The recorder. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1802-1803, 1803-06-15

points. he much excelled both of them
lie was a man of deep learning, ofacute
obfervation, and of. correct taite. He
iaw, With intuisivc iagacity, the laugha-
bic or the hateful tide of character and
the poignard Of ridiculc was plunged 20
the hlr Ruta few pages are expended
upon Bowling, or Mathew Bramhie.
Their portraits are lels pompous, bue
they are quite as intereffing as thofe of
Allworthy, 6 of Grandifon. Richardion
was redundant, Fielding was copious,
and Smo!let was concile. Ills ideas
were always condenfed into the fraalleft
Pofiible room. This is a general fketch
ofthele great matters. A particular ac-
count OF their beauties and their defects
would fill volume.
In the fecond rank of this clafs Of wri-
tiers, I pats over Sterne, b:caule few
exquifitc pai1ages are ofentaiiouay fmo-
thcred under volumes of puerility,
buioorery, and bawdry. ScefBe has
been followed by fwarn OF imitators.
Molt OF them are not worth reading.
Goidtnith's Vicar of Wakefield is Off
ginal and admirable. Horace Wal
poles Cable Of Otranto gave rife 70
ihoal of limitations. The Romance of THE
Forcit, and the rcit Of Anne Radclifc's
pieces, are perhaps the belt Of them.
She excels in the deicliption or land
!cape, and often in the variety her in
cidents but we have too many fpeetres
snd murders; and the volume ought al
ways 20 be far lhorter than it is. The
Children of the Abbey is perhaps an imi-
ration Of anne Radcliffe anu the ltyle,
at leaf, has conGderable merit. The
ovels Of Mils Burney exhibir com
pound imitation OF Richardion and
Fielding but her attempts at humor-
Gus deicription are commonly wretched.
Cecilia is brought into 70 many vulgar
icrapcs, thar we are fomctincs afraid
q her getting broken bones. Field
ing could intcret US for the lovely So
phia without iuch poor expedients. This
forms grand ditinGtlon between men
ofgcnius and their mimics. The for
sner diIolve the heart; the latter ltrive
t2 tear itin pieces while the poiriye
ablurdiry of their EFFORT make. US laugh,
where tho writer wanted Us 70 cry.
had long defpaired of living TO ice
fourth Rrriih noyelift, who might de
fefve 70 itand on the fame fhc)f with
Snollcr and his rivals. had fome-
times with envy. anticipated the rri-
ugnph of poferity, when rhey were to
riot in the luxury Of fuch another
grsupe. At length, however, the pre-
ienr age may boait OF novelilf, who is
as leatt not inferior to the srcarcit of
his prcdecc1ors. Every one who has
read federal newpapers, for the jalt FIVE
years, mutt have heard Of William
Goodwin, the notorious EngIilh arheilt,
As nor one word Of blsfphemy can Be
found in his Political Tt5f!te, or bis En-
qn;rer, lately took up his Advsstn,s5 Of
CATH U'illiams, where held nyiclf
certain Of detecting the inpicries Of this
oiltcaR. With equal furprize and faris-
faction, however, found that the book
does NOT contain one fyllable rhar i1ould
offend any fe6tagians or moraliit, upon
earth. There Is not even Jingle len-
tence, which conveys the remoteit hint
Of difrefpea for any tenet OF religion
whatever. IA a claiiical competition,
GGls6 WIlljGaa5 ranks In the highelt or
der; and in fomc features it reiembics
Roufeau's Eioila. The text of Goodwin
is marked by the fame boldnefs and
competition OF thought, the fame H.
minous finpliciry Of arrangement, the
fame piercing and fublimc eloqpcnce.
Bur in the moral of his tale, Goodwin
is altogether hyperion TO rhe citizen Of
Geneva. We have here no girl, who