to this, he defcribes the unjuft and tyrannical temper to be, of all others, the most wretched and compleatly miferable.'

Befides the judicious reflections concerning the various kinds of civil Government, the Republic, he obferves, alfo contains many excellent remarks on Education: and we will add, that to an accurate Obferver it affords a thorough infight into human nature, as the various paffions and propenfities of mankind, are throughout delineated in the most juft and glowing colours.

With respect to the tranflation, it has undoubted merit: but it is to be wifhed, that the Tranflator had taken greater liberties, and ftudied to make it more palatable to an English Reader. He himself very judiciously premises, that to fuperficial and impatient Readers, the copious manner of Plato's Dialogue may poffibly appear oftentimes tedious;' and we fear that by adhering, perhaps, too faithfully to the original, this objection remains in its full force. The very frequent and needlefs repetition of faid he,' and 'faid I,' with the other innumerable expletives with which the Dialogue is clogged, cannot fail to make it tirefome and difgufting in many inftances. We must obferve likewife, that there are fome peculiarities of expreffion which had been better avoided, fuch as Pled-improven-naughty ---misfortunate-mercat, &c. It is true, a Grammarian might be puzzled to affign any good reason, why pled fhould not be as commonly used for the Preterperfect Tenfe of plead, as led is for the Preterperfect of lead; but it is not agreeable to the eftablifhed idiom of our language: and if we give way to innovations of this kind, our language, which feemed, fome years ago, to have been pretty well fixed, may, in a few years, become wholly unintelligible: therefore it is more prudent, perhaps, to difpenfe with fome inaccuracies, than to rectify them at such a hazard.

Thefe peculiarities are the more extraordinary, as the preface is wholly free from them, and written in a ftyle at once nervous, correct, and expreffive. In fhort, we are bold to say, that the preface alone is worth the purchase of the book to a curious Reader. He will there find, not only an accurate epitome of Plato's Republic, but a general delineation of the characters, manners, and philofophy of the ancient Grecians, illuftrated by many judicious and pertinent reflections.

In the conclufion of the preface, the Reverend Writer makes mention of two French tranflations of Plato's Republic: the latter of which (printed at Paris, in 1762) he generously al

By the former, we fuppofe our Author means the tranflation of M. de la Pillonnierre, which was fo highly commended by the cele. brated M. de Fontenelle,

lows to be fo elegant and natural, that nothing can exceed it. He likewife, with becoming candour, pays a refpectful tribute to the merit of the learned Sydenham, who is now publishing a tranflation of Plato's works: the feveral parts of which, fo far as that Gentleman hath yet proceeded in the work, and as they fucceffively appeared in print, have been duly mentioned in our Review.

BRITISH ZOOLOGY. Part the Second. Folio, Imperial Paper, 21. 2s. Walter, &c.

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UR Readers may remember, that we lately gave them fome account of the first part of this noble and truly entertaining work; fee Review for November laft, p. 334, feq. We are fincerely glad to find, that the Gentlemen who have, on fuch laudable motives, undertaken it, are encouraged to proceed-although their method of publication is not altogether fo regular as might have been wifhed. The Editors have, in this fecond part, given the Defcriptions of a number of Quadrupeds, the Figures of which do not yet appear; and we have here alfo about thirty Engravings of the Winged Tribe, the Natural Hiftory of which is not yet given. But this diforder, and these omiffions, (arifing from no other caufe than the diftance of some of the Editors, as we gather from their Advertifement, and the bufinefs of others, which unavoidably caused delays, &c.) will be rectified, and fupplied, in the third and fourth Parts: when, no doubt, the whole will be reduced into proper fyftematic order.-The third Part, we learn, is already in great forwardness; and the whole will, we are perfuaded, prove an ornament and an honour to the country which has produced it.

We are forry that the nature of our work will not allow us to give our Readers a fpecimen of the Engravings, and of the Colouring of the Plates; but of the Defcriptions a fpecimen may be expected; and the following account of the Horfe is therefore extracted.

The breed of Horfes in Great Britain is as mixed as that of its inhabitants: the frequent introduction of foreign Horfes, has given us a variety that no single country can boast of: most other kingdoms produce only one kind, while ours, by a judicious mixture of the feveral fpecies, by the happy difference of our foils, and by our fuperior fkill in management, may triumph

See alfo Review for December laft, p. 79, Letter to the Reviewers, on this fubject.

23

over

over the reft of Europe, in having brought each quality of this noble animal to the highett perfection,

In the Annals of Newmarket may be found inftances of Horfes that have literally outstripped the wind, as the celebrated M. Condamine has lately fhewn, in his remarks on those of Great Britain. Childers is an amazing inftance of rapidity, his fpeed having been more than once exerted equal to eightytwo feet and a half in a fecond, or near a mile in a minute: the fame Horfe has alfo run the round courfe at Newmarket, (which is about four hundred yards lefs than four miles) in fix minutes and forty feconds; in which cafe, his feetness is to that of the fwifteft Barb, as four to three.

Horfes of this kind derive their origin from Arabia; the feat of the purest and most generous breed.

The fpecies ufed in hunting, is a happy combination of the former with others fuperior in ftrength, but inferior in point of fpeed and lineage, a union of both is neceffary; for the fatigues of the chace must be fupported by the fpirit of the one, as well as by the vigour of the other.

