of Caffel. 8vo. Francfort. 1781. This writer treats amply concerning the government, the inhabitants, the military, the manners, cuftoms, and curiofities of Caffel. He obferves, that notwithflanding the fcarcity of money in currency among the inhabitants, 400,000 dollars are annually coined in that city. He computes the number of its inhabitants at 25,000, and makes the army of the Landgrave amount to 22,000 men. XIII. Defcription de ce qu'il y a d'intereffant et de curieux dans la Refidence de Manheim, et les Villes Principales du Palatinate, i. e. A Description of the City of Manheim, and of the principal Towns of the Palatinate; containing a particular Account of whatever is curious or interefting in thefe Cities. 8vo. Manheim. 1781. This publication is worthy of attention. The objects it defcribes are interefting, and inftruction may be often derived from the inftitutions and eftablishments of fmall ftates, which we are fo apt to overlook. Manheim is a fine city, and has been greatly improved, fince it became the refidence of the elector, in 1720. The electoral palace is a vaft and noble edifice, and its library, medals, pictures, engravings, collections of natural curiofities, rarities in gold, filver, and precious ftones, form a vaft and valuable treafure. The academy of Manheim, the fociety for the improvement of the German language, the public library, which contains above 40,000 volumes, the botanic garden, the colleges of anatomy, furgery, and midwifery, the obfervatory, and gallery of paintings, the faloon of statues, and the collection of prints which fills above 400 great folio volumes, furnifh ample matter of defcription to the anonymous author of this work. He gives alfo a circumftantial account of. the manufactures of Heidelberg, in carpets, tapestry, filk ftuffs; and of thofe of Frankenthal, the third city of note in the pala-, tinate. This latter city is in a flourishing flate: the elector granted, in 1771, extenfive privileges to its manufacturers, and has opened a communication between it and the Rhine by a navigable canal. Its manufactures of China, tobacco, filks, ribbons, &c. are confiderable, and its metal founderies are remarkably fuccefsful. But the object that appears to us the most worthy of attention in this account of the Palatinate, and which deferves to be imitated by the legiflature in every well-regulated ftate, is a particular kind of univerfity, that was founded at Lautern in 1774 This excellent eftablishment is entirely confecrated to the study of political oeconomy, the ufeful arts, finances, commerce, police, agriculture, and other branches relative to the fcience of government. The academical courfe for each student is three years, and none but thofe who have gone through this courfe, are qualified for holding an employment in the adminif tration, or even the place of ecclefiaftical counsellor. Such is the the tenor of an act iffued out by the elector in the year 1778. There are belonging to this univerfity a public library, compofed of books on the fciences alone, that are taught there, a cabinet of natural history, a collection of inftruments for experimental philofophy, a chamber of models (fuch as the madder-mill, the English bee-hive, &c.), a chymical elaboratory, à botanical garden, feveral manufactures under the direction of the Oeconomal Society, and a farm, that is to be cultivated according to its orders. Thefe, and many more objects of importance, are amply enumerated and enlarged upon in this interefting publication. We need not obferve how much an inftitution of this kind is. wanting in our public and academical courfes of education. Claffical learning is, indeed, eminently cultivated in the British fchools; and may the period never come, when the noble fountains of Grecian and Roman lore, which form true taste, enlarge genius, and elevate the mind, fhall be neglected by the British youth! But though thefe pure fources fhed more or less of their happy influence on all the parts of the focial and civil fyftem, yet they are, alone, infufficient to form the ufeful citizen, and the able ftatefman.-The various wants of man in civil fociety (which this kind of fociety has fo unhappily multiplied) require, in its rulers, other fources of knowledge and skill, than thofe which are opened in our schools and univerfities. He that has an eye to fee, let him fee. XIV. FISCHER Uber die gefchichte des Defpotifmus in Teutfchland, &c. i. e. Concerning the History and Progress of Defpotifm in Germany. By M. FRED. CHRIST. JONATHAN FISCHER, Profefior of Political and Feudal Law in the University of Halle, large octavo Halle. 1780. This work, to which is fubjoined a great number of papers and records, as vouchers of the facts which the Author relates, is folid and inftructive, and wants nothing but a little more method and order to render it highly recommendable, to all who have a tate for one of the molt important branches of ufeful knowledge-Political Hiftory. XV. Physikalisch- Matallurgische Abhandlungen, &c. i. e. Phyfico-Metallurgical Differtations on the Mountains and Quarries of Hungary. By M. J. J. FEREER. To which is added a Defcription of the Founderies and Manufactures of Steel in Stiria. By an anonymous hand, enriched with plates. 8vo.. 328 pages. Berlin and Stetin. 