and interefted him in her views of efcaping from her prifon, by affuring him that he was married to young Franzel. Through his hands the conveyed a letter to her lover, who, after reading it, answered in his ufual impetuous manner, that after fuch a night, he should pafs every fucceeding one in waiting round the caftle, or under the windows of the room fhe was locked up in, and receive her in his arms, the only place (added he) where you can be fafe from perfecution!' That is very true,' thought the; but how to get there is the dilemma! The fair prifoner first tried by the help of chairs and tables, and bed-clothes, heaped on one another, to fcale the wall and get to the window. But in vain. They would not reach half way up the horrid room.' At laft, by the lucky help of a dream, which represented to her fancy the whole fuite of pictures in the room fallen down on the floor, a thought struck her head, when fhe awoke, that she could make a good ufe of this dream, and turn the pictures to fome better account than her proud father had done. Cecil was cunning: and having outwitted the patfon, thought it no difficult matter to over-reach her father. She arofe (the Tale fays), fent for the Baron, and told him that he could not bear to fee her honoured parents fo neglected. Obferve, Sir, faid fhe, how the duft hides the refpectable faces of thofe that hang uppermoft. Might I be permitted a ladder to take them down, and have a little foap and water to clean them with ?'-He hefitated fome time, and then confented. He brought the ladder himself in, and took down about fifty portraits, armed and not armed, of all ages and titles: and as he took them down he ranged them according to their defcent upon the floor, against the wall, all round the room. Delightful occupation! He grew an inch taller at every great action he recited; for he told the hiftory of each of their lives to Cecil, who liftened with complacency: only the Baron obferved that her eyes were often turned towards the windows, which, as there was no view out of them, made him ftrongly fufpect he had the ladder in view too. The evening furprised them in their occupations. Hogreften came to partake of the amufement, and inform the Baron that dinner had waited a long time. The Baron, after having or dered the ladder out of the room, quitted it, faying, I fhall return to fee the progress of your work, Cecil: and may your occupation remind you of your exalted birth, and may thofe refpectable perfonages teach you your duty!' I intend they fhall be my aid and fupport in future, indeed,' replied she. 、 As foon as the Baron was gone, Cecil ftill locked in, washed feveral more of her ancestor's faces. Ah! cried the every now and then-ah! grim gentry, who have been the cause of fo REV. May, 1780. Bb many many a tear, you fhall once in my life make up to me for all the forrow you have occafioned.' Soon after dinner the Baron returned with the ladder, which he took great care to have conveyed out at night again; though on purpose to confirm his fufpicions, the defired it might re main. She could not refuse herself the malicious pleasure that evening of encouraging Hogreften's awkward addreffes. She promifed her father to marry him. When night came, the permitted Hogreften to kifs her hand, and faid, as her father went out, that she was not at all afraid of fleeping in so large a room with so much good company,' pointing to the pictures. Locked in, she waited till the thought every one afleep: then flew to her honoured ancestors, and without regard to precedency or decency, the heaped grandfathers on grandmothers; knights on old maiden aunts; he-coufins bearing armour on the-coufins bearing diftaffs. In her hurry indeed, now and then, she made by turns the ladies fupport the gentlemen, and the gentlemen the ladies: here a father's head refted on a daughter's feet: there a mother's face met a fon's bufkins: harp-pointed Aippers rubbed against flowing perukes: coifs and pinners were joined to longnecked fpurs. In short, heads and tails were jumbled together, and parts never intended by nature or good manners to meet, kiffed each other. Thus, one by one, the noble family, as faft as she could heap them on each other, made a pile which reached to the windows: Adieu, Meffieurs et Mesdames! faid fhe, as the fprung out of the window into her handsome Frederic's arms: -where we will leave her. Can we dispose of her better?' There is a pleafantry and vivacity in the manner in which this Christmas Tale is related: there is an elegance too in some of the descriptions. The reflections are not deftitute of humour and acuteness. As to the moral of the story, we must leave the fagacious Reader to make that important difcovery for himself. The grave and the gay will pafs fentence according to their different feelings. The former will call the fair Cecil a giddy, obftinate creature, who deferved to have had her neck broken when he took the lover's leap. The latter will commend her spirit and addrefs. The inference we fagely draw from this genuine anecdote of the ancient houfe of Kink- is this: that love opposed, produces both craft and fortitude: and that when a young Franzel enters a girl's heart, castles will be no defence; he will fly to his arms in fpite of fathers, families, and family-pictures. ART. ART. IX. Obfervations on An Appeal from the Proteflani Affociation to the People of Great Britain. 8vo. I s. Payne. 1780. NE capital object of complaint, to the members of the Affociation, is, the laxity of the oath now to be adminiftered to Catholics, refpecting the royal prerogative. They are chagrined to think that any accommodation fhould be made for the fake of eafing the fcruples of perfons who are of the Romish communion. There is fomething illiberal (to fay nothing worse of it) in the umbrage that hath been conceived at this qualifying claufe in the late Act in behalf of the Papifts. The charge on which an objection is grounded, is not only uncandid, but altogether inconfiftent. Firft, they lay it down for an indisputable pofition, founded on the general principles of the Romish church, and confirmed by the arguments of its most able cafuifts, that no faith is to be kept with heretics'that no oaths are binding any longer than the keeping them is confiftent with the good of the church-of which good the priefts are the ultimate judges, and to whom is delegated a power of difpenfing with every obligation under which an oath in common life is fuppofed to fubject a person who takes it. And yet, notwithstanding thefe maxims of popifh cafuiftry, the gentlemen of the Affociation are very anxious to place the oath to be administered to Catholics upon its original footingguarded as it firft was by an equal refpect to the church and the ftate. Now let us afk thefe zealous Proteftants a few plain and fimple queftions, which we wish they would take into ferious confideration at their next meeting. If all oaths are indifferent to the Papifts, why were they defirous to have the old teft repealed?