made by Mademoisel'e de St. Aubin to obtain a fight of Marshal Biron, whom he had long fecretly loved, and who was now imprifoned for treafon, and condemned to die. Befide this ftory, which is well related, the novel has little to fix the reader's attention. The tale, instead of becoming more interefting, languishes toward the clofe, and is lengthened by an epifodical narrative. The writer feems more capable of reprefenting the external expreffions, of paffion, than of clothing its fentiments in fuitable language; and when the ought to be unfolding a character, we find her defcribing the perfon, attitude, or drefs;-a failing very common with fome adventurers in novel-writing;-for this obvious reason, that it is eafier to obferve the exterior form, than to read the language of the heart.

POLITICS and POLICE. Art. 52. Obfervations on the Politics of France, and their Progrefs fince the laft Summer: made in a Journey from Spa to Paris in 1791. By T. F. Hill. 8vo. pp. 110. 2s. 6d. Hookham. In politics, as in other sciences, that reafoning bids fair to be the best which has fact for its bafis. This is the foundation which Mr. Hill has chofen for his obfervations. By going to the fcene of action, he had an opportunity of viewing things as they are. His conclufions prove him to be a man of fenfe; and they are deduced with an impartiality which feems to have nothing but truth for its object.

From what Mr. Hill faw of the emigrants, he judges that their cause is not likely to be crowned with fuccefs. In the country parts of France through which he travelled, the condition of the inhabitants feemed to be much improved by the Revolution. Paris was diftreffed by a want of money and commerce, had loft all its gay vivacity, and was much divided by political factions :-but yet, amid every diversity of opinion, it was evident that the great body of the people, both in the capital, and in the provinces, was decidedly for fupporting the new conftitution in all its parts, regal, as well as popular. The King, by his prudent conduct, appeared to be rifing, and the Affembly to be rather linking, in the estimation of the people.

Though thefe remarks were made before the declaration of war against the King of Hungary, fome of them are not inapplicable to the prefent pofture of affairs. In particular, the emigrants feem as likely to be the victims of delay as ever. Whether the Auftrians continue to treat them with the fame marked contempt as they did when Mr. Hill was in the country, it is not eafy to tell ac this distance but there is no evidence of their cordiaily uniting with them. The King, too, it is poffible, from the late events, and from his judicious behaviour under them, will derive additional ftrength to himself and his party, will defeat the republicans, and give itability to the conftitution in its prefent form *.

If we differ from Mr. Hill in any thing, it is, when he supposes the feveral tumults that have happened, to be the effect of regular Changes, however, feem to be indicated, fince this article was

written.

Ii3

pre

preconcerted plans to bring about the political defigns of the vari ous parties. In the reign of Charles the Second, no event of confequence occurred in this country, without a plot being in it. Thefe are chimerical furmifes. The disturbances, that arife in periods of political fermentation, are moftly the effect of accident. This is confirmed by the obfcurity in which their origin is almost always involved. Time generally brings fettled fchemes to light but cafualty is loft and fmothered in the confufion that gives it birth. As no part of the fecret fervice money, iffued either from the public or from the privy purfe, takes its courfe through our hands, we cannot anfwer for the truth of the following circumftance. Should it be a fact, it is not of that nature which is calculated to give any additional relish to the payment of one million per ann. for the civil lift, or of seventeen millions for taxes; nor any additional grace to our complaints of the underhand interference of foreign emiflaries in our domeftic government. A French ambaffador, affured of the fact, would perhaps think himself juftified in remonftrating against undue interpofition in the concerns of his own country; inftead of vindicating his nation from a charge of fuch officious meddling, infinuated in a royal proclamation:

The King of England was reported with more probability, though with more fecrecy, to have replenished the empty treasuries of the emigration; a fact esteemed highly likely, both from his fitaation and character: the fame rumour was reported with added ftrength towards the end of last December; and a fum named to the enormous extent of half a million: it is certain that the courfe of the exchange was affected about that period, in a manner fufficiently fingular to authorize the fuppofition; fuch ftrange irregularities had not been experienced in it for the last half century. If the charity of his Majefty has induced him to contribute thus largely to the fupport of the cause of Kings from his own private fortune; certainly his fubjects have, in the prefent fituation of the political fyftem, no right to object to it: but if fuch fums have really been issued from the public treafury for this purpofe, perhaps they may think it paying rather too dear, for the purchase of poffible defolation, even in France; or of the advantages of defpotifm in England. Probably, however, the fums iffued from England, may have in great part come firft from France; and been fent this way, to conceal their real fource: but I cannot help fufpecting, that our country, ever renowned for giving pay to other nations, has here followed her ufual cuftom, at least in fome degree.'

