This gentleman, who has frequently drawn his pen in the cause of civil and religious liberty, may be ranked in the fecond class of political writers.

36. Free Remarks on a Sermon entitled, The Requifition of Subscription to the XXXIX. Articles and Liturgy of the Church of England not inconfiftent with Chriftian Liberty' 8va. is. Johnfon, This pamphlet is intended to fhew the futility of what the author of the Sermon has advanced on the fùbject of establishments f. It is the production of an acute and able writer. 37. A fecond Letter to the Members of the hon. House of Commons, relating to the Subfcription required of Graduates in the Univerfities. By a Chriftian Whig. 8vo. 6d. Bowyer and Nichols. The author of this Letter confiders the queftion which has been lately agitated at Cambridge, relative to the fubfcription. required of every academic before he can be admitted to any degree; and having fhewn, that the university has a power, inherent in its conftitution, to abolish that fubfcription, he fes forth the expediency of such an abolition. His Letter is very short, but written with good sense, decency, and candor 1.

MISCELLANEOUS.

38. Efays on various Subjects. By the Author of Reflections on the Seven Days of the Week. Two Vols. 12mo. 45. ferved. Rivington.

"

We do not expect that in every new book of morality we fhould find many arguments which have not been before made ufe of. An ingenious author will, it is true, always find fome fuch, but the greater part of his tafk will be to repeat thofe of preceding writers, and at most to place them in a new point of view. In thefe two little volumes, if we have few inAtances of novelty of fentiment, yet the eafy, difengaged manner in which the author writes is not unentertaining. The subjects of these Essays are generally of a ferious caft, tho' the writer makes fome pertinent obfervations on the modifh follies of mankind. Religious people are apt to run into extremes in cenfuring prefent enjoyments which they will scarcely allow to be of any confideration. Our author is not wholly free from a bias of this kind.

The enjoyments of life [Effay IX.] are what I believe all perfons of serious thought would easily refign for themselves, when they are fure, at the same time, to be freed from its difquiets but to think that we may carry away with us into all the joy and fatisfaction of those to whom we ever

the

grave

:

* See Crit. Review, vol. xxviii. p. 153. art. 22. and vol. xxxiii. P. 178. art. 40, &c. † Ibid. vol. xxxii. p. 475⋅

Ibid. vol. xxxiii. p. 80. art. 22.

wish the most, and leave them behind us in a world where every fupport is wanting, entirely deftitute of any (of any fuch I mean as the ordinary methods of Providence have appointed) is the only reflection which at such a moment can difturb the compofure of an innocent and religious mind."

Whatever may be the difquiets of life, we believe there are very few who prize its enjoyments fo little, as to be willing to refign them, on condition of being freed from those difquiets; much lefs would all perfons of ferious thought do fo. The man who would do it must be a diffati-fied being, and he must be ungrateful to Providence, that certainly, never intended to place us in a fituation which must render us almost univerfally unhappy. If we duly confider why we are defirous to continue here, it wil, we think, be found, that our present happiness is much more immediately the caufe, than our reflections on the chance for unhappinefs which those may have whom we leave behind.

In the fecond volume of thefe Effays we have fome profe paftorals, which are tolerably pretty; there are also some allegories, and a fairy tale: but thefe afford little entertain-.

ment.

Of the profe paftorals, thofe intitled the first and fecond are in reality only one, the conclufion of which, by fome strange inadvertency, is called the firft paftoral, altho' it begins abruptly in the middle of a dialogue; and the begin. ning named the fecond, which concludes with no lefs abruptnefs, as after the laft fpeech in it, the firft in the other ought to follow immediately.

39. Remarks on Mr. Macpherson's Introduction to the Hiftory of Great Britain and Ireland. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Whiston.

This is fuch a dull, quibbling, methoditical piece of eriticism, that we shall fay nothing farther of it than that the author appears to be extremely orthodox.

40. A Letter to the Bishop of London, on his Public Condu&. 4to. 25. Wheble.

The author of this letter makes fome remarks on his lordfhip's public conduct; and charges him with inattention to his clergy, and the duties of his epifcopal office. He gives us an account of the reception he met with at the bishop's, when he attended there for ordination; and he expatiates at large on the lenity and politeness of Dr. Hind, the examining chaplain. In the latter part of his epiftle he blames the bishop for permitting ecclefiaftical register offices to be kept in the diocese of London.

These animadverfions fhew, that an ingenious adversary can place a most respectable character in an unfavourable light.

41. Confufion worfe Confounded; Rout on Rout; or the Bishop of G -r's Commentary upon Rice or Arife Evans's Echo from Heaven examined and expofed. 8vo. s. 6d. Hingefton.

Rice Evans was a crack-brained enthufiaft, who lived about the middle of the last century. In 1653 he published an account of his vifions and idle reveries, in a tract which he called, an Echo from Heaven. Dr. Jortin having mentioned his name in his Remarks on Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, bishop Warburton, who happened to have the Echo in his poffeffion, fent him an extract, with a large commentary upon it, which Dr. Jortin inferred in the Appendix to the first book of his Remarks. The bishop, instead of treating the dreamer with the contempt he deferves, fpeaks of him as a prophet, and mentions one of his vifions as a prediction, which, he fays, aftonishes all who carefully confider it."

The pamphlet which we have now before us is written in ridicule of the bishop's commentary. But the learned and facetious author takes notice of feveral other comments, criticifms, pofitions, and paradoxes, which are to be met with in his lordship's multifarious productions.

