one of thofe inoftenfible beings who frequent the prefs, with a view of raifing contributions on the public by new-vamping old materials, our enquiries have not enabled us to determine. This, however, is certain, that the prefent effay is nearly a verbal tranfcript, with a few alterations and omiffions, of one of the tracts contained in a collection published above 20 years ago, entitled, Ejays on the Bilious Fever, &c. by John Williams and Parker Bennet, phyficians in Jamaica; who had a literary controverfy on this fubject, which they terminated by murdering each other. An account of this fingular tranfaction, and of the prefent effay, in its original dress, may be found in our 7th volume, July 1752, page 71.

We would, on this occafion, remind our friendly correfpondent, J. C. (whofe favour, in communicating to us his detection of this republication, we acknowledged in our last month's Correfpondence) that this very cafe furnishes an answer in point ad hominem, to his complaint of our too long delaying our accounts of new publications. He threw away his money, it feems, by trufting to the early account given of this Effay by fome Journalists: and now the more patient part of the public may fave theirs, by having waited for the juter, though later, information given by others; and which they were enabled to give, in confequence of that very delay.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 33. The African Trade for Negro-Slaves fhewn to be confiftent with Principles of Humanity, and with the Laws of revealed Reli gion. By Tho. Thompson, M. A. fome time Fellow of C. C. C. 8vo. 6d. Canterbury, printed; and fold by Baldwin, in Lon don.

We must acknowledge that the branch of trade here under confideration is a fpecies of traffic which we have never been able to reconcile with the dictates of humanity, and much lefs with thofe of religion. The principal argument in its behalf feems to be, the neceffity of fuch a refource, in order to carry on the works in our plantations, which, we are told, it is otherwife impoffible to perform. But this, though the urgency of the cafe may be very great, is not by any means fufficient to justify the practice. There is a farther confideration which has a plaufible appearance, and may be thought to carry fome weight; it is, that the merchant only purchafes those who were flaves before, and poffibly may, rather than otherwife, render their fituation more tolerable. But it is well known, that the lot of our flaves, when most favourably confidered, is very hard and miferable; befide which, fuch a trade is taking the advantage of the ignorance and brutality of unenlightened nations, who are encouraged to war with each other for this very purpofe, and, it is to be feared, are fometimes tempted to feize thofe of their own tribes or families that they may obtain the hoped-for advantage and it is owned, with regard to our merchants, that, upon occafion, they obferve the like practices, which are thought to be allowable, because they are done by way of reprifal for theft or damage committed by the natives. We were pleased, however. to meet with a pamphlet on the other fide of the question; and we entered upon its perufal with the hopes of finding fomewhat ad

vanced which might afford us fatisfaction on this difficult point. The writer appears to be a fenfible man, and capable of difcuffing the argument; but the limits to which he is confined render his performance rather fuperficial. The plea he produces from the Jewish law is not, in our view of the matter, at all conclufive. The people of Ifrael were under a theocracy, in which the Supreme Being was in a peculiar fense their King, and might therefore iffue forth fome orders for them, which it would not be warrantable for another people, who were in different circumflances, to observe. Such, for inftance, was the command given concerning the extirpation of the Canaanites, whom, the fovereign Arbiter of life and death might, if he had pleased, have deftroyed by plague or famine, or other of those means which we term natural caufes, and by which a wife providence fulfils its own purposes. But it would be unreasonable to infer from the manner in which the Ifraelites dealt with the people of Canaan, that any other nations have a right to pursue the fame method. Neither can we imagine that St. Paul's exhortation to fervants or flaves, upon their converfion, to continue in the state in which Chriftianity found them, affords any argument favourable to the practice here pleaded for. It is no more than faying, that Christianity did not particularly enter into the regulations of civil fociety at that time; that it taught perfons to be contented and diligent in their stations: but certainly it did not forbid them, in a proper and lawful way, if it was in their power, to render their circumftances more comfortable. Upon the whole, we must own, that this little treatife is not convincing to us, though, as different perfons are differently affected by the fame confiderations, it may prove more fatisfactory to others.

Art. 34. The real Views and political System of the Regency of Denmark fully explained. Tracing the true Caufes of the late Revolution at Copenhagen. Supported by authentic Papers. By Chrif tian Adolphus Rothes, formerly Counfellor of Conference, Secretary of the Cabinet of his Majefty Chriftiern VII. and great Affeffor of the fupreme Council at Altena. Published originally in French at Hamburgh, and immediately fuppreffed through the Intereft of the Queen-Dowager. With an Appendix by the English Editor. 2 s. Bladon.

