of knowledge, by loading the prefs, the colleges, and even an almanack and a news-paper, with reftraints and duties; and to introduce the inequalities and dependances of the feudal fyftem, by taking from the poorer fort of people all their little fubfiftence, and conferring it on a set of stamp officers, diftributors, and their deputies.-But I muft proceed no further at prefent. The fequel, whenever I fhall find health and leifure to pursue it, will be a "difquifition of the policy of the ftamp act."-In the mean time, however, let me add, these are not the vapours of a melancholy mind, nor the effusions of envy, difappointed ambition, nor of a spirit of oppofition to government; but the emanations of an heart that burns for its country's welfare. No one of any feeling, born and educated in this once happy country, can confider the numerous diftreffes, the grofs indignities, the barbarous ignorance, the haughty ufurpations, that we have reafon to fear are meditating for curfelves, our children, our neighbours, in fhort, for all our countrymen and all their pofterity, without the utmost agonies of heart, and many tears.'

There is too great reafon for believing that Mr. Gridley fpeaks the language of the house of New England representatives; and if fo, the public here cannot be surprised if the most vigorous measures are executed, to reduce them to their duty and dependence on the legislature of Great Britain,

13. Remarks on the Riot A&t, with an Application to certain recent and alarming Facts. 8vo. Pr. 1s. 6d. Kearfly.

Thefe Remarks contain little more than an abuse of lawyers, and a few filly obfervations upon an account published under the title of "A fketch of Mr. Gillam's trial," with which the public is well acquainted. The juftification, fays our Remarker, of measures fo univerfally detefted, and fo avowedly unconftitutional, is founded principally on the Riot Act; in the conftruction of which our lawyers appear to have deviated fo far from common sense and common humanity, that I even fhudder to enter upon an examination of the proofs of their infenfibility.'

From this declaration the reader may form fome idea of this writer's moderation as well as modefty. As to the Sketch he attacks, he is under the greatest obligations to its author, (who we think has drawn it up with truth, candour, and perfpicuity) because it has enabled him to put price one filling and fix-pence under the title of his pamphlet, though at the expence of common fenfe and decency.

14. A Shart

14. A Short Examination into the Conduct of Lord M—f—d, through the Affair of Mr. Wilkes. 8vo. Pr. 6d. Steare.

This verbose writer firft rails at minifters and defpotifin! then calls Mr. Wilkes a phoenix arifing from the rubbish of the last parliament, and his North-Britons a Pandora's box, which he opened with fuch ungoverned vehemence, that all its mischief flew about his own head. He next compares him to Mr. Locke, and afterwards to the methodist preachers, who rant out their divinity with so much fury, that they subvert it into blafphemy. He then proceeds to juftify the conduct of the noble lord mentioned in his title-page, in a manner which we doubt not will make his lordship blush.

15. The Court of Star Chamber, or Seat of Oppreffion. 800. Pr. 6d. Steare.

This pamphlet contains little more than fome ftale reflections upon the deteitable court of Star Chamber, and certain infinuations as if fome attempts had lately been made to revive its power. Among other figures of fpeech made ufe of by the writer, he calls Magna Charta the English Alcoran. The whole is a pitiful and fuperficial performance.

16. A Second Letter to the Right Honourable the Earl T—e, in which the Proceedings relative to Jn Ws, from March 28th to June 18th, are minutely confidered; the Perfon clearly pointed out who was the Cause of the prefent Diftractions; and a Curious Anecdote with regard to Lord Mď's Family, never published before. 8vo. Pr. 15. Henderfon.

This is a wretched collection of facts already known or published, with reflections and advices by a felf-important fcribbler.

17. Liberty Chaftifed: or Patriotifm in Chains. A Tragi, Comf, Political Farce, as it was performed by his M's Ss, in the Year 1268; which exhibits to the Public a View of the Op preffions under which Liberty groaned, during a moft flagitious An in that weak R- -nz represented in the Characters of Botch, Grapnel, Manfupple, Chatwell, and Almagnia, &c. Scenes near the P and in St. Gregoir's Fields. Modernfed by Paul Tell-Truth, Efq. 8vo. Pr. is. Pr. is. Steare.

This is the most illiberal and dull abuse of fome of the most refpectable names in England, that we have had the misfortune to review.

F 2

18. A Let

18. A Letter to his Grace the Duke of Grafton, on the prefent Situation of Public Affairs, 8vo. Pr. 15. Almon.

This Letter is written by no vulgar hand, and fhews an uncommon degree of acquaintance with the prefent state of parties in this kingdom. We cannot, however, agree with the author's principles of government, as if the diftinction between the parties of Whig and Tory, while real, was of fervice to the kingdom; and that oppofition, is a neceffary agent in our political fyftem, which never can move properly under a general coalition of parties.

The author fays, that Mr. Pitt made it his boaft, though very falfely, that, under his adminiftration, all diftinction of parties was, for the first time, abolished.' He thinks that, had his affertion been true, it would have done no fervice to his country; and that it was the circumftances of the times (meaning thofe attending the late war) which produced that general acquiefcence with which his measures were received. We shall not at all question the operation of those circumftances towards a coalition of parties; but we are old enough to remember when fuch a coalition did exift without thofe circumstances; we mean, in the two or three last years of Mr. Pelham's adminiftration.

