40 An Excurfion among the Icy Mountains of Savoy. the mules. We began from this boundary to experience fome difficulties: the track, without being lefs rugged, became more fleep; and we had occafionally to pass along a precipice, which could not be regarded without dizzinefs, and from which a falfe ftep must inevitably have terminated the journey. The profpect before us annihilated all fenfe of fear or fatigue; and, after an arduous ftruggle of about three hours, we gained the fummit of the Montanvert, and had the glorious Mer-deglace full in view. We had afcended the mountain very lightly clad, and had been much oppreffed by heat. The tranfition was inftantaneous to a chilling cold. The guides admonished us to wrap ourfelves up fpeedily, as the air from the Glacier might have a dangerous effect. The Mer-de-glace refembles exactly a billowy expanfe of water frozen while the waves were yet fwelling with the majesty of the ftorm. We defcended by a rugged path to the level of the ice; and by a proper union of courage, and caution, afcended and defcended over the vast columns of ice which covered this furface. Wherever the eye ranged, nothing prefented itself but objects of terrible grandeur ;-precipices, over which hung the loofening rock-gulphs, where the projected tone could fcarcely find a bottom. The whole valley appeared, as ftill heaving with the tempeft. Before I quitted the ice, I caft a parting view at the vast range of rocky fpires and columns that inclosed it. To the left, I saw the vale of Chamouni far below; and to the right, the Glacier extended more than twenty leagues among regions inacceffible to human difcovery. I felt an enthufiafm, which is revived in the narration-but which the moft elaborate defcription is ill calculated to communicate. Our repaft was prepared by the induftrious guides in a fhed known by the name of Blair's cabin. It is principally formed by stones, placed without cement upon each other; and the table is of one fingle stone. It was, as Balmat reported, erected by a gentleman of the name of Blair, in confequence of a violent hail-ftorm not unufual in thefe regions-from which himself and his friends had fuffered. The traveller owes Mr Blair gratitude for this piece of philanthrophy. The interior of this cabin is covered with a register of names engraved upon the walls by thofe who have vifited thefe fcenes. Having finished our repaft, and allowed due time for our guides to refresh themselves, we began to def cend. The beginning of the defcent was not accompanied with any particular difficulties; but the latter part, which purfued a track different from that by which we afcended, was fteep and hazardous. We were occafionally ftartled by the diftant rumbling of those avalanches, which are (particularly during the heats) detaching loofe maffes of ice or ftone, and precipitating them with violent explofion. Thefe mountains are not without their luxuries. We were prefented in different stations of the defcent with ftrawberries and goats-milk of delicious flavour. Thofe who have felt the heat can alene imagine how grateful thefe refreshments proved. Having at length effected our defcent, we traverfed a valley through which flowed the Arveron ;-this, like all the bottoms in the neighbourhood of these mountains, was frewed with thofe fragments of ftone, which once occupied a higher fituation. Our guide now conducted us along this uncouth tract to one of the noblest objects in nature-the fource of the Arveron. It is a recefs hollowed out by the hand of nature, and all the colours that enrich it are of her own ACCOUNT Of the goveRNMENT AND MANNERS OF THE DAHOMANS. From Dalzel's Hiftory of Dahomy. THE government and manners of the Dahomans deferve particularly to be confidered. The former is the most perfect defpotifm that exifts, perhaps, on the face of the earth. The policy of the country admits of no intermediate degree of fubordination between king and flave; at least in the royal prefence, where the prime minifter is obliged to proftrate himself with as much abject fubmiffion as the meaneft fubject; all acknowledging the right of the fovereign to difpofe of their perfons and property at pleafure. Beyond the precincts of the palace, indeed, the minifters enjoy very eminent privileges. It is true, they are forbid the wearing of fandals, and other ornaments peculiar to royalty; or to ufe fuch an umbrella as a white man; yet their inferiors must falute them with bent knees,and clapping of hands: they may fit on high ftools, ride on horfeback, be carried in hammocks, wear filk, maintain a numerous retinue, with large umbrellas of their own kind, flags, drums, trumpets, and other mufical inftruments. But, on their entrance at the royal gate, all thefe infignia are laid afide. The filk garment is fubftituted by a tunic and a pair of drawers, made of cotton, Ed. Mag. Jan. 1797. F manufactured in the country; the neck is adorned with a valuable string of coral; a pair of broad, filver bracelets encircle the wrifts; at the fide hangs a filver-hilted fcymitar, while the hand grafps an ivory club. Thus equipped, one of the ministers of state is always found in waiting at the palace gate; and in this garb only may he enter, which must be with the utmoft caution and respect, and not till the monarch's permiffion be fignified by one of the women. On his entrance, he crawls towards the apartment of audience, on