AN IMPARTIAL REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, &c.

The Hiftory of Hindoftan by Mahummud Cafim Ferifhta of Delhi, tranflated by Alexander Dow, 2 vols. Quarto. boards, 1l. Ios. Becket.

THI

HIS hiftory is one of the most extraordinary performances which has appeared in Europe for many years. The affairs of Hindoftan were unknown before, which we now fee have been written with more certainty,. minuteness, and with lefs prejudice than thofe of any European nation. This hiftory is a book of the greatest merit, and not inferior in its kind to any of either Greece or Rome. We are deprived at firft of a great part of the pleasure we fhould have in reading it by the difficulty of remembering the names of places and perfons which are so numerous in an abridgement, and to which we have not been accustomed. The narration, defcription, and juftnefs of the author's reflections upon the different events and characters of principal people, must be admired by every impartial perfon of good tafte. Though we do not understand the Perfian language, it is impoffible not to attribute the greatest merit to the tranflator. The account which he has given us of the present ftate of Hindoftan, is inftructive and entertaining. We hope that he will continue his plan, and not be offended at the little low dirty jealoufy, which muft of course pursue merit of every kind. The tranflation of Baber's Commentaries, and Abul Fazil's Akbar Namma, would be a most agreeable prefent to Europe.

A Second Letter to the Right Honourable Thomas Harley, Efq; Lord-Mayor of the City of London.

THI

HIS is not the only letter, which has been addressed to the prefent intrepid and warm Mæcenas of the city. The author of the former letter, which we have reviewed in our laft Number feems to think that the author of this has

availed himself of the title and fuccefs of his letter. In confequence of which he advertised that this was the production of another hand; he need not have advertised it, for every one could perceive it. The wit of this being as much fuperior to that in his, as the wit of Ariftophanes and Lucian are fuperior to that of Tom Brown and Joe Miller.

His reflections on the publication of the Poll for the city of London are droll enough, and, as they are intended to damp the vanity of the moft vain man in London, appear with great propriety..

The author on the whole, feems to have as much humanity as wit, and deplores the lofs that the publisher of the poll muft fuffer with a pathos, which is becoining of a man of fenfe and a Chriftian.

The Princess of Babylon, tranflated from the French of Mr. Voltaire. Bladon. Svo.

TH

HE author's name, is too well known to the literary world to leave it in any doubt concerning the merit of his performance. The fame vivacity and invention which are to be met with in his other works, are to be found in this; and if his intention was to entertain, he has fucceeded to the height of his wishes. It were indeed to be wifhed that age had made him a little more ferious, and that, instead of throwing out oblique hints against the facred books, he would employ his talents in enforcing their doctrines, explaining their difficulties, and eftablishing their authority. ButVoltaire will be Voltaire to the laft; and instead of profiting by the remonftrances, which have already been made to him on this score, will endeavour to render the adviser ridiculous. The conclufion of this work acquits us from being cenforious, and fhews, that our fentiments in this particular, are founded upon fact.

The heroine of this romance is Formofante, the daughter of Belus king of Babylon. She is reprefented to be fo handfome, that in fucceeding times, according to our author, "Praxiteles fculptured his Aphrodita, and the Venus of "Medicis, from her pictures." Being now of an age fit for marriage, three fuitors appear to demand her in form, who are reprefented by Voltaire in his ufual drollery. They were the three kings of Egypt, India, and Scythia. But it being ordained by an ancient oracle, that Formofante could be given only to one, who could bend the bow of Nimbrod, or Nimrod, kill the fierceft lion that could be let loofe in the circus of

Babylon,

Babylon, and was not only very fagacious, but likewife the moft virtuous of men, and should poffefs the greatest curiofity in the universe; the three kings being informed of the conditions on which they were to poffefs the princefs of Babylon, appear at the place of trial. Pharaoh the king of Egypt was mounted upon the bull Apis; the Shah of India was drawn in a car by twelve Elephants, and the Khan of the Scythians was mounted upon a tyger of his own taming. The com petitors caft lots to determine the order of trial. But while they were preparing for the rencounter, a young ftranger appears mounted upon an unicorn, accompanied by his valet, and bearing on his hand a large bird. He is faid to have the face of Adonis upon the body of Hercules, and to charm all the beholders. Formofante herself kept her eyes fixed upon him and blushed, the three kings turned pale, and the fpectators cried that no one but he could be as handsome as Formofante. The king of Egypt begins the trial, and by his ridiculous contortions in endeavouring to bend the bow of Nimrod, filled the whole amphitheatre with laughter. The, bow was next put into the hands of the king of India, and bliftered them for a fortnight. The Scythian bent it a little, but could never bring it any thing near a curve, The unknown youth then leaped into the area, and putting an arrow upon the ftring, made it fly beyond the gates. The conqueft of the lion being propofed next, the kings of Egypt and India decline the trial, and the king of Scythia alone fubmitted to it. In his rencounter he had the mifchance to break his fword against the lion's teeth; and when his life was in imminent danger, was refcued by the unknown youth, who cut off the lion's head. The head being cleaned, is prefented to the princess by the bird, after the fockets of the teeth were filled with diamonds. Belus fending to inform himself of the stranger's quality, is furprized to hear that he was a fhepherd's fon, and thinking him unworthy of his. daughter on account of the meanness of his rank, has recourse to the oracle for advice, which informs him that his daughter fhould not marry till fhe had travelled over the world. Previous to this, the young ftranger, who is called Amazan, receives advice that Ormar his father was at the point of death. On this account, he fets out immediately to pay his. laft devoirs, having first made his apology to the king of Babylon, and prefented his bird to Formotante his daughter. The defcription of this bird is full of the marvellous. He is reprefented as being twenty feyen thousand, nine hundred years and fix months old, as being endued with the gift of fpeech,

