Here,' exclaims our Author, are American wifdom, juftice, and piety, for the people of Great Britain! The religion which in page 38th the parliament had NO AUTHORITY to grant, belongs in page 72 by right divine to the Canadians; and though there it has difperfed impiety, perfecution, murder and rebellion, through the world," yet here it becomes the IMMEDIATE GIFT OF GOD!' The abovementioned inconfiftency has frequently been noticed, by the Anti-Americans; and we do not remember to have feen any attempt made to wipe off this reproach, by the advocates for the Co lonies. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 18. Philofophical Empiricism: containing, Remarks on a Charge of Plagiarism refpecting Dr. H--s, interfperfed with various Obfervations relating to different Kinds of Air. By Jofeph Priestley, LL. D. F. R. S. 8vo. I s. 6d. Johnson. 1775. Of all the candidates for the fame of philofophical difcovery, we fhould have thought the Author of the prefent performance to have been the least expofed to an imputation of plagiarifm; as in the accounts which he has from time to time published of his various difcoveries, he has particularly diftinguished himself by an ingenuous and circumftantial detail of the facts or motives which led to them: whether fuch enumeration might redound to the credit of his philofophical fagacity, or otherwife. Againft fuch a charge, however, he has been induced, more, we fhould imagine, from a regard to his moral character, than to his philofophical fame, to defend himself in the prefent pamphlet; which contains all the letters that paffed on the fubject between himself and the perfons who gave rife to, or fupport the accufation; as well as a recital of all the leading facts, and his reflections upon them: the whole forming, in our opinion, a compact body of evidence; indeed much more than was neceffary to a complete refutation of the charge. Though we shall not enter into the particulars of this controverfy, we ought to obferve, that the prefent publication, though originally written with the defign only of vindicating the Author from an unjust imputation, is not merely of a temporary and polemical nature;-that it contains much philofophical information on the fubject which gave immediate occafion to it, as well as on others connected with it ;-and that the drynefs of philofophical controverly and difcullion is feafoned with an abundant fprinkling of wit and pleafantry, difpenfed to the Author's two antagonists-if they may both be so called. The illiberal and even rude strain of Dr. H's letter to the Author is particularly reprehenfible, and feems fully to justify the ridicule with which he is treated, in the Author's account of his, thort lived connection with him. We fhall only further obferve, that if Dr. Priestley has really. ftolen any of his doctrines, or discoveries relative to air, from the Doctor's lectures, or converfation; we cannot but applaud his great alchemical powers in the art and mystery of tranfmutation, and in concealing the theft fo completely, as to render Dr. H.'s property no longer cognifable. Dr. H.'s air, as we learn from his printed fyllabus, is a primary distinct element, that is, a perfectly fimple and uncompounded Ee 2 uncompounded fubftance: Dr. Priestley, it feems, has changed it into a compound, confifting of no less than three ingredients; and is actu ally in a condition to manufacture any quantities of it, ad libitum, and to regale himself, his mice, and his friends with it, provided you furnish him with a little aquafortis, and fint, with a flight fprinkling of phlogifton.-As mere lookers on, we should rather have expected to have feen thefe two philofophers difputing in defence of their refpective and oppofite fyftems, than to find one of them furlily accufing the other of having picked his brains and robbed him. Art. 19. An Efay on Politeness; wherein the Benefits arifing from, and the Neceffity of, being polite, are clearly proved and demonftrated from Reafon, Religion, and Philofophy. To which is prefixed, an allegorical defcription of the Origin of Politeness. By a young Gentleman. 12mo. 3. Баш, 1775. The young Gentleman who offers this piece to the Public, fuppli cates a favourable fentence with fo much humility, that we are almaft tempted to use our little intereft in the court to which he refers his caufe, to obtain permission that Tafte, Philofophy, and Criticism, may be commanded to retire, and that Candour and Lenity may be the only counfel permitted to speak, while his fate is determining. I have the happinefs (fays he, addreffing the Public) to imagine your goodness is fuch, that if nothing elfe demanded your lenity in regard to this performance, my youth would, in fome measure, prevent you from injuring the rife of thofe fmall talents, which might probably (if not abashed and disheartened in the onset) fhine to much more advantage, and be of much more use to mankind in future. The pleasure I feel, when I confider by whom this piece will be judged, greatly alleviates the pain I undergo, when I reflect what is the object for judgment.' At the fame time, however, that we grant him this