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the younger part of the audience. When he quotes the following licentious couplet from Congreve, whom he facetiously stiles his Lord Coke

You fay fhe's false, I'll fwear fhe's kind,

I take her body, you her mind,

Which has the better bargain

How the house rings with applaufe? We question if there is a Tavern within the purlieus of the theatre, where this delicate fentiment is not cited nightly, by the giddy fons of fenfuality.

After all, this Heroe in debauchery is difmiffed without being made fenfible of the folly of riot and intemperance, or giving any fymptoms of his reformation. If this is genteel and fenfible, if this is answering the true end of the Drama, then we have formed a very wrong conception of dramatic merit. To us, the Sufpicious Husband appears rather sprightly than genteel, rather licentious than fenfible. How much does this comedy fuffer by a comparison with the Confcious Lovers, which is, indeed, fenfible and genteel: in the latter, likewife, the design is truly noble, and strictly anfwers the purpofe of the Drama.

We ought, as we hinted before, to diftinguish between the merit of the Poet and of the piece. The ease, the spirit, the ftrong colouring of the Sufpicious Hufband, entitles the Writer to our applause, but his comedy ought, neverthelefs, to be banished from the Stage. We are amazed that his Lordship should do fuch honour to this piece, fince, in juftice to the noble Author, we must acknowlege, that he feems in general thoroughly fenfible of the real merit and proper use of comedy and after fome very just and ingenious reflections on this fpecies of dramatic writing, he concludes with expreffing his perfuafion, that the Comedy for this age might be much improved, by being more of the ferious and inftructive kind, than by confifting of the wild unguarded wit, that rather nauseates than entertains.'

We have thus endeavoured to give our Readers a general view of the contents of these volumes. To enter into a critical difcuffion of each particular part, would draw us greatly beyond our limits. We must not omit to take notice, however, that to fome of the plays, the fubjects of which have been treated by the French Poets as well as by the Greek, our Author has fubjoined critical obfervations, wherein their refpective merits are farther and more nicely compared.

With respect to the Translation in general of these volumes, it appears to be extremely unequal. But this inequality is eafily accounted for; as we are informed, by Advertisements prefixed to the firft and third volumes, that the Tranflation is the work of various hands. Among others, the Right Hon. the Earl of Cork and Orrery, and the celebrated Author of the Rambler, have contributed their affiftance. As to that part of the verfion performed by Mrs. Lenox, we need only obferve, that a Lady who has power to engage fuch noble and able Coadjutors, cannot be supposed deficient in merit

herself.

An Account of the Modern Part of the Univerfal Hiftory, Vols. IX.-XIII. Being a Continuation of the Article begun in our Review for October laft.

W HEN a refolution was taken to give a new edition

of the ancient part of this Univerfal Hiftory, the Authors, confcious of feveral imperfections in the first impreffion, (imperfections which they properly enough fay were unavoidable from the different and diftant refidences of the refpective Compilers, and the want of one person's being appointed to infpect the whole) agreed, in order to prevent the like inconveniences, that each fhould revife, re-examine, and correct his own part, but that ONE perfon, for the fake of uniformity, should have the fupervifal of the WHOLE.' To this they add, that they have not been fo intent upon other more material improvements as to neglect that of <STYLE.'

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These candid acknowlegements could not but be acceptable to every difcerning Reader; who must have been farther pleafed, upon comparing the two editions, to find the endeavours of the Authors, to this purpose, had not been mifapplied; and that, exclufive of other improvements, the ftyle, in reality, was confiderably reformed in fome parts, and rendered more uniform throughout the whole +.'

Might it not then, as was hinted in our account of the former volumes, have been reasonably expected, that all fuch defects as had been discovered in the execution of the Ancient

• Preface to the 8vo edition of the ancient part, page 9.

+ Ibid. page 11.

See Review for last October, page 284.
Ii 2

History,

Hiftory, would have been duly regarded, and effectually prevented, in the modern part? Might it not have been more efpecially hoped, that particular respect would have been had to render the ftyle, in fome degree, pleafing, and, in general, uniform? The nature of this work would not, indeed, have admitted abundance of ornament, becaufe, tho' the scene is often fhifted, the occurrences are, in general, fimilar; yet this is fo far from being a juft excufe for negligence, that it ought rather to have excited a greater regard to correctness, at leaft; and, on proper occafions, fome degree of elegance, to enliven the narration, and keep attention awake.

Nevertheless, true it is, tho' a difagreeable truth, that the ftyle of this work is extremely unequal. In many parts it is jejune, puerile, and, fometimes, not strictly grammatical*; and thefe defects are more frequently apparent where there are the ftrongest proofs of application, and the greatest difplay of reading. But tho' the induftry and fagacity of our Authors must be admitted, and deferve commendation, yet it is to be feared, they will not be deemed fufficient to compenfate for other deficiencies. It may, indeed, happen to ClosetPeregrinators, as to fome modern Travellers, that in the courfe of attaining a variety of languages, they grow careless or forgetful of the idiom of their own. In this cafe, the one Supervifor was more particularly expedient, and it may be concluded, either that none was appointed, or that he has not done his duty. Was a fecond edition neceffary to difcover or rectify errors already acknowleged?

