The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-07-30 00:00:00

PETER'S LETTERS to his KINSFOLK.

The second edition of this popular work, de-
scriptive of Scottish manner. and character, lons
jast made its appearance, with the mute of the
author, Doctor Peter Morris, of Pensharpe Hall,
Aberystwith. The new edition is dedicated to the
Lord Bisbon of St. David's, and there is au " Epis-
tle Liminary" to Mr. Davies, of the extensive firm
of Cadell and Davies, in which the author chews
his friendship for Mr. D. and his partner, by a cor-
dial invitation to the good cheer of Isis table, and
al plenty of good claret." 'The author is evidently
one of these convivial and hospitable men, who while
enamoured with "'the feast of reason and the flow
of soul," does not forget, like Frederick the Greet
(as he is termed), that a good table and good cheer,
are an excellent preparatory, or even accompanying
relish for intellectual gratification. Dr. Morris has
great powers of description, with an original turn
of thinking. In his narrative, his style is familiar
—he writes for the stoic as well as the epicurean
philosopher, and there is no event, however com-
mon, in the ordinary round of a traveller's route,
from his taking up his abode at the Black Bull in
Edinburgh, to his getting good old port at Oman's
Hotel, and from thence to his agreeable recognition
of au old college friend, who gave him an excellent
(Loner of sheep's head, and washed it dawn with
" a glass of rare Sherry," and instructed him with
much information of the chivalry and heraldry of
" olden tittles"—there is ins event of this kind that
is not in all its parts recorded with detailed pre-
cision.

With this exquisite relish for every thing that is
goad, an open. and hospitable, and cheerful temper,
giving and takitig in the course of his tour, and
visiting the most distinguished society, it is impos-
sible hut that a man of 1)r. Morris's varied powers
could not luive written is very agreeable hook. He
has done so, and illustrated the second edition with
some specimens of his graphic powers in the poi-
traiture of the distinguished literary characters
whom lie visited iii Scotland ; they are tasteful
specimens of his skill in the arts, but we prefer the
portraits of his pen to those of his pencil. Doctor
Morris its* a good taste and n strong feeling for the
arts; hat lie seems indillerent, or rather unit-
quainte.l with, the mechanical agency through
which an artist must work particular effect. His
description of the fine expression of President
Blait's statue, by Chantry, shews his
.freling and
general disc • t' —he admires the grandeur of
the attitude, and inimitable form of the head; but
then " the drapery is very faulty—it is narrow atid
scanty, and appears to cling to the limbs like the
wet tunic of the Venus Anadyomene." The
Doctor must have seen the statue in a very had
light, cud therefore thought that drapery, which is
delicate and flowing, was 4' narrow and scanty ;"
otherwise we are persuaded lie 'lever would have
pronomiced am opinion which, on better observe-
tMii, his own gond tulle would have corrected.

AVe have already said, that we prefer the portraits
of the u:tor'a peas to those of his pencil ; his re-
mark. upon Dr. Mayfair, whose death is now so
universally lamented. are extremely interesting.
They met before slimier at. Mr. Jeffrey's, and the
Profesor forgot his age iu.veirturing upou youthful
exei eises

" lint the greatest wonder of the whole was Mr.
He also is ■ short man, and be cannot be less than seventy,
yet be Mint his stand With the assurance a an athletic, and
positively heat every one of es—the very best of us, at least
half a beet's breadth. I Was quite thunderstruck, never
having heard the lent hint of his being so great a genme.
trician—it, thissenae of the word. I was, however, I must
own, agreeably surprised by. such a specimen of buoyant
spirit moil mnaclar strength in so venerable an old gentleman,
and could tint forbear from complimenting him on his revival
of the ancient peripatetic i.kas, about the necessity of culti-
vating the external as well as the internal energies, and of
mixing the activity of the practical with that of the con-
templative life. Ile took what I said with great suavity;
and, indeed. I have never seen a better specimeu of that easy
hilarity an/I good humour, which sits with so much grace-
fulness on an ktiouured old age. I wish I mold give you a
notion of hot face. It is nut marked by any vrry striking
features ; but the wastes of mildness of dispositi 1111 l and
strength of intellect in the rxpressinn, is too remarkable tip
be unnoticed even by a casual observer. His habits of pro-
Coned thought have drawn some deep lines Omni his month,
and given him a etistom of holding his lips vial closely shut,
otherwise I 'novice' the whole countenattee would have been
nothing more Orin an amiable one; although the light eyes
have certainly at times something vrry piercing in their
glance, evru ilwough his spectacles. The forehead is very
finely developed—singularly broad across the temple., as,
according to Spoithrim, all mathematical Ail-chi-ails mast
be; but the beauty 64 that quarter i■ rather of an rid ele►en
character."

