the degenerate race can view, not with a tamenefs only, but appro bation, that fufpenfion of laws, which makes them flaves of arbitrary power: they can contemplate with inactivity and unconcern, the magnanimous ftruggles of the Poles for life and liberty, against two of the most profligate tyrants that were ever let loofe to fcourge mankind: they can hate, defame and perfecute, in the midst of poverty and diftrels occafioned by minifterial prodigality and corruption, the friends of conftitutional reformation; men, whofe primary object is the moral and political melioration of the lower orders of fociety, depreffed by the arrogance and injuftice of the reigning fyftem to the ignominious condition of a mere brutish multitude.'

The reft of the pamphlet is in the fame ftrain: declaiming with some reason, perhaps, as to the matter of the complaint, but with a degree of violence and rudeness in the manner which no provocation can justify.

Art. 63. A Guide to Domeftic Happiness. In a Series of Letters. 12mo. Fourth Edition enlarged. 2s. 6d. Boards. Dilly. 1793. Our recommendation of this work, on its first appearance, will be found in our 55th vol. p. 402. The performance appears, from the multiplicity of its impreflions, to have met with that good reception from the public to which it feems juftly entitled by its merit. The prefent edition is largely augmented by a very important" Letter to Mellifia," in anfwer to the following question: Whether, in forming a matrimonial connexion, it be abfolutely the lady's duty to give her hand to the man whom he has reafon to confider as a true Christian; or whether, without incurring the Divine difpleasure, it may not be given to one who is only nominally fuch, provided his character and conduct in other respects be fair and refpectable?'-The question is difcuffed at great length, to the amount of nearly onethird of the whole book; and the answer is totally in favour of the CHRISTIAN character.

Art. 64. The Vifit for a Week; or Hints on the Improvement of Time. Containing original Tales, Anecdotes from Natural and Moral Hiftory, &c. Defigned for the Amusement of Youth. By (Mifs Peacock) the Author of the Six Princeffes of Babylon, &c. 12mo. PP. 330. 3s. 6d. Boards. Hookham.

1794.

It is a prefage in favour of the next generation, that the present times furnish fuch a variety of books for the ufe of young perfons, which fo happily unite amufement with inftruction, that they can fcarcely fail to entice them into the love of knowlege and virtue. The volume before us is entitled to fome diftinction in this clafs. It represents an elderly lady, endued with good fenfe, and well acquainted with many branches of knowlege, induftrioufly employing herself, during the course of a week's vifit, in giving her young nephew and niece inftruction in moral principles and fentiments, in natural and civil hiftory, &c. by means of miscellaneous converfation drawn from cafual occurrences, extracts from useful books, and original tales. The articles of information are well felected for the purpofe of exciting a thirft of knowlege, being, for the most part, curious and furprifing; fuch as the occupation of the bee, the fpider, and the filk-worm. In a few inftances, the

author

n

author has, perhaps, taken too much pains to amufe the young reader with marvellous tales;-for example; in the ftory of a cat that fostered a chicken; of a party of rats that conveyed eggs from a chamber at the top of the houfe to the bottom; and of another company of the fame kind of animals, who regaled themselves with oil out of Florence flafks, by the following ingenious ftratagem: One ftood on the edge of the box, while another mounted his back, dipped his tail into the neck of the flask, and then presented it to the third to lick: they then changed places, till each, in his turn, had been supplied.

Art. 65- Paradife reviewed; containing a Series of Effays: In which are deduced our Duties in Life, from Man's Nature and Origin, and in which is attempted to be defcribed, the univerfal Power of Beauty; with a Philofophical Effay on Love. 12mo. PP 47.

15. Hamilton.

This rambling writer is commendable as an advocate for love and marriage; and fo far we confider him as an advocate for virtue. Amid his fancies and unconnected wanderings, the reader may find fome juft obfervations on this topic, which may be applied to useful purposes. In one part, we find a chapter intitled Cupid; in another, a dialogue between a married couple, tranflated from the French; and, at the clofe, fome paffages taken from Rouffeau's works, which many will confider as conftituting the best part of his performance.

Art. 66. The Declaration and Confeffion of Robert Watt, written, fubfcribed, and delivered by himself, the Evening before his Execution for High Treafon, at Edinburgh, Oct. 15, 1794. Attefted by the Rev. Dr. Baird, Principal of the University of Edinburgh; and the Rev. T. Jones, one of the Minifters of Lady Glenorchie's Chapel. 8vo. 18. Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh; Robinsons, London.