These animadverfions are not made with a view of depreciating this laborious and useful undertaking; which we confider in a national light. It is more than probable, fuch a work will attract the attention of the learned abroad, and therefore it were to have been wifhed, that it had appeared with fewer imperfections. Should Foreigners form their opinion of our language, or our Writers, from fome parts of this Hiftory, they might be led into an unjust and unfavourable idea of both. Yet, to do no more than impartial juftice, it must be

Several proofs might have been brought in fupport of this unwilling cenfure, from the first eight volumes. Such as the indifcriminate ufe of the particles who and which, and the unneceffarily added s, in a language already accufed of too much fibilation. Hence we frequently meet with the Chinefes, Japanefes, Portugefs; whereas the belt modern Writers have thought it fufficient, in words of this fort, to distinguish the Singular and Plural Numbers only by the articles a and the.-Some of the fubfequent volumes will furnish other initances of the imperfections of style here complained of.

confeffed,

confeffed, that even where the execution is most reprehenfible, much information may be had, and curiofity greatly gratified: alfo, that both inftruction and entertainment are to be met with in other parts, fome of the volumes 'defigned for this article, fully demonftrate.-We fhall here close our reflections, except fuch as may neceffarily arife; and proceed with our History.

From China, with which the eighth volume concluded, we are, in the ninth, conducted to Japan, or, as it is called by the natives, Niphon, which is treated in the fame manner as the former. The fituation, extent, foil, and natural productions of thefe iflands are accurately delineated; and the various fects of religion, modes of worfhip, idols, temples, feftivals, and fuperftitious ceremonies, are properly defcribed. Annexed to this head is a fuccinct, but apparently candid, Hiftory of the introduction of Chriftianity into, and its total extirpation out of, thefe dominions. An account of the form of government in Japan, the grandeur, fplendid titles, and palaces of its Monarchs; their military forces, and civil polity, concludes this first section*.

Sect. 2. is appropriated to the genius, arts, fciences, trade, navigation, drefs, cuftoms, and difeafes of the Japanese. The fingularity of their method of treating fome of the latter, will not, perhaps, be difagreeable to our Readers. They are frequently fubject to a particular fort of endemial cholic called Senki, which often affects as well ftrangers as natives of all ages, fexes, and complexions: the fymptoms are, violent pains in the bowels, extending to the whole abdomen and reins, caufing a general convulfion of the mufcles even when the bowels are free from the effects of the morbific lues latent in the Peritoneum, or fome other part of the abdomen; but at fome periodical times, or from fome other cause, excite grievous fwellings, fpafms, and acute pains +.' t.

Tho' in our account of the former volumes we did not particularly obferve the form in which this work is diftributed, it is intended for the future, to be more careful in that point. Let it then fuffice, with respect to the volumes that have been already noticed, to mention, that this Hiftory is divided into Books, thefe into Chapters, and the Chapters fubdivided into Sections; and that we are now in the fecond Chapter of the thirteenth book.

In enumerating the fymptoms of this diforder, we have been obliged to adhere to the words of our Author, which, if our medical Readers can underland, it is well; we own that we cannot.

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The most approved method of cure for this dreadful diforder, is by acupuncture, in which operation the Japanese are reckoned to excel all their neighbours, to whom the fame remedy is alfo common in the fame diforder.-The manner of the operation is thus described. The place made choice of for the puncture, is commonly at a middle distance between the navel and the pit of the ftomach; but often as ⚫ much nearer to or farther from either, as the Operator, after a due fcrutiny, thinks most proper; and in this, and the judg, ing rightly how deep the needles must be thrust below the fkin, fo as to reach the feat of the morbific matter, and giving it a proper vent, confifts the main skill of the Artift, and the fuccefs of the operation, is faid to depend. Each row hath its particular name, which carries with it a kind of direction for the depth of each puncture, and the dif tance of the holes from each other, which last seldom ex<ceeds half an inch in grown perfons in the perpendicular rows, • tho' fomething more in those which are made across the bo'dy; thus

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The needles which perform the operation, are made either of the finest gold or filver, and without the leaft drofs or alloy. They must be exquifitely flender, finely polished, and carry a curious point, and with fome degree of hardnefs, which is given to them by the Maker, by tempering, and not by any mixture, in order to facilitate their entrance and penetrating the skin.-These needles are of two forts, the one either of gold or filver indifferently, and about four inches long, very flender, and ending in a fharp point, and have at the other end a fmall twifted handle, which ferves <to turn them round with the extremity of the middle finger ⚫ and thumb, in order to fink them into the flesh with greater eafe and fafety: the other fort is chiefly of filver, and much like the first in length and fhape, but exceeding small towards the point, with a fhort thick handle, channelled for the fame end of turning them about, and to prevent their 'going in too deep; and, for the fame reafon, fome of them are cafed in a kind of copper tube of the bignefs of a goofe quill, which ferves as a fort of gauge, and lets the point in just fo far as the Operator has determined it. The best fort of needles are carefully kept in a cafe made of bull's horn, ⚫ lined with some foft downy ftuff. This cafe is fhaped fomewhat like a hammer, having on the ftriking fide a piece of lead, to give it a fufficient weight, and on the outside a compreffed round piece of leather, to prevent a recoil, and

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