After speaking; of !blr. Jeffrev'4 table c:mver.a.
limo after dustier, Hod Olt of his company. he

" Mr. P— was the oilj other rerun whose conrersatios

Of his Lectures he !peaky as follows :
" Next day I wrist to heir Professor keturc.
I ?wind him alresely rngsgrd iu sohlrsssing his claissiten I
enicreit, but took say sent close by She door, so anvil's, MN
to altrAct any police from him. It way a very plessiagglhiug
to see this (pie Archimedes with his reposed demeanor
as I have already described it to" you)—staading he.
side his table covered wit` models, which booms making use
of is some ilcmonstralioss relative to aisecisanicsl forces.
There is something in the certsiuty and precision of the es.
act ,riciices, which communicants stillness to the mind, and
which, by calling in our thoughts from their own giddy and
often harassing rounds, harmoniles our nature the se-
reuity of intellectual pleasure. The influence of such studies
is very well exemplified in the deportment of this professor.
In lecturing be etpreasei himself in an easy sad leisurely
manner, highly agreeable to the listener, although he does
not seem lo study continuity or flow of diction, and &bismuth
Isis delivery is sometimes a good deal impeded by hesitation
will, retied to the *beds he is lo employ. I have already de-
scribed his featasers to you ; but perh►ps (Isar effect was
filter while he was engaged in this way, than I bad before
been prepared to find. I think one may tract In his phy-
siognomy a great oral of that fine intellectoil tulle, *hick
dictated the illustrations of the Huttoniaa Theory.'

Doctor Morris is a lover of the arousing study of
Craniology, on which he gives some curious disqui-
sitions iu the course of his work. Speaking of the
remarkable mesa of the day, who are small in stn.
titre, and alluding to Jeffrey, and Campbell, and
Moore, he adds—
our OWU time, we bare more than one striking
instance of the Mesa magna ix torpors parrot'—Boni.
parte himself for one; and by the way, be is the only little
mau I tver saw, who seemed to be oncimariouv, or careless,
or iliadainful of the circumstance. Almost all other persons
of that description appear to labour tinder a continual and
distressing feeling that nature has dime them injustice, and
not • few of thesis strive to make up for her defects, by bold.
Mg their hes& as high as possible, and even giving au we.
comfortable elevation or projection to the chin, all which
has a very mean effect spun their ■ir and attitude, and is
particularly hurtful to the features or the face, moreover—
because it les&A to reverse the arrangement of nature, and
to throw all those parts into light which she bas meant to
be in shade. It is exactly the same sort of thing that we all
remark on the stage, where the absurd manner in which the
lamps are placed, under the feet of the performers, has
such a destructive effect, that few actors, except those of
the Kemble blood, appear to have any better than snub
noses. Now, Napoleon has not the least of this trick; but,
on the contrary, carries his head almost constantly is a
stooping posture, nod m. preserves and even increases the
natural effect of his grand formation about the eyebrows,
and the beautiful classical cut of his mouth and chin—
though, to be sure, his features are so fine that nothing
could take much from their power —Rut, to come back to
our own small men, J-- has a good deal of this unhappy
manner, mid so loses ranch of what his features, such as
they are, might be made to convey."

(Tb be eewlixiced.)

----
HILLV ANCIENT GREECE.

The following extract on the above work is
copied from The Ediatergh Monthly Review:-
6, We have read this small work with very consi-
derable pleasure. The author has selected. us the
subject of the different essays with which he has fa-
voured the public, some of the most striking par-
ticulars connected with the institutions, the man-
tiers, and the history of Greece, and. by detailing
these fully and perspicuously, he has furnished to
the classical student much information most useful
fur illustrating the invaluable works to which his
atteutioes is devoltd. The necessity of spending
time, which can ill be spared, in searching the
heavy and voluminous works that have been com-
posed on the Grecian history, will thus, to the young
scholar, be superseded ; and, what is of more con-
sequence, he will be saved from having recourse to
abridgments, in general the most tise;rss and un-
satisfactory of all productions. The volume may
also reca I to those, who, amidst the busiue.s and acti-
vity of life, have forgotten the elegant and delight-
ful pursuits of their earlier days, many events and
trains 4.f thought, which, associated with the season
of youth and of happiness, can never be viewed
without tender and agreeable emotion, end in this
respect may he acceptable to a much mar! exieri-
! sive circle thau that for which it was principally
designed.
" The Essays contain the substance of a course
' of Lectures which the respectable author. its the
faithful discharge of his duty as Professor of Greek
in the University of St. Andrew's, has for many
years delivered to his pupils; sad they are now
published; he informs us, in the hope, must natu-
rally cherished by one who has beet' so lung engaged
in the important work of education, that they way
be of service to those *home prosecuting the study
of Grecian literature. After at very juat tribute to
' the excellence of the iinerening " Travels of the
younger Anarcharsis," he gives a stout sccomit of
the plan which he has adopted. Chiefly with a
view to the perusal of Homer, he has, iii his tint
essay, delineated the state of society during what
is commonly called the Heroic Ages ; he then treats
of enstitutious in which all the Greeks took an
equal interest; and afterwards proceeds to illus-
I the government sod Mallileri if the priticip
states of Greece. Having reserved the literature
of the Greeks for the matter of his future ;orrice.
ttons to his students, he has confined himself, tinder
this department, to some remarks ul the olil
and middle comedy of the Atheinaiiii; he stitijoiii
tr..) essays 011011 the lesser Grecian states, and the
colonies of Greece; and lie concludes by a this-er%
nation "I'd" the government. gin 1111 l nes, dud religion
of the. Per,ians. to which he was very properly led,
from the affairs of that country having
been so long.
. ink rworms those of Greece, ai.d from the Per•