will this remark apply, but also to the administration of justice, and the laws by which we, as a nation, are governed. We find that among the Romans, a master of slaves could kill them when he chose, without any notice being taken of the offence; and Tacitus mentions an instance in which a nobleman had been murdered, but the murderers not being discovered, the whole of his slaves, amounting to 500, were put to death:-but in the present day the lord and the peasant are on a level; neither the one nor the other can be injured, but the law is open to him, and justice will be awarded.

science void of offence towards God and man."

Such a work as this before us, our readers will be aware, must principally be gathered from the labours of others, and no inconsiderable pains are required in compiling from those authors who have written upon the subject. The writer acknowledges his obligations to the French work of Professor d' Arnay, to Kennet, Potter, and Dr. A. Adam, on Roman Antiquities, the splendid publication of Count Caylus, and the various commentators on Pliny, Juvenal, and Persius.

principally in agriculture, in which all classes of the people nearly took an equal share.

The author commences his work The barbarous system of torture with a description of the state of sociwas by them established as a law; ety in ancient Rome, and notices the and a variety of other customs then foreign warfare they waged, and the existed, upon which we now look with continual strife existing between the horror and disgust. Their domestic patricians and plebeians-for greater history will give rise to the same power on the part of the one, and for ideas; for half the comforts and con- independence on the part of the other. veniences of life which we now enjoy, These internal disorders, added to were to them unknown. In the means foreign hostility, gave Rome but very of acquiring information, too, we short intervals of repose:-these inpossess the most decided advantage-tervals were, however, employed instance only newspapers:-tis true they knew of such a vehicle of knowledge, but they had no idea or means of circulating them, for their practice was to post up one in a public path, to which all must resort who wished to acquire the information they contained.—We cannot refrain from noticing the wide difference between their magistrates and kings, and those of our own day now we too often find them haughty and imperious, almost disdaining to look upon those who are beneath them in rank, as if they were not fellow-subjects of the same great King; but among the Romans we may read of men renowned for virtue and for courage, taking pleasure in the humblest occupations of rural life, of a Quintus Cincinnatus, of Cato the Censor, of Scipio Africanus, and a host of others, who would exert themselves in the cause of liberty, and then not think themselves degraded by following the plough, or handling the spade. Such facts should have their due effect upon the mind: indeed, the principal aim and end of history ought to be the holding up of men celebrated for their virtues to our admiration, while we see that folly and wickedness meet with their due reward; which should lead us to steer our course through life "with a con

In the early period of the Republic, the Romans were at once agriculturists and soldiers, and on the whole happy and contented; but no sooner had the second Punic war ceased, and Greece, Asia, and Assyria, were added to their conquests, than they forgot their ancient simplicity of manners, and became enervated by the most refined voluptuousness ;-they vied with each other in costliness and magnificence, in dress, and food, and habitations; resigned the cultivation of their farms to servants and slaves, whom they loaded with fetters, and fed on bread and water, while they gave themselves up to every species of luxury and dissipation.In the year 537 the Oppian law was enacted, prohibiting the wearing of clothes of various colours, ornaments, and the use of carriages; but this law was after a few years repealed ;-and to add to the whole, the seat of justice was corrupted-the senators became tyrants instead of protectors, and profligate habits gained upon all classes of the community.

Chap. II. consists of a classification of the Roman citizens into different tribes, as patricians, knights, plebei

ans, and slaves: and contains an account of the mode of choosing censors, tribunes, &c.-the account our author gives is sufficiently clear, but brief, to which we must refer our readers.

Chap.III. contains an account of the mode of pleading in civil and criminal cases, courts, orations, method of trial, &c.-The invaluable trial by jury was to them unknown, though we are informed that the mode of judging in criminal cases seems to have nearly approached it.

"to form an idea of which, we must imagine a basin filled with water, which was emptied in 12 hours, by means of a small hole in the bottom, into another vessel of equal capacity, in which the water rose by degrees around a column, on which the hours were marked perpendicularly." He then notices the division of the day, year, the Julian year, new style, intercalary months, &c. into which we cannot enter; and concludes his chapter by noticing the soothsayers, &c. who exercised so great power over the minds of the people, that nothing or other citizens of high consideration, were of any importance was undertaken annually chosen by the prætor, to act as his without their first being consulted.— assessors; and of these, some, but how many "Their religion consisted in unbounddoes not appear, were appointed to sit in judged polytheism; every virtue, every ment along with him. They decided by a majority of voices, and returned their verdict vice, every real property of the mateeither guilty, not guilty, or uncertain; in which rial, and every fancied quality of the latter instance the cause was deferred; but if imaginary world, every faculty of the the votes for acquittal and condemnation were mind, and power of the body, was preequal, the culprit was discharged; or, accord-sided over by its peculiar deity,"ing to some authors, his fate was then decided by the prætor."

"A certain number of senators and knights,

"till, after a lapse of more than a thousand years from the foundation of the city, Christianity was established as the religion of the state."

Domestic Manners and Institutions :' amusements houses libraries baths-dress-marriage ceremonies, &c. &c. (a list not easily enumerated,) which are noticed in an intelligible and agreeable manner.

In a note in chap. IV. we have an account of Herculaneum and Pompeii. -Our readers are aware of the cause We must, however unwillingly, of the destruction of these towns-the draw our notice of this work to a eruption of Mount Vesuvius:-They close. There are twenty chapters in were buried in the ashes and lava, the volume, containing information on and accidentally discovered by a pea- nearly every subject that can be enusant digging at 70 feet from the sur-merated, and well fulfilling the title face of the earth, in the year 1689. Both towns are in the vicinity of Naples.-This chapter is on the buildings in Rome ;-it was a complete mass of thatched cottages, before its destruction by the Gauls, in the 364th year after its foundation; but it was not until the reign of Augustus that it could boast any splendid edifices. The conflagration, in the time of that odious tyrant, Nero, reduced it again to ashes, when it was rebuilt in a regular form; and from that time may be dated the taste for decoration and vastness of design, which has continued to excite the wonder and admiration of succeeding ages.

