and it is only twenty years fince, that they used to administer one of the most awful ceremonies of religion, for a mere trifle.'

Were we hardy enough to appeal to the exemplary lives of our clergy, in oppofition to this grofs calumny, it would only be putting as much weight into the oppofite fcale, to restore the balance, and leave them as they really are. A few public inftances of recent date might poffibly betray a fuperficial traveller into the above harfh opinion: but a fcrupulous writer would have been cautious of throwing out fuch a random national ftigma.

Deifm is in a great degree the caufe of fuicide—a crime at prefent fo common in England. The English have actually a form of prayer, in which they befeech God to banish from the hearts of his fervants fuch a frightful tempation!'

Did any of our readers ever fee this form of prayer?

Once more.

The proneness of the whole nation to melancholy, renders the women grave and ferious; their minds are lefs occupied about pleasures, than in folicitude for the happiness of their husbands, and the management of their domeftic concerns. Even women of quality fuckle their children; they think that the name and duties of a mother have nothing in them which they ought to blush at, and that no ftation on earth is comparable to the pleafures of maternal tenderness, and the agreeable reflections which refult from it.'

Moft devoutly do we wish that all this were generally true! but, alas it looks fomewhat like irony.

If we have only produced exceptionable paffages, and if feveral mistakes might be pointed out in his anecdotes, carelessly tranfcribed from carelefs information, it is because they were blemishes in an ingenious and amufing work, which we could not commend, and yet fuffer them to pafs unobferved. By finding frequent errors, in an otherwife intelligent foreigner, we may infer how likely we are to be mifled in our conceptions of foreign nations, when described by English travellers, even of merit. We fhould be fincerely glad if we could honeftly produce the following reflections, here given as fpecimens of the work and of the tranflation, as farther inftances of a misinformed judgment:

If the reader will give himself the trouble to weigh with care the great number of facts and anecdotes with which I have been anxious to interfperfe my obfervations on England, he will find that the pretended declenfion of that empire, foretold and announced by so many contemporary writers, has not as yet taken place.

• That kingdom, however, is at this very moment in a critical, if not a defperate fituation, notwithstanding her foreign connections, her riches, her commerce, and her influence.

Great Britain, which cannot naturally be confidered, in the balance of Europe, but as belonging to the fecond order of king

doms,

doms, has been elevated to the rank of one of the firft powers in the world by bravery, wealth, liberty, and the happy confequences of an excellent political fyftem. For many years that ifland wielded the trident of Neptune in her victorious hand, and, abfolute mistress of the ocean, covered every fea with her fleets. It will be a problem for pofterity to folve, how that ftate has created and maintained fuch an extenfive commerce, and amaffed fuch immenfe riches, at a time when the fpirit of industry had made fo great a progrefs among her neighbours, and even Holland herself had procured a decided fuperiority over all the other powers on the con

tinent.

6

But although the fun of English greatness is not yet fet, it is probable that in a few years we fhall fee the power of that people extinguished; not infenfibly, but all at once. The very first war that they are fo rafh as to engage in, will, perhaps, whatever may be its event, precipitate this fatal and too certain catastrophe. In the political, as in the natural world, death has planted the feeds of destruction along with thofe of existence; and, though those may difcover and unfold themfelves, either fooner or later, yet in the end they will never lose their effect.

Let us recollect that, but a very few years fince, a national debt of a hundred millions gave the utmost tenfion that it was then fufceptible of, to the fpring of this political machine. The facility, however, with which they found means to pay off the intereft of this immenfe fum, made them believe, that they poffeffed an inexhaustible source of riches, and begat the most dangerous fecurity. They are now, however, though perhaps too late, recovered from this fatal error: a national debt, amounting to the immenfe fum of two hundred and fixty millions, has at length opened their eyes: the annual revenue is at prefent incompetent to fupply the annual expenditure, which, even in time of peace, amounts to more than fourteen millions. If we add to this, the intereft of a debt of one hundred millions, which England must contract the first war she is involved in, it will be politically impoffible for the nation to fuftain fuch an additional burthen without becoming bankrupt.

If any unforeseen circumstance fhould occafion this war, the confequence would be terrible. The ruin of the richest and most diftinguished families would inevitably enfue: the commerce and the maritime greatnefs of the English would be attacked in their moft mortal parts; and that nation, now fo powerful, would be reduced for ever among the fecond order of European states.

It is perhaps impoffible to avert this frightful catastrophe; the fageft precautions could fcarce diminish the evil, or render the confequences lefs terrible. This awful moment is approaching with the most rapid and alarming celerity; no one, however, has the refolution to oppofe it, and all feem to allow themselves blindly to be led towards the horrid abyfs.'

This German writer is a bye-ftander; we are playing the defperate game, and muft abide by the refult of it; whether we can make any profitable use of his obfervations or not, he is intitled to our thanks for his warning.

ART.