No country can bring a parallel to the ftrength and fize of our Horses destined for the draught; or to the activity and ftrength united of thofe that form our cavalry,

In our capital there are inftances of fingle Horfes that are able to draw on a plain, for a small fpace, the weight of three tuns; but could with ease, and for a continuance, draw half that weight. The Pack horfes of Yorkshire, employed in conveying the manufacture of that country, to the most remote parts of the kingdom, ufually carry a burden of four hundred and twenty pounds; and that indifferently over the higheft hills of the North, as well as the most level roads: but the most remarkable proof of the ftrength of our British Horfes is to be drawn from that of our Mill-horfes; fome of thefe will carry at one load thirteen mcafures, which, at a moderate computation of feventy pounds each, will amount to nine hundred and ten; a weight fuperior to that which the leffer variety of camels will bear: this will appear le's furp.izing, as thefe Horfes are by degrees accustomed to the weight; and the diftance they trayel, no greater than to and from the adjacent hamlets.

Our cavalry, in the late campaigns, gave frequent proofs of their fuperiority over thofe of our allies, as well as thofe of the French; the battle of Warburg is a memorable inftance of their strength and activity: the enemy was broke through by the impetuous charge of our fquadrons; while the German Horfes, froin their great weight, and inactive make, were unable to fe

cond

tond our efforts; though those troops were actuated by the nobleft ardour.

The present cavalry of this ifland only fupports its ancient glory; it was eminent in the earliest times: our feythed cha riots, and the activity and good difcipline of our Horfes, even truck terror into Cæfar's legions: it is now impoffible to trace out this fpecies; for thofe which exift among the Indigenæ of Great Britain, fuch as the little Horfes of Wales and Cornwal, the Hobbies of Ireland, and the Shelties of Scotland, though admirably well adapted to the ufes of thofe countries, could never have been equal to the work of war. Those we employ for that purpose, or for the draught, are an offspring of the German or Flemish breed, meliorated by our foil, and a judicious culture.

The increase of our inhabitants, and the extent of our manufactures, together with the neglect of internal navigation to convey thofe manufactures, multiplied the number of our Horfes: an excess of wealth, before unknown in these iflands, increafed the luxury of carriages, and added to the neceffity of an extraordinary culture of these animals: their high reputation abroad, has also made them a branch of commerce, and proved another cause of their vast increase.

As no kingdom can boast of parallel circumstances, so none can vie with us in the number of thefe noble quadrupeds; it would be extremely difficult to guefs at the exact amount of them, or to form a periodical account of their increase. We find that in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's reign, the whole kingdom could not fupply two thousand Horfes to form our cavalry and even in the year 1588, when the nation was in the most imminent danger from the Spanish invafion, all the cavalry which the nation could then furnifh, amounted only to three thoufand: but fuch is their prefent increafe, that in the late war, the number employed was 13,575; and fuch is our improvement in the breed of Horfes, that most of those which are ufed in our waggons and carriages of different kinds, might be applied to the fame purpofe; of thofe our capital alone employs near twenty-two thousand.

The learned M. Buffon has almoft exhausted the fubject of the natural hiftory of the Horfe, and the other domeftic animals; and left very little for after Writers to add. We may obferve, that this most noble and ufeful quadruped is endowed with every quality that can make it fubfervient to the ufes of mankind; and thofe qualities appear in a more exalted, or in a Lefs degree, in proportion to our various neceffities.

" ་ ་

Undaunted courage, added to a docility half reasoning, is

given to fome, which fits them for military fervices. The' fpi rit and emulation fo apparent in others, furnishes us with that fpecies which is admirably adapted for the courfe; or, the more noble and generous pleasure of the chace. Patience and perfeyerance appear ftrongly in that moft ufeful kind deftined to bear the burdens we impofe on them, or are employed in the slavery of the draught.

Though endowed with vaft ftrength, and great powers, they very rarely exert either to their Mafter's prejudice; but, on the contrary, will endure fatigues, even to death, for our benefit. Providence has implanted in them a benevolent difpofition, and a fear of the human race, together with a certain consciousness of the fervices we can render them. Moft of the hoofed quadrupeds are domeftic, becaufe neceffity compels them to feek our protection: wild beafts are provided with feet and claws, adapted to the forming dens and retreats from the inclemency of the weather; but the former, deftitute of thefe advantages, are obliged to run to us for artificial fhelter, and harvefted provifion; as Nature, in these climates, does not throughout the year fupply them with neceflary food.

But ftill, many of our tame animals must by accident endure the rigour of the feafon: to prevent which inconvenience, their feet (for the extremities fuffer firft by cold) are protected py ftrong hoofs of a horny fubftance.

The tail too is guarded with long bushy hair, that protects it in both extremes of weather; during the fummer, it ferves by its pliancy and agility, to brufh off the fwarms of infects which are perpetually attempting either to fting them, or to depofit their eggs in their rectum; the fame length of hair contriputes to guard them from the cold in winter.

Thus is the Horfe provided against the two greatest evils he is fubject to from the feafons. His natural difeafes are few; but our ill usage, or neglect, or what is very frequent, our over care of him, bring on a numerous train, which are often fatal. Among the diftempers he is naturally fubject to, are the worms, the bots, and the ftone: the fpecies of worms that infeft him, are the Lumbrici, and Afcarides; both thefe refemble thofe formed in human bodies, only larger, The bots are the eruca, or caterpillars of the oeftrus, or gad-fly: thefe are found both in the rectum, and in the ftomach; and when in the latter, bring on convulfions, that often terminate in death.

The tone is a difeafe the Horfe is not frequently fubject to; yet we have feen two examples of it; the one in a Horle near High-Wycombe, that voided fixteen calculi, each of an