It would be difficult to enlarge farther on the plan and cha racter of this pleafing performance, without feeming to have borrowed from the ketch of the work given in the Tran flator's preface; we fhall therefore content ourselves with an abstract of what is there faid on the merit of this very fingular romance; viz.

The History of Agathon is confidered as the Author's mafterpiece; and indeed he difcovers throughout the whole of this work much original genius, and very extenfive reading of modern as well as ancient writers. In the first volume we find a learned and curious account of the fophifts of Greece, which feems conformable to what we read of them in the dialogues of Plato and Lucian. There is much good metaphyfical reafoning in the conferences between Hippias and Agathon; and though it has been justly imputed to the writers of controverfal dialogues, that they are cautious of representing in their full force the arguments they mean to refute, yet Mr. WIELAND has been particularly attentive not to incur this cenfure. The arguments the fophift Hippias ufes in fupport of his fyftem, appear to be fet in their strongest light, fo that it may fometimes be a matter of doubt, whether the reply is fufficiently convincing. In general, however, Agathon has the beft of the difpute; and if even there should be room to doubt, it may be owing to the Author's accuracy in endeavouring to make the answers confiftent with his hero's character, which in his younger days was that of an enthufiaft.

The behaviour of Agathon at Athens in the fecond volume is remarkably ftriking; and the defcription of the manners and difpofition of that republic very juft and entertaining. The account of the court of Dionyfius is extremely pleafing; and the court-intrigues are difplayed with a degree of penetration and fagacity, which indicate a thorough knowledge of the human heart. The extracts from Agathon's fpeech in favour of a monarchical government, are mafterpieces of elegance as well as of found reafoning. Thefe parts of the work are fo excellent that they may be read with pleasure, perhaps with advantage; by statesmen and politicians.

The character of Archytas in the last volume is highly finished; and may be looked upon as one of the most amiable and confiftent characters ever drawn.

"But it would be endless to particularize all the beauties of this work. Let it fuffice to fay, that Mr. WIELAND'S ftile is nervous and ftrong, his descriptions poetical and picturesque, though on fome occafions they may be too wild. His reafoning, upon the whole, is juft, and in many parts we meet with that noble fimplicity, which is the characteristic mark of the ancient manner of writing, and the test of true genius.

Among fuch a variety of excellencies, we could wish there were blemishes of confequence to be found, especially as thofe which do occur might have been fo eafily avoided. We must do the Author the juftice to declare, that thefe faults feem chiefly to have arifen from hurry and want of attention, evident marks of which manifest themselves in this otherwife fuperior and capital performance.

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A vein

A vein of pointed fatire runs through the whole work; and though it is often judiciously applied, and with much wit, particularly against modern writers of novels and romances, yet it feems to be fo much the Author's favourite turn, that three or four different trokes of it are frequently complicated and thrown together in the fame fentence. This unavoidably creates confufion, and periods of an immoderate length, a defect, which we have taken the liberty to correct as much as poffible in the tranflation.

Although the ftory is profeffedly borrowed from a Greek manufcript, yet there are many allufions in it to modern cuftoms, manners, and writings, which take off in a great measure from the antique caft that ought to have been uniformly preferved through the whole. The Author indeed apologizes for thefe in the preface; but the neceffity of fuch an apology had better been avoided; for we apprehend that he either wished to fave himfelf the trouble of correcting thofe paffages, or that his turn for fatire induced him rather to leffen the dignity of his fubject, than to omit any opportunity of indulging this propenfity.'