his hands and knees, till he arrives in the royal prefence, where he lays himself flat on his belly, rubbing his head in the duft, and uttering the most humiliating expreffions. Being defired to adyance, he receives the king's commands, or communicates any particular bufinefs, ftill continuing in a recumbent pofture; for no person is permitted to fit, even on the floor, in the royal prefence, except the women; and even they must kiss the earth, when they receive or deliver the king's meffage. The king's fons, not excepting the heir apparent, have no rank; being obliged to falute the minifters with clapping of hands; in a kneeling atti tude. tude. On fuch occafions, however, thofe officers, out of respect to the blood-royal, haften to take them by the hand, and raife them from fuch an humble posture. The king, and all his fubjects, receive ftrangers with the most remarkable courtesy. Ambaffadors, from whatever state, are not put to the ne. ceffity of learning the Dahoman etiquette from the master of the ceremonies. Every one falutes the fovereign, according to the fashion practifed in his own country. Chairs are placed for European governors, or mafters of ships, upon which they fit, covered, till the king makes his appearance, when they make a bow, ftanding, and uncovered; after which, they resume their feats, and put on their hats. Sometimes the Dahoman monarch has been known to shake hands with an European; but this is a very uncommon mark of royal condefcenfion, and bestowed only on fome great favourite. White vifitors are always honoured with a glafs of fome cordial liquor, filled with the king's own hand, which, if refufed, is apt to give offence. Favours of this kind are received with avidity by his own fubjects, not so much for the fake of the liquor as the honour conferred on them. On fuch occafions the subject lies on his back, while the king holds the bottle to his mouth. In this pofture he muit drink till the royal hand be withdrawn ; which sometimes does i; not happen before the whole contents be emptied, especially when he has a mind to fport with the drinker. STATE OF CHYMISTRY IN GERMANY. From the Monthly Magazine. AN entire revolution in the fyf tem of chemistry has been recently effected in Germany. The existence of the doctrine of phlogifton, with certain qualifications, had ftill, however, a few partizans remaining: Gren, a fcholar of confiderable repute, although too tenacious of his opinion, Weftrumb, Gmelin, and Crell. Trommsdorf, who is a convert to the new doctrine, ftill adheres to fome remains of the ancient fyftem. Gottling has promulged a new hypothe fis, which he is eager to appear the champion of. With regard to the junior chemifts of that nation, Scherer de Jena is the most promifing, he is a man of extenfive talent, an excellent experimenter, and zealouf ly attached to the French chemistry. Were it not for the res angufta domi, we might expect, from his refearches, the most important new discoveries in the science. Profeffor Mayer, at Erlang, shines equally as a mathematician, a natu ral philofopher, and a chemift.Hermbftadt is a ftrenuous advocate for the new doctrine. The German chemifts, Wieglieb, Richter, Leonardi, and the rest above-mentioned, &c. in attempting to combine the new theory with the exiftence of phlogifton in combuftible bodies, admit the general principle, together with its confequences. All they aim at, is, to refcue themselves from the pretended difgrace of a compleat defeat. Thofe who fill maintain the existence of this agent, confider it as the bafis of light, or as light extinguished. This bafis, ftored up in abundance, in inflammable subftances, when it meets and combines with heat, conftitutes luminous fire; thus accounting for the fact, of combuftible bodies requiring a certain degree of heat, in order to catch fire. These are reftrictions which fome of the German chemifts lay down; with the exception, however, of these, they have all adopted the new doctrine. Van-Mons has been chiefly inftrumental in effecting their conver. fion; having plainly demonftrated the prefence of the oxygen, in the oxyde of Mercury, made red-hot by fire. When it is represented that Gren, Weftrumb, Gmelin, and Crell, maintain, partially, the existence of phlo gifton, it is not meant to affert, that they ftill profess the principles of Stahi's theory. A late publication of Gren, who is a profound naturalift, mathematician, and geometrician, as well as chemist, is entitled "The Foundations of the New Chemistry," and agrees precifely with the principles of the French doctrine. In his Manual of Chemiftry, reprinted two years ago, he reprefented the theory of oxygene, in parallel with that of phlogifton. He had done nearly the fame thing, the year before, in the fecond edition of his "Foundations of Phyfics." A third edition of that work has been just printed, in which he explicates the phenomena of the fcience, after the fyftem of Lavoifier. His Journal of Phyfics, of which feven volumes have been published, has always admitted, indifcriminate ly, the articles for and against both theories. Gmelin devotes his whole attention to historical and technical chemistry. In the fecond edition of his Manual of Chemistry applied to the Arts, just finished, he has given the theory according to the ancient principles. His Introduction to General IF Chemistry furnishes an account of the ftate and