apply to no other object, therefore Having now entered fully into the question, and defended my original opinion, I submit my present remarks to your consideration. I disclaim the mere idea of a literary conquest; for I will thank that person, at any time, who will convince me, by sound argument, of an error; but at the same time I am resolved, that having once censured the errors of another, I will always step boldly forward and avow the reasons for my censure; but, as soon as I am convinced that these reasons are false, I wi step as boldly forward and ac knowledge that the error was in me, and not in him whom I censured REPUBLICATION OF R. H. SCARCE TRACTS. No. I. THE PREFACE. HERE is such an innate prin ciple in the hearts of most men that they are able to admit nothing for current, but what is obvious, nor be visible. But seeing almost every reckon any thing credible, unless it climate doth peculiarly afford something rare and unusual, it stands with reason that some climate should, in an especial manner, produce some more extraordinary novelty, if not to derful, and not easily digested for others incredible, yet, at least, won truth. That there is a nation of men, called Pygmies, hath been averred by authors of pregnant ingenuity, solid judgment, and authentick esteem: and though many have omitted a due enquiry into this matter, yet such, and so many, have given their suffrages for the certainty of it, that, we dulity, account it no fable. may, without the imputation of cre And why should it be thought improbable, that nature, who continually delights to embroider this frame of being, withvariety of creatures, should, somewhere produce men of a smaller character than ourselves, considering those capital letters, giants, I mean, have been known so far to exceed us on the other side? A new DISCOVERY of a LITTLE That it is not unbefitting the way SORT of PEOPLE, anciently dis of natural productions, we may quickcoursed of, called PYGMIES: with a ly ascertain to our minds, if we do particular description of their Reli- but reflect on those manv Pumilio's gion and Government, Language, and Tom-Thumbs, which, even among Habit, Stature, Food, &c. Their people of the largest size, are freremarkable Affability and Generosity quently exhibited as examples of the to Strangers; the Age they commonly other copies. arrive at; their Abhorrence of Riches But, having only given an occasion Ingentes animos augusto in Corpore ver- sant. 1 μεν ψαλδέα πολλὰ λέγειν ἐτύμασιν ὁμοῖος. HESIOD. Printed for R. Griffiths, at the Dunciad, in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1750.* cination, I shall content myself with this concise preamble, as satisfactory enough to the judicious, who, indeed, may better persuade themselves, by more important reasons, which their own due consideration may suggest to them; and so begin my intended * This work was first published in 1675, under the title of Gerania, or a new Discovery of the little sort of People called Pyginies."-Joshua Barnes was born in London, on the 10th January 1654,and died August 3, 1712. discourse, if not altogether true, yet not wholly vain, nor, perhaps, deficient, in what may exhilerate a witty fancy, or inform a bad moralist. GERANIA. than golden mountains, we still fixing our eyes on that desirable object, till a sudden noise of the rustling of leaves alarmed our ears which kept centinel at the side portals of our brain, and they recalling our eyes from their studious curiosity, sent ON the seventh of November, them towards the shore, as heralds, sailing as pleasantly on the Ganges to enquire the reason of that so easy as the natural impetuosity of that disturbance; where we beheld a few stream would per it, the weather persons, whom we thought men, inchanging on a sudden, our ship veer'd habitants of that place, though they about to the larboard, and we were sent no voices to frighten or invite us, driven by a violent cold and dry but only certain mimical and ridicu north wind, into a narrow arm of a lous gestures; from whence, notwithgreat lake on the utmost borders of standing, we might soon collect, that India, that takes its rise from one they professed us no ill-will: with common head with that famous river; which, encouraged, we redoubled there having escaped that direful our endeavours to reach the land, and embrace, which the inhospitable a stedfast blast or two backing our waves had seemed to proffer us, we design, that, in less than an hour, we proceeded so slowly, as if a Remora touched the shore, were we might had held our keel, or rather as if easily discern that our invitants forwe had cast anchor in the Mare bore to welcome us with acclamations, Mortuum: But having at last, with or with obliging words, to compliment much labour, conquered three leagues us to a nearer access; not because towards the nearest land, in about they wanted civility, but those chaneight and twenty hours, we began nels of expression, which we call to ease ourselves, by desisting from mouths. Their posture, though someour toil, and by a general participa- thing uncouth, was not so rude, but tion of the residue of our victuals, that it declared them to be so far which, as yet, held out as we desired. different from brutes, that nothing After this refreshment, the golden seemed absent which might make rays of Phaeton began to make the them compleat men, but the gentleeastern mountains blush, that all man-usher of all-knowledge, Sertheir costly stones and glittering mocination. On their heads they sands, were not sufficiently rich and proudly wore green boughs, the wanaugust, to welcome so illustrious a ton leaves whereof, seemed desirous monarch and the gentle breezes of to show themselves by their soft whisthe lake, having on the shore saluted pering, more vocal than their bearers. the delicious fannings of Aurora, Their habit was of the woolly moss of returned to us in soft whisperings, trees, most