Mr. Hill is the editor of fome ancient Erfe poems reviewed in our 73d volume, page 70.

Art. 53. Two Letters to Lord Onflow, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Surry, and one to Mr. Henry Dundas, Secretary of State, on the Subject of the late excellent Proclamation. By Thomas Paine, Author of Common Senfe, Rights of Man, &c. 8vo. 6d. Ridgway. Another Edition is fold by Parlons. In the letter to Mr. Dundas, which stands foremost in this collection, Mr. Paine repels fome attacks made on himself and his books in the course of the debate in the Houfe of Commons, on the

fubject

fubject of an addrefs to his Majefty for his late proclamation. He affirms that he has not, as it was faid by fome of the members, detroyed (in his Rights of Man,) all the principles of fubordination, and established nothing in their room. On the contrary, he says he has fhewn that if a frugal government, fomething like the American, were established in this country, in the room of that which now prevails, Englishmen would be great gainers by the change. The expence of government in America, he fays, is only 66,2751. 118. per annum: while we in England pay annually feventeen millions of taxes; of which enormous fum eight millions go to defray the cur rent expences of the year, and the other nine to pay the interest of that load of debt contracted by uncontrolled administrations. In America, he adds, where the whole expences of Government do not amount to fo much as the penfion-lift alone in England, the people do not need to be told by a proclamation that they are happy.

The fecond letter is addreffed to Lord Onflow as Chairman of the meeting held at Epfom for the purpose of returning thanks to the King for his proclamation. The author thinks it very wrong that any man fhould thank his Majefty for endeavouring to fupprefs a publication, unless he know the nature and contents of that publication. He therefore begs leave to prefent his Lordship with an hundred copies of the fecond part of Rights of Man; and also with a thousand copies of the foregoing letter to Mr. Dundas, giving fomé account of the object and defign of the Rights of Man. He alfo fays that fuch meetings are calculated to influence the minds of the jury, who will have to decide on the prosecution commenced against the Rights of Man.

The remaining letter is an expoftulation with Lord Onflow for improper behaviour as chairman, in not fuffering Mr. Paine's former letter to be read. This, he contends, was indecent conduct in one who, on account of his finecure place of one thousand, and his pension of three thoufand, per annum, made up of taxes paid by eight hundred families, may be fairly confidered as the principal pauper quartered on the county in which he lives.

Art. 54. Ten Minutes Caution from a Plain Man to his Fellow-Citi

zens. 8vo. PP. 20. 6d. R. Edwards.

1792.

This plain man tells us not to liften to foreign incendiaries, but to be contented with the good things which we at prefent enjoy, without ftriving to increase them.-If he should gain no converts to his doctrine, he may help to ftrengthen the faith of those who already think with him.

Art. 55. A Letter to the Farmers and Manufacturers in Great Britain and Ireland, on the audacious Attempts of obscure and unprincipled Men to fubvert the British Government. 8vo. pp. 39. 1s. Stockdale. 1792.

This letter appears to have been written under the impulse of an imagination haunted by vifionary terrors. The writer fees, in the attempts which are now making for the reformation and improvement of the British Government, the entire deftruction of all order,

and

and the introduction of a state of anarchy, in which a filthy fet of ragamuffins will ride lords-paramount over the whole nation, levying contributions at will, and inflicting death at random and at pleasure on those whom they diflike.' When he turns his eye towards France, every tree he fees is a gibbet, and every other man a hangman;' and all the great officers of Government are a promifcuous groupe of coblers, tailors, tinkers, hungry attorneys, and police men. At home, he fees fimilar mifchief brewing; and he apprehends that freebooters, who are enemies to all government and legislation, are becoming reformers. It is no wonder that, with fuch terrible apprehenfions, he fhould have an infuperable antipathy to night-cellar citizens, and halfpenny club politicians; and fhould be of opinion, that if the demon of innovation cannot be laid by the force of reafon, it ought to be laid by the force of coercion. Cooler men, however, who are not thus panic-ftruck, will perceive no fuch hazard in indulging perfons in the natural and unalienable right of free difcuffion, and will hope to fee the temporary ferment of difcontent happily allayed, by means of a temperate but effectual reform.