This writer then proceeds to confider the national debt, and the state of the colonies; and he talks to the noble perfonage to whom his Letter is addreffed, in the very fame ftrain upon the first subject that was made use of in Sir Robert Walpole's time, and has been adopted ever fince. He fpeaks of temporary expedients and contracted meafures, and expatiates upon the extenfive abilities which a minifter at the head of the finances ought to poffefs. The ordinary routine of office (fays he) is not made for the prefent conjuncture.-A real effectual œconomy, and a regard to the burthens with which commerce is oppreffed, will be no lefs his care than the annual reduction of a part of this debt.' All this is true; but has any minifter that the king has named, or any that he can name, an affurance of the houfe of commons, we will not fay for one feffion, but for one week? The earl of Oxford was lord high treasurer at the end of queen Anne's reign, when the national debt did not amount to above fifty millions. Perhaps it amounted to feventy-fix when Sir Robert Walpole was premier. But how different was their fituation to that of the duke of Grafton,, who prefides at the treafury-board at a time when the interefts and views of public creditors are not calculable? The two great minifters above-mentioned had an easy province to manage, compared to that of his grace.

As

As to the affairs of the colonies, we think the letter-writer has left them in the fame ftate he found them, as he does those of Mr. Wilkes; and the fum of his performance is, that his grace of Grafton ought immediately to refign his high poft to one of the author's friends or patrons, who is not named, 19. The Groans of Old England: By a Plain Dealer. 8vo. Pr. 15. Steare.

We are ftrangly tempted in reviewing this pamphlet to reeccho groan for groan. It seems to be a republication of some dull invectives against Hanover, during the national outcry against that electorate; for the author fays, That the firength of the nation, which ought to be employed in our own quarrels, is exhausted for the fake of dominions, the intereft of which has no connection with ours; at the fame time that the parliament, when they gave this family the throne, took care to feparate from the British kingdoms; but what their care has benefited us, our daily experience plainly declares.'

The above quotation will fufficiently evince the writer's information, and his acquaintance with the present state of England. After going through all the common-place complaints of the hungry fons of Old England, he concludes with a proposal for putting the College of Physicians and the liberty of the prefs under the regulation of licencers.

20. Liberty: A Poem. Infcribed to John Wilkes, Esq. 4to. Pr. 15. Flexney.

We have had fo many poems of late concerning Wilkes and Liberty, that we sometimes send them back to our printer, imagining that we have reviewed them before. This was the cafe with the performance before us; and we can only fay, that it is See faw fee

Saw fee fee.

21. One thousand, Seven Hundred, Sixty-Eight: or Paft 12 o'clock, and a cloudy Morning. Canto I. 4to. Pr. 1s. Bingley. This rhymfter might deferve fome particular notice on account of his verfification, had his fatire truck into any new walk of poetry, or animadverfion upon public affairs. Some part of his verses are perfonal; but as in many paffages we do not understand them, we prefume he was loft in his own cloudy morning.

22. Serious Reflections on the High Price of Provifions. With a Propofal for a Permanent Remedy, by giving an Additional Encouragement to Agriculture. 8vo. Pr.. Is. Durham. Shall we never have done with ferious reflections upon, and candid enquiries into, this difagreeable fubject? and must we be

perpetually condemned to review the fallibility of infallible remedies for the fame? We cannot, however, conceal, that this author writes like a man of sense, and that his reflections are plaufible and pertinent. The only original part of his pam phlet, however, is his propofal, which we fhall lay before the reader.

I propofe, that all the gentlemen, proprietors of lands, and farmers in every county throughout England, fhould affemble at some convenient place, and fix upon the number of labourers which each perfon can employ during the year, or the greatest part of the year. They are, likewife, to regulate the price of labour upon a reasonable footing, according to the cuftom of the county before the commencement of the late war, or as prudence shall direct them. Having fettled these matters, they are then to allot upon the commons nearest to the eftates and farins where labourers are wanted, a piece of ground for each, on which a house is to be built, at the public expence, for his reception; and he, in confideration of his houfe, and lot of land, is to accept, for the future, of the regulated wages of the county, as the price of his labour. I do not pretend to determine the exact quantity of land of which a lot should confift; it will, no doubt, depend upon the nature of the foil; but it fhould be, at least, fufficient for a good kitchen-garden; and if there were enough to maintain a cow, it would be fo much the better. There fhould, however, be no more; for I mean, that it fhould not be fo large as to enable him to live upon it, and quit the profeffion of a labourer.

The lot is to defcend from father to fon, or to the daughter and her husband, provided always that the fucceffor accept of it on the terms prefcribed by law. Care must be taken that two lots may never be united; and when a man acquires a fortune which puts him in a condition of leaving this way of life; or when his inclination leads him to change it for another more agreeable to him; in fhort, whatever his motive may be, he fhould always be at liberty to refign his lot to the county; or he may be indulged with a power of fubftituting his fon, or any other relation, in his ftead, according to fome settled form.

He is to keep his house in repair, and must be always ready to be hired, as labourers are at prefent fuppofed to be; only with this difference, that his wages are fixed by law, and cannot vary. Any neighbouring juftice of the peace, upon a complaint being made of his refufing to work, fhall have the power of reprimanding him if he should ftill continue idle, he may be brought before the juftices at the quarter feffions, who shall admonish him publicly; and upon his proving incorrigible,

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