years had been confumed in apparent profperity and internal decline. The nation of foldiers, magiftrates, and legislators, who compofed the thirty-five tribes of the Roman people, was diffolved into the common mafs of mankind, and confounded with the millions of fervile provincials, who had received the name, without adopting the fpirit of Romans. A mercenary army, levied among the fubjects and barbarians of the frontier, was the only order of men who prefered and abufed their independence. By their tumultuary election, a Syrian, a Goth, or an Arab, was exalted to the throne of Rome, and invested with defpotic power over the conquefts and over the country of the Scipios.

The limits of the Roman empire ftill extended from the Western Ocean to the Tigris, and from Mount Alas to the Rhine and the Danube. To the undifcerning eye of the vulgar, Philip appeared a monarch no lefs powerful than Hadrian or Auguftus. The form was fill the fame, but the animating health and vigour were fled. The induftry of the people was difcouraged and exhausted by a long feries of oppreffion. The difcipline of the legions, which alone, after the extinction of every other virtue, had propped the greatnefs of the ftate, was corrupted by the ambition, or relaxed by the weaknefs of the emperors. The strength of the frontiers, which had always confifted in arms rather than in fortifications, was infenfibly undermined; and the faireft provinces were left exposed to the rapaciousness or ambition of the Barbarians, who foon discovered the decline of the Roman power.'

We fhall here fufpend our account of this interefting work, in which the author not only relates the hiftorical events, and delineates the imperial characters, with fidelity, precifion, and elegance, but likewife traces the gradual decline of the Roman empire with peculiar difcernment and attention.

To be continued. ]

VII. A Memoir, entituled Drainage and Navigation but one united Work; and an Outfall to deep Water the first and necessary Step to it. Addreffed to the Corporations of Lynn Regis and Bedford Level. By T. Pownall, Efq. M. P. 8vo. AS. Almon.

Before

Efore we enter on a description of the manner in which this gentleman treats the fubje&t of his book, it may not be improper to explain the meaning of the title, and point out what that fubject is, as well as the intention and occafion of the book. And first, it must be observed that by the word navigation mentioned in the title, Mr. Pownall does not mean the art of conducting fhips or boats on the water, nor yet thofe veffels themfelves; but he here ufes the word

to fignify the improving of the parts through which the veffels are to be conveyed, in order to their better paffage. The mouths of moft rivers are apt to be stopped by a bar of mat- ter formed there by various caufes; but it seems that the harbour of the town of Lynn, in Norfolk, and the mouth of the river Oufe there, as well as much of the river itself, are fubject to this inconvenience in a particular manner, partly from the pofition and direction of the harbour itself, and partly from the very low and marshy state of the adjacent country through which the river flows and which it has to drain Now this ftopping up of the river and harbour both obftructs the proper navigation into and through them, and alfo hinders the proper draining of the marshes into the river by the diminution of the quantity of level or declivity neceffary for that purpose. As Mr. Pownall then propofes to treat of the remedy and prevention of this ftoppage, and as the clearing the river and harbour is of advantage both to the trade of the place refpecting its navigation, and to the adjacent country refpecting its drainage, he thus acquires his compound idea of drainage and navigation but one united work.' As the point which he chiefly labours, is to keep the harbour clear of any bar, fo that the communication with the deep waters of the fea may have no interruption; he therefore fays, and an outfall to deep water the first and necessary step to it.'

Although this pamphlet is not divided into any regular feries of parts by fections, chapters, &c. treating in order the. feveral parts of the fubject, yet the author has had some regard to regularity in this refpect, although the parts of the subject are feparated by paragraphs only.

From the beginning to page 5 is employed in fome general obfervations on the inefficacy of bare fcience or theory without practice, and on experience without theory; as either of thefe alone, without the other, is generally found ufelefs and dangerous. In this place too he laments the prevalence of the turbulent fpirit and principles which fo frequently defeat the best plans and public intentions, which might have been brought to happy and ufeful conclufions by a conduct arifing from different principles.

From page 5 to page 10 he treats on the effects arising from the running of water from the higher parts of the country, down to the lower grounds. By which operation he fhews that great quantities of mud are brought down from the higher lands by the rapid motion of the waters; and that the more in proportion as thofe lands become more cultivated, their furface is the more broken and loofened by the fpade and plough. When thefe waters, with the mud mixed, arrive at

the

the low and flat country towards the fea, they spread themselves into a wide furface, forming a broad river, and here move with a flow heavy motion, both from the want of the former declivity, and from the extraordinary increase in width: the rapid motion which before raised the mud, and kept it fufpended in the water, now ceafing to act, in a great meafure, the earth gradually fettles to the bottom by its fuperior gravity, and choaks up the bed of the river in this part. This effect is alfo much increafed by the flowing in of the tide, which generally obtains in this low part of the river; for thus the waters are for fome time every day motionless, and fo the more fitted for depofiting their mud; besides, the tide ittelf brings in much mud, which partly is alfo precipitated to the bottom, and contributes to the raifing of the bed of the river. By this continual raifing of the bed, the waters gradually fpread wider, encroach on their banks, which they at laft break down, and deluge the very low adjoining grounds, thus becoming mere lakes or marshes, which it is almoft impoffible ever afterwards to drain. These effects are allo naturally greater near to the fea, and greatest of all at the very mouth of the river, where they are still more increased by the conftant oppofite motion of the fea, which here produces the moft remarkable elevation called the

bar.