Chap. V. is devoted to a description of gardens, seats, &c. and we have a long account of the celebrated gardens and villa of Pliny, the naturalist.

In chap. VI. we are informed that "Rome had existed 460 years before its inhabitants distinguished any other divisions of the day than morning, noon, and night:" when solar dials were invented, and then water clocks,

The work closes with an account of the funeral rites-tombs-monumental inscriptions, &c.-a very proper subject we would say, as it reminds us of our own mortality. The period of mourning for friends or relatives was short,-widows were bound to mourn for one year; during this time they laid aside every ornament, and appeared only in black.

In closing this review, a variety of ideas rush in upon our minds :-the stream of time has swept generation after generation from the face of the earth; and it may be our lot next:some future ages may be as interested in the perusal of the history of our times; as we are now in that of the Romans; let us then do all in our power to leave a good name behind us, that they may say of us, as we could not help exclaiming in the

course of reading this work, not-freshness in the delineations, which withstanding the vices it records: "Shades of our sires! O sacred be your rest, And lightly lie the turf upon your breast! Flowers round your urns breathe sweet beyond

compare,

And spring eternal shed its influence there!"

GIFFORD'S JUVENAL.

We rise from the perusal of this interesting volume with very favourable impressions of the ability of its author, and urgently invite the attention of our juvenile readers to its valuable pages.

REVIEW.-Travels in South Africa, undertaken at the request of the London Missionary Society, &c. &c. By the Rev. John Campbell, in two vols. 8vo. pp. 321-384. London: Westley, Stationer's Court, LudgateStreet, 1822.

IN the thirty-second number of the Imperial Magazine, we gave a portrait of this indefatigable and courageous traveller, with whose former journal the public have already been both entertained and gratified.

The present is an entire new work, which has only just issued from the press. It has fallen into our hands only a few hours since, so that we have not had time to examine the multifarious subjects of which it treats. We have, however, made ourselves sufficiently acquainted with the outline of its contents, to assure ourselves, that these volumes will prove highly interesting, and, we have no doubt, will command an extensive sale.

no artifice could contrive, which every which too many modern tours, jourreader wishes to perceive, but of nals, and voyages, are miserably destitute. With the manners and customs which prevail in the interior of Africa, we have only a partial acquaintance; every work, therefore, which, founded upon actual observation, treats of these subjects, by developing new features in the human character, merit and insure the attention of mankind. From this work we shall now proceed to select some specimens, which, though they have no immediate connection with one another, will set the author and the production of his pen in a favourable and commanding light. To these anecdotes and incidents we shall take the liberty of giving such titles as their leading ideas seem to demand.

Affection and Humanity." He (Mr. Baird) had a Bush girl about eight, and a boy about ten years of age, who were very interesting children. A field-cornet higher up the country procured them from their parents, to be trained up as servants. After they had been at the field-cornet's a few days, they ran off unperceived, and two days afterwards they were found half-starved in the wilderness, fast locked in each other's arms. Although the boy had been but a short time in his service, he waited at table, and acted his part very well. A late exploit of the lad is worth recording.

"Mr. Storkenstrome, Landdrost of Graaf Reynet, and Mr. Baird, were travelling in horse waggons, when the rivers were swollen by the rains. On coming to the ford of a certain river, a slave assured them it was not deep, on which Mr. Baird's waggon proceeded; one of the fore horses fell, but the driver continued lashing the other horses till they dragged over both the fallen horse and the waggon. Those behind, observing this success, attempted to cross likewise, but five of carried down the stream. Those in the waggon with difficulty got out of it, and succeeded in reaching the shore. Noticing that Mr. drosts made haste to save him. About a mile Baird's Bush boy was missing, the two Land

Mr. Campbell has not filled his pages with a detail of abstract philosophi-the horses were drowned, and the waggon cal speculations, but with an account of facts and incidents, which, during his arduous journeys among the savages of Africa, fell under his own personal

observations. His volumes bear evidence, that he has watched the manners of this untutored race with a careful eye, and that he has registered the various singularities which fell under his notice with an impartial hand, without losing sight of the important object for which his journey was undertaken; namely, the practicability of sending among these heathens the gospel of the Son of

and a half lower down, they observed him mounted on the roof of the waggon, and holding up a little dog to prevent its being drowned. At length the waggon struck against a small island in the middle of the stream which immediately threw out the dog, and jumped was not yet covered by the water, when he upon the shore himself. They instantly sent for reams, or skin ropes used about the waggons, which they tied to each other till they had made a line long enough to reach the island. After showing the boy how to fasten it round his body, they threw it over; which God. happily reaching the island, he seized and In these volumes, there is a certain tied it round him as directed. Then at their No. 38.-VOL. IV.

T

Appearance." A Bushman family, coming for water, remained at the waggons. It consisted of the husband and his wife, a younger brother, two daughters, eleven and twelve years of age, and a child of about eighteen months, which the mother continued to suckle. The man had a bow, and a quiver full of poisoned arrows. They had part of the entrails of a zebra filled with water, from which they frequently drank, and then filled five ostrich shells with water to carry home. We gave the man a piece of tobacco, for which he nodded and uttered some words in a low tone, expressive of thanks; but on giving him the skin of a sheep killed in the morning, he add-8th, 1821. ed to his former expressions of gratitude, by knocking with his elbows against his sides. Inquiring how long it was since he had washed