and

and to complete the joke, is exprefsly named a Phenix. The meaning of the oracle being explained away to the king of Babylon, fo as to fignify only a pilgrimage, he confents to his daughter's going to a temple in Arabia. During this interval, the princefs has a converfation with the bird, he informs her that the ftranger's name was Amazan, and that he belonged to the country of the Gangarids, who inhabit the eaftern fhore, and are a virtuous and an invincible people. The de-' fcription of this nation is not unlike that of the people of Eldorado in our author's Candide, The morning after this 'converfation, the king of Babylon informs his daughter of the response of the oracle, who was refolved to make use of his compliance with it, as a means of going in queft of her dear Amazan. The remainder of the volume confists of a variety of incidents which happened in, and a defcription of thote countries the paffes through in her route. As a fpecimen of the reft, we fhall extract that which relates to our own country, not only as more interefting to ourselves; but likewife as tending to fhow what idea is entertained of us by foreign nations.

Formofante having continued her purfuit after her dear Amazan over the greatest part of the continent, got intelligence that he was failed for Albion: and after hiring two veffels to carry her to that happy island, was detained by contrary winds for above eight days. In the mean time

Amazan was on the road to the capital of Albion, in his coach and fix unicorns, all his thoughts being employed on his dear princess. At a diftance he perceived a carriage overturned in a ditch: the fervants had gone different ways in queft of affiftance: but the owner kept his feat, fmoking his pipe with great tranquility, his name was the lord What-then.

Amazan made all hafte poffible to help him, and with his fingle arm fet the carriage to rights. My lord What-then took no other notice of him, than faying, a flout fellow by god. In the mean time the country people being come up, flew into a great paffion for being called for nothing, and fell upon the ftranger, abufing him, calling him outlandish dog, and challenging him to ftrip and box.

Amazan feized a brace of them in each hand, and threw them twenty paces from him; the reft feeing this, pulled off their hats, and bowing with great refpect, afked his honour for fomething to drink. My lord What-then now expreffed great efteem for him, and asked him to dinner at his countryhouse. His invitation being accepted of, he went into Amazan's coach. After a quarter of an hour's filence, my

lord

lord What-then looking upon Amazan for a moment, faid, how d'ye do? which, by the way, is a phrafe without any meaning. After which he fell a fmoking as ufual. The tra veller took occafion to inform him that he brought his unicorns from the country of the Gangarids.-My lord remained dumb for another quarter of an hour; after which he asked his companion, a fecond time, how he did, and whether they had any good roast beef among the Gangarids. Amazan anfwered, that they did not eat their brethren on the banks of the Ganges; and then explained to him the Pythagorean fyftem of philofophy. But my lord fell asleep in the mean time, and made but one nap of it till he came to his own house.

He was married to a young and charming woman, on whom nature had bestowed a foul as lively and fenfible, as her husband's was dull and ftupid. She had none of the

aukward, affected stiffness, or falfe modefty, with which the young ladies of Albion were then reproached. Never was a woman more engaging. She received Amazan with a grace and politeness that was quite natural to her. Dinner being served, the placed Amazan at her fide. His beauty and ftrength, the manners of the Gangarids, the progrefs of religion, arts, and government were the fubjects of their converfation, which lafted till night; during which, my lord What-then did nothing but push the bottle about, and called for the toast.

After dinner, the young ftranger entered into a long converfation with a member of parliament, about the laws, cuftoms, &c. which made his country fo repectable. The difcourfe of the member is to this effect. For a long time we went fark-naked; we were likewife for a long time enflaved by a people from the ancient country of Saturn, watered by the river Tiber. But the mifchiefs we have done one another, have greatly exceeded all that ever we fuffered from our first conquerors. One of our princes carried his daftardlinefs to fo high a pitch, as to declare himfelf the fubject of a priest, who dwells alfo on the banks of the Tiber, and is called the man of the feven mountains.

old

To these times of infamy, fucceeded the ages of barbarity and confufion. Our country has been ravaged and drenched in blood by our civil difcords; many of our crowned heads have perifhed by a violent death; above a hundred princes of the royal blood have ended their days on the scaffold, whilst the hearts of their adherents have been torn from their breafts, and thrown in their faces. In fhort, it is the province of the hangman to write the hiftory of our inland.

But