On the Author of the Poems afcribed to Ezekiel. aponai Mun savow serval cAlarning 801999200 Roams round the fences that the prize con tain, The impotent rage of the affailant, and the fecurity of thofe lodged within the walls, could fcarcely, in all the range of nature, have met with an apter comparison. A ftriking circumftance of character Continuo in montes fefe avius abdidit altos, Subjecit pavitantem utero, Slvafque petivit En. xi. Sog. As when a prowling wolf, whofe rage has Some stately heifer, or the guardian fwain, Confus'd, and confcious of the daring deed, Claps clofe his quivering tail between his thighs, Ere yet the peopled country round him rise. one Pit It is but juftice to obferve, that the ftrong expreffion of the laft line but one, in the tranflation, is copied from Dry den's. cles of Ezekiel are genuine throughout; that the collective fragmente fcribed to him, were all really written by this poet. Adiffonance of character in thefedcom potions, invites rather to embrace an oppofite fufpicion.as eina smst si Whoever reads the first twenty-four chapters of Ezekiel, will be truck with the identity of manner which pervades them. The poet is evidently a man of vigorous and bufy imagination, but of low and ignoble tafte; prone to ideas phyfically and morally, (c. iv. and c. xxiii.) obfcene. He appears to know Jerufalem and its vicinity, and the banks of the Chebar, (Chaboras) from Carchemish (Kerkifieh) to Tel-abib (Thallaba): with the reft of the world he be trays little acquaintance. His favourite formula is to begin with a parallel, or allegory, which he leaves awhile wholly enigmatical, and then explains by the narration of a correfponding event. (è. v. c. viii. &c.) He is a diffufe writer not content to indicate, he compleats all his images; defcribes from head to foot, with needlefs detail and induftrious circumftantiality; and, inftead of felecting the fineft groupes, parades before us the entire procefhon of his thoughts. Of his writing, the general tenour is didactic, and invites the perufal of fellow-captives. From the xxvth to the xxxiid chapter inclufive, a diftinct and loftier vein of poetry prevails. Nothing low, or fpun-out, here requires apology. All is dignified, fimple, concife, fublime. A profufion of geographical knowledge is fedulously dif Milton could be no more than an imi played fuch as might be expected from tator in chuiing the Wolt for an objecta profeffed hiftoriographer of the camof comparison but the application in paigns of Nebuchadrezar, and from the the following fimile is new, and the re- companion of his marches. These poems femblance very perfect. It refers to all relate one or other enterprize of the Satan, leaping with a bound over the dreiled to metropolitan readers than to king of Babylon; and feem rather adwall of Paradise. captive Jews. They were evidently writ ten on the fpur of the occafion; "fince, at the moment of the blockade of Tyre, the poet does not hesitate to threaten its capture, (c. xxvii.) but, in a fubfequent poem, we find fic. xxix. v. 18.) that the fiege had been unsuccessful, and that the king was marched forward to Egypt. For this mifcalculation, for this want of fore fight, the poet apologizes, and addreffing himself to the king of Tyre, fay's nearly: "It is true, I called your resistance proud, but I perceive you eftimated rightly your ftrength; you were "wifer As when a prowling wolf Whom hunger drives to feek new haunt for prey, Watching where fhepherds pen their flocks "at eve In hurdled cotes amid the field fecure, Far the Moby Magazine. CONCERNING THE AUTHOR OF SOME POEMS ASCRIBED TO EZEKIEL.:: Porte Teftament, vol. 3, p. 174-) DROFESSOR Eichhorn (Einleitung ins has fupported the opinion, that the ora 190 Author of Ezekiel... Mr. Houfman's Tour.") than I.” And, on this occafion, the poet names himself (c. xxviii. v. 3.) Daniel. It is worthy of remark, that these poems minutely agree in character with the later. oracles ascribed to Ifaiah, and with the xdvith to lift chapters of Jeremiah. Thexxxvth,xxxviiith,and xxxixth chap Ifaiah flourished under Uzziah one year, under Jotham 16 years, under Ahaz 16 years, and under Hezekiah about 14 years; to which if we add 25 years, before which age he would fcarcely have affumed the prophetic of Ace, we may fuppofe him to have lived about 72 years. Cf the many oracles afcribed to him, the first nine chapters allude to perfons of his own æra, and to events within his obfervation; they have the common character of the poetry of his country about that time; they are fuch as might be expected from the fon of the grazier at Tekoa, and may fafely be confidered as written by him. "With the tenth chapter of the work bearing his name, begins poetry of a much higher order, the production of a mind more refined by culture: the ideas take a more comprehenfive range: in geography, in hiftory, the poet is more learned: with Babylon and its vicinity, he feems familiar; with Cyrus, and every minute particular of the memorable fiege, he is correctly acquainted; in the arts of compofition