fite to the defign of the Solemnity to which Mr Hunter applies is. "And I looked, and rofe up, and faid unto the Nobles, and to the "Rulers, and to the reft of the People, Be not ye afraid of them: Re"member the Lord which is great and terrible." From these words Mr Hunter recommends to his hearers, in the feveral divifions of his Difcourfe, Piety towards God, Courage againft our foreign Enemies, Union and Subordination at home.

Though we cannot allow this Difcourfe to be a correct and finished compofition, though we think it fometimes too declamatory, where the fubject is in its nature merely argumentative, and that it sometimes betrays a warmth bordering on intemperance, though we cannot follow its author in fome of his affumptions, to the extent to which he carries them, yet with all these exceptions we recommend it to attention, as the production of a vigorous and well informed mind, as a Sermon in which may be found found fenfe and folid argument, expreffed in strong and nervous language.

ART. 22. Dogmatifm expofed, and Sophiftry detected; or, a Confuta tion of Paine's " Age of Reafon." To which is prefixed a brief account of the replies already publied. By Daniel M Neile, d. M. 8vo. 70 pp. is. 6d. Chapman, 1794.

Thomas Paine is certainly the prince of the empirics of the day, in curing the disorders incident to fyftems of government and religion And his remedies are exactly the fame with those of his brother-empiric on the stage-Dr. Laft; "I pulls them out by the root."

:

To perfons who are unfufpicious of the malevolence of this man, or incompetent to detect his ignorance, the book before us may be of fome ufe. It contains a brief abftract of the evidences for Chriftianity, from hiftoric fact, from the fuperiority of its doctrines, and from the completion of prophecy; and then confiders fome of Paine's most remarkable affertions, and convicts him of ignorance of his subjeft, and of the grofieft miftatement. p. 44.

We cannot praise this book for novelty of argument or vigour of difcuffion; but we can fafely commend the evident good intention of the author, and the competent fhare of reading which he difplays.

ART. 23. A concife View of the Hiftory of Religious Knowledge, from the Creation of the World to the Eftablishment of Christianity. Intended as an introduction for young perfons and others, to a proper apprehenfion of the origin, progress, principles, and final fettlement of the Chriftian Church; on the authority of the Holy Scriptures. Small 8vo. pp. 210. Price 35. Robinsons, 1794.

Although this book appears without the name of the author, yet we are of opinion it would not difcredit any name that might have been prefixed to it. All which is promifed in the title, and in the preface, will be found amply performed in the work itself.

We praise this book with warmth, and with much pleasure. And whenever perfons (like the author of it) of found piety, much reading, and equal judgment, employ themselves in writings of this kind, they will receive from us no cold commendations,

Whep

When we have added to this account of the book before us, that the ftyle of it is plain and familiar, and, in general, correct and pure, we need only fubjoin the fubftance of the preface: that the defign is, "To prefent the reader with a comprehenfive hiftory of religion, from the creation of the world to the 4th century after our bleffed Saviour:-that the materials have been collected, for the most part, from other writers, and thrown together into their prefent form, for the convenience and inftruction of the younger branches of a private family:-that to various defcriptions of religious readers, fuch a connected view of the fubject may be acceptable; fince it is neither fo prolix as to fatigue youthful minds; nor yet fo concise, as not to afford to others alfo a commodious plan and fummary of that great fyftem of Divine Benevolence, to which it is intended only as a compendious introdu&tion.”

POLITICS.

ART. 24. Raffurez-vous: on, Examen de l'ouvrage intitulé de l'eta' de la France, au mois de Mai, 1794. Publié par M. le Comte de M***. A Londres, fe trouve chez Debrett, libraire, Piccadilly. 8vo. 95 Pp. 2s. 6d. 1794.-Take Courage: or, an Examination of the work entitled the State of France. Published by the Count de Montgaillard, Sc.

