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known, he availed himself of that work as his chief guide, with refpect to the principal objects of natural hiftory; without being a mere copyift in every minute detail:' proposing at the fame time to offer fuch original remarks as he thought could not fail of proving acceptable to his readers.

The work is drawn up in the form of letters, in which the Author profeffes to have included moft of the observations and remarks of Mr. Bowles in the courfe of his various journeys, from the year 1752 down to the present time; which were read with great applaufe by the Spaniards, and bought up with fuch eagernefs, that in 1778 no copies were to be found.'-Mr. Dillon's defign has been not merely to tranflate Mr. Bowles's work, or even regularly to abridge it; but to clear up its obfcurities; lop off its redundancies, or what he confidered as such; and to methodise the whole, by dividing it into two tours: Mr. Bowles not having, as he himself avows, confined himself to any order or method in the relation of his travels.

Mr. Dillon has likewife blended with the text the obfervations of another Spanish traveller, Don Antonio Ponz, as well as of fome other writers ;-and there are, I flatter myself,' he obferves, fome parts of this book, which cannot, in any refpect, be confidered as borrowed from Mr. Bowles's work. In thofe parts, the hiftorian and the antiquary may probably meet with fuch detached pieces as have hitherto escaped their obfervation.'- Mr. D. obferves, likewife, that he has invariably, throughout the whole performance, prefixed the name of Mr. Bowles at the head of each letter, any part of which contained matter borrowed from him. Not having the French translation of Mr. Bowles's work at hand, we cannot pronounce whether the Author has invariably adhered to this plan. We fufpect, however, that he has not always ftrictly attended to this rule; and that the Reader will be unable to difcover, in feveral parts of this performance, whether it is Mr. Dillon or Mr. Bowles that is fpeaking.

In the two numbers of our Review above referred to, we dwelt fo largely on Mr. Bowles's work, which is profeffedly the fubftratum of the prefent, that little more need to be added refpecting the performance now before us. We fhall, however, give a fhort fpecimen of it; and as we before confined our obtervations to matters relating to natural hiftory or chemistry, we fhall felect a fubject of a more general and popular kind, from the Author's 16th and 17th Letters; where he defcribes that mountainous country, the Lordship, as it is called, of Biscay, and the fimple manners of its inhabitants, which fo nearly refemble thofe of mountaineers in general, or more particularly, as the Author obferves, those of the ancient Irish; fo as to ftrengthen the opinion that the latter are defcended from them.

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It has been obferved,' fays the Author, tants of mountains are strongly attached to their country, which probably arifes from the divifion of lands, in which, generally fpeaking, all have an intereft. In this, the Biscayners exceed all other ftates, looking with fondnefs on their hills, as the most delightful fcenes in the world, and their people as the most refpectable, defcended from the Aborigines of Spain. This prepoffeffion excites them to the most extraordinary labour, and to execute things far beyond what could be expected, in fo fmall and rugged a country, where they have few branches of com

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The manners of the Bifcayners, and the ancient Irish, are fo fimilar on many occafions, as to encourage the notion of the Irish being defcended from them. Both men and women are extremely fond of pilgrimages, repairing from great distances to the churches of their patrons, or tutelary faints, finging and dancing till they almoft drop down with fatigue. The Irifh do the fame at their patrons. The Guizones of Bifcay, and the Boulamkeighs of Ireland are nearly alike at all these aflemblies, they knock out one another's brains, on the moft trivial provocation, without malice or rancour, and without using a knife or a dagger. In both countries the common people are paffionate, eafily provoked if their family is flighted, or their defcent called in queftion, The Chacoli of Bifcay, or the Shebeen of Ireland*, makes them equally frantic. In Ireland the poor eat out of one difh with their fingers, and fit in their fmoaky cabbins without chimneys, as well as the Bifcayners. The brogue is also the fhoe of Bilcay; the women tie a kercher round their heads, wear red petticoats, go barefoot, in all which they refemble the Bifcayners; and with them have an equal good opinion of their ancient defcent: the poor Bifcayner, though haughty, is laborious and active, an example worthy to be imitated by the Irish.'

