeii. Communicated by Sir William Hamilton. This is a moft curious article; of which, however, it is impoffible for us to give a fatisfactory abftract, without the plates that ferve to illuftrate it. These are twelve in number, confifting of profpects of different ruins, excellently engraved by Bafire; befides a ground plan of the Temple of Ifis. Art. XV. Art. XV. Some Account of a curious Seal Ring belonging to Sir Richard Worfley, Bart. By Dr. Milles. XVI. Conjectures on Sir Richard Worfley's Seal. By John Charles Brooke, Efquire, of the Heralds College, F. A. S. In a I etter to the Dean of Exeter. XVII. A Differtation on a moft valuable Gold Coin of Edmund Crouchback, Son of Henry III. By the Rev. Mr. Pegge. XVIII. An Account of the Events produced in England by the Grant of the Kingdom of Sicily to Prince Edmund, Second Son of King Henry the Third. With fome Remarks upon the Seal of that Prince. By Thomas Aftle, Efq; XIX. Of the Wisdom of the Antient Egyptians; a Dif course concerning their Arts, their Sciences, and their Learning: their Laws, their Government, and their Religion. With occafional Reflections upon the State of Learning among the Jews and fome other Nations. We have here a curious and learned treatife, of whofe contents our readers will form an idea from the letter, by which it is introduced; written from Mr. Lort to Mr. Norris, Nov. 7, $775. SIR, THE progrefs made by the antient Egyptians in Arts and Sciences, beyond other nations their contemporaries, has been much infifted on by various writers, and by fome chiefly with a view to depreciate the characters of Mofes and the Ifraelites. But a very ingenious writer, the late Robert Wood, efq; in a pofthumous work of his, lately published, has given his opinion, and fome reafons for it, that "the high compliments which have been so long paid to the knowledge "and wisdom of the antient Egyptians have not been fo well founded "as is generally imagined +." The fubject, indeed, is only incidentally handled by Mr. Wood; which it is to be wifhed he had treated more at large, as few men could be better qualified for it than himself, It is of great importance on many accounts, and deferves a particular difcuffion; fuch a difcuffion, we are affured, was given to it by the celebrated Dr. John Woodward. This gentleman has hitherto been chiefly known to the learned world by his writings in one branch of natural history, and his theory of the univerfal deluge, in fupport of the truth of that great event, as recorded by the Jewish legiflator. But Dr. Woodward did not confine his opinion of Mofes's veracity to this particular tranfaction; but being himself, upon mature examination, convinced of the truth of all the other great events which are recorded in the Pentateuch, he very laudably undertook to convince others, Accordingly, he formed a very extenfive plan for the defence and fup An effay on the original genius and writings of Homer, 4to. 1775. + P. 118. VOL. V. Kkk port port of the Jewish Lawgiver, against the formidable attacks that had been made upon him. Some fpecimens of this great undertaking are given by Mr. Holloway, in his tranflation from the Latin of Dr. Woodward's natural biflory of the earth illuftrated, enlarged, and defended*. He has alfo given the titles of feveral diftinct treatises which compofed a part of this plan; one of which is, " Of the antient "Egyptians, a difcourfe concerning their arts, their learning, and "their religion, with occafional reflections on the state of learning "amongst the Jews, and fome other nations t." In this, befides other things, fays Mr. Holloway, the Mofaic inftitution is vindicated; and the charge of Sir John Marham I, and Dr. Spencer ||, that fome parts of this inftitution were taken from the Egyptians, is refuted.” It is this treatise, which, having fallen into the hands of Mr. Lort, written out fair, and feemingly prepared for the prefs, he communicated to the Society for publication: but of this, and the remaining articles in the prefent volume, we beg leave to speak farther in our next. M. An Impartial Enquiry into the Cafe of the Gospel Demoniacks. With an Appendix, confifting of an Effay on Scripture Demonology. By William Worthington, D. D. 8vo. 4s. 6d. Rivington. The London Reviewers have been fufficiently cenfured, by certain pretended Rationalifts, for that effential diftinction, which they have endeavoured to eftablish, between the nature and means of acquiring human and divine knowledge. Scarce a treatife of controverfial divinity appears, however, in which the neceffity of fuch a diftinction is not rendered more and more apparent. The fubject before us, in particular, is pcculiarly adapted to difplay the expediency of employing very different means in the inveftigation of natural and fupernatural phænomena. We ventured, indeed, to touch but flightly on this diftinction, in our account of Mr. Farmer's Effay on Demoniacks, inferted in the firft number of our Review; as the incompatibility between Reafon and Revelation was not then a topic fo familiar to our readers, as repeated occafions, for mentioning it, have fince made it. Paying a proper respect to the profefied defign of Mr. Farmer's Effay, viz." the obviating the doubts and objections of unbelievers," we gave his argument the utmoft credit; averfe as we were to trying the doctrines of Revelation by the teft of Reason, or attempting to reconcile miraculous facts to the ordinary course of nature, Chron. Canon. Saec. 9. 8vo. 1726. We We have more than once, perhaps unneceffarily, repeated, that we conceive fuch a practice tends to the multiplication, rather than the decrease, of unbelievers. How far the worthy author of the prefent Enquiry be of our opinion, we prefume not to judge. We are perfectly of his opinion, however, as to the manner in which the fcripture miracles fhould be explained and defended, that is, by the confiftent teftimony, on which the fimple matters of facts are attested, instead of explaining away the obvious fenfe of words, in order to reconcile fuch facts to our notions of their probability*. That Dr. Worthington conceives this latter method to be imjurious to the cause of Chriftianity, is evident from the prefent publication, which appears to be aimed entirely at the prefumed ill effects of Mr. Farmer's treatife. We could wifh, nevertheless. the good Doctor had treated that writer a little more refpectfully. He fhould have reflected that he is a brother clergyman; unlefs indeed the falfe-step he committed, in attempting to annihilate the devil, when he fhould only have manfully oppofed him, be as unpardonable as it is profeffionally impolitic. Mr. Farmer's Demonology (fays this Impartial Enquirer) lies in a narrow compafs. "The declared purport of it is, to argue us out of the reality of poffeffions, and to perfuade us, that they are only imaginary, and the notion fuperftitious-That poffeffing demons were efteemed to be only departed fouls; and thefe are reduced to non-entities-That neither the Devil nor his angels had any concern in poffeffions at all; and that the Devil is never mentioned in fcripture in any connection with this fubject: The contrary to which I flatter myself, is in the foregoing fheets made very evident. Other pofitions of the fame tendency maintained by this author are" That it is abfurd and dangerous to allow, that men are in the power of fuperior malevolent fpirits ""That, whoever the heathen demons or deities were, whether human or angelick fpirits, they are all, without exception, branded in fcripture, as being utterly void of all power, to do either good or evil to mankind §"-" That the Devil was not really, and perfonally prefent with Chrift, in his temptation || ;" notwithftanding what the gofpel informs us to the contrary-"That there is but one Devil;" which is obferved more than once **: And I do not find, that he is fuppofed to be a real tempter at all; though he is ex *It being very true, as our author obferves, that the holy Scriptures are the only fource we have to draw from in this refpect. We have no data of our own to proceed upon, in refearches of this kind: the Scripture alone affording any certain information about the devil or his angels. Effay, p. 385. Ibid. p. 168. Ibid, p. 191. Enquiry into Chrift's temptation in the wilderness, p. 85. ** P, 207, 305. of the Effay on Demoniacks. |