This anonymous antagonift of M. de Montgaillard (whofe publi cation we noticed in our Review for Auguft, p. 190) points out fome apparent contradiction in that writer's affertions, and dwells chiefly upon the circumftances unfavourable to the present fyftem in France. Yet he contends ftrenuously, that no movement favourable to the allies can be caufed or expected in the interior of France, nor any hope derived from fuccours given to the Royalists in la Vendée; which certainly are doctrines not very encouraging. That the Convention can ever make itself respected, this author denies; but that its ftrength is enormous, and that Robespierre might fall without deranging the general fyftem, as M. de Montgaillard afferted, has been fince too fully proved by events. His opponent labours chiefly to point out the unfavourable state of Agriculture, p. 36. Cattle, 39. Manufactures of cloth, p. 45. Commerce, 47. Neceffaries of life, 56, &c. His account of the deplorable ftate of the pofts, and interior communication, though, as he says, not very important to the allies, is very curious. The picture he gives of Bordeaux and its vicinity, is ftriking. All new vineyards, formed within the memory of the commiffioners, torn up by order of the Convention, and converted into arable; the expence of the vintage enormous, owing to the fcarcity of all neceffaries; and all the wines, except the finest forts, called vins de luxe, put in requifition for the military hofpitals, and for the army, and fold at the arbitrary valuation of the maximum, while the finer kinds could not be fold at all, for want of purchasers. "We cannot," he adds, "relate without horror, the particulars refpecting this district, which we received from perfons who were there in April. In the public roads, might be feen women and children, gathering wild herbs to fupport life. Many peasants, too

weak

weak to cultivate their vines, remained in bed: exclaiming to their wretched families, My children, we must die-God will have it fo!--and can thefe fufferers," he justly adds, "refpect the Committee of Public Welfare! which, befides depriving them of the means of life, has fnatched from them their only confolation in death? Impoflible! Nature will not admit it." Unhappily, however, refpected or not refpected, they are still obeyed.

ART. 25. Suite de l'Etat de la France, &c. Par M. le Comte de Montgaillard. 8vo. 98 pp. 2s. 6d. Harlowe, 1794.

ART. 26. Continuation of the State of France. By the Count de Montgaillard. Tranflated by Monfieur de L. B***, Knight of Malta, French Emigrant. 8vo. 108 pp. 2s. 6d. Harlowe and De Boffe,

1794.

This author, more irritated againft his antagonist above mentioned than the occafion appears to juftify, continues in this pamphlet to detail the crimes and miferies of his countrymen: and to prevent the mifrepresentation of tranflators, from which he fuffered before, he has employed a friend to give his performance an English drefs. The tranflation, for the work of a foreigner, is well executed.

One of the most remarkable statements in this pamphlet is the following; how far it may be depended upon we cannot undertake to decide. The fum total of all the men who have been inlifted, or put in requifition, fince the 1st of January, 1792, including the old army, fuch as it exifted at that time, and of which fcarcely a fourth part now remains, amounts to 1,778,000. Of thefe 119,000 never joined their colours, and about 53.000 have deferted them; about 167,000 have died in the military hofpitals; and 610,000 have either been killed by the enemy or made prifoners. The military commiffions, or the revolutionary tribunals, have condemned 1660 to death." As an instance of the extraordinary exertions of the French government, on particular occafions, we may obferve, that it is faid to have "coft the Convention 63 millions of livres, to carry in coaches, waggons, and carts, about 13,000 of their levies into the provinces of Anjou and Poitou, with unexampled rapidity."

Before this publication came out, the fall of Robespierre had take place, which is noticed in the Poftfcript. The Count reprefents this event as the execution of a plot which had been formed as long ago as April laft. The author of it, he fays, was Bentabolle. As this author's exact knowledge of French affairs has been proved, in feveral instances, by predictions which the event has fulfilled, and as he foretells, even in this Poftfcript, the diffembled clemency which the fucceffors of Robefpierre have affumed, it may be worth while to obferve the characters he afcribes to these men. Tallien he terms bafe and fanguinary, but reprefents him as abfolutely deftitute of great talents. Billaud de Varrennes, Le Gendre, Collot d' Herbois, and Bourdon de l'Oife are characterized exactly in the fame manner. Siveftre and Delmas, are the men he mentions as moft dangerous at prefent, for the union of talents with their depravity. After all, he still maintains that the majority of

Paris, and almoft the whole of France, have the greatest abhorrence. of the principles and members of the Convention, that they fee alfo the abfurdities of their conftitution of 1789; and that there is not a fingle province which would not at this moment eagerly embrace the ancient form of government. He mentions alfo, as a probable termination of the prefent ftate of things, the expectation that an excels of despair may produce a great and general infurrection of the people. But in the mean time, unexpected victories, and confequent acquifitions are fupporting the power of the Convention, and these events, which perhaps must happen at laft, are deferred in a manner that is truly formidable to the rest of Europe.

The two pamphlets of M. de Montgaillard, and that of his opponent,fhould certainly be procured by all who wish to collect and preferve the principal documents that refpect the prefent eventful times."