Contains nothing new, and has the fufpicious appearance of being merely the work of industry, always on the watch for every occafion of raising contributions on credulity.-As to Monfieur Chriftian Adolphus Rethes, with all his magnificent titles, we know nothing about him, and there may, for aught we can tell, be fuch a perfon: but we will venture to fay, that if he was once in office at the Court of Denmark, he is not now in the fecret of its late tranfactions. Art. 35. An Efay on Satirical Entertainments. To which is added, Stevens's New Lecture upon Heads, now delivering at the Theatre Royal in the Haymarket. With critical Obfervations.

8vo.

I s. 6d. Bell. 1772.

Mr. Stevens having never committed to the prefs his famous and truly humorous Lecture upon Heads, fome Friend † has here done t

See the previous advertisement.

it for him. Mr. S. we hear, is by no means fatisfied with this friendly freedom, by which e thinks himself injured in his property; and hence has arifen an altercation in the news-papers, to which our Readers are referred.

Art. 36. Theatrical Biography: or, Memoirs of the principal Performers of the three Theatres Royal. With critical and impartial Remarks on their respective profeffional Merits. I 2m0. 2 Vols, 6s. Bladon. 1772.

It has been remarked, that Suetonius wrote the Lives of the Twelve CÆSARS, with the fame freedom that THEY passed them. The like may be faid of thefe Memoirs of the Mock Emperors and Empreffes of Drury-Lane, Covent Garden, and the Hay-Market; which are penned with a freedom, and in some instances a licentiou nefs, of expreffion, perfectly congenial with the unrestrained manner of living for which the fons and daughters of Thefpis are generally remarkable and the best writers are confeffedly those who seem the moft infpired by their subject.

On the whole, thefe Theatrical Lives, though not of the most exemplary or moral kind, are written in a fprightly, agreeable ftrain; and the Author feems to have been well furnished with anec dotes proper for fuch an undertaking: but of the authenticity of thefe materials, we are not altogether competent judges. Art. 37. A Treatise on Skating, founded on certain Principles deduced from many Years Experience: by which that noble Exercife is now reduced to an Art, and may be taught and learned by a regular Method, with Eafe and Safety. The whole illuftrated with Copper-plates, reprefenting the Attitudes and Graces. By R. Jones, Lieutenant of Artillery. 8vo.. Svo. 2s. 6d. Ridley.

1772.

The Dutch are the best qualified to pronounce on the merit of this production, and to them we refer it. As far, however, as we can pretend to judge, the author appears to be fufficiently master of the art which he undertakes to teach.

Art. 38. A Modest Defence of the Charity Children, and the com mon Plan of Charity-Schools vindicated, &c. occafioned by a Scheme for erecting an House of Industry for Children of the Poor in the Parish of Hackney. By John Wingfield. 8vo. 1 s.

Bladon.

Mr. Wingfield greatly difapproves the fcheme for an house of indu try at Hackney; and thinks an improvement of the old charityfchool-foundation, infinitely preferable. He has ftated the arguments pro and con, in two dialogues, which, he thinks, may impart to his readers fome of that amufement, which he himself found in writing them, Mr. W. however, is fo very indifferent a writer, that we fear this part of his defign will fall fhort of his expectations, whatever becomes of his arguments in favour of the charity-schools: fome of which, indeed, feem to merit the confideration of those who are not friends to fuch inftitutions.

RELIGIOUS

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 39. Pfalmorum aliquot Davidis Metaphrafis Græca Joannis Serrani, et Precationes ejufdem Græcolatina. Appendicis Loco accessêre Henrici Stephani, atque Græcorum quorundam Lyricorum, Poëmata facra. Edidit Francifcus Okely, A. B. Collegii quondam Divi Joannis Cantab. Alumnus. 12mo. 5 s. Robinfon, &c.

The Greek poems of Joannes Serranus, or John de Serres, have been held in high eftimation, though of later years lefs notice has been taken of them than formerly. Mr. Okely is defirous of reviving the regard due to them, and is particularly folicitous that they might be employed to affift youth in attaining a knowledge of the Greek tongue, by which means he apprehends the farther purpofe might be anfwered, of impreffing upon their minds, at the fame time, fome proper fentiments of piety. He has therefore, immediately after his own preface to this volume, added an address of Henry Stephens, in Greek and Latin, to Chriftian schoolmasters and tutors, recommending it to them to ufe fuch kind of works in this part of the education of young perfons. With this view alfo, the Editor gives the Greek verfion on one page, and a Latin tranflation on the other, together with fome remarks and directions relative to the verfe and metre.

