The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-09-26 00:00:00

CRITICISM. •

~

11%peels* oreleartennimse, eon...demi chiefly with met*
so adagios, Laws, Litersteregnat Manners, By
A. 111. of Pt asbralue College, OlifutilL. .1 rot. *SW.' • ' •
A distinct view'of the 'reign of Charlcinagdi;
embracing a comprehrtinie'detail of his echoing as
111 warrior, a legislator. and a' prince. was afield that
offered elsuudant room for a writer to distinguish
himself uw ; suet Mr. Cord, &retooled by 31 laudable
motive to illostrute this portion of iii.toty, has at-
tempted it in the work r,fore us, hut, iii our opt-
:ahem, had completely rioted in producing a useful*
•Imook. From tin one wt-Ii to write a small volunik,
hr iota in fact written such a one its IS deprived of
all utility : tau eirciinocribeos for the onleorned
reader, too general for the krone,' one, it is
adapted to suit neither.. Hr who to ignorant of
the events of Churleinagne's reign, will here find
little to enlarge its ido.s., front this abstract and in-
vonicient manner in which the subject is treu:vcl ;
slid he wino hes drawn his kuooledge from the
t.ti tI historical sources, will br as much doom-
pointed in meeting'wit It nothing that is iloo familiar
.e him. Mr. Curd has indeed made an osteutatious
diaplay of the sowers whence lie says he has deny.
e.l hie materiels for the present voloime: but we can
loudly think diet such a meagre nreettisfactory per-
formance could hove *riven from opportunities so
smote. By *hut fatuity of judgment Mr. Card was
led to thisils that a skeleton so very unimportant as
the preset it,oo uld be in easy respect acceptable to the
public, we are at a lows to conceive ; and our rewi-
re, sway judge with what probable interest or helm-
lit-the lone, and +letter, and important reign of
Charlemagne. has been treated, with regard to its
laws. literature, and manners, when he is
sold that a Miltipi ti octave volume, with broad ma
gins and wide lice, consisting of just eom fotgrui
contains the a ;Rile of what the author has thought
it necessary to ssy upon the subject. The (set is.
that not one of the above topics could have been
si!-tely treated with any degree of availability in so
mg, row a comment; and why Mr. Card has deemed
it adirs.ible to pass over, with such rapid negligence,-
the military exploits of this renowned warner, we
cannot conjecture. His knowledge of history, a .rf
of the human wind, must lie more limited that, We
arcs willing to supfme, if he Le ignorant of the
arousing influence which the congnesto of a Mo.
touch have, net only upon himself, bat Opera
his plains arid all ins actions. We tut induced in
make this remark, because Mr. Card repeatedly
mentions the coetenipt which .he feelsufer the de-
tads of military saecessee; a contempt Aire:). en-
philosophical, sad simmliorli; heterodox in the Milli
who sits down to delialirethe character of an Em-
peror. more distineuisfred tear his battles and his
warlike ferocity, tlettf`for his wisdom ; fur We ilia.
not assent to our authiiiieutteiript to plate
ulnae in the light of
reeler, as a profound legishoor, au itupertial
and a skilful politirien. We cooid cutlet mole
swillinaly subscribe to the *Mon of I.3ibboti, who
juttly observes., ilia:. in his beititutions " he count
seldom di.cover the ameba meats'. end immortal
spirit •f a legiidstor wit.) survit4s hitnself for the
listoetit of rers.erity." Nothing. tl..swhore, could
be were inspolitie then thy neglect of his war-
like exploits. swot to fix the :ittetotion of the
✓eorder upon those pert. of his odinroctro, who h
appear the least admirable from inspection. But
e en were it relwrwine were Charlemagne that
enlightened personage wit. It Mr. Cetd would ins -
mime, vet lee loss most mosersoulitahlSt tieglemed to
bring lore/end data in Huy inanorri' cneitiseustinete
to the esteblemments of tins idea. :Either, -there-
fore, Mr. Card Its. moist larnelitably alinitel the
numerous sources he so iwieut,thnisq.
pretlee, or rl-e he -hilt 'uudErtsli•ii a task 'whille it 'a
beyond lite power'. of 4rilier history to elect. 'The
latter i is tint the (ale ; and Mt. Card is !,rolo`sitoly
before thi., convinced...3r the gui.ooti.on of hit. at-
tempt. To have estohlished the opitnoii lie w so
anxious about, he should have peurtrided dseper
into historical details; he ehould have multiplied
hisrlocumems, and not have altimined'oirkr the dif-
ferent subjects, as'if he were giving an epitotiiC, in-
stead ors history.
We have, indeed, rarely met with a work that is
so completely barren of every thing that tali he
offered to our readers in the shape 411,1 extract. The
fallowing tale is the only thing that appeals to us
would answer the trouble of trairecribing :
" A. this chapter is solely devoted to the collet-.
tint of those detached facts or events, which ere
remotely or iminedintely connected with the reigh
of Chatletriegne, this is the inmt proper place to
introduce a concise abrolgtnisit of a work published
at Moioneli in 1103, under Vie title of a 'rely as-
cent b story of the birth and rough of that monarch.
Its author, the Boron de Aretin, professes to lime
found an er'd German manuscript, In the archivi
of the Abhey dr IVedient Stephan, mew-Firs 'igen,
which lie conjectures to have !wen comprised 1.1 the
century, and which several ancient writers
have described as an hisharical moniiment, lughly
Meriting the notice of the carious. It is singular
coot) 411 unit Egiiihard, the Secretary :stud intimnte
friettil of Cliatleniagee, should here been otio.oli:e to
t tot us any pertiesilario respectioe his place
of nativity, and the employment of his juvenile
'Cars. We are not, therefore, to he surprise d tot
the fruitful I.ll4ginistioti of fOisuinet• w attemiii-
-1.1,4 to till up the chosiu of autliem te evidence, which
hi.. hewn left by him and other.coutempurery