ART. 24. Riches and Poverty, a Tale. By Mifs Burrell. 12mo. 212 pp. 55. Tipper. This tale, though not very probable, is certainly entertaining, and is of fo good a tendency that we fhould have no hefitation in putting it into the hands of any young friend, who was fond of light reading; but we cannot altogether approve of fo many poftfcripts; in letter 26, there are no less than five ftiled "in continuation," befides a poftfcript. There are a few pretty pieces of poetry interspersed. POLITICS. ART. 25. Reflections on fome Questions relative to the prefent State of the Nation. Addreffed to the Rev. F. Randolph, D.D. Prebendary of Brifiol, and Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Duke of York. Occafioned by a Letter to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, lately published by Dr. Randolph, and by fome other recent Publications. By John Pern Tinney. 8vo. 117 pp. 2s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. 1808. Our opinion refpecting the political letter of Dr. Randolph, was diftinctly declared in our late account of that work. The prefent writer coincides with the cenfures, which our duty compelled us to pafs, on fome parts of that publication, and dilates on the fubject with confiderable severity, tempered nevertheless by perfonal refpect for Dr. Randolph. Our limits do not permit us to detail the arguments ufed by this author; which are, of course, fimilar to those by which the cause of Great Britain has been already defended, against the advocates of our unprincipled foe. The conduct of those writers is traced from the beginning of the French Revolution, and its effects forcibly, and, in our opinion, juftly defcribed. We are much pleased with the spirit. ed manner in which Dr. R.'s imputations on the British character are repelled and reprobated by the writer before us; who alfo cites a paffage in Mr. Rofcoe's late political tract with indignant, but (if the paffage be accurately given) well deferved cenfure. As we shall foon have occafion to notice that work and its fequel, we abftain from those remarks which Mr. Roscoe's declared fentiments and the able comment upon them by this author are calculated to excite. The author proceeds to ani madvert on the uncharitable and furely unfounded application which Dr. R. has made of the prophecy refpecting the deftruc tion of Tyre to Great Britain. "Are you," he asks, “seriously of opinion that our hoftility to France, fo lately proftrate before a prostitute in the Cathedral of Paris, then termed the Temple of Reason, and which so lately renounced the first prin * See Brit. Crit, for April 1808, page 440. ciple of religious fentiment by proclaiming death to be an eternal ficep, can be compared to the hoftility of Tyre against Jerufalem, the chofen people of God, and the only nation at that time un ftained by idolatrous worship?" He infers that "the heart which entertains fuch fears, must be moft wretched. But if fuch fears be not felt, and they be expreffed to perplex our public councils, to alarm or mifguide our public judgment, to create distrust or terror when our fafety requires confidence and hope, we know," he adds, "how to appreciate the loyalty of him, who, by proftituting the Sacred Writings to political purpofes, has at once condemned his country and his king. We know how to estimate his opinions, and to value the fagenefs of his advice." Thefe expreffions are fevere: we with it were in our power to add, that they are undeferved. A well written and well merited panegyric follows, on the character of our excellent Sovereign; and a very fenfible difcuffion refpecting the probable, we might aimoit fay, certain confequences of any peace with France, which fhall leave her with every means of carrying on the operations of her hoftility, and which will deprive us of the nicans of renewing the conteft, even at an hour's warning." The author infifts, that no negociation fhould be entered upon "which does not, by preliminary conceffion, amply provide for the establishment of our future independence, for the acknow. ledgment of our effential rights, and for our full fecurity againit the future aggreffions of France." To prove the dangers to which our Church is expofed by the unceafing activity and determined hoftility of fectarics, the author gives a clear and, we believe, accurate hiftory of the rife and progrefs of Methodifm; enumerating the various artifices employed by the perfons of that perfuafion, to obtain power and influence to their own body, and gradually to undermine the Establishment. Were we to extract any particular paffage from this connected detail, it would be doing injuftice to the whole; which we recommend to the perufal of every friend to the efta. blifhed Church, who may not be fully informed of the ftriking facts here related. It is almost needlefs, after what we have faid, to add, that this work has our cordial approbation; and that the author may be justly, in cur opinion, claffed among thofe political writers whofe abilities, by no means inconfiderable, are employed in fupport of the honour and welfare of his country. ART. 26. The Subftence of Lord Erskine's Speech in the House of Lords, on Monday, April 13, 1807. Svc. 32 FP. 15. Phil. lips. 1807. As we have on other cccafions, fully difcuffed the fubject treated in the fpeech before us *, it cannot be neceffary minutely * See Brit. Crit. vol. xxix. p. 87. vol. xxx. p 315, 319, 320, &c. &c. to to examine arguments which, though a little varied in form, are, in fubftance, the fame we have already combated, and, as we truft, refuted. The noble and learned lord, whofe fentiments are here reported, is made to complain, that the cafe in queftion has been unfairly ftated. But we much doubt whether the fame complaint may not lie with more juftice against the statements contained in this fpeech. The Irish Act of 1793, threw open (fays the fpeech) the whole civil and military establishment in Ireland to the catholics; with certain exceptions however, which, though they might be reasonable at the time, created difficulties in cafe of an union between the two kingdoms. The extenfion of that Act (the noble lord procceds to ftate) "was forced upon the confideration of the late minifters by the peculiar crifis; there being a neceflity, at that crifis, of "bringing into action our whole national force." Such, he tells us, was the confideration which led to the introduction of this bill. Now, as the bill was certainly not introduced by the learned peer himself, and as undoubtedly no practical inconvenience had arifen from the difference in the laws of the two countries, we inuft be permitted to refer to the correfpondence of the late ministry with the lord lieutenant and the conferences between