REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Non totam subito præceps secura per urbem Marc. Hieron. Vida. 1 A most pleasant, fruitful, and witty Work of the best State of a Fublic Weal, and of the new Isle called Utopia, written in Latin by the Right Worthy and Famous Sir Thomas More, Knt. and translated into English, by Ralphe Robinson, A. D. 1551. A new Edition; with copious Notes, (including the whole of Dr. Warner's), and a Biographical and Literary Introduction. By the Rev. T. F. Dibdin, F. S. A. 2 Vols. 8vo. Miller. 1808. "THE romance of the Utopia," says Bishop Burnet, "has a very common fate upon it-to be more known and admired all the world over, than here at home." We have good reasons for think ing that this declaration stands upon as good foundation as when asserted by Burnet, in 1684: it has been repeatedly translated and published abroad, and at this hour is held in high estimation in. most European countries; while in England it is often praised without being read, though never read without the tribute of applause. Notwithstanding the several editions, we think the translations of Sir Thomas More's Utopia by no means common books; with the exception of Bishop Burnet's version, we do not remember to have met with any, but an earlier and inferior translation, till the publication of Mr. Arthur Kayley, which is too ponderous and expensive for general circulation. The obsta cles, whatever they may have been, which have impeded the knowledge of this curious and interesting theory of Sir Thomas More's, will by Mr. Dibdin's edition be removed: whatever industry, extensive knowledge of history, and bibliographical attainments, can contribute to the perfection of an ancient English classic may be looked for in the volumes before us. To the romance of Utopia, Mr. Dibdin has prefixed an intro ductory account of the family of Sir Thomas More, but we look in vain for the life of the author of Utopia, and Mr. Dibdin excuses this omission, by referring to the numerous and late accounts, which have been published of the chancellor. In the introduction, we have the history of More's family, his wives, and his children, in which necessarily is comprised much relating to the author; but why the prima stamina, should be wanting while these ramifications are substituted, no adequate reason appears to us assigned. It is true, that the history of the life and unfortunate end of the virtuous chancellor, is familiar to every one at all acquainted with the history of this country, but still it will be looked for in an edition of the Utopia, so elaborately illustrated as the present, and it is evidently not the omission of indolence, for the materials collected in these two volumes, must have occu❤ pied out of all comparison the time requisite for an extensive narrative of Sir Thomas More's brief, too brief, existence. To the account of his family succeeds, the biography of Sir Thomas More, being an account of the various lives that have been published of him; among which, Stapleton's is, in our judgment, the most curious. Mr. Dibdin speaks in rapturous terms of More's life of his grandfather; but we acknowledge that it always appeared to us a frigid, laboured, and unequal piece of biography, and even when describing the person of Sir Thomas, miserably inferior to the pen that delineated the exquisite portrait of citizen Shore's wife, the unfortunate Jane, which Mr. Dibdin has very judiciously inserted in his account of Sir Thomas More's writings. "The works of Sir Thomas More, with specimens of the same," is the next portion of the introductory materials; in which the collection of his nephew, Rastell, printed by Tottel, in 1557, folio, and analysed by Oldys, in his British Librarian, forms the prominent feature, and is described at greater length in the dissertation before us. Then follows an account of the engraved portraits of Sir Thomas More, who, notwithstanding the description of him by his great-grandson, and the more minute one of Erasmus, appears to have suffered more from the inability of artists, than was the common fate of so great a man, and so deservedly a favourite. "Never, perhaps, has it fallen to the lot of a human being, to have his features so tortured and perverted, as More's have been. At one time he is made to resemble a Turk; at another time, an officer of the Jnquisition. One artist decorates him with the robes of Soliman the Great; another takes care to put around him those of a mountebank or conjurer. Shaven or unshaven with a short or a long beard-we are still told it is Sir Thomas More. In physiognomical expression, he is as often made to represent the drivelling ideot, as the consequential Lord Mayor; and the immortal name of Holbein is subscribed to portraits, of which he not only never dreamt, but of which almost the meanest of his successors, in this country, might have been justly ashamed." P. cxv. The fifth division of this introduction, which contains an account of the various editions of the Utopia, evinces much bibliographical learning, and is a fair specimen of the extensive ac quaintance of Mr. Dibdin in this science, and of what may be confidently expected from his promised edition of Ames's typographical antiquities. This translation of the Utopia, 1639, is illustrated with many entertaining notes, which relieve very happily the narrative of the chancellor, and shew an intimate acquaintance with early English literature. With one exception, Mr. Dibdin's portion of these volumes deserves all the praise we are inclined to give them; and the fault of which we complain, is not very rife among editors. Mr. Dibdin has the petty vice of speaking handsome things of every body he has occasion to notice. If he is really sincere, which we have no reason to doubt, in the cases before us, we can only differ with him in opinion, and consider his genius and learning su perior to his judgment. In a note on the 2d vol. p. 189, Ritson's "Robin