out fame and perished without a record!--What is the glory of the world? But not less singular than the authorship and the subject, is the style in which the book is written. Instead of a grave and cautious investigation of uncertain facts, to be carefully deduced from a collation of scraps of the poets and fragments of scholiasts, reconciled to each other or disproved by a diligent comparison or contrast, Mrs. Gray proposes her hypothesis at once; assumes it to be true as soon as it is stated; and devotes the remainder of her volume to its embellishment, and the pleasing development of an imaginary epic. Digression follows digression, and episode introduces episode, until she has formed neither a history nor an essay, but a prose poem to be classed in the same category with Ossian and Télémaque-or more properly-on the principle of comparing like things to like-with the Travels of Cyrus, by the Chevalier Ramsay. A proposition that the British Commoners should be more effectually divorced from the tiers état: and a romantic laudation of the fabulous virtues of the Scottish Clans, break in a peculiar manner, the current of narration in a professedly antiquarian investigation into the origin of the ancient Etruscans. Such aberrations from the ordinary routine of history may be defended, and perhaps admired, if we can regard this work as an ingenious fable: though, for our own part, we are uncertain in what branch of literature to place it. Archæology, history, fiction may all contend with the epic Muse for the rightful claim to it-colour could easily be given to the claim of each-and if they should do this, we will abide the issue; but till then, we must consider that, adhuc sub judice lis est. The book is certainly a novel and curious production:—and we cannot help fancying that its execution would be improved, and its circulation extended, by rendering it into the ballad rhyme of Chevy Chase or the Nut-Brown Maid. Tom Moore thought a pretty tale might be made still prettier by such a conversion, and gave the world his Alciphron as a substitute or counterpart for that Epicurean, which had already been favourably received. We have not heard that Mrs. Gray's History of Etruria has been welcomed with any unwonted honours, and we should not suppose such an event probable: but we will not venture to determine what would be the result, if it were only transmitted into ballad verse. That such a translation is practicable, we cannot doubt, when we observe the wild flight of imagination, the unchecked play of fancy, which raise this work from the regions of plain fact into the more exhilarating clime of the ideal. We are sorely tempted to make the experiment ourselves-let us open the book at random. p. 257 : The Pyramids of Egypt old, Which stand where Memphis stood, The memory of those who built Was cursed by the race, Whose sires had toiled, and starved, and bled Etruria raised no wondrous pile The oppressor so to please; Her works were works of public use, Her glory and her ease. She still revered the sage Tarchún, The god inspired what he devised- &c. &c. &c. For those parts containing an enumeration of cities-particularly the Sixth Chapter, we would recommend a close imitation of the 'Battle of the Lake Regillus,' in Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome. Sed hæ sunt nuga. We have heard of a versification of an Act, or proposed Act of the Legislature of Virginia, entitled an Act for the more effectual suppression of Crows-a poetic translation of a professed History might equally claim to be a rara avis in terris; but, in the present case, it would be, in like manner, a decided improvement upon the original. We would suggest to Mrs. Gray that it might be advisable to make the attempt, or if she neglects to do so, some unfledged witling may probably be caught; and by judicious training taught to sing continuously in the proper note. But we must proceed with Mrs. Hamilton Gray. Her best qualifications and abilities are displayed only on points immediately connected with the Rasena, or supposed stock of the old Etruscans. Her want of familiarity with all the collateral subjects which she touches, is very great-and should we even admit the larger portion of her conclusions with regard to the Etruscans-which, by the way, we ; should be very sorry to do-we must reject nearly the whole of her speculations on the other races of Italy. She has frequently alluded to them-and upon some of them she has dwelt-but if her conclusions be true, they are so despite, not in consequence of her reasoning, for she has not proved them such--and we think them far enough from being true. Yet, notwithstanding all the egregious faults of this History of Etruria-and we would suggest to Mrs. Gray that Legion would be an appropriate name for them some value is imparted to this work by her account of the relics which an examination of the Etruscan Necropoles has restored to light, and for a pleasing description of which she was partially prepared by her visit to Tuscany, and by her previous work on its old sepulchres. Moreover, much information is really collected together in this work with reference to Etrurian Antiquities, though, by no means, all that might have been attained; nor is it arranged in such a manner as to justify any commendation of it to the scholar, the antiquary, or the general reader. The first would not be materially assisted by it; the second has better sources to consult; and the third would be most assuredly misled by it. What, then, is its highest praise? We are truly glad to find any thing to laud it; and we may say, that Mrs. Hamilton Gray deserves much credit for having shown that much may even now be done towards a connected account of Etruscan Antiquities, and for this, she