thofe, who were going to the place we came from, and who changed in the fame manner. The freight of the trading-boats cannot be fo eafily removed; and they must confequently pats through every one of the locks. You afcend by these, until you reach Cafilenaudari, and then defcend till you come to Toulouse. For Caflenaudari is the highest part of the canal, and on the mountains behind it has the grand refervoir that fupplies the waters. This refervoir is computed to be two thousand four hundred yards in length, a thousand in breadth, and forty in depth. Half the ftream that defcends from it, feems to empty itself towards Beziers, and half towards Toulouse: affording always an ample fupply to float the boats, barges, &c, that pafs and repafs on Mr. Riquet's admirable and useful canal. The greatest part of the country, through which we paffed, was tilled with corn; and feems to deferve the name of the Granary of France, more than any other. As I had never before feen any large tract of land, covered with Turkey corn, which is principally culti vated on the banks of the canal; I was much pleased with the appearance, which, when the ears are full, is luxuriant and grand. The flour that is made from it, is used in various manners in cookery; but the bread is feldom eaten by any, but peafants and the lower clafs of people. We are now, as you have feen, at Toulouse, and in a miserable auberge; where there is fcarce a room that is tolerable, on account of the filth, and where the people are boorish, inattentive, or deaf. Having been much pleafed with the canal, we were caught by the fign at the door, which is la jonction des jeux mers: but I know not, how we came to think of staying here, after we entered and found in what a fty we were got. However we have not a much longer penance to undergo; as we have already hired a voiture, to carry us to Bourdeaux. I am not fo well pleafed with Toulouse as I have been with several of the leffer towns of France; though perhaps the reafon may be, that I am not fo well pleafed with myself, and that the city takes its complexion, in my mind, from that miferable corner of it, in which I am now writing. Here are many pieces of antiquity, relics, &c. fuch as you find in molt of the towns of France; but fcarce any that feem to deferve much notice. Some of the edifices are faid to have been built by the Romans, and indeed the ruins of an amphitheatre and fome temples, prove the town to be of ancient foundation. In the Hotel de ville, which is of a more modern date, I faw this morning the following infcription: HIC THEMIS DAT JURA CIVIBUS APOLLO FLORES CAMENIS MINERVA PALMAS ARTIBUS. The two laft lines appeared to me extraordinary for what Apollo or Minerva had to do with the mufes or arts in a town-house, I could not divine. But on inquiry I learnt, that, about three hundred years ago, a lady of Toulouse, called Clemence Ifaure, gave this building, and an immenfe fum to the town, on condition that on her birthday, or the third of May, there fhould be a feftivål held, and called La Fete des jeux floraux. On this day four flowers that were parti cularized, viz. an eglantine, a violet, a pink, and a marigold of filver gilt, were to be diftributed to fuch as excelled in the produc 0 4 tions of art or science: and the merit of fach productions was to be determined by the fecretary, appointed for that purpose, and the Capitnuis, or Aldermen, that were to hold the fcales of justice, in the fame place. This lady has not the honour of being esteemed the first that invented this fete as another of the fame kind, is said to have been inftituted by the ancient Capitouls, before her time, at the public expence. In thefe early lits, the Troubadours were the first champions for fame, and disputed the prize with heroic poems, eclogues, odes, and various compofuitions in verfe. The Jeux floraux have undergone a late alteration in the time of Louis the Fourteenth, who raised them to an academy of the Beiles Lettres, and appointed a Prefident and 36 Academicians, to judge of the claims of the several candidates. At prefent the prizes are, as I am told, an amaranthus of gold, of the value of feventeen or eighteen pounds English, for the best ode; a violet of filver, for the best poem; an eglantine, for the best compofition in profe; and a marygold for the best elegy or eclogue. The following eclogue, which won one of the prizes I have mentioned, appears to me to have fo much natural fimplicity in its narration, and fuch elegance in its flyle, that I am fare I shall give you great pleasure in finishing this letter with it. It is the compofition of an Abbé Mangenot, who has written feveral petites pieces, and is author of a concife hiftory of French poetry, that is famous. Aş this hiftory is contained in about a dozen lines, I will give it you, and then, together with the paitoral, I think my packet will be encreafed to a respectable bulk. Mangenot died in 16c8-9. There is a brother of his, as I am informed, living at prefent in Paris, who is a famous musician. HISTOIRE DE LA POESIE FRANÇOISE. "La Poéfie Françoife, fous Ronjard, & fous Baif, étoit un enfant au berceau, dont on ignoroit jusqu'au fexe. Malherbe le foupçonna måle, & lui fit prendre la robe virile. Corneille en fit un heros. Racine en fit une femme adorable & fenfible. Quinault en fit une courtifanne, pour la rendre digne d'epoufer Lully & la peignit fi bien fous le mafque, que le