After the liturgy is finifhed in the chapel of the imperial palace, the clerks, the deacons, the priests, the archimandrites, and the bithops, dreffed in their richeft robes, carrying in their hands lighted tapers, the cenfer, the gofpel, and the facred pictures and banners, proceed from the chapel to the Jordan, finging the hymns appointed in the office; being followed by the emprefs, the grand duke, the fenators, and the whole court. All the troops in the city are drawn up round the place, the standards of the regiments are alfo planted round it, and all the artillery; the artillery and foldiers fire as foon as the fervice is finished, and then are sprinkled with the confecrated water.

This water is held in fuch eftimation by the common people, that they look upon it as a preservative from, as well as cure of, not only fpiritual but natural infirmities. Hence arcfe a practice among them, ftill in fome measure followed, for persons to strip and bathe in the water, notwithstanding the severity of the cold in that feafon: the aged, the fick, and. efpecially children, are brought in numbers to receive the benefit of thefe waters, by drinking it at the place, or by afperfion or immersion; vast quantities are carried home by them, in bottles, to be kept in their house for the use of their families, during the ensuing year, to which they are induced by the words of the fervice; particularly fome petitions in the ectinia. It is confidered as having great efficacy to drive away evil fpirits, of whofe agency the common people in general are very firmly perfuaded: and therefore, they have a fingular cuftom, in the evening when this fervice is performed in the church, of marking a crofs upon their window fhutters and doors, in order to hinder thofe fpirits, when chaced from the water, as they are believed to be by the confecration, from entering into their houfes.

This feftival is called indifferently in ancient authors epiphania and theophania; which names are also applied to the nativity. It is celebrated on the fixth day of January, being instituted, as we have faid, in memory of the baptifm of Chrift in the river Jordan; and therefore, while the ancient difcipline of the church continued, this was one of the chief feafons for baptizing catechumens, after the water had been confecrated.'

The laft chapter treats of the difcipline of the church of Ruffia.

The paffages which we have extracted from this work will be fufficient to fhew the impartiality, learning, and judgment, with which the author has difcuffed the subject. He has certainly thrown a light on ecclefiaftical hiftory; he has illuftrated fome facts which were before imperfectly known; and frequently corrected the mifreprefentations of preceding writers. II. Political Efays concerning the prefent State of the British Empire: particularly respecting Natural Advantages and Difad-vantages. Conftitution. Agriculture. Manufactures. The Colo410. 11. 15. Cadell.

nies, and Commerce.

Modern times have given birth to publications innumer

able, upon almost every branch of human science. If thefe accumulated productions, the effects of the invention of

:

printing, have brought large additions to the general stock of information, their multiplicity has, at the fame time, been attended with fenfible difadvantages. The life of the most studious man, were it devoted to the fole purpose of obtaining a general acquaintance with the works of thofe that have gone before him, would now be found inadequate to the tedious task and he who is destined to engage in the scenes of more active life, can seldom command leifure to acquire even that detached portion of knowledge which is immediately related to his peculiar employment. That man feems, therefore, to deferve highly of the community, who, having directed his attention to one particular point, difdains not the humble, but ufeful office of compilation; who affembles the multifarious, and widely fcattered fragments of intelligence, and, feparating the shapely materials from the rubbish with which they are furrounded, prefents to us, in one comprehenfive view, what we must otherwife have explored, by an irksome search, in thousands of voluminous compofitions.

Such is the plan, fuch the principal merit of the performance now under confideration. The particulars,' fays the author, of which these sheets confift, were thrown together at many various times. They were begun fome years ago. In the course, continues he, of the political part of my reading, as I met with facts that appeared useful, I minuted them under respective heads. This practice I continued until I found my papers of a bulk that furprised me. I then revised and compared my intelligence. I found, in many inftances, accounts of the fame thing that varied much; products, manufactures, imports, exports, &c. reprefented by different writers with much variety. When none of the accounts appeared to be fuch as required rejecting, I calculated the averages of all. In other cafes, when I was extremely defirous of rendering accounts complete, I have been forced to have recourse to many authors; and fupply from one what was deficient in another. But that the reader may every where know my authority, I have referred to every volume and page used.'

The firft Effay treats of the comparative advantages of the fituation, the climate, the extent, the foil and productions, the rivers and ports of the British dominions.In the fecond, the author, after taking a curfory view of the prefent liberties of mankind, gives a particular account of the condition of government in Great Britain, and propofes fome ingenious conjectures with regard to its duration.-The third is taken up with a detail of the important advantages derived from agriculture, a minute enquiry into the present state of all its different branches, and fome obfervations concerning the

means

means of its future improvement.-The fourth Effay, which exhibits the present condition of our manufactures, draws a comparison between the advantages we reap from those that are wrought from our own products, and those which are wrought from the products of other countries. It compares our manufactures to those of foreign nations; confiders the effect they have upon population, and points out the means by which they may be promoted.-The fifth, which is of confiderable length, regards the colonies. The author begins by taking a view of the fituation, climate, and foil of each different settlement; marks the progrefs they have made, and are likely to make, in cultivation, in manufactures, in num-, bers of people; enumerates their staple commodities, by which he understands the unmanufactured products of the foil dif ferent from thofe of the mother-country, and confiders the advantages to be reaped from them by Great Britain. He then treats of the defects of our fettlements, whether natural, or resulting from mistaken policy at home, and points out the remedies that ought to be applied. He next examines the fecurity there is of their remaining under the dominion of Britain; draws a parallel between them and the colonies of other nations, and concludes with weighing the advantages of forming new fettlements in various parts of the world. The fixth and laft Effay contains a particular enquiry into the state of the inland and foreign commerce of Great Britain, to which the author has fubjoined fome general remarks on the state of shipping, navigation, tonnage, and feamen. Some obfervations are likewife made upon the balance of trade, and upon the commerce of this country compared with that of other kingdoms. The work is concluded with a few remarks on the importance of trade to Great Britain, on the means of promoting its increase, and on the danger of its declenfion.