As the Tranflator's impartiality has led him to take notice of the flight imperfection pointed out in the laft paragraph of the foregoing extract, he very honeftly proceeds to cenfure his Author for certain careless expreffions, and an indelicacy in fome of his allufions, which, as he obferves, we should not have expected in fo elegant a Writer; but we think there is, in this work, a defect of more importance than any of thofe which he has noticed. A romance, or a novel, like other fables, ufually ends with a moral deduction; and it is proper that this fhould always be the cafe, not only because the moral is the main object and end of the piece, but because the farewell impreffion left on the Reader's mind when he clofes the book, is generally that which strikes the deepest, and lasts the longeft. Now, although the balance obviously inclines in favour of morality, throughout the whole of Agathon's hiftory, there is no exemplary inference of this kind at the conclufion of the work; for, there, the hero of the tale relapfes (after his return to virtue, in the third 'volume) into his mifplaced love for a beautiful and highly accomplished courtezan, who had deluded and fafcfnated him in the early part of his youth, and of his adventures. This, in the Author, is criminal; but he has alfo grofsly violated the laws of female delicacy and decorum, by introducing this courtezan to the acquaintance and friendship of an amiable and virtuous lady, who certainly could not, confiftently, at leaft, with our modern notions of honour, attach herself to fuch a perfon, without relinquishing all pretenfions to reputation.

In juftice to Mr. W. we muft not, however, omit to adquaint our Readers, that he does not, in fact, appear to have intended the close of the fourth volume for the final completion of his defign. On the contrary, he there talks of certain fupplements and additions to the Hiftory; which may not be un

worthy the attention of the public, and which will give us a view of the opinions and conduct of the amiable Agathon, at fifty years old.

ART. VI. The Farmer's Lawyer; or, Every Country Gentleman his own Counsellor. Containing all the Laws now in Force that particularly concern the Farmer, the Country Gentleman, the Clergyman, the Maltfter, the Hop-Planter, the Carrier, or any other Person whofe Bufinefs or Amufements occafion him to refide chiefly in the Country, &c. By a Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn. izmo, 3 s. 6d. Kearfley, &c. 1774.

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S this Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn feems difpofed to parcel out our laws into fmall compendiums for different ufes (which is not an ill fcheme, if maturely executed, and not converted into hafty jobs) it is to be hoped he will be more careful in any performances of this kind now under contemplation, than he has been in thofe already published. His Compleat Parish Officer was far from meriting that character; and his Farmer's Lawyer, will leave his client as ignorant as he found him with respect to many points on which he may have occafion to confult him, notwithstanding his liberal affurances of supplying all the laws now in force relating to a specification too long to copy from the ample title-page. A farmer's lawyer is a definite term, and if judiciously executed might have anfwered the purpose both of the farmer and publisher; but this Gentleman, in one duodecimo volume, affures us he has given us any (or every) perfon's lawyer whofe bufinefs or amusements occafion him to refide in the country! Alas, our laws cannot be fo compactly epitomifed, that we should take a random affertion of this nature for a truth! But as the Farmer, the Country Gentleman, the Clergyman, the Maltfer, the Hop-planter, and the Carrier, are particularly mentioned, it may also be asked at random, why no notice is taken of laws under the titles Advowfons, Bailiffs and Bailiwicks, Banks, Chaplains, Churches, Commons, Copyholds, Courts Baron and Leet, Fairs and Markets, Fences, Fens, Fir-Fruits and Tenths, Forefis, Freeholds, Husbandry and Hufbandmen, Land-Tax, Leafes, Militia, Mortgages, Parks, Poor's Rate, Simony, Tenures, Trefpafs, &c. all which concern one or other of the three former rural ftations?

Whatever may be thought or faid by fuch writers as the prefent nameless Compiler, the expofing the failures in their engagements affords no pleasure, apart from the care we endeavour to take not to deceive our Readers, who in this inftance are no fmall number, by unfair reprefentations; and no author has a right to claim any tenderness of this kind. Let him fettle the point with his bookfeller who happens to be deceived in the Vid. Catalogue for this month.

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confidence he reposes; and who is neceffarily led to indemnify himself as well as he can. Unhappily the difcredit of such conduct extends to literature in general, and affects the first proposals of the most accurate writer on any subject; a disappointed purchaser naturally forming conclufions prejudicial to every author who folicits attention to his labours.