TH

ART. VIII. Mr. Bruce's Travels into Abyffinia.

[Article continued. See our laft Month's Review.]

'HE fourth volume is chiefly employed in giving an account of the author's return to Cairo. He came to Gondar, by the way of the Red Sea; and determined, for the fake of examining the country, to proceed to Egypt through the kingdom of Sennaar, the ancient ifland of Meroe, and the great Nubian defert. In this long and dangerous journey, we meet with a most melancholy picture of human manners; in which, avarice, cruelty, and treachery, are uniformly confpicuous. Fortified with the adamantine fhield of courage and conduct, our hero, like another Amadis, paffes unhurt through this region of giants and devils. His laft tranfactions at Teawa, where he had been long detained by the Shekh, or prince, Fidele, will give the reader an idea of the dangers to which he was expofed, and the means by which he furmounted them:

On the 8th, in the evening, a little before fix o'clock, when I was making ready to go to the Shekh, a meffage came, that he was bufy, and could not fee me; with which, for a time, I was very well pleased. About ten, arrived a naked, very ill-looking fellow, more like an executioner than any other fort of man, with a large broad-fword in his hand, and feemingly very drunk. He faid he was one of the Shekhs of Jehaina, and in a little time became extremely infolent. He firft demanded coffee, which was given him, then a new coat, then fome civet, and, laft of all, drawing his fword, that we should instantly provide him with a new feabbard, his own being but a piece of common leather, which he threw with a kind of indignation down upon the floor. Till that time I had been writing thefe very memoirs, at leaft the journal of the day. I was not any way afraid of one drunkard, but laid down my pen, wondering where this infolence was to end. Before I had time to fpeak a word, I heard my old Turk, the fheriffe, Hagi Ifmael, fay, "You are of the Jehaina, are you? then I am of the Daveina;" and with that he caught the ftranger by the throat, taking his fword from him, which he threw out of the houfe, after cafting the owner violently upon the floor. The fellow crept out upon all four, and, as foon as he had picked up his fword, attempted again to enter the houfe, which Soliman perceiving, fnatched his own fhort crooked sword, from a pin where it hung, and ran readily to meet him, and would very fpeedily have made an end of him, had I not cried out, "For God's fake, Soliman, don't hurt him; remember where you are." Indeed, there was little reafon for the caution; for when the Arab obferved a drawn fword in the Turk's hand, he prefently ran away towards the town, crying, Ullah! Ullah! Ullah! which was, God! God! Go!! an exclamation of terror, and we faw no more of him; whilft, instead of a new fcabbard, he left his old one in the house. Seeing at once the cowardice and malice of our enemies, we were now apprehenlive of fire, things were come to fuch an extremity; and as our houfe was compofed of nothing but dry canes, it feemed the only obvious way of deftroying us.

On the 9th, in the morning, I fent Soliman with the fcabbard to Fidele, and a grievous complaint against the fuppofed Shekh of the Jehaina for his infolence the night before. Shekh Fidele pretended to be utterly ignorant of the whole, made light of what had paffed, and faid the fellow was a fool. But a violent altercation took place between him and my ferREV. SEPT. 1790.

Ꭰ

vant

vant black Soliman, who then told him all his mind, threatening him with Yafine's immediate vengeance, and affuring him he was, before this, fully informed of his behaviour. They, however, both cooled before parting. Fidele only recommended to Soliman to perfuade me to give him 2000 piaftres, without which he wore I fhould never go alive out of Atbara. Soliman, on the other hand, declared, that I was a man that fet no value on money, and therefore carried it not about with me, otherwife I fhould not refuse what he defired, but warned him to think well before he uttered fuch expreffions as he now had done.

In the courte of converfation, as Soliman told me, the Shekh gave him feveral hints, that, if he would agree with him, and help to rob and murder me, he should hate the booty with him, and it never would be known. But Soliman pretended not to understand this, always affuring him that I was not the man he took me for; and that, except the king's prefent, all I had was brafs, iron, and glass bottles, of no value to any but myfelf, who only knew how to use them. They then finifhed their difcourfe; and he defired Soliman to tell me, that he expected me at the usual hour of 6 o'clock to-morrow evening, which was Friday the roth.

