Portland gazette., 1805-06-03
FRca TIE MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY
THE BOSTON REVIEW, for AprA. Isos.


Di coUs.s psyILa--A leris Of paper, oa rol; iez
m'nry NrjtteG in the wear 79s. ana t;-n puhliih
ed ~ tAe Gazette Of the United States by "a Amer
icaa lR->n. a~r. ps4Gs " Rgj-g u C4n.r, .Soe
QUO aaS lFst faic by 7. Clark. Porllsnd
TIE eighteenth century was remarkable for
literature and revolutions. It contributed raore
than the preceding the deyelope 1,cnt Of gen.
erd truth, and tho tic tremendous defruetioa
ofroyalty and religion in France will mark il
with al horroraslc plot. its various enccIlcncies
wdl forever excite gratitude and admiration.
During the period the condition of the human
race was not only Improved, but it was te nding
as rapidly to high degree of perfcctlon. as the
weatnels asd wckednels of nam will al
low
.lu Europe ws more particularly difcovered
the good effects Of the lait century. Livery crn-
'pire, Kingdom and republic ieemed 10 have &C.
quired srsat degree Of happincls in the cqurie
of few years, rather by iomc iudden impniles,
than by laborious accumulation Of ordinary
Improvements. This is faa which the ma
tons knew 20 be true, though their writers have
taken little pains in explaining its eaufes and
tendency. In fome of the Rares liberty was en-
joyed in al great degree, as is conGitent
with order and where, this great bleHing was
little known, rhe nations derived much kappi-
nefs from their imemmorial cnftoms and ufa-
ges, which were gaining tae certainty Of law
from the extepGon Of Knowledge, which teach
IS US the fuppiy Of our wants; from the disni-
~, fplsn dor, charity, and muniheence of their
princes, ariilocracy, and clergy, who correaed
what they could not reform and from The
great revolution, which was taking place in. the
TRAITS of (overeigns, who began TO perceive
and to fael, that their power, was comnenlur-
ate with the profperity Of the people
This progrefs towards national felicity, was
fatally arreitcd BY the French revolution. Ad-
vocates are indeed found, who repreien, this e
vent, as the mott glorious in the hitory Of the
world and who endeayor to citablhh lis ne
ccility from iurvty of the previous fytem of
European politics; and 10 feek its beneficial e.
feofs in the delivery of France from fcudal and
eccl eiiaftieai tyranny and It's reitoraton due
in the balance OF power. But
this on examination is found 70 be fallc and hol-
low. The revolution was not juithed by ne
ceiIi1y; asd its happy refults are lefs than van
i,y, compared with ITS horrors and its crimes.
Besides the introduction Of an atheiitieal and re-
bcllious ph io.ophy, the transfer of the iceptre
from the houie of Bourbon to that of Bona
parte with all its effects, either confsquenral or
collateral will have finally operated ldch changes
as century will not be abba TO remedy
In this Gtnatisn Of human affairs it becomes
the daty Of every one TO exert his talents for
the preicrvaton of what exits, and the renew
al Of what is paf. This can be effected only
byaiteaIy, fober and religious application % our
minds to the developehicnt and fetrling Of frf
principles in morals and politics. Much, perhaps
mott, Of the excellence Of the pat century arott
from the writings of Locke, hIonteisuieu,
Vattel, Blrlamaqui, and other national writers,
whole noble views, and enlarged ipeculations
extended round the horizon, and took in the
whole nature Of man. 1t is true indeed that
Veltaire, Pricftly, Condorce., and the bloody
bandit,i of atheiits, almoft obhterated the be-
nignant influence or the the former cla(s; yet
~ifdom and energy may fill iupport the fall
ing ruin, and perhaps may add iome goody
Zones to the foundation.
In America, where great happincfs Is TIE
portion of every one, writers have not been re-
gardlcfs of their high duty in fixing fuDdsnea-
tai principles. If they have not diTcourled
HluCu O!i ~ SuiiSiiIdl pOihiSo, ttt~J hd'- iHotS-
tated the nature Of our different contributions,
and have thereby thrown much light OIL the na-
thre and condition Of man. In this Clais are
particularly to be mentioned Adams on the A.
merican contributions, the Fcderaiiit. BY Hamil
ron, ard to thele We now ADD with. pisaiure,
the aathor OF /" Diloonrfss On Davila."
Davila was native cf Cyprus. He fourth
ed during the reigns Of Henry Ill & ~ Of France
and died ia ,634. At Vscnice he wrote in l.
tahan his Celebrated hiitory OF the French civil
wars in fifteen books from the death Of Henry
III. I249, TO The peace of Versins, in S9S.-
In France he was particularly diitinguiihcd
by the favor of Catherine Of Medicis ana