1780. The name of FERBER, whofe diftinguifhed merit in this line of publications we have had more than once occafion to celebrate, is a fufficient recommendation of this work, and will also procure a favourable reception for one of the fame nature, which he defigns to publish, and of which the mountains, mines, and quarries of Tranfylvania will furnish the materials. Hh2 M... MONTHLY MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For DECEMBER, 1781. POLITICAL. Art. 15. Free Thoughts on the Continuance of the American War, and the Neceffity of its Termination. Addreffed to the Inhabitants of Great Britain. By a Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. I s. Payne. 1781. T HE violent contenders for American coercion will do well to attend to the difpaffionate, ferious, and folid remarks of this abie advocate for peace:-peace before it be too late!—peace before we lose the capacity of enjoying it.' EAST-IN DIE S. Art. 16. A Letter from Captain Jofeph Price, to Philip Francis, Efq; late a Member of the Supreme Council of Bengal. 8vo. 1 S. Stockdale. Captain Price accufes Mr. Francis of injurious reflections on his conduct in the Eaft-India Company's naval fervice; and retorts upon him in terms of strong refentment. But after making due allowance for the feelings of an individual, fmarting under harsh treatment from powerful bodies of men, had Captain Price, in many initances, expreffed himself more temperately, his meaning need not have been weakened, nor might his complaint have appeared to lefs advantage. POETICAL. Ne Art. 17. The Brothers, an Eclogue, by the Honourable Charles John Fielding. 4to. I s. Walter. 1781. It is feldom that paftoral effufions, the overflowings of a youthful imgination not yet employed in reflecting images from real life, can afford much gratification: to this remark, however, the prefent eclogue is an exception. Whoever can be delighted in contemplating the operations of fraternal affeétion on an amiable and elegant mind, will read this poem with confiderable pleasure. The fpeakers in this dialogue are, Damon the fhepherd, and Dorylas the foldier; each, as may be expected in a poetical conteft of this kind, defends his own mode of life, and reproaches his opponent with chufing an oppofite one. DORYLAS. Britannia calls! her foes are gather'd round; In Damon's reply, the manner in which the real character of the Speaker breaks out, is fingularly happy: it makes ample amends for the 1 affumption of fictitious manners with which the faftidioufness of DAMON. Give me a fword! this feeble hand shall save Give me a fword! while filial love fupplies That ftrength which nature, and which health denies. No arm can wield it more beloved than thine! And gain a nation's, as a brother's love! Mr. Fielding's verification, though not highly finished, is eafy and harmonious; and his poetical talents are fuch as feem to want nothing but time and cultivation to bring them to maturity. The Author infcribes this poem to his brother, the Lord Vifcount Fielding. Thefe noble brothers are fons to the Earl of Den bigh. Art. 18. The American War, a Poem, in Six Books. 8vo. SPECIMEN. Both parties feem'd to scorn ignoble flight; And thrice each vanquish'd corps renew'd the fight! The gallant ancient Briton loft his life. O'er wounded, groaning, dying, and the dead, With fage precaution Gates each moment seiz'd; Rage in their eyes, &c. &c. Where are ve now- fpirits of Sternhold, Hopkins, Prynne, Quarles, and Withers! Withered, indeed, are your laurels! Here is a bard who hath eclipfed ye all! So deemeth MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS. This motley fatire is not wholly deftitute of wit or imagination. Hh 3 c.t.t. turer; though there are few characters of public notoriety that are not, by fome means or other, hooked in. ihe Author hoping, we prefume, by this general attack to attract general notice: but he should have remembered, that the more general ay attack is, the feebler will be the impreffion it will make. Art. 20. The Sea fide, or Margate, a Poem, in Four Cantos. 4t0. 2 s. 6 d. Evans. 1781. This induftrious verifier has failed not to defcribe almost every object that the fcenery which he had before him could afford. His delcriptions, however, are more remarkable for minutenefs and fidelity than poetical embellishment. Art. 21. A Poetical Epifle from Petrarch to Laura. 4to. I S. Wal.er. The ftory of Petrarch and Laura is well known. This Epistle is not calculated to make it more interefting. Art. 22. A Defcriptive Poem, written in the Weft Indies, 1781. Humbly infcribed to the Royal Society, by George Heriot. 410. 2s. Docfley. 1781. C-t-t This defcriptive poem is, properly speaking, an unpoetical defcription of the climate and an ma's peculiar to the West Indies. DRAMATIC. Art. 23. The Select Sangs of the Gentle Shepherd. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury-Lane. 8vo. 6 d. ket. 1701, Bec Thefe Songs are felected, with fome variation, from the beautiful dramatic Scotch paftoral of Allan Kamfay, but the alterations are almot uniformly for the worse. The fecond Song runs thus: Dear Patie, if your Peggy dear, Return'd your kindnefs wi' a flight, Yet I will try, if the perfift To answer a my love wi' hate, To be by other laffes bleft,. And let her figh when 'tis too late. How inferior is the above to the following original! I. Dear Roger, if your Jenny geck, And anfwer kindness with a flight, When maidens, innocently young, Do 1 |