he is an adept; his ftyle paces with the meatured ftep of grace; his wide genius is equal to the boldest foar, and feems to forefeel the immortality to which it was born. Now it is certain, that the xvth and xvith chapters of thefe oracles, are fot the work of Ifaiah. They allude to the All of Moab, and were written (xvi. 14.) within three years of its deftru&tion. But Moab was overthrown (Jofephus, Ant. x. 9.) about five years after the taking of Jerufalem by Nebuchadrezzar, or his fervants, and a long century after the death of Isaiah. It remains, then, to confider thefe and all be fubfequent chapters, as an anthology, by various uncertain hands; or from the identy of character (and that of no common nor imitable kind) which pervades them, to afcribe them to fome one later author. If this refource be preferred, as in reafon it ought, it might be contended, that the work afcribed to Daniel, cannot be his (Collins Scheme of Literal Prophecy, p. 149, &c.) but is a pofterior writing, proixibly as late as Aninches Epiphanes: that the existence of this egend, no lefs than the teftimony of Ezekiel, is a proof of the high traditional reputation of Daniel, which must have had fome caufe; that the compofition of these poems is a probable caufe; and that the trains of idea prevailing in them, are fuch as his time, his place, his circumstances, would peculiarly tend to fuggeft: and, confequently, that the name of Daniel fhould once again be prefixed" Monthly Review, vol. XXIII. F. 491. ters of Ezekiel, have alfo the appearance® of official war-fongs. The two latter evidently relate to an expedition against the Scythians. Some hefitation will be felt in afcribing the feries of five chapters uninterruptedly to Daniel; as the xxxviith chapter is much in the ftile of Ezekiel, Now it is not at all improbable, that the celebrated Daniel was a fort of poet. laureat to Nebu Khadrezar; that he attended his expeditions, and compofed fongs of triumph or regret over the thifting feenery of his enterprizes. Daniel, and the other hoftages felected on the first reduction of Jerufalem, appear to have" imbibed, in the Chaldean fchools, a Ready alliance to the court of Babylon;" for he is described, by his legendary biographer (Daniel ji. 48.), as in high favour with his fovereign. Inasmuch as thefe obfervations have weight, they tend to authorize the fegregation of a very fine fet of oracles from thofe of Ifaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and the afcription of them to Daniel. TOUR OF ENGLAND, Journal of a Tour through almost everycounty EICESTERSHIRE is famous for its fine breed of cattle and sheep. Thefe animals have lately been improved fpirited farmers in the north of that to a great degree of perfection by fome county among whom the late, Mr. Bakewell, of Difhley, was the leader. That gentleman felected the best ewes from Lincoinfhire, and cows from Lancafhire; he continued to breed from the fame ftock, ftill picking the finest boned, beft fhaped, and fuch of the animals as *Nebu is poñibly the Perfian nayb, a mere title occurring alfo in the names Nabonaffar, Nabopolaflor, Nebuzaradan, &c. Khadrezar feems to be the mode of writing, in Babylon letters, the old Aramic word for Khofiw, Khofroes, or Cyrus, which the modern Sy rians yet exprefs by Kezra ( D'Anville's L'Enphrate & le. Tigre, p. 121.) The orthogra phy of Jeremiah and Ezekiel is, therefore, preferable to that of Kings and Chronicles, which read Nebuchadnezzar, were : Mr. Houfman's Tour....Northamptonshire: were moft inclined to fatten, for future when fuch a fudden change in the agricultural fyftem happens, as that which has recently occurred in this county; but that inconvenience will decreafe by de grees, till it wholly disappears.-Leicefterfhire feems, in general, to have a ftrong foil; the furface uneven, and in fome parts rather hilly; the air pure, but not fo much water as might be wished; nor are the roads fo pleasant as in fome lefs fertile counties. But notwithstanding thefe inconveniences, I have not hitherto, feen any county which, upon the whole, appears to afford fo many defira ble objects in a country residence. August 29, Brixworth to Northamp→ ton, fix miles.-A pleasant level country, and rather woody. The people reaping wheat; a great deal of that grain produced here, and very good: turnips are alfo much cultivated. I paffed an elegant feat of Lord STAFFORD, on the left. Moft part of this diftrict appears to have been inclofed not many years ago. Buildings moftly of ftone. Northampton is a pretty large town; its ftreets are wide and clean; houfes well built, flagged walks on each fide the street; the market-place a large fquare, and fur rounded with very genteel houses: this town, in fhort, is the most pleasant country market town I have feen, Oxford perhaps excepted. Northampton stands on a fine fertile plain, and the country around it is beautiful. This town was remarkable for the manufacture of fhoes; but although fhoe-making is at prefent one of the principal employs of the inhabitants, it is carried on