From this fummary analyfis, the author appears to have grafped a large extent of difquifition; and his reading, on the different topics of enquiry, though not univerfal, will be found, by no means, to have been confined. Upon fuch fub. jects as admitted of debate, he has ftated with candour the arguments brought by oppofite authors, and has generally endeavoured to lead his reader to a judicious determination.

Having faid this, we believe we have beftowed upon the author his full fhare of merited praife. In the other qualities of a writer he is effentially defective. His language is unequal, inelegant, inaccurate. In his method, we find fre quent confufion, obfcurity, and repetition.

It were likewise to be withed, he had confined himself more ftriatly within the fphere of compilation. When he aims at

the

the fame of originality, by advancing any doctrine without quoting his authority, we cannot help thinking his affertions generally hafty, and his conclufions unfupported by strength of reafon. It is incumbent on us to justify this charge by example.

In the third fection of the first Effay, we have the following paffage. The smallest territories,' fays our author, which either have been, or are at present diftinct from the neighbouring ones, are Scotland-Ireland-Portugal-DenmarkSwifferland-Holland.-There are fome important obfervations,' purfues he, to be made on this little table. All but Scotland and Ireland have continued (but with some interruptions) diftin&t countries; and yet fome of them are much less than either of the British ones. The reafon is evident; it was for want, in part of a national character and language, which was particularly the cafe with Scotland, and likewife, in fome degree, the fame with Ireland,' &c. This obfervation appears to the author of fufficient importance to be repeated and infifted upon in feveral parts of this Effay. Now, we fhould be glad to know what foundation there is even for a conjecture, that the union of these kingdoms was occafioned by the want of a national character, or of a diftin& language. It seems even problematical, whether hoftility, feparation, and independence, were ever prevented by an uniformity in thefe particulars. Has he forgot the long-continued wars carried on between the republics of ancient Greece? Is he ignorant that the independent tribes of Indians, hundreds of whom speak one common language, are engaged in perpetual and inveterate hoftility? Will he pretend to predict how long the prefent ftates of Italy will remain separate and distinct communities? It would be abfurd to pursue farther the refutation of a doctrine fo abfolutely indefenfible.

We must decline the task of multiplying unfavourable criticisms, though equal opportunities occur in various parts of the work before us. It is with pleasure we except from general cenfure the effay upon the Conftitution of the British Dominions. There the author appears to have been more completely mafter of his fubject. His language is lefs exceptionable; his thoughts are arranged with greater precision; his remarks are at once spirited and just and nothing is advanced which folid argument and uniform experience do not confirm. We fhall transcribe the first paffage, in this Effay, which the opening of the book fhall prefent to us, for the entertainment of our readers.

The

The difcerning clearly the means of deftroying liberty, is the fureft method of learning how to defend it. Let us form a fuppofition:

* If a monarch, in an age of luxurious profufion, was to form the defign of deftroying the conftitution, by rendering himfelf abfolute, and was to poffefs the abilities requifite for the attempt, he would never, for a single moment, think of ufing any means but what arose naturally from the principles of the age. Finding himself in the poffeffion of a great independent revenue, and feeing fuch a vaft portion of his fubjeas depending on him for innumerable pofts, and preferment of all kinds, he would undoubtedly extend this chain of influence-nurfe this child of corruption with the utmost asfiduity. He would study the manners and characters of all the members of the legislature, and all who were likely to become fuch, with the greatest attention; he would discover their foibles, and presently see the easiest method of adding them to bis lift; he would difcern thofe whom penfions would command, those who were most attached to titles, ribbonds, and rank; nor would he overlook those whom certain condefcenfions and flight marks of refpect would engage; and if any one fhould feem independent, in fpite of all thefe attacks, he would fpeedily fathom all their connection and friendfhips, and probably, would difcover fome unguarded opening for his batteries to play againft. How few! How infinitely few, are to be found that would continue proof against all the efforts of a monarch from whofe favour flow riches, honours, rank, titles, and every thing that can captivate the avarice, the vanity, and the imaginations of mankind!

But his attention would not be directed totally to this clafs of fubjects: on all occafions his general carriage to the seanest people would be eafy, affable, and captivating. In all his actions and converfation he would difplay the most perfect affection for his people, and the utmoft regard for their honour and reputation: nothing can make a monarch more popular than exalting the character of his nation-vowing, for inftance, that he would make their name as terrible to the world as ever that of a Roman was. Cromwell perfectly well

understood this.

Public liberty, as far as it would be from his heart, would, on all proper occafions, be ready enough on his tongue; and having brought his people to believe him a patriot king, it would be an extreme easy task to throw any accidental tailing or unexpected turn on his minifters: the people are ever ready to roaft a minifter, and on finding how ready

the