is well entitled to the thanks of critics, of antiquaries, and of scholars. We are now done with Mrs. Hamilton Gray, though not with her book this we shall have occasion to examine, probably in the next number of the Review, when we shall devote some pages to a consideration of the various races that possessed Italy, previous to the days of Romulus and the rise of Roman power. But before closing our present notice, we must, in justice to Mrs. Gray, quote the modest apology at the conclusion of her work: though we must think it a poor plea in justification of a weak book, that the writer considers it such. Still it is only fair to give her the hearing she requests; and, accordingly, let her be heard: 'Learned men, should any of you ever design to peruse this work, forgive its errors, and be not disgusted by one, ten, or even a hundred mistakes in its pages, which may appear inexcusable to the eyes of your superior knowledge. Be persuaded to read it through, and to ponder well the evidence of facts, united to those of ancient testimony and of existing remains. Weigh these together, and then determine if the argument, in the mass, be not founded upon truth. The theory built upon it may be so unskilfully supported, as to fall to pieces at the first rude touch; but the foundation we believe to be so deeply laid, that it cannot be overthrown. 'Be not offended, that one who, in comparison with you, knows nothing, should venture to intrude upon the ground, which you have left vacant; and who feels like a mole attempting to burrow through a mountain, having no power to accomplish more than barely to trace upon the surface that line, which it is your province to quarry through underground. "Be not forgetful that the ablest general rarely marches his forces over ground that has not previously been prepared for him by the humble pioneer, and that the most talented of architects cannot put into execution his sublime conceptions, except he have the help of the poor workman who labours for his daily bread. Do not despise the day of small things. 'I see men as trees walking.' Let us hope that the ointment may yet be found, which shall restore to those dim and tree-like figures, the grace and the proportions of men." pp. 430-1. We are not among the learned men,' and, therefore, do not conceive ourselves to be of the number of those meant to be addressed in the above passage: but, after reading this apology, we feel that, whatever may have been Mrs. Gray's success, and whatever the value of her book, she certainly wrote with good intentions; and that, if she cannot claim from us our congratulations on the execution of her task, she is, at least, entitled to our sympathy in her failure. We have spoken with more severity than we intended, and we regret the necessity that compelled us to do so. We have purposely overlooked many faults, and have not enlarged, as we might justly have done, upon those which we have noticed. Any design of harshness has been far from our thoughts, and we should have said little more than that the work had not answered our expectations, had it not been for the repetition of passages claiming for herself a much more intimate familiarity with Roman and Greek lore, than the evidence she affords us will justify. And when we conclude with the hope, that Mrs. Gray will not continue this History of Etruria, we do so with every disposition to forgive those past offences which we cannot altogether overlook. H. ART. VIII.-Memoirs of Aaron Burr. By MATTHEW L. DAVIS. New-York: Harper & Brothers. 1836. Ir called upon merely to state objections to this book, we would begin by saying, there is a want of proper distinction between memoirs and correspondence; and a lack of independence in arguing from facts. An essential part of the duty of a writer of biography, consists in sifting off from the correspondence of his hero, the acts of his life; and in reasoning independently upon these acts. Mr. Davis failed to perform this part of his task, when he undertook to write the memoirs of Colonel Burr. He has left his readers to wade, without assistance, through a copious correspondence, for the facts which make up his life and character; and even when indulging in a remark, he touches the subject with too much delicacy to elicit truth. In scanning the events of a man's life, we must view it from a different position than that occupied by his enemies or his friends. It is not from the ground, torn by the combatants, that one best sees the arrangements of the battle. From a distance, we discover faults of position, dangers of movements, never thought of by those who stand amidst the noise and confusion of the strife. It is no compliment to the justice of men to say, they rarely deal fairly with the lives and characters of public men, until too late for justice to be available. The time when truth should be dispensed, and error dispelled, should be that, when the person concerned, can feel the reward or profit by the correction. But the times in which men live are, as respects them, times of excitement and prejudice. They are surrounded by an atmosphere too dense with the breath of applause and censure for the rays of truth to break in upon them. Public opinion, while a man is engaged in action, like too much light upon a tender insect in the microscope, either burns him up with much praise, or hides his qualities in much abuse. This truth failed to strike the sagacious mind of the virtuous and talented John Adams. Returning from his embassies, he complains that his countrymen have despised his merits and ungratefully forgotten his services. Who could have conceived, that a man whom his country was then preparing to reward with the station filled by Washington, could have felt jealous of that coun |