Even the claffes contained in this performance, are neither full nor correct. Under Cyder we have regulations for making malt, from the laft act, which the Author afterward, under Malt, owns to be " unnaturally blended" with cyder. Under the title Game, the penalties for killing game in the night, or on Sunday, are recited from the 10 Geo. III. c. 19. which was repealed by the 13 Geo. III. c. 80. The provifions relating to black and red game are taken from the 2 Geo. III. c. 19. though that act, fo far as it related to thofe fpecies of game, was repealed by 13 Geo. III. c. 55. Thefe acts 13 Geo. III. c. 55. and c. 80. do indeed by a strange inftance of careleffness, tending to confound the reader, follow the obfolete matter; and it is to be noted, in general, that recent acts, not already abridged by others, are given at large without abftract, the formal enacting words beginning the claufes, excepted: by which easy means, the book is unneceffarily fwelled with little trouble to, the Compiler.

The laws relating to Hay and Straw are quoted from the act 2 W. & M. c. 8. which reference appears to govern the whole; though the greatest part of what is there faid is taken from the 31 Geo. II. c. 40. by which means the reader who may with to confult the original act more carefully, is misled in his search, and left without a guide to fet him right.

Under Hemp, one only circumstance is mentioned, viz. the penalty on watering it in ftreams or ponds where cattle are watered; although there are several other laws relating to flax and hemp, neceffary to be known by perfons concerned in those articles.

Under title Horfes, there is no mention of the ftatute relating to the exportation of them, and the duty to be paid on fending them abroad; nor of the regulations for horfe-racing, which moft country gentlemen would wifh to know, as racing is at this time so seriously pursued by the gentlemen of the turf.

Laws relating to the grinding corn and malt, are indeed given under the article Miller; but thofe fly knaves are not told the penalty they are fubject to if they fell flour for making ftandard wheaten bread, of a different quality from that prefcribed by the late bread act.

It had not perhaps been worth while to enter into thefe inftances of careless compofition, were it not fometimes needful to guard against common-place invectives, which are generally ready.

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when

worthy the attention of the public, and which will give us a view of the opinions and conduct of the amiable Agathon, at fifty years old.

ART. VI. The Farmer's Lawyer; or, Every Country Gentleman his own Counsellor. Containing all the Laws now in Force that particularly concern the Farmer, the Country Gentleman, the Clergyman, the Maltfter, the Hop-Planter, the Carrier, or any other Perfon whofe Bufinefs or Amusements occafion him to refide chiefly in the Country, &c. By a Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn. 12mo, 3 s. 6 d. Kearfley, &c. 1774.

A

S this Gentleman of Lincoln's Inn feems difpofed to parcel out our laws into fmall compendiums for different ules (which is not an ill scheme, if maturely executed, and not converted into hafty jobs) it is to be hoped he will be more careful in any performances of this kind now under contemplation, than he has been in thofe already published. His Compleat Parish Officer was far from meriting that character; and his Farmer's Lawyer, will leave his client as ignorant as he found him with respect to many points on which he may have occafion to confult him, notwithstanding his liberal afsurances of fupplying all the laws now in force relating to-a specification too long to copy from the ample title-page. A farmer's lawyer is a definite term, and if judiciously executed might have anfwered the purpose both of the farmer and publisher; but this Gentleman, in one duodecimo volume, affures us he has given us any (or every) perfon's lawyer whofe bufinefs or amusements occafion him to refide in the country! Alas, our laws cannot be fo compactly epitomifed, that we should take a random affertion of this nature for a truth! But as the Farmer, the Country Gentleman, the Clergyman, the Maltfter, the Hop-planter, and the Carrier, are particularly mentioned, it may also be asked at random, why no notice is taken of laws under the titles Advowfons, Bailiffs and Bailiwicks, Banks, Chaplains, Churches, Commons, Copyholds, Courts Baron and Leet, Fairs and Markets, Fences, Fens, Fira-Fruits and Tenths, Forefts, Freeholds, Husbandry and Husbandmen, Land-Tax, Leafes, Militia, Mortgages, Parks, Poor's Rate, Simony, Tenures, Trefpafs, &c. all which concern one or other of the three former rural ftations?

Whatever may be thought or faid by fuch writers as the prefent nameless Compiler, the expofing the failures in their engagements affords no pleasure, apart from the care we endeavour to take not to deceive our Readers, who in this inftance are no fmall number, by unfair reprefentations; and no author has a right to claim any tenderness of this kind. Let him fettle the point with his bookfeller who happens to be deceived in the

* Vid. Catalogue for this month.

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