indulgence, we must take the liberty of giving him two or three friendly hints of advice. Let him not think of making his fecond appearance before the Public, till he has learnt the full import of his own doctrine, that politenefs difcourfes without affectation, and writes with freedom, cafe, and native elegance. Since the foundation of all po lite writing is claffical purity of style, let them ftudy the meaning of words, and the nature of grammatical conftruction, till he can perceive the faults which occur in the first fentence of his preface. As this fubject may be thought by many to be fufficiently dif cuffed in the letters of a late peer, to need any further treatife there upon, I have been induced in this manner to ask for the impartiality of your candour, in permitting this effay to pafs without cenfure through the hands of, and be read by, all thofe, who think proper to let it undergo their perufal; because the intent of this piece, and of the abovementioned letters are totally different, as will clearly be observed by comparing them together.Let him read the philofophical works of Harris, and the critical writings of Hurd, till he has fo far improved his judgment and tafte, as to be able to give his readers a lefs heterogeneous arrangement of authors, than the following: ⚫ for learned and fenfible dialogues, read Harvey, Harris and Hurd.” Laftly, let him exercife himself in portrait painting in private, till he find himself able to produce a more friking. likeness than the the following picture of Moderation, the mother of Politenefs; which, the connoiffeurs would perhaps inform him, might as well have taken the name of any other goddefs, heavenly or earthly, that the painter had pleafed. Her graceful mien befpoke her fomething heavenly; her golden locks in eafy ringlets fhaded the charms of her more lovely neck: her countenance was ruddy as Aurora, like Juno fair; bewitching as Venus; and as Pallas bespeaking. When the fpoke, charms innumerable iffued from her lips: her voice was more tuneful than Cytherea's, and her figure more graceful than Melpomene's.' Art. 20. Confiderations on the different Modes of finding Recruits for the Army. 8vo. 6d. Cadell. In confidering whether new levies fhould be made by additional companies to old regiments, or by new corps to be commanded by men of family and eftate; the Writer argues ftrongly for the latter mode; urging, that men are easier collected under officers whom they know, than under ftrangers: and that mutual knowledge of each other operates as a stronger bond of connexion in time of fervice, than where they are all strangers to each other, and to their officers. Hence he pleads for Highland regiments, and for raifing others from the Roman Catholics in Ireland. But here starts an antagonist. Art. 21. A Letter to the Author of "Confiderations on the different Modes of finding Recruits for the Army. 8vo. 1 s. Bew. This Writer attacks the former with more acrimony than he avows, and objects to all his reasoning, as injurious to the veteran officers, whofe promotion undoubtedly ought not to be obstructed by their juniors on the mere merit of recruiting fervice; and as tending to fill the British army with Highlanders and Irish Catholics.-But the decifion on fuch questions at fuch a time, does not reft with literary reviewers. Art 22. Obfervations upon the Shoeing of Horses: together with a new Inquiry into the Causes of Difeafes in the Feet of Hories. In two Parts. Part I. Upon the Shoeing of Horfes. Part II. Upon the Diseases of the Feet. By J. Clark, Farrier. 8vo. 36. fewed. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Cadell in London. The first edition of this ufeful Work, was published in 1772 °, to which the rational and intelligent Writer has now added many improvements. It were greatly to be wished, both from motives of intereft and humanity, that our farriers, who are also horse doctors, knew fomething more than they learn from ignorant prejudice at their master's anvil. Such of thofe profeffors as can read, and are not too wife already to feek for farther knowledge, might profit a little by attending to what Mr. Clark has to lay on the feet of that useful, much abused animal, the horse. NOVELS and MEMOIR S. 3 Vols. 95. Vernor. 1776. 12mo. Though this novel is barren of incident, and makes but a feeble attack upon the heart, it is not altogether deftitute of merit. The ? See Rev. vol. xlvi. p. 261. principal principal character is drawn with propriety and frength; many juf and fenfible reflections are interfperfed through the piece; a tolerable imitation of ancient romance is introduced by way of epifode; and the whole is written in an agreeable tyle. Art. 24. Memoirs of an unfortunate Queen. Intersperfed with Letters written by herfelf, to feveral of her illußrious Relations, &c. 12mo. 3 s. Bew. 1776. In this truly Grubean, though not ill-written, performance, poor Matilda is made to turn Authores; and the productions of her Danish Majefty's pen are, it feems, 1. Familiar Letters to Friends, &c. 2. The Story of the unfortunate Dutchefs of Zell, so similar to her own unhappy tale. 3. An Abridgement of the Hiftories of Charles XII. and the Czar Peter. 