but when he perfonates a British nobleman, or a lady of the court of St. James's, the figure he makes is prepofterous, and would be a laughable object, were it not that his impudence and immorality deferve chaftifement rather than ridicule. Art. 43. Another Estimate of the Manners and Principles of the prefent Times. 8vo. 2 s. Kearfly. 1759. This author fuppofes the character of the present time to be general hypocrisy, but His arguments directly tend, Against the point he would defend.' He fays our people of quality almoft univerfally vaunt of their feductions and boaft of their fucceffes even though common fenfe confiders them as fcandalous, below contempt: he adds, that bad nobles who enjoy great eftates, are the greatest enemies to fociety, because, to other mifchiefs is added, a remarkable bad and vicious example. But furely he that boasts of his vices is not a hypocrite; the bad noble, who gives a bad example cannot be fuppofed to conceal his cha racter. The author's book is wholly declamatory, and does in no degree answer to its title; he fays, our great men are both rapacious and profufe, that their entertainments are given not for the pleasure of fociety, but for oftentation, and the pride of envious emulation; that they are guilty of gaming and debauchery, and have made matrimonial infidelity fo common, and treated it fo lightly, that it is ceafing to be infamous. He fays our diftributors of justice are venal; that inftead of executing, they alter the laws; and that a caufe is not fuccefsful in proportion as it is equitable, but as it is well feed our practitioners of the law foment differences, and deftroy liberty, property and unanimity. Our juttices of peace are blockheads. "The lives of our clergy, fays this author, give a lie to their leffons," though their precepts are not better than their example: "there will be feen, fays he, as much folly, disorder, and irreligion in their families and focieties as any others: they are eminent nei. ther for good example or precept." He proceeds with common-place raillery against our army and navy, our phyficians, gentlemen, tradefmen and mechanics, all tending to contradict his firft pofition, that our national characteristic is hypocrify,-afferting that our immorality is grofs and evident. Animadverfion would be thrown away upon a work fo futile and inconfiftent; we shall therefore difmifs it with one extract as a fpecimen, that the author cannot always fee his way through a fingle fentence, but, however short, lofes fight of the beginning before he gets to the end; "The prefent itate of the foldiery, fays he, was always bad enough." Art. 44. A Review of the Conduct of Pafcal Paoli, addrefed to the Right Honourable William Beckford, &c. 8vo. Is. Bladon. Several base news-paper attacks having been made, by the fcribling wretches of a party, who flick at nothing, on the character of the truly refpectable and noble Italian, fince his arrival in this country, fome honelt Grubean (there is honour even in Grubitreet) hath drawn his indignant quill in the vindication of injured worth and innocence. It is indeed, but a piece of autheim, that hath been Rev. Dec. 1769. pro produced on this uncommon occafion, but it is one of the mofl generous of the kind; and, therefore, we fhould be forry to hear that the poor pamphleteer is a lofer by his publication: yet there is too much reafon to fear that a defence of virtue, will not go off like a fcandalous libel, a fecret hiftory, or a criminal converfation-piece. Art. 15. An Inquiry, whether the Study of the ancient Languages be a neceffary Branch of modern Educatien? wherein, by the Way, fome Obfervations are made on a late Performance, entitled, Effays on the Origin of Colleges, &c. 8vo. 1 s. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Knox in London. This Inquiry clearly fhews the Author to be a person of good taste and found judgment.-He confiders what those circumftances are, with regard to the ancient writers, which ought to recommend them to the study of the moderns in general; fhews that the prefent ftate of literature in this country renders the ftudy of the ancient claffics particularly useful; and makes it appear, from a deduction of facts, that the study of the Greek and Latin authors has, in every country of Europe, been attended with good tafte, and produced excellent writers in all the different fpecies of compofition; and that, on the contrary, with the decay of ancient learning, juft tafte and fine writing have likewife decayed. He enquires into the peculiar circumstances of Greece and Rome, which gave them fo remarkable an advantage in point of literary merit; and endeavours to prove, that it is impoflible for us to receive much advantage from ancient authors without understanding the Greek and Latin languages.-In an advertisement prefixed to his Inquiry, he makes fome very pertinent obfervations on the Essays on the Origin of Colleges, &c. fee our laft month's Catalogue) and fhews clearly that there is no reafon to fuppofe that any of the profeffors of the univerfity of Glafgow was concerned in that publication. Art. 46. A View of the Origin. Nature, and Use of Fettons, or Coun ters; efpecially thofe commonly known by the Name of Black Money, and Abbey pieces with a Sketch of the Manner of reckoning with them, and its Affinity with that of the Roman Abacus, the Chinese Soan Pan, and the Ruffian Shtchota. With Copper-plates. By Thomas Snelling. Folio. 