Tarleton is unfortunate in the period of his publication. The obfervations, whether just or unjuft, are fuch as must have occurred to him on the fpot, and previous to the conclufion of the war. If they were ever to have been made public, they fhould have been fo. while earl Cornwallis was in England. Admitting that the accufations which a lieutenant-colonel brings against his general be true, the reader will reflect that the fame want of difcernment and ability will weaken the commander's uniform teftimony to the merits of colonel Tarleton, and will greatly invalidate the force of that unqualified decifion, which lord Cornwallis made in his favour, against the troops under his command, at the unfortunate action of the Cowpens. This was a decifion which the noble earl made without any opportunity of perfonal observation, or exercifing that deliberation which preceded all those meafures, the propriety of which our hiftorian has attacked.

On the whole, we cannot praife this Hiftory: it is diffufe, laboured, and tedious. The author appears.every where, forward, on the canvas; and, when his importance is estimated by the weight of his own remarks, we are tempted frequently to remove him to the back-ground.

Obfervations on the Circulation of the Blood, and on the Effects 8vo. 25. of Bleeding. By John Hunt.

IT

Johnfon. T is remarkable, that the phyfiology of the circulation is understood, at this period, with little more accuracy than in the days of Harvey. Mr. Hunt contributes in fome degree. to its elucidation; but, in other refpects, continues entangled in the maze of error, from which former phyfiologifts have found it fo difficult to efcape. He properly objects to the mechanical phyfiology, and expofes thofe miftakes which arose from an imperfect knowlege of the anatomy of the circulating system. He feems, however, to think that, at each contraction, the whole quantity of blood contained in the contracted part of the artery is pushed forward, while this part remains for a moment empty, to be filled again from the contraction of the fuperior portion. This, at beft, is gratuitous; for its only fupport is the arteries being found frequently empty after death. In confequence of the univerfal relaxation which prevails in that fituation, many changes may have taken place which are incompatible with life; and it is certain, that if an animal is opened foon after death, this complete vacuity is not found. In fact, both in the decreafing diameters of the arterial branches, and a fuperior tone in the fmall veffels, nature feems to have given that refiftance to the paffage of the

blood,

blood, which is neceffary to confine it to the large veffels. The refiftance is, in fome measure, overcome by each contraction of the heart, and enough blood is propelled to excite the action of the fucceeding part of the veffel. The heart is certainly emptied by each contraction; but its fize, its shape, its structure, and the affistance which the carnea columnæ give, materially affift its evacuation. All these aids the arteries want; and, if we reflect that there is no diftinct portions in the arterial system, where contraction begins, and dilatation ends, though in reality the contractions of the different portions are fucceffive, we shall find that the circulation through the arteries can be beft reprefented by a wave, where the contracted portions contain lefs blood than the dilated ones, though they are by no means empty.

Dr. Whytt has clearly shown that there must be a part of the circulating fyftem where the force of the heart, though aided by the arteries, is loft, both from the distance and from the increasing size of the canals: increasing, we mean not in the diameter of a given veffel, but in the sum of the diameters of the branches, in comparison of the trunk. At this portion, a proper and distinct action of the small veffels commences, which he has called, perhaps improperly, ofcillatory, because ofcillations, though fometimes obvious, are not their proper and diftinguished actions. The extreme veffels certainly poffefs a tone, and appear to act, in many circumftances, independent of the general system; and this action is discovered in fo many phyfiological and pathological inftances, that it cannot be overlooked or mistaken.

In explaining the effects of bleeding, Mr. Hunt feems to have adopted too many of the tenets of the mechanical school. He confiders only the changes produced on the action of the heart, by the diminution of the quantity. It is evident that this is the primary change; but a diminution of tenfion has an effect on the nerves, and produces that relaxation, whofe tendency is falutary, or otherwife, according as the tenfion has been morbidly increased, or is already too little. It is this fecondary effect which is of the greatest confequence, not the change in the mode of contraction, depending only on a diminished bulk of fluids, which, on a careful computation, will be found in any one contraction of the heart very inconfiderable. If Mr. Hunt reflects in this way, he will fee that the increased irritability, in confequence of diminished tenfion, will, in many inftances, counteract the effects of diminished quantity, and little change, for fome time, will be perceived in the ftate of the pulfe.

VOL. LXIII. May, 1787.

Mr. Hunt's arguments on the probable effects of topical bleedings, are very forcible. In many fituations, the external and internal veffels have little connection, and the quantity drawn is often inconfiderable. Topical bleedings are, however, frequently ufeful, though the effects may not perhaps be easily explained. We have fometimes thought that they are useful, in giving room for the internal veffels to expand ; fometimes when the mode of drawing the blood is attended with external inflammation, it certainly leffens the irritation of the neighbouring nerves. At all events, the remedy is useful; ́and it is a lucky circumstance that the fact is well known, and may be advantageoufly applied, whatever becomes of theoretical difputes.

Eighteen Practical Sermons, upon interesting Subjects. By the Rev. William Jabet, B. A. 8vo. 55. ferved. Baldwin.

MR. R. Jabet was a minifter at Birmingham forty-eight years, either as curate of St. Martin's, or lecturer of St. Bartholomew's chapel: at the age of feventy-one he ftill attended to the duties of his profeffion. We are not, therefore, furprised that the labours of this refpectable veteran were fo highly reverenced, that his hearers wished for a felect number of his Sermons; we do not wonder at this volume's being honoured by fo numerous a lift of fubfcribers of all denominations. Mr. Jabet did not select them for the prefs, nor were they written with any defign of giving them to the world in general. He contented himself with instructing those whom 'Providence committed to his charge, without intending to amufe the critic,' who fearches merely for the elegancies of language, without expecting to be able to inform the learned, who look for any great depth of erudition, or acuteness of 'reafoning.' In this view, the volume before us is not an 'object of criticism: we refpect the fervent piety, and earnest zeal of the author; we admire the numerous proofs which he has given of the goodness of his heart.