The head of the family,' fays the Author elfewhere, is called Pariente Mayor, and is greatly refpected by all the collateral branches: fome of thefe are of fuch high antiquity, as to be thought to have dwelled there before the establishment of Christianity in that country, fince their ancestors were the founders of the churches, had the patronage of them, and were known fo far back as four centuries ago to have, even then, been time immemorial in receipt of the tythes. Others, without any patronage, are deemed equally ancient; many are so far reduced as to be obliged to cultivate their eftates with their own

* Mr. Dillon, or Mr. Bowles,-for we know not which of them is now fpeaking-fhould have explained these two terms, for the benefit of fuch of their Readers as are not Irishmen or Bifcayuers.

hands,

hands, yet will not yield to the others in nobility and defcent; alleging that, though fome branches have been more enriched: by fortunate events, yet they are all equally fprung from one common ancestor. Their names have undoubtedly paffed, in a lineal fucceffion, from a more ancient date than the ages of chivalry, the establishment of coat armour, or of archives and records; to which they pay little attention, as of no importance to illuftrate their quality; the poffeffion of one of these houses, or the conftant tradition of being defcended from a former poffeffor, being more than fufficient to ennoble their blood: many fuch having fhined in the annals of Spain, by the nobleft deeds, which have immortalized their names more than their ancient defcent. Thefe have fettled in different parts of the kingdom, while the head of the family has continued at home, in a state of fimplicity, ploughing his fields, and infpiring his children with fentiments fuitable to the heroical ages. The daughters are brought up in a different manner from most other parts of the world; here the moft opulent do not difdain the management of household affairs, and every branch of domestic œconomy, with a noble fimplicity, that feems to recal thofe glorious ages of which Homer has fung. Whoever looks for innocence, health, and content, will find it [them] among the inhabitants of Bifcay; and if they are not the richest, they may be well deemed the happieft of mankind.

It is pleafing to behold with what affability the rich de mean themselves towards those who are lefs fo than themfelves; being obliged to this condefcenfion from the natural fpirit, and pride, of the people, added to their education and notions of freedom. Unaccustomed to brook the leaft fcorn, or to comply with that fubmiffive behaviour fo unusual from the poor to the rich, in more refined and opulent kingdoms; yet the common proverb of Caftile, Pobreza no es vileza, "Poverty is not a blemish," has no fway here; for fuch are their notions of labour and industry, that their spirit makes them confider it as an indignity to beg; and though the women are generally chari-' table, which cannot fail to attract mendicants, yet these are moft commonly ftrangers."

The King of Spain, we are further told, affumes no other title over these free people, than that of Lord of Bifcay. They admit of no Bishops, nor cuftom-houfes in their provinces. Perfons only proving themfelves to have originally belonged to this Lordship, or to be defcended from fuch in the male line lawfully begotten, are entitled to claim public certificates," termed Cartas Executorias, expreffive of their being Hidalgos de Sangre, or "Gentlemen of blood." To them Dona Rodriguez, the Duenna in Don Quixote, alludes, when, fpeaking of her hufband, the fays, Y jobre todo Hidalgo, como el Rey, porque era

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"He was as well born as the King, because he Came from the mountains."

As the work of Mr. Bowles has not been translated into our language, the prefent performance will be undoubtedly acceptable to those who wish to become acquainted with a country, which Mr. Bowles very justly calls a Virgin Land.' It is true, that Mr. Dillon has omitted fome parts of that work, particularly thofe relative to Platina, the Mexican mines, and other mifcellaneous matter: but perhaps he may be thought to have made amends for thefe omiffions by his own original obfervations, as well as by the remarks which he has extracted from Ponz, and other Writers. We fhould add, that the performance is embellifhed with fome well-executed plates, and a map of Spain.