7 s. 6d. Snelling. 1769. Those who have a taste for this kind of learning, will be no lefs pleafed with this proof of Mr. Snelling's abilities, than with the other compilations of this accurate and indefatigable Medallist. Art. 47. A Refutation of a falfe Afperfion thrown out upon Samuel Relates to certain difputes and litigations which Mr. Vaughan formerly had, in Jamaica, with one Little John, the mafter of a fhip; alfo a Mr. Huffey; a Mr. Jones, an attorney; and William Chriftopher, a deputy marshal's man. Some mention of these affairs having appeared in the news-paper above-mentioned, with intent, as Mr. V. apprehended, to injure his reputation, [already too much brought into question, on account of his late famous overture to the Duke of Grafton] he has, in his own vindication, published this recital of the feveral matters and things alluded to:-but with which we fhall no farther trouble our Readers. Altercations of fuch private, perfonal concern, have no title to any diftinguished place in a literary journal; 2 although although our plan, which, in fome measure, comprehends every new publication, obliges us to record this pamphlet in our catalogue. Art. 48. An Account of King's-College Chapel, in Cambridge. By Henry Malden, Chapel-clerk. 12mo. 1s. Cambridge, printed for the Author, and fold by Crowder, &c. in London. A very decent account, both historical and defcriptive, of this royal foundation, and noble ftructure, which is worthy the particular attention of those who wifit the univerfity of Cambridge and Henry Malden's little book will affift them in viewing the curious chapel of King's-College, which was founded by that pious prince, Henry the Sixth. Att. 49. An Efay on Animal Reproductions. By Abbé Spallanzani, F. R. S. and Profeffor of Philofophy in the Univerfity of Modena. Tranflated from the Italian. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Becket. 1769. An advertisement, prefixed to this little tract by Dr. Maty, informs us that it was compofed at his requeft, and fent him from the Author, as a prefent to the Royal Society. Moft of the experiments which it relates, he adds, are entirely new, and for that reafon, as well as on account of the fingular conclufions that may be deduced from them, deferve to be repeated by different hands, and feen by different eyes. The more accurately the works of nature are examined, the more is our amazement excited; and in no part of them is this obfervation more certainly verified, than in the inferior animals, particularly fuch as are treated of in this pamphlet. The re-formation of the polypes has been long attended to with furprize; our Author here prefents us with an account of the reproductions of the earth-worm, the aquatic boat-worm, the tadpole, the land-fnail, the flug, the aquatic falamander, &c. He gives an account of feveral curious experiments he has made upon thefe creatures, and intermixes feveral reflections and obfervations which will be entertaining and acceptable to the lovers of natural history. This treatife is only intended as a kind of introduction to a larger work, in which fome queries here propofed are to be anfwered, and the whole subject carefully and fully confidered. Our ingenious and diligent Italian Obferver, we are told, wishes that feveral perfons, both in his own country and in this, would repeat his experiments, and confider his obfervations, before the publication of his larger work. Art. 50. The Rights and Privileges of both the Universities, and of the University of Cambridge in particular, defended, in a Charge to the Grand Jury, at the Quarter-Seffions for the Peace held in and for the Town of Cambridge, the oth of October 1768. Aljo an Argument in the Cafe of the Colleges of Chrift and Emanuel. By James Marriot, LL. D. 8vo. I s. Rivington, &c. This is chiefly a local performance, the printing of which, we are told, is owing to certain mifreprefentations. The Author could have. wifhed, it is faid, to have avoided fubmitting to ftrict perufal, words fpoken, as a magiftrate, without preparation, on a fudden occafion, There is an octavo edition, fold for 2 s. which the benevolent purchaser will probably prefer; as the work was printed for the benefit of the Author's diftreffed family. when when he was fpecially requested by the rest of the bench to attend, on account of a profecution of much confequence. The former part of the charge principally relates to keeping diforderly houses, and the latter part to a cafe, we apprehend, of the fame kind, in which the vice-chancellor and proctors of the univerDr. Marriot fity were fuppofed to have exceeded their power. ftrongly recommends to his grand jury a watchful care to fupport the laws and the magiftrates, and laments a general difpofition among the lower orders of the people to hold in contempt the authority of the magiftrates; it has fhewed itfelf, fays he, almoft in every corner of the kingdom, and broke out into violent diforders: for my own part, tremble; left the continuance of them fhould occafion remedies as terrible as the difeafe.' It is not neceffary for us to enter into any farther account of this little piece we only add, that it also contains an argument in the cafe of the poor's rate charged on the colleges of Chrift and Emanuel in the university of Cambridge, which feems to us to discover much acuteness and good fenfe, though we cannot pretend to determine any thing upon the fubject in question *. Art. 51. Anecdotes relating to the Antiquity and Progress of Horse-races, for above Two thousand Years. 