artificially cemented with and assured us of the arrival of that gum, and interspersed with delectable rosy fingered queen. At this, I, and posies; about their necks they wore two of my friends, advanced ourselves pleasant chains of odoriferous flowers, on the deck, and at the same time, the smell whereof is their chiefest the glorious prince of day seemed to aliment, except that of a certain lusadd speed to his fiery horses and re- cious and nourishing juice, which turn our compliment in a nearer they suck through a small tube or approach to us. But how soon were pipe, into that little orifice, which our thoughts divided betwixt fear and nature hath granted them in the place admiration, while the mountains, and stead of mouths. Their legs are which but now appeared to us as destitute of any other covering, but flaming, began to confess themselves what their natural hair supplies them of that more innocent and amiable with; but the nails of both hands lustre which attends the brightest of and feet are augmented to such a metals, when it is burnished most length, by their sylvan diet, and igsurprisingly? We gazed something norance of more human ways, that earnestly at this amazing spectacle, they served them instead of weapons, and proposing to our hopes no less against the strongest wild beasts, whe 11. Where you with graces dwell; III. Is it Elizium? No, oh! no! Souls in Elizium live not by such ways. IV. Are those that here do live: were always too weak for them: and with those they dug up flowers Is this fair Tempe ? Or the clime and plants as they pleased. They received us with no vulgar civility, expres-ing, by their nods and the loquacious motions of their active limbs, no small pride at our presence. But, poor creatures! alas, our stock of victuals was but low, and we were not so good camæleons as they, to live upon the air, neither could their fragrant chaplets prevent our famishment, if we staid longer there. Wherefore, being soon weary of their dumb conversation, we resolved, in time, to seek some other people, whose liberality might store us with provision for another voyage, and whose community of living, being not so abhorrent from ours, might make them more sensible of our necessities, and so more prone to relieve them. To phetical enough, for though these And truly the last distich was prowhich end, having left twenty men blessings are so superabundantly great, in the ship, and all the remaining victuals (which was enough to last them, are microcosmically little to yet those who have the fruition of them five or six days) and solemnly such a degree, that I verily believe, promising not to go far, but to find out some place, and return again excepting some other parts of their within six or seven days; after break- ple in the whole world. The first we own nation they are the smallest peofast, on monday morning, and pray- met with were some children, driving ers for the divine protection and di- an herd of kids; we presently began rection, all the rest of our company; to admire with ourselves at the ingewhich were thirty-five, being directed by the signs of the Astomi, for so these had invented these little engines, so nuity of the inhabitants, thinking they people are called, went straight up as by clock-work to make them walk: towards the mountains. It was now but we were soon put out of that spring-time of the year, yet, notwith- fondness, when the little imps behold. standing the warmth of the season, the mountains were cloathed with a double garment, the embroidered vest of Flora, and the eye-dazzling mantle of Phoebus; and while they glittered in their eminence and apparel, the emulous vallies raised their swelling breasts of corn to such an exuberance of height, as if they intended to make the mountains acknowledge them selves inferior to them; which lovely contention was such an incentive to the poetical genius of one of our company, that he could not forbear exonerating his faucy in this gratulatory manner. ing our gigantic size, run away shriek ing, and the nimble kids run scattered back in no, less confusion than their drivers; truly a small matter should have made us run away too, cate accident. Some thought it was we were so amazed at such an intri the land of the Fairies, and implored me to lead them back; others, supposing them devils, exhorted me to recal my footsteps, and haste back again, while there was opportunity. But hunger was a more prevalent orator at that time; for we had now travelled hard two days and a half, having only broke our fast the morning we set out, and since not met with any thing to allay our appetites, except some few strange fruits we found in were sure to faint and famish among the way; so that if we went back, we fruitless flowers, and unprofitable F dainties; berefore I encouraged them as spirits, can have no colour at all, to proceed chearfully, and rather to venture any death than kill themselves by fear, and die by famine. But they had little stomach to follow my advice, if the poet Eucompsus had not assisted me with his oration; and indeed he was our only support and so lace in travel, being a very merry fellow, eminently ingenious, of a large and noble soul, and my singular good friend: but, because you may better conjecture at his person by his speech, and that I may do him right, I'll give you his very words, as near as I can remember, which, for the future, as often as occasion serves, I will promise you to do, whether they be verse or prose; because I ever took good heed of his discourses and other fancies and thus he began: " Friends and companions, let me desire you, for two or three minutes only, to compose yourselves, for I have something to say that will please and secure you." At this they all came about him, and stood quaking to hear what he would deliver, like a timorous herd of deer, when they are first terrified with the approaching noise of huntsmen and dogs; and