progrefs of the science, in both theories. Weftrumb is a practitioner of technical chemistry, extremely well verfed in the art. His writings on pharmacy evince equally the man of reflection in a science where it cannot be denied, that every thing ftill remains to be done. In both these purfuits, he judiciously neglects reafoning for facts. Crell is the editor of the Annals of Chemistry, an invaluable collection, which has, in fact, given the grand impulfe to the prevailing ftudy of chemistry in Germany. In this work, the editor expreffes faithfully the very language, as well as opinions, of the authors. He makes fome befitation, however, to adopt the new principles; but, at his age, perhaps, it is difficult to renounce long entertained ideas. Crell has alfo fome correfpondents, &c. (whom it is his interest to keep on good terms with) among the difciples of Stahl. Girtanner, another eminent chemift, maintains, that phofphorus is compounded of azote and hydrogene; that it contains in it more or lefs' of carbone, a principle which, however, does not enter into its compofition; that it may shine in azotic gas and carbonic acid by means of the water contained in those gases; and that it is capable of decompofition, inafmuch as a hydrogeneous phosphorated gas may be procured from it in experiments. ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WRITING OF LOPE DE VEGA. Lavater had contemplated the portrait of Lope de Vega, without knowing whom it reprefented, he would certainly have pronounced him an extraordinary man; but he would not have fufpected him to have been a poet. The Spaniards have well characterised his genius by its F monftruofidad, a word which muft literally be rendered monftruofity; no other term could fo well have delineated it. Lope de Vega is never fublime, feldom pathetic, and feldom natural; rarely above mediocrity in any of his writings, he has attained to celebrity by their number. 2 Purity Purity of language and harmonious verfification distinguish all the poems of this indefatigable Spaniard. Born and educated at Madrid, if he had beheld no ftream but the Manzanares, and no country but the me. lancholy plains of Caftile, we might have expected dullness; but the fecretary and favourite of the Duke of Alva must have accompanied his mafter to Villa Franca and to Oropefa; and the tranquil and majestic beauty of the one, and the wild fub. limity of the other, would have awakened all the enthusiasm of poetry, if Lope de Vega had been in. deed a poet. When a fchool-boy, he bartered his verses with his fchool-fellows, for hymns and prints; when a young man, he wrote eclogues, and a comedy, in praife of the Grand Inquifitor; and a pastoral, in honour of the Duke of Alva. From these symptoms, one who knew the human heart might have prophefied, that the young poet never would attain to excel lence. The Dutch idea of bartering his verfes could not have entered the mind of the enthufiaft; the young enthufiaft carefully conceals his feel. ings from obfervation, and he who is not an enthufiaft muft never expect to be a poet. Is there who ne'er those myftic transports felt Of folitude and melancholy born? Were it not for the reverence which fashion has attached to their names, we fhould yawn over Virgil and Horace, when they proftitute poetry to panegyric. No great or good man ever encouraged a rhymer to befpatter him with praise; panegyric has, therefore, ufually been employed on the weak and the wicked, on thofe whom we defpife and deteft; but, among the villains whofe deeds pollute the page of history, the Duke of Alva ranks in the firft clafs. This man united in himself the bi gotry of the priest, the duplicity of the politician, and the brutality of the foldier; and to this man did Lope de Vega write a paftoral! Arca dia and the Duke of Alva! Madness never produced a more monftrous affociation. The Arcadia of Lope de Vega is one of the innumerable imitations that fwarmed in Spain, after George of Montemayor published his Diana. The age had been accustomed to extravagance by their books of chival ry; compared with which, the pafloral romance appeared natural.That this fpecies of compofition may poffefs very great beauty, has been fufficiently proved by Florian, in his alteration of the Galatea of Cervantes, and more particularly in his Eftelle. I know of no work in the English language that can proper. ly be claffed under this head, tho' a very interefting one might be produced on the model of Florian, if the French frippery of fentiment, which infects even his writings, were avoid, ed. I never toiled through the Arcadia of Lope de Vega. After pinetrating fome thirty or forty pages into the little volume, I found that a few scattered conceits could not atone for its intolerable dullness.Great ftrength of imagination only can reconcile the reader to a total want of tafte; but the imagination of this indefatigable Spaniard was not strong, and his tafte may be judged of by a fentence relating to the heroine of his Arcadia: the rays of Belifarda's eyes fhone upon the water like the reflection of the fun upon a looking-glafs." Of his longer poems, I have never feen the Jerufalen Conquistada: I am, however, well enough acquainted with the ftyle and powers of Lope de Vega, fully to credit Mr Hayley, when he fays, that it is, in every refpect, infinitely inferior to the work of Taffo, which it attempted to rival. Of |