This feemed to me an extraordinary appointment, becaufe Friday is their feftival, when they eat and drink heartily, nor did I ever remember any of them take medicine upon that day. But with Fidele all was festival, not even their annual folemn feast of Ramadan did he ever keep, but was univerfally known to be an unbeliever, even in what was called his own religion. I had ftill this farther objection to wait upon him at night, that he had gone fo far as to folicit Soliman to affift him in murdering me. But I confidered at lait, that we could not escape from his hands; and that the only way to avoid the danger was to brave it. Providence, indeed, seemed all along to have referved our deliverance for our own exertions, under its direction, as all the ways we had taken to get relief from others had hitherto, in appearance at least, mifcarried. However, it was refolved to go armed, for fear of the worlt; but to conceal our weapons, fo as to give no umbrage. I had a fall Brefcian blunderbufs, about 22 inches in the barrel, which had a joint in the stock, fo that it folded double. It hung by an iron hook to a thin belt under my left arm, clofe to my fide, quite unperceived, like a cutlafs I likewife took a pair of piftols in my girdle, and my knife as ufual. All thefe were perfectly covered by my burnoofe; fo that, with a little attention, when I fat down, it was impoffible to difcover my having any weapons about me. Hagi Ifimael the Turk, Soliman my fervant, and two other Moorish fervants, took alfo their fire-arms, fmall and great, and fwords, along with them. We all went to the house of the Shekh a little before feven o'clock in the evening. I entered the back door into the fquare where the women's houfe was; but declined going fo far as their apartment without leave, turning to the left hand into the fide of the fquare where he ufually ftaid. I was furprifed to meet but one fervant, a black boy, in the whole houfe, and he carried me to the Shekh, my fervants remaining at the outer-door.

Fidele was fitting in a spacious room, in an alcove, on a large broad fofa like a bed, with India curtains gathered on each fide into feftoons. Upon feeing the boy, in a very furly tone he called for a pipe; and, in much the fame voice, faid to me, "What! alone?" I faid, Yes, what were his commands with me?" I faw he either was, or affected to be, drunk, and which ever was the cafe, I knew it would lead to mischief; 1 therefore repented heartily of having come into the house alone.

After he had taken two whiffs of his pipe, and the flave had left the room, "Are you prepared ? fays he; have you brought the needful along with you?" I wifhed to have occafion to join Soliman, and answered, My ervants are at the outer door, and have the vomit you wanted."

"D-n

D-n you and the vomit too, fays he with great paffion, I want money, and not poison. Where are your piaftres?"" I am a bad person, said I, Fidele, to furnish you with either. I have neither money nor poifon; but I advife you to drink a little warm water to clear your ftomach, cool your head, and then lie down and compofe yourfelf, I will fee you tomorrow morning." I was going out. "Hakim, fays he, infidel, or devil, or whatever is your name, hearken to what I fay. Confider where you are; this is the room where Mek Baady, a king, was flain by the hand of my father: look at his blood, where it has ftained the floor, which never could be washed out. I am informed you have 20,000 piaftres in gold with you; either give me 2000 before you go out of this chamber, or you fhall die; I will put you to death with my own hand." Upon this he took up his fword, that was lying at the head of his sofa, and, drawing it with a bravado, threw the fcabbard into the middle of the room; and, tucking the fleeve of his fhirt above his elbow like a butcher, faid, "I wait your anfwer."

I now ftept one pace backwards, and dropt the burnoose behind me, holding the little blunderbufs in my hand, without taking it off the belt. I faid, in a firm tone of voice, "This is my anfwer: I am not a man, as I have told you before, to die like a beaft by the hand of a drunkard; on your life, I charge you, ftir not from your fofa." I had no need to give this injunction; he heard the noife which the clofing the joint in the stock of the blunderbufs made, and thought I had cocked it, and was inftantly to fire. He let his fword drop, and threw himself on his back on the fofa, crying, "For God's fake, Hakim, I was but jetting." At the fame time, with all his might, he cried, "Brahim! Mahomet! El coom! El coom!" If one of your fervants approach me, faid I, that inftant I blow you to pieces; not one of them fhall enter this room till they bring in my fervants with them; I have a number of them armed at your gate, who will break in the inftant they hear me fire."

The women had come to the door. My fervants were admitted, each having a blunderbufs in his hand and piftols at his girdle. We were now greatly an overmatch for the Shekh, who fat far back on the fofa, and pretended that all he had done was in joke, in which his fervants joined, and a very confused, desultory discourse followed, till the Turk, fherriffe Ifmael, happened to obferve the Shekh's fcabbard of his fword thrown upon the floor, on which he fell into a violent fit of laughter. He fpoke very bad Arabic, mixed with Turkish, as I have often obferved. He endeavoured to make the Shekh understand, that drunkards and cowards had more need of the fcabbard than the fword; that he, Fidele, and the other drunkard that came to our house two or three nights before, who faid he was Shekh of the Jehaina, were just poffeffed of the fame portion of courage and infolence.

As no good could be expected from this expoftulation, I ftopt it, and. took my leave, defiring the Shekh to go to bed and compofe himself, and not try any more of thefe experiments, which would certainly end in his fhame, if not in his punishment. He made no anfwer, only wished us good night."

The measure of human wretchednefs, and of the author's dangers, becomes complete at Sennaar; of which kingdom Mr. B. fums up his account in the following expreffive words:

War and treafon feem to be the only employment of this horrid people, whom Heaven has separated by almolt impaffible deserts, from the reft of mankind, confining them to an accurfed fpot, feemingly to give * El coom, that is, all his fervants.

D 2

them