though I could not devise what his intent might be, I doubted not but it would be very convenient for the occasion. But thus he went on: "It is not the manner of gracious heaven, to place unbecoming inhabitants in so happy a soil; nor can any man of reason, or judgment, believe these creatures to be Fairies, i. e. nothing, or any spiritual beings. In short, they are men (here they stared at him monstrously); ay, men, I say, rational as we are, and, I doubt, far more courageous; for did you not observe them sometimes to make a stand, and, looking at us, seemed almost prepared to come to us? and, certainly, though the unusual largeness of our bulk might justly amaze them, had we their hearts, we should not have trembled so easily at the sight of such minute animals. I have often heard of Pygmies, that they ride on goats, and these kids we saw are colts, proportionable enough to such coursers. The darkness of their complexion being a consequence of this climate, why should we suspect any diabolical apparition? seeing devils, because such qualities are only proper to bodies; and, if no colour, why may they not in the assumption of bodies to them, invest that body they assume with any other colour as well as black? for thus, as we paint devils of that colour, which is most different from ours, so the Æthiopians are accustomed to paint them white, and perhaps with no less absurdity. Having therefore shown them to be no immaterial substances, it remains, they must be material, that is, as may be gatheredfrom their self-motion and voice, animal creatures; and their shrieking being much after the manner of our children, though more sharp and squeaking, as well as their shape and habit, persuades us they must be men. Then let us view them, their manner of government, their buildings, customs and labours, which will prove, no doubt, the most delectable adventure that all our travels did ever yet present us with." You would not think of what wondrous efficacy these few words were, being confidently uttered by one whom they all knew to be well learned in geography, and of great eloquence, which was attended with a secret energy, called Peitho, which made him persuade the most obstinate, and lead his hearers by their ears, as bears are led by the noses. But yet there was one obstacle more, by reason of one unreasonable fellow, called Pandeison, a Romanist, who began to exclaim after this foolish manner, "Oh! ye mad-men! to follow a whimsical poet to this land of misery; though such kind of men are not only believed to go to hell themselves, but are known to lead others thither. This place is the Gate of Hell, those are devils, which he would fain persuade us to be men; and the kids and goats, that he confesses abound there, we are told by scripture, are the damned, which those devils are driving to some place of torment; nor is it strange, that the place seems so pleasant and delectable, for, they say, the way to hell is strewed with roses; and, I fear, if you proceed, for Lam resolved not to follow, that these mountains will, indeed, prove Haming ones, as they seemed at first, a just punishment for your temeri for his neck. But, as soon as ever he recovered, he winked very slily, and, of a sudden, cried out on us, as if we were devils too, which occasioned us to laugh once more. But, at last, finding how still and harmless we bore ourselves, he took the con ty; and, saying this, he hasted back- return again with poor Pandeison in ward, fumbling with his beads, and a swoon, his cloaths and face all torn, crossing himself all over, continually and his left-arm broke? all which fiuging Ora pro-nobis's to the Virgin seemed, to us, a very cheap ransom Mary; which, when Eucompsus perceived, he helped to cross him too, and fell into such a violent laughter, that while none of us could refrain, the noise being at least trebly increased by the reverberation of that mountainous and hilly country, put Pandeison into such a fright, that he hast- fidence to open his eyes a little ened down the mountains, like one possessed, till his precipitant fear gave him such a fall, that we thought he had broke his neck; yet, for all this, our laughter was rather augmented than diminished, till a charitable thought for our companion forced us to a restraint. And this mirth did us so much good, as to make us forget our hunger, which we could, hardly else, have tolerated longer. So we sent four of our servants to bring him back to us, who made a very speedy wider; and, having come to the know- CRITICISM. "Nulli negabimus, nulli differemus justitiam." OBSERVATIONS on the MOVEMENTS Many strong assertions are made in the course of this pamphlet, which shew that the author does not write without understanding his subject. Sir John Moore is aspersed without much ceremony, though the author professes the strong admiration he once felt for bis military character. The following passage will exhibit the author's manner : "Unfortunately there was never any fixed plan of operations: we were the creatures of accident: we were led by circumstances from one corner of the country to the other: instead of endeavouring to command events, we hesitated-we delayed--we had no believe, very little confidence in carconfidence in the Spaniards, and, I selves: our movements were generally the result of intercepted dispatches: what we should have done, if these dispatches had not been intercepted, I am at a loss to conjecture. “On the 23d of December, the whole army was collected at Sahugun and Villada; and every disposition made for the march of the different columns during the night, with the view to attack Marshal Soult's corps at Carrion and Saldanha on the following morning; the troops were in notion about eight in the evening; at ten o'clock an order arrived for the advanced guard to halt; and that the army should return to their former cantonments. The cause of this unexpected change in the resolu F2 |