From the authentic account here given, this miserable plotter appears to have been a ftrange fort of half-crazy character. We have no doubt that society is well rid of a dangerous member. It appears that the out-line of an actual confpiracy against Government was drawn, in which a confiderable number of people, neither wifer nor better informed than himself, seem to have been affociated with him; and from which the worst of confequences to the public might have enfued, had not the contrivers been happily, and in good time, difcovered. A print of Watt is prefixed.

1

Art. 67. The Crimps, or the Death of Poor Howe; a Tragedy in one Act, as lately performed at a House of Ill-fame, or what is called A Recruiting Office, in London, with univerfal Execration. Written by Henry Martin Saunders. 8vo. 6d. Eaton.

If this fmall piece were not written chiefly with a view to excite popular refentment, it may perhaps be confidered merely as a catchpenny production. It is founded on the violent death of a perfon of the name of Howe, who is faid to have been kidnapped by a recruiting party, and to have loft his life by endeavouring to escape through the window of a chamber in which he was confined, and most inhumanly treated. The writer feems to have fuppofed that the fenders have been fkreened from that exemplary punishment which, according to

his detail of the tranfaction, they justly merited.-Of the riots which enfued, none who see the newfpapers can be ignorant.-The ftyle of this Fittle compofition is not ill adapted to the occafion, and the ungrammatical vulgarifms of the London canaille are well copied; but they throw an air of ridicule over fome of the fcenes, which feems inconfiftent with Tragedy, and with the catastrophe of the piece. Art. 68. A Modern Sabbath, or a Sunday's Ramble, or a Sabbathday Journey, circuitous and defcriptive, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster, &c. Defcribing, in an agreeable Manner, the various interefting Scenes which are weekly to be met with at the Coffeehouses, Taverns, Places of Public Worfhip, Ordinaries, Public Gardens, &c.-The whole illuftrated with a great Variety of original Characters, Anecdotes, and Memoirs of Persons in real Life. Intended to fhew, in their proper Light, the Follies of the prefent Age. izmo. 15. Crofby. 1794.

Tom Brown's Comical View of London and Westminster, or Ned Ward's London Spy, or both, may have furnished the hint of the prefent piece of popular humour;' which is written much in the spirit of thofe minor wits of the laft age, and may, perhaps, attract as many admirers.

Art. 69. Pleafing Melancholy, or a Walk among the Tombs in a Country Church Yard, in the Style and Manner of Harvey's Meditations; to which are added Epitaphs, Elegies, and Infcriptions in Profe and Verfe. By G. Wright, Efq. 8vo. PP. 208. 2s. 6d. Bound. Chapman. 1793.

Among the long lift of travellers drawn up by our old friend Sterne, we believe that he forgets, for we cannot fuppofe that he defignedly omits, the pious traveller. We will not judge fo ill of the world as to fuppofe that this kind of travellers is not fufficiently numerous to form a distinct clafs ;- and in this clafs we can have no hesitation in giving the editor of this volume a place of diftinétion. Leaving to the Antiquary the gratification of decyphering, with invincible pacience, the half effaced infcription on the mouldering tomb; and to the petty wit the amufement of rambling through church-yards in fearch of comical rhymes; this traveller vifits the manfions of the dead to gather leffons of piety, and prefents them to his fellow mortals as a memento mori. In this view, the collection may be as ufeful, though it be neither fo learned nor fo entertaining, as Hacket's Epitaphs. Serious Reflections on mortality, interfperfed with fictitious characters and narratives, are prefixed.

Art. 70. The abfurd Notion of Fortune in Marriage refuted. By Jofeph Taylor. 8vo. pp. 45. 1s. 1793.

Jofeph Taylor is very right in expecting that fome of his readers will condemn thefe fheets as a compofition of nonsense.'

Art. 71. A Father' Advice to his Daughters refpecting Marriage. Izmo. 6d. Baldwin.

Plain, affectionate, and pious; fuch as any good father on fo interefting a fubject would naturally give; and fuch as no good daughter, who confulted her parent's happiness and her own, would neglect to follow.

SINGLE SERMONS.

Art. 72. Steadfastness in Religion and Loyalty recommended. Preached before the Legiflature of his Majefty's Province of Nova Scotia ; at Halifax, April 7, 1793. By the Right Rév. Charles, Bishop of Nova Scotia. 8vo. IS. Stockdale.