Hood" isconsidered "the most curious and amusing production of that éccentric and erudite antiquary." At p. 231, Mr. Douce's "Illustrations of Shakespeare," are said to be "replete with tasteful illustration;" and Beloe's "Anecdotes of Literature" are more than once noticed with applause. Now, we have always thought of Ritson's collection and illustration of the Robin Hood ballads as a covert libel on the whole tribe of authors; it is not to be denied that Mr. Douce's volumes contain much valuable and useful information, but they are extremely dull; and Mr. Beloe's collection is any thing but what it ought to be, and what any body else would have made it. Notwithstanding, Mr. Dibdin's is a faithful reprint of a very curious edition of the Utopia, and this truly philosophical romance, he has illustrated with much learning, ingenuity, and research. A Biographical Peerage of the Empire of Great Britain, in which are Memoirs and Characters of the most celebrated Persons of each Family. 2 Vols. 12mo. Johnson. 1808. THE servile, if not sordid adulation, which has distinguished our compilers of Peerages, was thus happily pourtrayed by the vivid pencil of Burke: "Those gentle historians," said he, " dip their pens in nothing but the milk of human kindness: they seek no further for merit than the preamble of a patent, or the inscrip tion of a tomb: with them, every man created a peer, is first an hero ready made; they judge of every man's capacity for offices by the offices he has filled; and the more offices, the more ability. They who, alive, were laughed at, or pitied by all their acquaint ance, make as good a figure as the best of them in the pages of Gwillim, Edmondson, and Collins." By those who have been led to trace the historical accounts of our noblesse in those flattering registers, the force of Mr. Burke's observations will readily be allowed. Nor could any other than favourable and partial statements be looked for, when we learn from Collins, or his editors, that "many noble peers (with an amiable condescension) afforded opportunities of placing their pedigrees in the improved light they now appear, which will reflect credit upon their families!" The present publication has been brought forward on a very different plan. It is evidently the performance of a single pen, of an independ entand enlightened mind, of a widely-informed, and accomplished writer; of one who is willing to tell the whole truth where it is ereditable to be told, but who prefers the negative reproof of silence to the infliction of public exposure. << Characters," he tells us, have been more the author's aim, than details of facts: as they are more interesting, more instructive, and certainly in a higher style of composition. Those," he adds, " which the compiler has had occasion to draw, are such as an eye and ear, long open to what has been passing in the living world, have dictated; and he can confidently say, they are written with honesty, and he trusts with candour," We may add, that many of them are written with a high degree of eloquence as well as elegance, and we might particularly instance those of Pitt and Fox, of Lord Erskine and Lord Eldon. But as we have not room for more than one specimen of the author's style, we prefer an extract from his sketch of Horace Wal pole, as we think Mr. Park, in his late edition of the "Royal and Noble Authors," has not done adequate justice to the character of his principal. "Horace Walpole, so well known in the literary world, became fourth Earl of Orford, and died in 1797, aged 79. He seems to have been the favourite child of his father, who was vain of his lively parts, and probably injured the force of his future character, by early indulgence. He distinguished himself at Eton, and formed friendships with those of the first talents and acquirements, more especially Gray and West. When he travelled, the son of a long-established and powerful British premier, of course enjoyed every attention and advantage. On his return home, he came into parliament, and made a conspicuous fi gure, both in the circles of fashion and literature. He discovered a very acute acquaintance with history; a great fondness for antiquities; and a very nice and discriminative taste in the arts. Having been provided, through his father's patronage, with a lucrative sinecure in the Exchequer, he had the means to indulge his leisure and his love of books, architecture, and painting. He bought a villa at Twickenham, and displayed his inventive genius, by turning it into a most curious, elegant, and rich gothic mansion, which he called Strawberry-Hill; and which became the favourite residence of his future life. Here he collected a library, and an assemblage of rare and valuable specimens of the arts, unique both in their nature and extent. The mind of the master, adorned with inexhaustible stores of congenial knowledge, was calculated to give a double effect to these treasures. In this retreat, he de dicated much of his time to study and composition. The Royal and Noble Authors; the Anecdotes of Painting; the Historic Doubts; and the Castle of Otranto, were some of the first fruits of his retirement. These were printed at a private press, which he established here; and on that account were stamped with an additional value, amongst the curious collectors of typography. But they have many intrinsic claims to praise; they possess much vivacity, much acuteness, much research, and often throw new light on the subjects he discusses. Sometimes, indeed, he was more anxious to say what was brilliant, than what was just: but he was, notwithstanding, a very valuable writer; and posterity will probably bestow more credit on him, than has hitherto been allowed him by the jealousy of rank and fortune." It remains to add, that these two volumes include the English peerage only, and that two others are designed to comprise the peers of Scotland and Ireland. The arms of each peer are neatly engraved on wood. |