1

the prefent publication forms an excellent, though perhaps rather too bulky an appendix.

B....J⋅

ART. IX. Elays Moral and Literary. By the Rev. Mr. Knox,
Mailer of Tunbridge School, and late Fellow of St. John's Col-
lege, Oxford. Vol. II. Small 8vo. 3 s. 6d. fewed. Dilly, 1779.
Tis, perhaps, a proof of his modefty, that this ingenious and

fcale of Authorship, than Effay-writing, in its prefent exhausted
ftate, can poffibly raise him to. The first volume + of Effays
meral and literary, difplayed a juftness of thinking and an ele
gance of expreffion, which we wished to fee directed to the elu-
cidation of fome particular and interefting fubject, instead of
being scattered over many. To reclaim one acre from the waste,
and to bring it under cultivation, is of greater utility than to
bestow the fame portion of toil on ninety and nine that are al-
ready manured by art and induftry.-On fubjects that lie level
to common obfervation (and to these the Effayift is chiefly con-
fined), what is left us in this late age but to repeat what has been
often repeated, and to exprefs that which has been expreffed a
thousand times before? The skill, indeed, of placing received
truths in new lights, and of clothing them in fprightly and
graceful language, implies a fecondary kind of merit which ought
not to be undervalued. And this fkill and this merit fome cele-
brated writings of the periodical form have aimed at and have
attained: but even here the hope of fuccefs is daily leffening;
and with all the praife that is due to Mr. Knox's Eflays, we may
be allowed to fufpect, that had they been published periodically,
i. e. SEPARATELY, they would have attracted no great fhare of
the public notice. If, however, in the fecond volume of this
Gentleman's detached performances, now before us, his readers
be not much enlightened by any difcoveries of what is new, nor
much enlivened by any uncommon turns given to what is
known, they may at leaft reap an innocent pleafure from the
perufal of juft fentiments, clothed in polished language.

The fubjects difcuffed in this volume are the following:

On Eflay Writing. Claffical Education vindicated. Strictures on Modern Ethics. On the Retirement of a Country Town. On Epiftolary Writers. On the Happiness of Domeftic Life. On the Merits of Cowley as a Poet. Letters the Source of Confolation. On Oriental Poetry, particularly that of Ifaiah. On the Principles of Converfation. On the Grave and Gay Philofophy. On the Pleafures of a Garden. The Story

+ For an account of Mr. Knox's first volume, fee our Review, vol. Iviii. p. 36. The Author's name was not then printed with his

work.

of

of a Student. On Satire and Satirifts. On Preaching, and Sermon Writers. Writers. On Logic and Metaphyfics. On Latin Verfe as an Exercife at Schools. On Novel Reading. On Monumental Infcriptions. On the Character of Atticus. On Biography. On Hofpitality, and the little Civilities of Life. On the Merits of Illuftrious Birth. On Lord Chancellor Bacon. On the Profeffions. On Simplicity of Style in Profaic Compofition. On Affectation of the Character of Sportfmen. On fome of the Minor English Poets. On the Neceflity of Attention to Things as well as Books. On the Amusement of Mufic. On the choice of Books. On the Influence of Fashion. On Female Literature. On Parental Indulgence. On the ill Effects of proving by Argument Truths already admitted. On Affectation of Female Learning. On Speculative Criticifm, and on Genius. On the Superior Value of Solid Accomplishments. On the Propriety of adorning Life by fome laudable Exertion.

Thefe Effays take in fo large a compafs of difcuffion, and the fubjects of them lie fo wide of each other, that it is no easy matter to ascertain their feparate merits, and utterly impoffible to enter into them with minutenefs. We fhall just observe, that thofe of a moral caft evidently flow from a heart warmly attached to the interefts of fociety and the cause of virtue. The fixth Effay, in particular, On the Happiness of domeftic Life, cannot fail of impreffing the Readers with an amiable prejudice in favour of its Author, and with a confequent belief that he is. in private life what Pope defcribes Mr. Gay to have been,

"Of manners gentle, of affections mild."

The fentiments contained in it are certainly not new; but can we expect novelty on this fubject? or would it be for the honour of human nature that novelty fhould be found on a theme, like this?