The Author of thefe poems was a Frenchman, educated at Laufanne. He was a perfon of great note, both for his piety and learning; and especially for his acquaintance with the Greek language. His Latin tranflation of the works of Plate, in three volumes folio, was an evidence of this, which gained him great efteem. The pfalms here rendered into Greek appear, from his own relation, to have been his employment during fome great calamity, and it is not improbable during a time of perfecution on a religious account, as he was himself of the reformed religion. The firft edition of this work was printed by Henry Stephens, in 1575. It contains between 20 and 30 pfalms, in different metres; at the conclufion of each of which the Author adds a fhort prayer, in profe, adapted to the fentiments expreffed in the pfalms which he tranflates: befides which, we have a Greek poetical verfion of the 59th chapter of Ifaiah, and of the 9th chapter of Daniel, together with two fmaller pieces of poetry.

Agreeably to his defign, and with a view of furnishing a farther variety for the affiftance and improvement of youth, the Editor has added to the above poems, feveral others in the fame language, and all of them of the religious kind. Some of them are verfions of four or five pfalms by Henry Stephens, others were done by G. Nazianzen, Florens Chriftianus, Fred. Jamotius, J. Gothofred. Herrichius,

&c.

We shall only further obferve, concerning this volume, that, in the preface, Mr. Okely produces an extract from Duport's Greek version of the pfalms, published in 1674, in which that Author speaks of Serranus with the higheft refpect, acknowledging that, in his opinion, he excelled all other perfons in works of this kind, unless, it is added, his printer and publisher, H. Stephens, may poffibly be excepted.

Art.

Art. 40. A Letter to a Bishop; occafioned by the late Petition to Parliament, for Relief in the Matter of Subfcription. 8vo. 1 S. Wilkie.

1772.

This pamphlet merits particular attention, as it feems defigned to promote the execution of a new plan, which, we are informed, is actually in agitation among the Bishops themselves, for introducing a certain degree of reformation in the Church of England. The Author fets out with ftating some objections to the conduct of the Clergy in their late application to parliament, the principal and most obvious of which, he thinks, is, that it aimed at more than moderate men could approve; that it tended to the abolishing of all tefts, by reprefenting all Subfcriptions to be inconfiftent with the fundamental principles of a Proteftant church. But notwithstanding the objections to which the petition was expofed, and which, in the opinion of our Letter-writer, might very reasonably determine the House of Commons to reject it, it must yet be confeffed, fays he, that the cafe of Subfcriptions, as they now ftand by law, is far from being unexceptionable, and is certainly capable of great amendment. Having fhewn this in a clear and convincing manner, and answered the difficulty ftarted by Sir William Blackftone with regard to the union of the two kingdoms, as prohibiting any alterations in religion, he obferves that there is a particular, which, joined with ju dicious corrections of thofe things to which the Clergy fubfcribe, would answer their most fanguine wifhes; and, even without any fuch corrections, would fmooth many difficulties, and remove many objections: that is, the relaxing of the terms in which Subfcriptions are required to be made; which, if understood in the most rigorous fenfe, carry with them fuch a ftrictness of affent to a fyftem of propofitions, fome of much difficulty and obfcurity, as, from the very nature of the human mind, a number of men cannot truly give, and which therefore it is unfit to require.

The Author pleads ftrongly for a certain latitude of interpretation, and conceives that fuch a latitude has been claimed to themfelves by the greater part of those who fubfcribe. This he endeavours to vindicate from the reafon and neceffity of the thing itself; from great and refpectable, I had almoft faid, fays he, legal authorities; and from the prevailing fenfe and practice of the prefent church after which he makes the following excellent obfervations :

But, my Lord, notwithstanding the liberty, which I have here fuppofed reasonably may, I had almoft faid muft, be taken in interpreting both the things fubfcribed to, and the terms of our Subfcription; yet it must be confeffed, that, allowing all this, many, who would be ornaments to the Church, and exemplary in discharging their office in it, may either comply with reluctance, or be totally excluded; many others will not allow the liberty I have here contended for, and by an inflexible, perhaps a lefs judicious, fort of integrity, will refufe to admit even the least and most reasonable qualification of the terms proposed to them. It must be remembered alfo, that the careless, the ignorant, the unprincipled, make in these cafes no difficulties: thefe arife in the minds of the worthy, the thoughtful, the lovers of truth; of thofe, whofe qualities would beft enable them to difcharge with fuperior induftry and fcrupulous at

tention