In the felection of difcourfes for this publication, too much 'attention feems to have been paid to those which treat of the moft intricate myfteries of our religion; fubjects which should be treated with the moft cautious and judicious hand, left the infidel may collect poifon from the most wholesome inftruction, or the fceptic learn to doubt, from thofe leffonist which were intended to confirm his faith. We were lefs fatisfied with the editor's choice, because we think the Sermons which enforce the moral duties are executed more advantageously. It may

per-

perhaps be alleged, that they were collected at the defire of his parishioners; that it was of importance to preserve the author's fentiments on a variety of fubjects; and particularly those which, in a religious view, were most interesting. If the collection is, in this light, acceptable to the congregation and fubfcribers, we need not complain.

The Idyllia, Epigrams, and Fragments, of Theocritus, Bion, and Mofchus, with the Elegies of Tyrtæus, tranflated from the Greek into English Verfe. To which are added, Differtations and Notes. By the Rev. Richard Polwbele. 4to. 1.15. in Boards. Cadell.

OF

F that fpecies of poetry which is termed paftoral, and confined to the reprefentation of rural objects and rural manners, Theocritus is the acknowleged master. His characters appear evidently drawn from the life, and his defcriptive scenery from actual obfervation. However natural this mode of compofition may appear, and easy in point of execution, for the requifite imagery is always open to our view, yet few imitations have fallen fhorter of their original than thofe which have been profeffedly written after the manner of Theocritus. An eminent writer has endeavoured to account for it, by obferving that the range of pastoral is indeed narrow; for though nature itself, philofophically confidered, be inexhauftible, yet its general effects on the eye, and on the ear, are uniform, and incapable of much variety of description.' This reafon is by no means fatisfactory. Thompson's Seafons, without quoting any other authority, evidently prove that natural objects may be exhibited in variety of views, unborrowed from preceding writers. Gay's Shepherd's Week, now but little known, and poffibly written with an intent to ridicule Phillips's Paftorals as a free imitation of the more familiar and homely Idyllia, claims, in qur opinion, the preference to any we have feen. The manners are truly ruftic, but not grofs; the scenery, fuch as our own country affords. We have no theological difputants, as in Spenfer; no refined fentiments nor claffical allufions, as in Pope-his images are all appropriated and natural; even his * antiquated expreffions, fome of which are not injudiciously adopted

The following humorous account of the ftyle in which his Paftorals are written, might have been applied to Rowley's Poems with great propriety. The language of my fhepherds, foothly to fay, is fuch as is neither fpoken by the country maiden, or the courtly dame: nay not only fuch as in the prefent times is not uttered, but was never uttered in times paft, and if I judge aright, will never be uttered in times future. It having too much of A = 2

the

adopted by Mr. Polwhele, often give a pleasing air of simplicity, which others could not fo happily have effected. They cannot, poffibly, by any critical reafoning, be ftrictly vindicated; but the broad-mouthed dialect, to adopt a vulgar, but not inexpreffive phrase of our countrymen, would have been worfe, and have proved a bad fubftitute for the Grecian os rotundum; resembling the Doric idiom in much the fame manner that a Dorsetshire fhepherd would a bubulcus of Sicily. Confcious that a ftrict adherence to nature, in this mode of compofition, would be offenfive to the delicacy of modern tafte, our paftoral writers have deviated into the other extreme; and may not this be the principal reafon of the little entertainment they afford us? Studied elegance of phrafe, and polifhed defcription, are not characteristic of unlettered peafants. We cannot fancy the speakers real, and turn with difguft from fo unnatural a representation.

• Quodcunque oftendis mihi fic incredulus odi."

Totally different from these are the fhepherds of Theocritus. They are defcribed as they really were, and speak the language they commonly fpoke; which does not give us an idea of * vulgarity, as our own provincial idioms would do. Their occupation, indeed, in his days, had nothing degrading in it, and of courfe their dialect must have then appeared in a much more † respectable light than that of their namefakes would in the prefent age. To this we may add, that it was the current language at that time in many of the Grecian states. Some of the characters, however, have little pretenfions to refinement of fentiment, whatever may be urged in vindication of their expreffion. The goatherds are much more rustic and unpolished in their manners than the bubulci or herdsmen, who were of a fuperior clafs. One of the former asks his miftrefs, why fhe diflikes him; does he appear like an ape, and with a long beard?' Mr. Polwhele renders it,

Say, am I hated; do my looks offend?'

For the fake of difcriminating characters, fo remarkably attended to by Theocritus, this paffage might have been rep

the country to be fit for the court; too much of the court to be fit for the country; too much of the language of old times to be fit for the present ; too much of the prefent to have been fit for the old; and too much of both to be fit for any time to come.'

*Allan Ramfay, by writing in a language which we must confult a Gloffary to understand, has the fame advantage. The rufticity which strikes a Scottish ear is not perceptible to us, and we are blind to all but his beauties.

There is a paffage, however, in Idyl. xv. l. 120, which feems to prove that the Doric dialect was then looked upon, in fome parts of Greece at leaft, as vulgar and unpleasing.

dered