4. The Adventures of the Chevalier Charles Stuart, Pretender to the Crown of England. 5. Characters of the English, French, and Danes; with brief defcriptions of their feveral countries.-Thefe sketches are tolerably drawn, after pretty good originals; and, on the whole, it is evident, from the promifing fpecimens before us, that if Carolina Matilda had not, unfortunately for herself, been made a QUEEN, fhe might, in time, have arrived at the honour of being even a Monthly Reviewer. N. B. The honeft Grub is a warm advocate for the virtue and innocence of his heroine; in which he may be right; though it does not appear that he ever travelled to Copenhagen, DRAMATIC. Art. 25. Three Weeks after Marriage; a Comedy of two A&s, as performed at the Theatre-Royal in Covent Garden. 8vo. Kearsley. 1776. This is no more than a re-publication of a piece, which formerly fell under our notice, by the title of "What we muft all come to." To the prefent edition the ingenious Author† has prefixed the following advertisement: The following farce was offered to the public in January 1764; but the quarrel about a trifle, and the renewal of that quarrel after the difpute had fubfided, being thought unnatural, the piece was damned. Mr. LEWIS of Covent Garden Theatre, had the courage to revive it for his benefit in March laft, with an alteration of the title, and it has been fince repeated with fuccefs. A fimilar incident happened to VOLTAIRE at PARIS. That writer, in the year 1734, produced a tragedy, intitled ADELAIDE DU GUESCLIN, which was hiffed through every act. In 1-65, LE KAIN, an actor of eminence, revived the play, which had lain for years under condemnation. Every fcene was applauded. What can I think, fays VOL TAIRE, of thefe oppofite judgments? He tells the following anecdote. A banker at Paris had orders to get a new march compofed for one of the regiments of Charles XII. He employed a man of talents for the purpofe. The march was prepared, and a practice of it had at the banker's houfe before a numerous affembly. The mufic was found deteftable. MOURET (that was the compofer's name) retired with his performance, and foon after inferted it in one of his See Rev. vol. xxx. p. 70. + Arthar Murphy, Efq: operas. before.' operas. The banker and his friends went to the opera; the march was applauded. Ah, fays the banker, that's what we wanted: why did you not give us fomething in this tafte? Sir, replied MOURET, the march which you now applaud, is the very fame that you condemned Art. 26. The Syrens, a Mafque, in two Acts, as performed at the Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden. Written by Capt. Thompson. The Mufic compofed by Mr. Fisher. 8vo. 1 s. Kearsley. 1776. A Nautico-dramatical medley, made up from the Tempeft, Comus, and the Fair Quaker of Deal, with fome poetical flip, literary grog, and theatrical fea-biscuit; prepared by a modern failor, as an entertainment for his meff-mates, and a cruft for the critics, Art. 27. Don Quixote, A Mufical Entertainment, performed at the Theatre-Royal in Covent-Garden. 8vo. 1 s. Wilkie, &c. 1776. · In this Musical Entertainment, the Poet hath contrived to deprive the Knight of La Mancha of his enthusiasm, and to rob the Squire of his pleafantry. MORALITY. Art. 28. A Differtation on the Duty of Mercy, and Sin of Cruelty, to Brute Animals. By Humphry Primatt, D. D. Svo. 4 s. fewed. Cadell, &c. 1776. A well intended- fermon on this fubject was published about two years fince, by the late Mr. Granger, vicar of Shiplake in Oxfordthire; and though fentiments of this humane kind cannot be too forcibly inculcated, yet it may be hinted, that a fixpenny fermon is more likely to be read by offenders against the dictates of humanity, than more bulky differtations. The cruel are generally the ignorant vulgar, whofe feelings ought rather to be artfully addreffed, than their understanding complimented, by fuch learned and laboured deductions as this Gentleman has framed. The fubject of humanity to animals lies in a small compafs. &c. HUSBANDRY, Art. 29. A Treatife on Cattle: fhewing the most approved Methods of Breeding, Rearing, and fitting for Ufe, Horfes, Affes, Mules, Horned Cattle, Sheep, Goats, and Swine; with Directions for the proper Treatment of them in their feveral Disorders: to which is added, a Differtation on their contagious Diseases. Carefully collected from the beft Authorities, and interfperfed with Remarks. By John Mills, Efq; F. R. S. &c. 8vo. 6s. Johnson. 1776. A very useful compilation, both from English and French writers; and confidering the variety of fubjects treated of, must contain more knowledge of each animal, than the experience of any one practical farmer or grazier could properly furnish for an original work. Art. 30. The Modern Improvements in Agriculture, &c. Part II. By a Practifer of both the Old and New Husbandry. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Wilkie. 1770. The account given of the first part of this work, in our Review vol. liii. p. 181, where the title is copied at large, will be sufficient to convey an idea of this continuation. E e 4 LAW. |