In another part Mr. Pownal animadverts on fome impro per and ineffectual methods used to drain the water off those flooded lands, and mentions fome rivers and havens that have thus been rendered entirely ufelefs.-Then, from page 12 to 18, he applies thofe principles to the bufinefs in hand, the river Oufe, about the town of Lynn, pointing out many bad effects that have increafed the evil there to a great height; and having traced the effects down the river all the way to its mouth, where the greateft bank or bar is formed, he adds,

Our obfervations have now brought us to the spot, where, the whole evil and disease lies-The defect of the outfall to fea, that is, into deep water, is the primary and efficient caufe of all the mifchief, which the country experiences. Here lies the general difeafe, and until that is removed, all application to particular fymptoms is only wafting the ftrength, and throwing away the money of the country: the third acre is gone and fpent; half the property, nay every acre, one after the other, may be given, and the value of the whole fpent; the country will be till left in a remedilefs flate of ruin. All inland pumping by mills, and piling up waters by banks, in order to scour, will only encrease the malady; as they draw off the waters from one place, they only pile them up in another; as they fcour in

one

One particular place, they only fcoop out the foil to carry it and lodge it in another, where it will become more immoveable. If they could fcour the whole level, they would but encrease its concavity, railing, at the fame time, the high ridge at its edge to feaward; the waters muft thus, as they always have done, fall back again: the whole level would become a deeper lake; and drainage, as it has done in fact, become by every operation of this kind, ftill more and more difficult. The attempt to force, by scouring, an outfall, only tears the rivers to pieces, breaks down their banks, forms wide obstructed lakes in them, and finally, could the foil be forced down to the mouth, would there form impenetrable bars of firm cohesive foil.'

A few pages are then employed in propofing fome methods for remedying thofe evils, and treat particularly on the interior narrow channel in which the natural waters of the river flow near the conclufion of the ebbing tide.

From page 28 to 39, he treats of the propriety of cutting a new channel or canal next the fea to fome distance up into the country, and turning the waters of the river into it at the top, by making a dam there across the old river. This is propofed with an intention to substitute this new cut inftead of the bad and ruined parts next the mouth of the old river, as it may likely be fitter for the purposes both of drainage and the navigation. He then argues whether fuch new cut should be made with a fluice on it. And lastly, whether it may be better to build also a dam across the bottom of the old river, or to leave it open here in this part. In this place we are of a, different opinion from our author, as we think it would be much better to leave this part of the river quite open. For the great quantity of water which will flow into this very wide part of the old river by the tide, will be found very useful in cleansing the bar and harbour as it ebbs out again; nor will it in the leaft prevent any of the tide from flowing up, the new canal, as it is a conftant obfervation of the best engineers, that the more any river is embanked and confined, to the lefs height does the tide flow.

In conclufion, he recommends the expediency of making this business a matter of general concern to the whole of the country which is immediately to be benefited by it, in the rea› fonableness of which we perfectly acquiefce with him. He then concludes,

Experience (dear bought, God knows) has at last convinced all parties, that private and partial measures must always be ineffective, and finally ruinous to the country; the means to be taken, fo far as they affect men and interelts, are no longer fo ill understood, as they used to be in ages of a narrower and more illiberal turn of mind: the mode of conducting the bu

finefs,

finefs, at its outfet, fo as to fettle the powers of those who are to direct, and the proportions of those who are to pay, are by general rules, now well understood, digefted, and fettled in parliament. A kind of confpiring fimilarity of opinion, and a practical spirit of bufiuefs, feem to form the prefent conjun&ture, in which it may be done.

If the interefts of drainage and navigation fhall join in fentiments, as they are united in operation; if the work fhall be undertaken as one general intereft, and conducted by one general direction, at one common charge; and shall begin from a natural outfall to fea, that is, deep water; the inland country will be drained, Lynn will be maintained a great maritime town, and there will be, through a moft extenfive part of England, an inland navigation.'

If our author, in this little work, has not thrown out many hints that may be very useful to the purpose intended, he at leafts claims refpe&t from his apparent good intentions, and his endeavours to promote a work of such confequence to the par-” ties more immediately concerned.

VIII. Rural Improvements: or, Essays on the most rational Methods of improving Eftates; accommodated to the Soil, Climate, and Circumfiances of England. 8vo. 5. in boards. Dodley.

THE

HE author of this treatise appears to be a gentleman of confiderable landed property; and a practical cultivator of extensive knowledge in agriculture.

In the Introduction are several general obfervations relative to the fubjects afterwards treated of at large; and strictures upon the works of some modern authors on husbandry.

The author begins to defcribe his method of doubling the prefent value of the landed eftates in this kingdom, as fol

lows:

Moft large eftates have very large quantities of land that lie remote from the farm yard, fometimes feveral miles, and often very difficult of accefs, on account of fteep hills and bad roads, therefore fuch lands have no chance to be manured with dung,, afhes, lime, or any fuch thing, the carriage of which would come high, and therefore they are confidered as wafte lands, not worth more than half a crown an acre, and are therefore fuffered to be over-run with brambles, broom, or furze from one generation to another, though very capable of bearing good corn, if proper methods were purfued. I have at this time fe- . veral hundred acres exactly thus circumflanced, which ferve no other purpose, but to fammer a few fheep and young cattle. Thefe are the ufes thofe lands have been put to for a great number of years, and as their condition is no better than formerly,

no