the Irish fecretary and principal Irish catholics, on the fubject, for proof that another object, the object of conciliating the higher orders of that perfuafion, by a partial measure, and thereby inducing them to defer their more important claims, was principally, if not wholly, in view. We are not now cenfuring fuch a purpofe; but let us not hear of mis-statements, when one fo grofs and palpable is prominent in this very fpeech. In fact, the whole mifchief that enfued feems to have arifen from this very fource, that the pretext and the real cause of the measure propofed were effentially different. The fervices of the great body of the catholics in the army and navy had been fecured, with regard to Ireland, and (by connivance) extended to England, ever fince the Act of 1793; but to flatter the perfons of rank and fuppofed influence in that body, it was deemed expedient that the exceptions contained in the Irish fta tutes, few as they were, and little as they could affect the catho. lics in general, fhould be wholly done away. What is alleged by the learned lord as the motive for abandoning the bill in toto, inftead of modifying it according to the ftatute of 1793, confirms this opinion. The fpeech, being in defence of the noble lord's late colleagues, of course denies that any deception was practifed on the occafion. That there was any studied deception has never, we believe, been alledged by any candid perfon. The error imputed (and which we think is in effect acknowledged in the fpeech of Lord Howick) was, that, having first deceived themfelves, the minifters, by an almost neceffary confequence, deceived their fovereign; and that al at all events, they fhould have exprefsly notified to him a change in the bill which rendered it fo difcordant to the fentiments which he had declared. Much pains is taken in this fpeech to juftify the well-known minute of a part of the cabinet, and it alfo roundly afferts, not only that the choice and difmiffion of minifters is not to be deemed the perfonal act of the king, but that, in point of fact, the dif miffion of the late minifters was owing to fecret advice. Were we in the place of the learned lord, we would profccute the man who imputed fuch fentiments to us. ART. 27. The prefent Crifis in Germany, and the North of Europe; with Animadverfions on the Conduct and Defigus of France refpecting Auftria and the Empire, at various Periods, 8vo. 71 pp. 25. Budd, 1807. The fate of Europe, when this pamphlet was written, appeared to hinge on events in the north. Our hopes and fears are now transferred to a totally different quarter; fuch are the extraordinary times in which we live. It is of little ufe to trace, as is done by this writer, the progress of Gallic ambition in former times, fince the ftrides which France has taken within these few years towards univerfal dominion, exceed the whole measure of her violence, injustice, and perfidy, during centuries. Her plots againft Auftria in particular, are deduced by this author from the reign of Francis the First, and his attempt to gain the imperial crown: thence they are brought down to the prefent period. In this narration are fome juft and appofite remarks, particularly as to the relative fituations of Auftria and Pruffia, and the fyftem of the great Frederick; which was, fays the author, that "the former fhould poffefs the imperial crown, the latter guard the liberties of Germany, and both protect the empire against foreign enemies." The first defertion of this plan he afcribes to the treaty into which Auftria was inveigled by France in 1767; from which, in his opinion, have arifen the jealoufies which have prevented any cordial and permanent union between the powers most interested in the prefervation of Germany. Such an union is strongly recommended in this work. Unfortunately one of the two powers to whom it relates, has been fince virtually extinguished. It would now be ridiculous to build upon the acceffion of Pruffia to any league against France, or even to speak of her unfortunate monarch as an independent fovereign. The fame obfervation unhappily applies to the author's fanguine expectations of an effectual refiftance to the French arms by the late confederacy against them. Nor is he more happy in the anticipation of great and decifive exertions from the northern states and the ready fubmiffion of Spain to the dictates of the Corfican tyrant. But fuch are the rapid viciffitudes of political- affairs, that that at the prefent moment, the only hope of liberation to Europe, is in the rifing fpirit of the Spanish people; and yet, poffibly before the publication of this article, that hope may have vanished. But "meliora precamur.” MEDICINE. ART. 28. A Rowland for an Oliver; in Anfwer to Dr. Mofeley's Oliver for a Rowland, and to Mr. Birch, containing a Defence of Vaccination. By John Ring, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and of the Medical Societies of London and Paris. 8vo. 128 pp. 45. Murray. 1807. The triumph of the Vaccinifts over their opponents has been more fudden and complete than was to be expected. The reafonable profeffional men who had entertained doubts of the virtues of the cow-pox, are now quite convinced; and the disbelievers are diminishing faft. Poor Dr. Rowley never held up his head, after fuffering the mortifications which he drew upon himself. Squirrel has become ashamed of his affociates, and finds it far more profitable to puff his infallible powders, than to invent failures of the cow-pox. There remain, however, a few doughty and unabashed antivaccinifts, who continue to gratify their antagonists by their ribaldry. A filly pamphlet of this defcription, ftiled an Oliver for a Rowland, by Dr. Mofeley, was lately publifhed. It was intended to infult the benevolent and Rev. Rowland Hill, because this worthy gentleman had replied to the common objections against vaccination, by facts which came within his own knowledge, and by fenfible reafoning. But Dr. Mofeley, like Goldsmith's pedant, is not to be overcome by refutation. "In arguing too, the parfon own'd his skill, And ftill they gaz'd, and still the wonder grew, This fpecies of attack must have afforded fome entertainment to Mr. Hill, and he naturally made no reply to it; but Mr. Ring has lefs forbearance, and undoubtedly does not imitate the too refined Burke, who injudiciously attempted to "cut blocks with a razor." He evidently prefers a faw, and one rather of a coarfe kind, as if to make the deeper impreffion upon the logs he has to deal with. It must be recollected, that this is no longer a conteft of philofophy, but of wit; and what can we fay in favor of the farcafms of Mofeley and his coadjutor Mr. Birch! Horace faid "Ex quovis ligno non fit Mercurius :” |