now much less than formerly. Something, is alfo done in wool-combing and jersey-spinning, asc alfo in working of lace. This town contains four parish churches, and a good infirmary. Farms in the neighbourhood 100l. to 200l. a year. September 2d, I left Northampton, and went to Rode, in Northamptonshire, eight, miles. The foil is a ftrong loam, furface uneven; pretty hedge rows; plenty of trees, and the road tolerably good. In this day's journey I again meet with flint mixed with the foil, and fome curious petrefactions among the gravel with which the roads are made: thefe petrefied subftances are called by the inhabitants crow ftones and thunderbolts. The former have been fhells fomewhat refembling cockles, and the latter are generally found two, three, or four inches long, about the thickness ofone's little finger, and pointed at one end they are nearly round, and have fomething like a hollow C c place 192 Northamptonshire.-Exertions of France in making Arms. place in the middle, which time has filled up; but whether they have originally been animal or vegetable fubftances, I cannot form a conjecture. Many of the houfes are built with a whiteifh freeftone, and thatched. The people are reaping fine crops of wheat all along; the labourers feem lazy, and have bad methods of reaping; a fervant girl in Cumberland would do much more work in the harveft field, than any of thefe labourers which I have obferved. Rode is a small farming village, the buildings of which are mean, and thatched. Farins, from 20l. to 100l. a year, and the land belonging to the village moftly in common field; the produce, wheat, barley, peafe, and beans. Rent about ros. 6d. per acre. The land, in moft of the neighbouring parifhes, is alfo in common field; the conftant rotation of crops are, firft, fallow; fecond, wheat, or barley; third, peafe, beans, or oats. Where common fields have been inclofed, the rents are generally doubled, which is the bett proof of the great advantage of inclofing. In common fields, no hay or grafs, for pafture, can be had, and confequently few cows are kept, and them miferably fed on the headlands, &c. during the day, and are under the neceffity of being confined in the night; a very great inconvenience. In this and the neighbouring villages, 'many of the women are lace-workers. In farmers' houfes, the work of the females is confined to cockery, fowing, &c. and fo far from being ufeful in the harveft field, even in the most busy times of the feafon, that few of them know how to milk a cow. What a figure would thefe girls make in the fervice of a Cumberland farmer! Labourers' wives and children employ themselves, during the harveft, in gleaning, and often collect a great deal of corn, and fometimes as much beans as will feed a pig. It would certainly, how ever, be more advantageous, both to the farmer and the labourer, were the wives of the latter to reap along with their hufbands as long as they could get employ, and afterwards collect the gleanings of the fields. The property of the different owners in all the common fields in thefe counties, lies in long, narrow, and often crooked lands, which are feparated by stakes, ftones, or more commonly by ftripes of grafs land. Refpect ing the manner of managing the wheat in the field after reaping, I noticed all along, that they bind it up in timall heaves, and place them in what they call fhocks, ten together, five on each fide, For the Monthly Magazine. THE HE following Extract, from Mr. PRIEUR'S Account of the extraordinary collection of Saltpetro, which took place in the fecond and third year of the French Republic, gives a wonderful proof of the energetic impulfe which pervaded that nation, when in a manner unprepared to refift the formidable force in league against it. "One ftill recollects with aftonishment and admiration, the enthufiaftic fpirit of every Frenchman, at a time, when their country was in the greatest danger; and the prodigious efforts which refulted from it, towards furnishing an enormous quantity of arms of every kind, and of gunpowder, which the nation was much in want of-the almoft inftantaneous erection of numberlefs buildings, in all parts of the Republic, for making and repairing all forts of polifhed arms, mutkets, and cannons of every bore, both for the land and fea fervice; as well as the incredible quantity of ammunition, utenfils, machines, and other neceffaries, for the confumption and use of more than 900,000 men, ftationed at one time on the frontiers, independent of the national guards in the interior in a word, fo great a toil, as may be eafily conceived, put in action an incredible number of workmen. "It was found neceffary to employ therein, thofe men whofe labour was of an analogous kind; that is to fay, men of different vocations in the rough work of wood and metals; or even fuch as were acquainted with the more refined and finished parts. It was neceffary alfo, in a manner, to make apprentices of thofe workmen who had been taken from their To give a full idea of the enormity of this fabrication, it will