In Effay VIII. we are prefented with a feries of reflections which may ferve as a comment on an elegant paffage in the Preface to this volume. Mr. Knox there tells us, that in whatever manner his book fhall be received, he will not think the time loft that was spent in compofing it, fince it was paffed at leaft innocently, and furnifhed a fweet relief in those moments of forrow which are occafionally the lot of all who feel and think, and from which he has not been exempted.' The arguments by which he proves Letters the Source of Confolation' will readíly recommend themfelves to men of tafte and fenfibility. The fuperiority which the purfuits of literature enjoy over those of intereft or ambition, is a favourite topic with the fons of learning. In lavishing all their eloquence upon it, they fometimes forget that they make themselves judges in their own caufe; and that in the fentence they pronounce, pride and vanity will be fufpected

to

to have fome hare. Mr. Knox confines his obfervations to points in which there is lefs danger of this fufpicion, when he represents the influence that Letters' poffefs to footh the mind in the hour of dejection, and to lighten the burthen of distress.

Under the title of Literary Eflays we fuppofe Mr. Knox claffes his critical productions. The term literary has yet acquired no appropriate fignification in our language. It is included in that of Effay. It is therefore equally defcriptive of every fpecies of compofition, and characteristic of none.

In the province of criticism, this Gentleman difcovers rather a correct and claffical tafte, than any fuperior degree of originality, or depth of penetration. His averfion to logic and metaphyfics (which the abuse of these ftudies may almoft justify in its excefs) is difcernible even here. Fearful of being abftrufe, he is too loofe and indeterminate in his remarks: in avoiding the charge of fubtilty, he gives into a languid ftyle of criticism and fpiritlefs obfervation, from which little improvement will be derived by those who are moderately tinctured with this fort of literature. The Effays on Preaching and Sermon Writers, and on the Choice of Books,' are too fuperficial and too futile to me rit a place in this work. Thofe on Simplicity of Style' on 'Epiftolary Writers' On fome of the Minor English Poets,' are elegant, but contain no very ftriking remarks. The Effay On Oriental Poetry' is of an higher order; and exhibits a rich and flowing style, at the fame time that it abounds with ingenious and folid obfervations.

very

The undiftinguishing cenfure which Mr. Knox paffes on the kindred ftudies of Logic and Metaphyfics,' and the heat and paffion with which he is carried away when he fpeaks of Modern Ethics," may incline fome of his Readers to fufpect that he is himself no very accurate reafoner, and that he does not understand clearly what he condemns fo decifively. We hope too he is miftaken in the fact he alleges. He obferves with a fort of triumph, that even Malebranche and Locke, the moft rational of the metaphyficians, are daily lofing ground. As a task they are attended to in public feminaries, where fome obfolete plan of study requires metaphyfical exercises; but the multitude of more agreeable works feldom leave time or inclination to the ftudent who is at liberty to chufe his books for the controverfy concerning innate ideas.'

We have too much refpect for Mr. Locke's writings not to regret that they are falling into neglect. If the fact be so, we

Mr. Knox is guilty of the fame inaccuracy when he ta'ks of bu finefs civil or profeffional.' With no propriety can profeffional be distinguished from civil, unless he means the profeffion of the fword. In this cafe civil er military would have been better.

fhould

fhould draw a very different conclufion, and confider it as a fymptom of the levity and futility of the prefent age; unable to bear the fatigue of manly thought, and prone to fink into habits of literary fauntering.

In the Strictures on Modern Ethics' our Author drops an intimation of his opinion upon the controverted doctrines of Liberty and Neceffity. The writers who maintain the mechanifm of the human mind are pretty roughly handled by him in the following paragraph.

But even he who is taught to revere the wisdom of the naked Indian, and to defpife the improvements of his own times and nation, is more likely to think and act with dignity, than the man who believes himself a machine. Such an one, to be confiftent, must renounce the idea of the foul's fupremacy over the actions of the body, and must refign himself to the impulse of that blood, of which alone he believes himself to confift. As an engine he will yield to every motion without refiftance; for the perfection of the machine depends on its moving with the leaft poffible friction or impediment. The mistake of him who looks on himself in this light, is equally abfurd with that of the hypochondriac vifionary, who, in the temporary madness of his reverie, imagines himself a goofe or an addled egg.'