ART. 27. Plans of Parliamentary Reform proved to be vifionary, in a Letter to the Reverend C. Wyvill, late Chairman of the Affeciations. By George Croft, D. D. late Fellow of University College, Vicar of Arncliffe, Lecturer of St. Martin's, in Birmingham, and Chaplain to the Earl of Elgin. 8vo. 28 pp. 1s. Rivingtons. 1793.

This clear, difpaffionate, and well-founded tract, has lain by us accidentally much longer than we could have wished. Dr. Croft fees, and shows very clearly, that most of the arguments urged fo violently by thofe who wish to change Parliament, under the name of reforming it, into a democratic meeting, are devoid of foundation in reafon : and he fays what, generally fpeaking, is most true, that all pretended Reformers aim at much more than they dare avow." This fecret comes out in ways innumerable, and it is to be hoped will now no longer be a fecret. The following paffage is judicious and important.

"There is fo much delicacy in being either the accufer or even the panegyrift of living characters, that I muft leave every cool and difpaffionate man to do that for himself, which no one will undertake for him. Let him examine the lift of members returned for the last fifty or fixty years, let him compare those who have been returned under influence, and those who have been returned at popular elections. He will find many of the former who have deferved great praife, he will find many of the latter who have not escaped juft cenfure. He will find that the members for Old Sarum have been as refpectable as the members for Middlefex or Yorkshire.”

Some excellent citations from Mr. Burke and others, against fettering members with inftructions, form an excellent part of this ufeful pamphlet..

ART. 28. A State of the Reprefentation of the People of England, on the Principles of Mr. Pitt in 1785. With an annexed State of additional Propofitions. By the Rev. Chriftopher Wyvill. 8vo. 55 PP. 15. Todd, York; Johnfon, London. 1793.

The purport of the pamphlet before us is, to recommend a Parliamentary Reform, and to cenfure a political opponent (Mr. Arthur Young) who is called "a deferter from the caufe

of

of liberty." Mr. Wyvill, however, it must be obferved, is an advocate for a temperate reform, and, as foon as it can be ascertained that they by whofe hands fuch a reform must be effected, have the fame temperate views with himfelf, there will, perhaps, be little hazard in acceding to his propofal. That he is aware of this objection is ob vious, from the manner in which he fpeaks of fome of the moft obtrufive politicians of the prefent day.

"The too eager advocates for democratic power, may confider these cautious measures as the effect of timidity, and a reformation propofed on lefs extenfive principles than theirs, may appear to them little better than the paltry expedient of a day. They may reject the fuggeftions of moderation with difdain; and treat the propofers of fuch limited fchemes of Reformation as ftrangers to political fcience, as petty arif tocrats, who wish to form or increase in the counties a little aristocracy of their own clafs and fize; as men, whofe feeble powers cannot comprehend the extent and grandeur of their magnificent fyftems; and the fuccefs of whofe exertions would but retard the introduction of that perfect form of government which their labours directly tend to eftablish. But refpectable as these perfons may be for their talents or their integrity, yet their cenfure will be little difcouraging, on the contrary, it will be confidered by the Friends of temperate reformation, as indirectly attefting their folicitude to preferve order and tranquillity, as implying a part of that praife which it is their utmost wish to deferve. For refpecting this earth and all its fublunary bufinefs, what nobler ambition can there be than at once to advance the caufe of rational liberty, and to preferve the peace and tranquillity of our country?" P. 40,

LAW,

ART. 29. The Practice of the Court of King's Bench in perfonal Actions. Part. 11. By William Tidd of the Inner Temple. 8vo. 75. 6d. Butterworth, 1794.

This work, of which the fecond Volume now appears, and the third is yet to be expected, may be depended upon by Profeffional Men, as the most exact in its arrangement, and the most minute in point of detail of any that has yet been published on this fubject. It bids fair 10 fuperfede all prior Works of the fame kind.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 30. An Account of a rich illuminated Missal, executed for Joby Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, under Henry VI. and afterwards in the Pofffion of th late Duchess of Portland, 4to, 83 pp. with Four Plates. 75. 6d. Payne. 1794.

This defcription of a book of known and acknowledged value and curiofity, is dedicated, with firict propriety, to Mr. Edwards, Bookfeller of Pall-Mall, who with the fpirit to purchase it, unites the tafte to poffefs it." The writer, by the accuracy and skill of his defcription, as well as by the initials figned to the dedication may be prefumed to be no other than Mr. Gough, well known for the extent and felicity of his antiquarian refearches,