be within bounds to declare, that, in one month, there were delivered from the founderies, 597 brafs, and 452 iron cannon, of different bores; and 7000 brafs, and 12 or 13,000 iron cannon, were mounted fit for fervice, in the space of one year. ufual Extraordinary Collection of Saltpetre in France. ufual occupations, and to put them under intelligent and skilful mafters; thefe alfo were to be inftructed by artists still more experienced, who would throw a light upon the practical part, rectify, fimplify, and intirely change it, in certain cafes, by taking advantage of the acquired and accurate knowledge of the first men of the kind: in fhort, it was neceffary, that all fhould be conftantly inftructed, moved to action, encouraged, and fuftained, by a powerful government, which gave every proof of being devoted to the fervice of its country, and was endowed with found judgment and energetic will. But, if I may be allowed the expreffion, it was neceffary to give impulfe to a whole nation, when the bufinefs was brought forward, of extracting every where the faltpetre earth contained in the French foil. This art was, in fact, an object more confined; it was almost generally unknown. Private intereft was alarmed at feeing it fet on foot; and still more numerous prejudices produced a variety of obftacles. Men could not be perfuaded that perfons fo untaught, and at that time perfect ftrangers to the bufinefs, could all at once engage in it with fuccefs; they could not believe that France was fo rich in that precious commodity, which was never known to have been extracted in fufficient quantity for ordinary ufes; and of which a full fupply had only been obtained, by means of what was brought from India. 193 skilful perfons; who were to explain to them the art of preparing faltpetre-of refining it, and of making gunpowder; and to fome of them, the mode of cafting cannon. Thefe pupils were then fent back into the different eftablishments, according to their capacities, to aflist in the works. Government kept up an active correfpondence with all its agents; it fupplied them occafionally with every neceffary, and every where made easy the executive part. It was known, that every diftri&t could eafily furnish a thoufand weight of faltpetre every decade, and orders were given for that quantity; places were pointed out where to fend it to; the means of conveying it were fixed upon; and frequent accounts were rendered of every operation. In fhort, fo much care produced the defired effects; more than fixteen millions of pounds of rough faltpetre were collected in one year; and the working of it up, although recalled in the following year, to the laws formerly enacted, ftill yielded nearly five millions and a half of this faline fubftance. "In the mean time, at the invitation of the National Convention, proclaimed by a decree of the 14th of Frimaire, an. 2, the citizens gave themselves up to the making of falt petre. The number of buildings erected in the Republic, on this grand occafion, amounted rapidly to 6000. Neceffary inftructions were every where diftributed by order of government. France was divided into large districts, each of which was continually furveyed, by an inspector fkilled in arts and fciences. Under each infpector, in every department, was placed a former Director of the National Adminiftration of Saltpetre Works; who appointed in each diftrict, a citizen fufficiently intelligent to prefide over the formation of the offices, and to regulate the works; and thus was activity established in every place at once. On the other hand, a fummons was iffued, for every district to fend two robuft and intelligent cannoniers to Paris, to receive their inftructions from the moft "But thus filling the magazines was not fufficient, it was neceffary to refine it for making powder; the former mode was too tedious, too embarraffing, in a word, was impracticable, confidering the urgent neceflity for powder. A new and more advantageous procefs was proposed by M. CARNY, which when properly executed, required lefs time, confumes lefs fuel, difpofes the falt petre to dry more readily, demands lefs extent of ground and buildings, and confequently occafions lefs lofs of faltpetre. There were fent to Paris, in confequence of this order, about 1,100 men, to whom Citizens GUYTON, FOUR CROY, DUFOURNY, BERTHOLET, CARNY, PLUVINET, MONGE, HASSENFRATZ, and PERRIER, gave inftructive lectures, on the fabrication of faltpetre and cannon. This courfe commenced on the rit Ventofe, an. 2. and the fummary of each lecture was formed into a little work, and printed by order of the Committee of Public Safety. This Committee alfo gave charge to Citizen MONGE, to draw up a complete defcription of the procefs for making cannon; in confequence of which, he published a moit valuable work upon that fubject, in large 4to, with a number of plates. †The fumming up of the decadary accounts, addreffed officially to government, announce a production of 16,754,039lbs. of faltpetre, from the 14th Frimaire, an. 2. to the fame date, an. 3. |