-Why did they univerfally refufe to take it? Did they not fubject themselves to great hazards and inconveniencies on account of their refufal? If the Catholics can apply for a difpenfation at any emergency to free them from an obligation in confequence of the moft folemn oaths, wherein lies the neceffity of adminiftering any oath to them at all? It is faid, that none can bind them; then why should the Affociation be so eager to fubject them to any? The authority which can loofen the obligation of one, can diffolve the obligations of all: and therefore, on thefe convictions, the Affociators can never mean to propose an oath by way of fecurity to the church or ftate, or as a decifive teft of belief or practice: but only as a temptation to perjury, in cafe an opportunity fhould offer in which a Papist may think himself at liberty to commit it for the good of the church. We have, we truft, given this matter all the attention we are capable of and on the moft cool and impartial judgment Bb 2 we we can form of it, we deliver our fentiments with freedom. We are not under the leaft apprehenfion from the growth of Popery in confequence of the late Act in favour of Catholics. It is an Act planned with equal judgment and candour, and will do honour to our ftatute book. Proteftants can never ob. ject to the principles on which it is founded, without expofing themselves to the charge of inconfiftency and Proteftant Diffenters are doubly chargeable with inconfiftency-the groffeft and moft palpable inconfiftency, in endeavouring to obftruct the favour of Parliament in behalf of the Roman Catholics. It discovers a meannefs and jealousy of fpirit which can confer no honour on their caufe: and at the fame time fhews, that they are too little impreffed with a grateful fenfe of the liberties which an indulgent Parliament hath wifely and graciously reftored to them. We are convinced, that the more liberal part of the Diffenters heartily acquiefce in these fentiments of toleration: as for the other fet, whofe cry is orthodoxy, while their wifh, perhaps, is tyranny, may their power never be equal to their inclinations! And this we hope for the fake of humanity -for the fake of truth and free enquiry; and we truft the anticlimax will not be too glaring if we fay, we entertain this hope -for the fake of the MONTHLY REVIEW. We were led into this train of reflection by the pamphlet before us, which we earneftly recommend both for the goodness of the defign, and the fkill and ftrength difplayed in the exccution. ART. X. The History of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, from the Death of Philip II. King of Spain, to the Truce made with Albert and Ifabella. By William Lothian, D. D. one of the Minitters of Canongate. 4to. 16 s. Boards. DodЛley. 1780. HE period of hiftory which forms the subject of the work before us, is peculiarly interefting and important. During the 16th century, Spain was the most powerful kingdom of Europe. Her fleets, her armies, and her refources ftruck terror into the neighbouring states, and bad defiance to the collected ftrength of diftant confederacies. The ambition of the Spanish monarchs exceeded the extent and power of their dominions. The active reigns of Charles V. and of Philip II. were continually employed in new projects of conqueft. Both princes were fond of glory; but the first fought it at the head of his armies, in acquiring new acceffions of territory; the fecond afpired at the fame of profound skill and negociation; and detesting war, fought, by the dark schemes of the cabinet, to extend his royal prerogative, and to deftroy the liberties of his pbjects. When When a prince of this character obtained poffeffion of the Netherlands, it was natural for him to aim at the deftruction of the free form of government which thefe happy provinces had enjoyed from the earliest times. Particular acts of ufurped power followed one another in uninterrupted fucceffion; and the measures of Philip at length evidently appeared to be the refult of a determined plan of oppreffion. The injured inhabitants of the Netherlands firft murmured, afterwards refifted, and finally revolted against the cruel tyranny of their fovereign. The haughty fpirit of Philip, impatient of the fmalleft contradiction, was ill qualified to bear with the rebellion of his fubjects. His anger was ftill farther irritated against the infurgents by the difference which prevailed between himself and them in matters of religion; the liberal opinions of the reformation having made an extraordinary progrefs among the industrious and commercial natives of the Low Countries; and Philip being inclined by temper, inftructed by education, and impelled by principle, to regard himself as the firmeft guardian and bulwark of the Romish fuperftition. This dark, gloomy, tyrannical, and fuperftitious prince, abfurdly connecting the irreconcileable interefts of God and of himfeif, was ready to wreak the utmost fury of his vengeance against them, whom he believed to be equally the enemies of true religion and of lawful government. Immenfe preparations were made, not to correct the errors or to restore the obedience of his fubjects, but to chastise their folly, to punish their crimes, to avenge the accumulated guilt of rebellion and impiety. - The worthlefs favourites of Philip (according to a custom familiar to the contemptible retainers of a court) flattered him with the affured profpect of speedily accomplishing his designs; all Europe believed that he would obtain an eafy victory; even the revolted provinces determined to remain in arms from the dictates of a generous despair, and from a manly resolution to perish with the honourable character of liberty, rather than from any well-grounded expectation of defeating the measures of a prince whofe power feemed irresistible. But contrary to the opinion of Philip, of the provinces, of Europe, and of mankind, all the fchemes of this afpiring potentate were rendered abortive. Providence (for if ever the hand of Providence vifibly exerted itself for the interefts of humanity, it was furely on this occafion) raifed up the firm intrepidity and determined patriotism of the firft William, Prince of Orange, whofe exalted talents triumphed over the wealth, the power, the pride, and the tyranny of Spain. For thirty years, Philip vainly endeavoured to conquer the pertinacious fpirit of liberty, by the exertions of his braveft troops, and the ableft generals that, perhaps, ever appeared in Europe. Soured Bb 3 by |