MISCELLANEO U S.

Art. 56. Extracts, elegant, instructive, and entertaining, in Profe; felected from the best modern Authors, and difpofed under proper Heads; intended to affift in introducing young Persons to an Acquaintance with ufeful and ornamental Knowlege. 8vo. pp. 1060. 10s. 6d. Bound. Rivingtons, &c. &c. 1791.

Compilations, abridgments, extracts, &c. have frequently, within thefe few years, been prefented to our attention; and fome works of this kind have been very properly executed. As far as we can judge, from fuch a view as can be taken of this very ample collection, it is a useful and valuable publication: the best materials appear to have been employed in forming it; and they are brought together with propriety and judgment. Of the five books into which the whole is divided, the firft is moral and religious ;the fecond, claffical and hiftorical; the third confifts of orations, characters, and letters;-the fourth, of narratives, dialogues, &c. with other humorous, facetious, and entertaining pieces; the laft book contains short introductions to geography, altronomy, chronology, natural history, &c.--Aftronomy and chronology, we observe, are collected from the works of Dr. Jennings. The whole work is introduced by an effay on pronunciation, or delivery, from the Ledures of Dr. Blair.

The bulky appearance of this volume might perhaps almost dif courage fome readers; we therefore add the following lines from the preface: As thefe extracts, from the variety of fubjects to which they relate, and the numerous works from which they have been felected, have fwelled this publication to fuch a confiderable fize, it has been thought proper to infert a new title-page, nearly in the middle, that the purchafers may have it in their option to bind it in one, or in two volumes, as they shall think it most convenient for use.'

Art.

Art. 57. Extras, elegant, inftructive, and entertaining; in Poetry, from the most approved Authors: difpofed under proper Heads, with a View to the Improvement and Amufement of young Perfons; being fimilar in Design to Extracts in Profe. 8vo. PP. 950. 10s. 6d. Bound. Rivingtons, &c. &c. 1791.

This volume confifts of five books, of which the firft is compofed of pieces on facred and moral subjects, the second of fuch as are didactic, defcriptive, narrative, and pathetic; the third contains felections from our beft dramatic writers, and particularly from Shakefpeare, clofely following Mr. Malone's edition; the fourth book is epic and mifcellaneous, to which the works of Spencer, Milton, and Pope, largely contribute; the fifth, is formed principally of Judicrous poems, epigrams, fongs, ballads, prologues, epilogues, &c. The editor affures the reader that he has taken particular care to admit nothing into the collection but what is calculated for improvement, or innocent recreation, without the intermixture of any thing that is pernicious. We are perfuaded that this has been his endeavour, even among fongs and ballads, the best of which, especially of the last age, have a degree of vulgarity, if they are not otherwife objectionable.

This collection, like the preceding compilement in profe, may be bound in one or in two volumes, according to the choice of the purchafers, who doubtless will prefer the latter.-We have only to add, that a publication fimilar to this appeared a very few years ago, for an account of which we refer the reader to Rev. for May 1789, vol. lxxx. p. 463.

Art. 58. Epifles, elegant, familiar, and inftructive, felected from the beit Writers, ancient, as well as modern, intended for the Improvement of young Perfons, and for general Entertainment: being a proper Supplement to Extracts in Profe and in Poetry. 8vo. PP. 790. 99. Bound. Rivingtons, &c.

1791.

Of the four books into which this publication is divided, the firft is devoted to ancient times, and prefents a large number of the celebrated letters of Cicero and Pliny; the fecond contains modern letters of an early date; the third, fuch as are of later date; and the Jaft, fuch as are called recent-Sir John Fenn's collections furnish the most early letters of the modern kind; and excepting thele, we do not observe many different names from thofe which contributed not long fince to form a volume of a like nature with the prefent: Montagu, Chesterfield, and Thrale, perhaps, for we are uncertain, may not appear in that compilation; or the letters felected under the fame name may be different in each of the volumes, but they are chiefly taken in both from the fame originals. For a farther defcription of the performance, we have therefore only to refer the reader to that account which has been given of Mr. Dilly's publication in 1790, and which will be found in the third volume of our New Series; Rev. for Dec. 1790, p. 475.

Art. 59. Collections towards a Defcription of the County of Devon. By Sir William Pole, of Colcombe and Shute, Knight, (who died A. D. 1635 ;) now first printed from the AUTOGRAPH in the Poffeffion of his lineal Defcendant, Sir William De La

Pole,