42. An Oration on the Utility of Public Infirmaries. By Jofeph Bromehead, M. A. of Queen's College. 4to. 1. Rivington. Those who have formed their tafte upon the models of Greek or Roman eloquence, can receive but very little pleafure from the perufal of academical orations. The fubjects of them being generally of an uninteresting nature, they are neither calculated to affect the paffions, nor to infpire the author with that noble enthusiasm which can alone give life and energy to rhetorical compofitions. It would be unjust, therefore, to eftimate the genius of a writer from his failure in a work of this kind. We would not infinuate by these remarks, that the Oration before us is not entitled to fome approbation. It is in many places lively and fentimental; and that it abounds not more with the figures of rhetoric, we may admit as an imperfection of the subject.

43. An Appendix to the Reprefentation of the Injustice and Dangerous Tendency of Tolerating Slavery, &c. By Grenville Sharp. 800. White.

In his former work this writer had endeavoured to prove, that no right whatever can be acquired to the perpetual fervice of a man without a contra&, and that such a contract cannot be implied, unless the free confent of both parties is implied likewife, and clearly proved. This propofition ftruck immediately at the root of property in the perfons of negroes; and in this Appendix, the author farther invalidates the claim to fuch poffeffion, by arguments drawn from reafon, law, and humanity.

See Crit. Rev. vol. xxviii. p. 118,

44 A Modeft Defence of the Charity Children, and the common Plan of Charity Schools. By John Wingfield. 8vo. 15. Bladon. This pamphlet confifts of two infignificant dialogues, in which the author has frequently tranfgreffed the common rules of grammar.

45. A Letter to a Member of Parliament on the prefent high Price of Provifions. 8vo. 6d. Hingefton.

The practice of letting large farms has been confidered by many writers as one of the causes which conduce to enhance the price of provifions. The author of this pamphlet is of opinion that the method of inclofing large tracts of commonable land is alfo productive of the fame effect; alledging that, though fuch an improvement may be attended with advantages in future, it operates at prefent quite otherwife, for want of fome limitations in the acts of parliament passed for that purpofe. The means he proposes for reducing the high price of provifions are, to establish a new modus of bounty for the exportation of corn, proportioned in fuch a manner that the bounty fhould rife, as the price of the commodity falls. He alfo thinks that a premium for breeding the greatest number of pigs, geefe, poultry, &c. would conduce to the fame end.

46. A Letter to Richard Whitworth, Efq. on a Bill proposed to be brought into Parliament for amending the Laws relating to the Game. 8vo. IS. Wilkie.

This letter breathes a liberal spirit, and contains feveral judicious obfervations.

47. Imprisonment for Debt confidered. Tranflated from the Italian. 840. 1. Newbery.

The merciless perfecution to which infolvent debtors are expofed in this country, has been long regarded with horror by all who feel for the diftreffes of human kind. This author difcuffes the subject with great ftrength of argument; and it is earnestly to be wifhed, that the legislature would mitigate or abolish a practice so disgraceful to humanity, and inconfiftent with the genius of a free government.

48. Eays and Letters, with other Mifcellaneous Pieces. By the Author of the Effay on the Turf. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Pearch. Many of the pieces in this collection have been formerly published in different papers. In refpect to their tendency, they are in general either innocent or moral, and fome of them afford entertainment. Among the letters, there is one addreffed to the Critical Reviewers, remonftrating against their animadverfions on a former work of the author. But as it would be improper for us to determine a caufe, in which ourfelves are a party, we fhall leave our antagonist to the full enjoyment of the Turf.

49. Critical Account of the Situation and Destruction by the firft eruptions of Mount Vefuvius, of Herculaneum, Pompeii, and Stabia, &c. In a Letter to Count Bruhl, from the Abbé Winckelman, Antiquarian to the Pope. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Carnan and Newbery. The account we have of thefe unfortunate cities is, that Herculaneum first suffered by an earthquake, on the fifth of February, in the year 63, which continued to wafte the adjacent country for many days. Pompeii was entirely swallowed up, and a great part of Herculaneum reduced to ruin. But the day most fatal was the first of November, 79, in the first year of the emperor Titus, when Herculaneum was totally overwhelmed by an irruption of Mount Vefuvius. Pompeii, which had been rebuilt, and Stabia fuffered likewife the fame fate. The cities of Italy at this period flourished in all the arts which accompany elegance and luxury and in painting and ftatuary they were adorned with the most finished works of the Grecian masters, which have been secured by their fituation from the barbarous ravages of the Goths and Vandals. The subjects of this letter are too numerous and complicated to admit of a particular detail, and we must therefore refer our readers to the work itfelf. It is to be expected, however, that the public will foon have an opportunity of being more fully gratified in regard to fuch antiquities, with a view of the valuable collection lately brought over by Sir William Hamilton, from Naples.

50. The Life of J Britain. Written by himself. 8vo. 15. 6d. Rofon. The effrontery of this biographer can be equalled only by his villainy and falfehood.

FOREIGN LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. 51. A German Tranflation of the Old Teftament, with explanatory Notes, intended for the People who are not Litterati. By Jo. Dav.. Michaelis. Vol. I. II. III. and VI. containing the Books of Job, the three firft Books of Mofes, and the Pfalms. Goettingen. 4to. A work that will greatly contribute to the illuftration and better understanding of the Scriptures.

52. Nic. Jof. Jacquin Hortus Botanicus Vindobonenfis. Vienna. Fol. A fplendid and most accurate work, of which no more than one hundred and fixty-two copies are printed, forty of which are destined for England. The first number contains thirty coloured plates, and will be continued. The plates are already destroyed. 53. Hiftoire Universelle & raisonné des Vegetaux. Paris, Folio.

The plates to this work are now publishing feparately before the text, under the direction of Mr. Buchoz. Every decas cofts about three livres French currency, and about ten decades are already published. Rumphii Herbarium Amboicense will make part of their publication.

54. Jo. Georg. Gmelin Flora Sibirica. Petrop. 4to. Vol. III. and IV. This ufeful work will be finished with the fifth volume.