The distinct obligations of religion and loyalty, and their mutual connection with and joint influence on perfonal and public profperity, are treated in this difcourfe, but in a loofe and trite kind of declamation, which gives us no very high opinion of the talents of the Right Reverend Preacher, and affords us no inducement to lay before our readers any specimen of his eloquence. The Bishop furely indulges too much partiality to the colony, over whofe fpiritual concerns he prefides, when he calls it a land poffeffed of as many natural advantages as any colony or province on the continent of America. Art. 73. The Duties of a Soldier, illuftrated and enforced. Preached at the Confecration of the Colours of the Somerfet Light Dragoons, 6th August 1794, in the Church of St. Mary Magdalen, Taunton. By the Rev. John Gardiner, Curate of the above Church, &c. Published at the Request of the Corps. 4to. pp. 37. Rivingtons.

1s. 6d.

No doctrine appears more rational and fublime than that of Divine Providence, while it is expreffed in general terms, and regarded as an universal truth:- but, when it comes to be applied to particular cafes, whether by individuals or nations, there is always great danger left it should be debased and perverted, in fubfervience to hu man weakness and partiality. The fame appearances in nature, which indicate the exiftence of a Supreme Being, alfo manifeft his fuperintendence of the univerfe. Nothing, therefore, can be more reafonable than to acknowlege his directing hand in the great events which occur among men, particularly in the changes which take place in civil fociety. The fundamental doctrine of the difcourfe now before as wil be generally admitted without controverfy,-that the affairs of war are under the divine direction; and that, if glory and fuccefs be the portion of one party, and ruin and defeat be that of another, they are both to be attributed to the fame cause, operating for the wifest and best purposes. Great caution, however, ought to be used in pronouncing any particular caufe, in which the fword 's drawn, to be the CAUSE OF GOD, and on that account expecting His favour and protection. There appears to us to be fome degree of rafhnefs and prefumption in the manner in which the author of this fermon calls on the foldiers, to whom bis difcourfe is addreffed, to fet up their banners in the name of the Lord," to be displayed because of the truth," and in inftructing them that they are impelled to action, not only as fervants of their King, and defenders of their country, but as champions in the cause of Chrift. To put the prefent war on this footing may tend to revive the fuperftition and phrenzy of the antient erufades, and to renew all the horrors of perfecution:-but though, on this ground, the prefent difcourfe appears materially questionable, we think it entitled to praise as an eloquent addrefs to the foldiery, fuitable to the occafion, and well adapted to imprefs on their minds fentiments of piety, fubordination, and moral regularity.

Art.

360

Art. 74. Seasonable Reflections on Religious Fafts. Delivered April 13th, 1794, in the Chapel, Frog-lane, Bath. By Daniel Jardine. 8vo. 6d. Dilly.

The obfervance of days of public faft and humiliation, though not perhaps legally obligatory, especially among diffenters, whofe places of worship are not particularly fpecified in regal proclamations for this purpofe, has generally prevailed among religious feats; doubtless from a perfuafion that fuch days are adapted to ftrengthen the influence of the religious principle on the minds of men. Mr. Jardine, however, differs from the generality of his brethren in this particular; and, from the preface to this fermon, it appears that he has been cenfured for having neglected to comply with the general practice on the laft fat-day. The grounds of this inftance of non-conformity are ftated in this difcourfe: which is intended to fhew that the practice of fasting is inconfiftent with reafon and Chriftianity. This practice. is faid to have been rather difcouraged than countenanced by the Jewish legiflator; and our Saviour's language on this subject, in the fermon on the mount, is conftrued into a full and pointed condemnation of the religious practice of confecrating, publicly, certain feafons, to bodily mortifications and external humiliation. How far this reprefentation may be correct, and this author's arguments againft As they are doubtlefs fafting decifive, is not our business to inquire. fatisfactory to himself, they will at least be sufficient, in the eyes of all candid people, to fcreen him from the charge of political difaffection on account of the omiffion which occafioned these reflections.

CORRESPONDENCE.

A Devonshire correfpondent, who figns Saintfort, advifes a tranflation of Scheyers's work on Practical Hydraulics, reviewed in our last Appendix, p. 540. having no doubt that it would meet with a favourable reception among the practical millers and farmers of this country.' We should be glad to fee fuch a publication: but we know not any gentleman to whom, at prefent, we could recommend the talk.

+++ We do not imagine that Mr. Heffe has any good ground for complaint: we know that he is wrong in his fufpicion: but we have not yet been able to tranfmit his letter to the gentleman more imme-diately concerned in it. Should he deem any farther answer neceffary, it shall be given.

ttt The obliging letter of Agricola is juft come to hand.

Ill To M, H.-Our account of Mr. Grose's valuable Antiquities of Ireland will appear in the next Review.

tilt Citizen Harrifon's Letter to Mr. Dundas was reviewed in our Number for September laft.

味