8vo. 6d. Bell. We fufpect this is an old pamphlet, but why it fhould be reprinted, we know not: for there is nothing in it. We are told there were horse-races two thoufand years ago, and that we knew without being told. We are told that there was fuch an inftitution as the Ludus Trojanus, and that too we knew before. We are informed that chariot-races were originally celebrated in honour of the fun; and what Tyro in antiquities has not heard of that fymbolical inftitution? From the title-page it is natural to expect an entertaining account and curious anecdotes of the progrefs of horse-races in this kingdom, many of which might, we are fatisficd, be collected; but if the friends of the flud and the turf expect any fuch thing, they will be difappointed. Art. 2. An Efay towards a Hiftory of the principal Comets that have appeared fince the Year 1742. Including a particular Detail of the Return of the famous Comet of 1682 in 179, according to the Calcu dation and Prediction of Dr. Halley. Compiled from the Obfervations of the most eminent Aftronomers of this Century. With Remarks and Reflections upon the Prefent Comet. To which is prefixed, by way of Introduction, a Letter upon Comets. Addreffed to a Lady, by the late M. de Maupertuis, 8vo, Is. 6d. Becket. We have perufed, with no fmall fatisfaction, this entertaining hifto y of thofe amazing celeftial phænomena, which contribute fo much to the astonishment even of the learned, and the terror of the vulgar. The very fenfible Compiler has been exceedingly induftrious in collecting the opinions of aftronomers relating to the nature, the fuppofed appointments, and the revolutions of thefe wonderful bodies; It fhould be farther obferved, that this pamphlet is published for the benefit of the hofpital at Cambridge. Notwithstanding we find the date of the prefent year in a parenthefis, in p. 28. and and has enriched his collection with many curious observations of his own: the whole calculated not only for those who are converfant with fuch fublime fubjects, but for readers in general; fo that even the ladies may perufe this Effay with improvement and pleafure: and the Author's agreeable manner of rallying the groundless fears of the ignorant, concerning the imaginary dreadful effects of comets, or their portentous appearances, may contribute greatly towards eradicating the fuperftitious notions, which have but too much prevailed, concerning them. As a fpecimen of his pleasantry, on these instances of the weakness and abfurdity of our fellow-creatures, take the following humorous story: Superuitious people, fays he, love to be frightened, and will be as angry with any one who endeavours to reafon them out of their fears, as the inhabitants of Neuf Chatel were lately with one of their pastors, who, though in other respects an orthodox and devout Chriftian, yet could not reconcile to his belief the eternity of hell torments. -He would allow them to laft a hundred thousand years with all his heart, but that would not fatisfy his flock,-they profecuted, perfecuted, and pelted him. When the king of Pruffia, their fovereign, hearing of it, and moreover that the minifer was a worthy, wellmeaning man, ordered them to defift, and fuffer him to refume his function. But this enraged them ten times more,-they furrounded the good man's houfe, and would certainly have fent him to the other world, to enquire into the true ftate of departed fouls, had he not with great difficulty made his efcape ;-and, at length, their fovereign, finding how fond they were of everlasting damnation, out of his great goodness, condefcended to let them be damned to all eternity." And I alfo, (fays the author from whence this account is taken) confent with all my heart, and much good may it do them."Lettre de M. Baudinet.' He has the following remark on the folly of those who will have it that a comet never appears without blood; and who, as he observes, are fure to be right in their conjectures. For if Europe fhould enjoy a profound peace, they have only to look at Afia; and if all be quiet there, they have ftill the other two quarters of the globe to fly to, which will, doubtlefs, furnish them not only with carnage enough, but also with every other kind of evil, both phyfical and moral, their hearts can wish, to confirm them in their opinion.' His more ferious conclufion fhall be ours: Those who are unwilling to fee God, but in vengeance and deftruction, should try to difcover him in his goodness and protection from general calamity, by that wife order of his providence, fo vifible in the wonderful and ftupendous arrangement of the universe.' Art. 53. A Political Romance. Addreffed to Izmo. 1 S. Murdoch. 1769. of York. This is advertifed as the genuine production of that exquifite pent to which the world is obliged for The Life of Triftram Shandy, and The Sentimental Journey; but no Editor appears, to answer for its authenticity. There feems, nevertheless, to be no great reafon for fufpecting it to be of fpurious birth;-but, be that as it may, the piece is a trifle, with which Mr. Sterne, we imagine, would never have troubled the public, unless he had thrown it into print upon the |