If this paffage does not indicate a great ignorance of the question at which it glances, it certainly betrays a want of decency to those who differ from him concerning it. Whether Dr. Priestley will be much alarmed at the idea of fo formidable a champion as Mr. Knox, we cannot fay. We believe the Doctor is in no danger of imagining himself either a goofe or an addled egg, and therefore it is not probable that he will be greatly difturbed by this fingular fuggeftion. We must however do our Author the justice to obferve, that he is here declaiming against the profeffed fceptics of the age, and that he does not feem to have thought of taking up the gauntlet thrown down by Dr. Priestley on this fubject. He feems only to have pointed his artillery at a fet of fashionable or modifh philofophers, against whom he might think declamation the most effectual weapon. Taken in this view, the following expreffions will not perhaps appear too warm.

Abfurd and pernicious as are most of the opinions advanced and maintained by modern philofophy; yet an elegance of style, a vivacity of expreffion, a fingularity of fentiment, have had charms fufficient to recommend it to many whofe badness of heart is only equalled by the weakness of their understandings: weakness, I fay, for cunning is not wifdom. Many of the great, the degenerate defcendants of a debauched nobility, whofe little minds have received the fmall degree of improvement of which they were capable, from a French mafter; are the profeffed difciples of Voltaire: and the offenfive fwarms of paltry pretenders to wit and genius, who ground their pretenfions on blafpheming their God and calumniating their neighbour; and who prove the depravity of human nature by their

ewn

D

own balenefs, are the admirers of Hume and Bolingbroke. This
Corruption has already fpread far and wide, diffolving the bands of
fociety, and diffufing perfonal mifery. Whenever it fhall become ge-
neral, there is no doubt but that the over ruling Providence which
left not one stone upon another in Babylon, fhall fweep away the na
tion in which it prevails, with the befom of destruction.'

It is eafy to collect from thefe Effays, that Mr. Knox adopts the fyftem of thofe philofophers who affert common fenfe to be the teft of truth in morals and religion. This fyftem is an extremely commodious one. It flatters the vanity and indolence fo na tural to the human mind, by referring all difficulties to a fuppofed infallible monitor, which pronounces at once on the queftion in difpute, and chases away every doubt. If we underftand the import of Effay XXXV. On the ill Effects of proving by Argument Truths already admitted,' it affords not the leaft dangerous application of the theory juft alluded to. This Effay whofe wears the form of a letter from a very good fort of man, repofe has been difturbed, and whofe religious conviction has been fhaken by books of controverfial divinity, and who unfortunately believed lefs as he read more. The picture of a mind thus thrown off the hinges is drawn with much fancy, and well fuftained throughout. But what is the inference that refults from it? Is it that the affent which precedes examination is more valuable than that which flows from it? that conviction is in an inverse ratio to inquiry?-Surely Mr. Knox does not think fo! The honeft letter-writer concludes his epiftle with telling us, that he has refolved to lay afide proofs, demonstrations, and illustrations of all matters fufficiently proved, demonftrated and illuftrated to the humble mind, by their own internal evidence. If our Readers be difpofed to inquire what fpecies of truths are the objects of this internal evidence,' we are left to collect this from a preceding part of the letter: the catalogue is pretty copious.

I had received (fays he) all the notions ufually infilled by parental authority, with implicit belief. I was told that there was one! God, and I believed it, for I faw his works around me. I embraced revealed religion in all its parts, with the fame evidence of conviction with which I believed the fun to exist in the heavens, when I beheld it radiance, and felt its warmth. I faw and believed the difference between right and wrong, vice and virtue, juftice and injustice, as frongly as the difference between black and white, and fweet and, bi.ter. I never dreamt of calling in queftion the authenticity of the fcriptural writers, the doctrine of the trinity, the divinity of our Saviour, the immateriality and immortality of the human foul, and the refurrection of the body. When I repeated the creed, I fpoke with the fame confidence of undoubting conviction, as when I afferted the truth of a fact of which I had ocular demonftration. The steady light of common fenfe had guided me, and I had been humble enough

to follow its directions.'

Rev. Jan. 1780.

F

However