févere Boileau s'y trompa, & condamna Quinault a l'enfer, & fa Mufe aux prifons de St. Martin. A l'égard de Voltaire, il en a fait un excellent Ecolier de Rhétorique, qui lutte contre tous ceux qu'il croit Empereurs de fa claffe, & qu'aucun de fes pareils n'ofe entreprendre de degoter, fe contentant de s'en raporter au jugement de la Polérité, unique & feul préfet des études de tous les fiecles." LE RENDEZ-VOUS. Au déclin d'un beau jour, une jeune bergère, Milles foupçons confus allument fon courroux "Tircis ne m'aime plus, le perfide, (dit elle) "Le foleil quatre fois, fit jaunir nos moiffons 66 "Cruelle à mon berger, plus cruelle à moimême Malgré votre beauté, craindriez vous, un jour, "De me voir à quelque autre immoler votre amour ? "Ah grand Dieu! fi je vis fans aimer ma bergére Que ma fiùte, ma voix, mes vers ceffant de plaire; "Qu'on me voi étouffer les oifeaux que j'inftruits; 86 66 Que me prés foient fans fleurs, et mes vergers fans fruits: Que mes tendres brebis, que mes taureaux fuperbes "Sempoifonnent du fuc des plus mortelles herbes, Que je les abandonne à la fureur des loups, Et que je fois moim me en bute a tous vos coups; J'en jure par les Dieux, ou plutôt par moi meme, "Phillis, l'amour vous rend ma déité fuprême; "L'ardeur que j'ai pour vous ne finira jamais. "Croyez en mon amour, mes ferments, vos traits. "Son trouble, fa languer, fes regards, fon filence, Tout m'affuroit alors de s'a perfeverence; "Je ne pus réfilter a des coups fi puiffants: "Un trouble fedu&teur s'empera de mes fens "Prefque fans la vouloir, éperdue, inquiete, A mon perfide amant, j'avouai ma daite: 61 Je vous aime lui dis je; heureufe a mon cœur 64 'Peut attendre du votre une éternelle ardeur. "A vous aimer toujours, cher Tircis, je m'engage, "Que de mon tendre amour cet agreau foi ia gage; Il crôitra, que nos feux croiffent aion que lui, Puiflions nous nous aimer enco plus qu'aujourd huy. Qui pourroit exprimer ce qu'alor nous nous dimes? Relle-t-il des fements après ceux que nous fìmes? "TOB « Tout ce qu'un tendre amour a de fort et de doux, "Il me prévint toujours en cette folitude; "Dieux fur la foi defquels j'ai perdu l'innocence, 66 66 Seroit ce à moi, Tircis, dit elle, a vous attendre ? J'etois fur ce gazon deux heures avant vous; "Vous arriviez enfin, mais difgrace imprévue ! "Il entraînait, grands Dieux! quelle allarme pour moi! "O ciel! pour mon amour, quel funefte préfage, We have given the foregoing letter as no unfavourable specimen of the whole collection. The paffage, however, mentioning that Mangenot died in 1608 9,' must be erroneous; and the falfe date is, probably, a mere flip of the prefs; as the Author of the Tour informs us that a brother of Mangenot's is now living at Paris, and as Mangenot himself mentions the works of Voltaire. ART. ART. VII. A Sequel to the Apology on refigning the Vicarage of Catte rick, Yorkshire. By Theophilus Lindley, M. A. 8vo. Johnfon. 1776. 6 s. [OWEVER various may be the fentiments of our Readers respecting the doctrines which Mr. Lindsey has defended in the prefent, and in his preceding, publication, the manner wherein he has conducted himself in the whole of that interesting controverfy in which he is engaged, muft entitle him to univerfal respect and we trust that we fhall not be accused of fwerving from that line of ftrict impartiality, by which we always with to direct our courfe, if we dwell with pleasure upon a work, which, unlike the productions of too many controverfialists, breathes the pureft fpirit of candour and benevolence, at the fame time that its Author maintains, with a manly firmness, what appears to him to be the cause of the God of Truth. In his Apology Mr. Lindfey freely declared his fentiments respecting the perfon of our Saviour; and has fupported them with great learning, candour, and good fenfe. In the SEQUEL he proceeds to examine, with the accuracy and penetration of a critic and a philofopher, the remaining texts in the New Teftament, which have been alleged in fupport of the contrary doctrine. His ftyle is perfpicuous, his manner often affecting, and he every where evinces an heart deeply impressed with a fenfe of the importance of his fubject, and devoted to the facred interefts of the gospel. He ftates the arguments of those who have appeared in fupport of tenets in any refpect varying from his own, with the utmoft fairness. Whether he combats them with fuccefs, it is not our province to decide. This point must be left, as Mr. Lindsey leaves it, to the determination of his Readers. The two following extracts, the firft from Mr. L.'s preface, the fecond from the firft chapter of his work, will fufficiently explain the defign of the prefent publication. An imperfect sketch of the following treatife, fays the Author, was drawn up at the fame time with my Apology, and defigned to have accompanied it, but was kept back for fear of rendering that work too prolix. I have been induced, he continues, to enlarge my plan beyond what was originally propofed, that I might make room for a further illuftration of fome things advanced by me, to which objections had been made; and alfo that I might make full inquiry into the queftions concerning the nature and perfon of Chrift, and what is the worfhip due to him. And I efteem it a rare felicity of the times we live in, that there is a growing candour and willingness in many to have these points examined, which may give hope of greater 9 charity |