ART. XII. The Citizen's Monitor: fhewing the Neceffity of a falutary Police, executed by refolute and judicious Magiftrates, affitted by the pious Labours of zealous Clergymen, for the Prefervation of the Lives and Properties of the People, and the happy Exiftence of the State. With Obfervations on the late Tumults, &c. By Jonas Hanway, Efq; 4to. 4 s. Boards. Dodley. 1780.

HIS volume being the republication of a feries of letters

Tpublished in 1775, under the title of The Defects of Police the Caufe of Immorality, &c. * it may be fufficient, in general, to refer the Reader of this Article to what was obferved on its first appearance; the only obvious addition being the previous Advertisement, fuggefted by the late difturbances in the metropolis; when a wild enthufiaft inflamed the populace, on account of the lenity fhewn in mitigating the laws against perfons profeffing the Roman Catholic religion.

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As we honour the motives of this benevolent citizen, who labours so affiduously in the public caufe, it is painful to hint any remarks that may seem to difcredit the objects of his patriotic attention. But-in fad truth, Mr. H. is a man of fo many words, that his good thoughts are fometimes unprofitably diffi pated; he bewilders himself, and never knows where or when to finish. Out of the labyrinth two obvious truths may be collected, to which, we believe, no man of reflection can refufe his affent. That our penal laws being too fanguinary, are too often broke through by the lenity of the courts of juftice, or by royal mercy; fo that their energy is deftroyed. And that our prifons are too close and indifcriminate in the affociation of offenders, fo that they are rendered academies of iniquity. The queftion is, what are the remedies of thefe evils? If the public

*See M. Rev. Vol. LIII. p. 216.

REV. Jan, 1781.

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will but find money, Mr. H. will find fchemes in plenty, in the detail of which he is infufferably tedious; but which are impracticable, without impofing new burdens on a nation already fufficiently loaded, and continually loading. The correction of old inftitutions is more feafible than regulations altogether novel, complicated, and expenfive: and out of the abundance of Mr. H.'s benevolent hints, fome may be felected and adopted that will not too violently alter the established course of judicial proceedings.

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Mr. H. laments fo repeatedly the neglect of a pious inftruction of the people, and their general inattention to the ordinances of religion, particularly of receiving the facrament, that he is apprehenfive his plan may be thought to fmell too much of the Tabernacle.' There are inftances enough in all countries and ages to juftify complaints of fuch a nature, and good people enough, it may be hoped, even at prefent, to check the pen of indifcriminate cenfure.. Mankind catch prevailing humours by a kind of contagion, infomuch that religion itself is fubject to fashion. When piety is in vogue, the danger is of its excess and about the middle of the laft century the nation was torn to pieces by over much righteoufnefs. It will avail little for Mr. H. or any one elfe, to interpofe- Not fo; for had the people been actuated by the true fpirit of genuine piety, no fuch exceffes would have enfued; for when once the popular turn is to be religious, they foon outftrip their teachers, rush into extravagancies beyond the barriers of law, and overthrow all the checks of government! Profligate as the present age may be, the metropolis now retains the fears of wounds given by the fudden start of a religious apprehenfion. It will avail as little to plead, that thefe outrages were not committed by the Proteftant Affociation, but by a fet of abandoned mifcreants, who fheltered their lawless purpofes under the occafion;' for the Affociation furnished the occafion, and a like advantage is always taken of fuch favourable opportunities. If Mr. H. thinks there is too little regard to piety in the general mafs of the people, and wishes to have a more zealous attention to religion infufed into them, he might be right, could he regulate the degree of their zeal by any kind of political thermometer not hitherto known: but the fermentation of religious notions in ignorant brains is always to be dreaded; because no worldly confiderations whatever can check what men once conceive to be the will of the Almighty, and their duty, to fecure their own eternal interefts! It might be a curious problem to exercise political ingenuity, to determine which is moft injurious to fociety, for a people to have too little or too much regard to religion? We have no leifure for fuch a difcuffion ourselves, and shall only throw out a loose hint, that in the

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