the heart with a fenfe of the beauty of virtue, and the obligations of religion. The Collector of his Maxims fufficiently expreffes the defign of this publication in the Title-page; and we heartily with it fuccefs among the young, for whofe improvement and convenience, particularly in fchools, it feems principally intended. B.dak Art. 27. Curfory Examination of Dr. Johnfan's Strictures on the Lyric Performances of Gray. 8vo. IS. Crowder. 1781. This curfory Examination, though apparently the production of hafte, is written with liberality and candour. Those who interest themselves in the poetical reputation of our modern Pindar, will read it with pleasure. C.t..t. Art. 28. Reveries of the Heart; during a Tour through Part of England and France. In a Series of Letters to a Friend. 2 Vols. 4 s. fewed. Johnfon. 1781. 12mo. By accident this agreeable Medley hath been too long neglected; and we hope the candour of the Author will excufe an omiffion that was not intended, either as a flight to him or his performance. The title fufficiently expreffes the defign of the work; and the execution is fuch as merits at least indulgence, if not applaufe. A lively yein of Shandean hilarity runs through it, fuperior at least to some of the modern imitators of Sterne,-the bungling menders of his old and worn-out pen! Some will undoubtedly find fault with the Author for many very unneceflary, and even licentious allufions to fcripture, and charge him with profanenefs and infidelity. And indeed with fome reafon. This freedom with facred characters is unwarrantable in every view, and generally arifes from ignorance, affectation, or spleen. The Writer of thefe Reveries may poffibly have feen much to difguft him among the clafs of people who have affumed a prefcriptive title to orthodoxy, and who would monopolize all the excellence of the earth within their narrow circle. On certain minds this early impreffion is often unfortunate; for Horace hath observed, Stulti in contraria currunt. Though not violently attached to the ministry, we are equally dif pleafed with this Writer's virulence, and difgufted at his tedious repetitions of national grievances, to double, if poffible, the odium of government. We At prefent this Tour-maker is not got out of England. tremble for the very fmall remnant of religion which he seems to poffefs, when he fhall arrive in France. The fight of Dr. Franklin will certainly make him forget the fecond commandment!!! PHILOSOPHICAL. B.d..k Art. 29. An Efay on Fire. To which is annexed an Appendix: By C. R. Hopfon, M. D. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Rivington. 1781. There are two methods of enlightening the world in philofophical matters. The firft, to which we moft readily give the preference, confifts in investigating the properties of bodies by new and appropriate experiments; and the fecond, in deducing confequences, and forming theories from the phenomena already known, and the experimental investigations of others. The prefent performance is strictly of the latter clafs; as it does not contain any new experiment of the Author's, whofe principal view appears to be, to prefent us with a 4 theory theory which he has formed, to account for the phenomena of which the philofophical world is already in poffeffion. Had the Author produced any new and interefting experiments on the curious fubjects of which he treats; we should, as is our conftant practice, have taken a pleasure in extending the knowledge of them among our philofophical readers. But an account of a mere theory, on a dark and involved fubject, could not gratify, much less enlighten, any of our readers; efpecially in the narrow limits to which we are confined: unlefs, indeed, the Author had the good fortune to hit upon fome fimple and luminous principle, by means of which the phenomena into which he inquires might be explained within a moderate compafs. Notwithstanding thefe remarks, we would have it underflood, that. though we with the Author had giv us fome new experiments, rather than bypothefes, on fire, phlogiston, &c. yet he appears to be well acquainted with what has been written on thefe fubjects; and his fpeculations and reafonings on them may poffibly fuggeft new ideas, and furnish hints for new experiments, to others. For this laft reafon principally, we fhall briefly fpecify the heads of the Author's chapters. His principal hypothefis, which forms the fubject of the first three chapters is, that fire (which he confiders as a substance, and not a mere quality) is not an element; as it confifts of two component parts, light and beat and that phlogiston confifts likewife of the fame two principles; and accordingly is fire, but in a state of fixity. In the following chapters he treats of the communication, and the produc tion of heat;-of the proceffes in general, in which the air is phlogifticated;-of inflammation and combuftion;-of the deflagration of nitre ;-of the explosion of gunpowder and pulvis fulminans, as likewife of aurum fulminans, and the fulminating mercurial precipitates of M. Bayen. A thefis on the fubject of fire, published by the Author in 1767, is fubjoined, under the whimsical title of Tentamen Phyfico-chemico-medicum de tribus in uno.' Art. 30. Effays on Phyfiological Subjects: By J. Elliot. 8vo. Is. 6d. Johnfon. 1780. Thefe Effays, which have through accident been long overlooked by us, contain several mifcellaneous obfervations, hypothefes, hints, &c. on various fubjects of phyfiology, which bear a relation to the ingenious Author's former publication [Philofophical Obfervations, &c. See M. R. January 1780.], and principally to his obfervations on animal heat. For many reafons, we must refer our philofophical readers, who have a tafte for mere hypotheses, to the Pamphlet itself. L Α W. D: Art. 31. The Trial, with the Whole of the Evidence, between the Right Hon. Sir Richard Worley, Bart. Comptroller of his Majesty's Houthold, Governor of the Isle of Wight, Member of Parliament for the Borough of Newport, One of his Majesty's Moft Hon. Privy Council, &c. Plaintiff,-and George Maurice Bif Jet, Efq; Defendant; for Criminal Converfation with the Plaintiff's Wife: Before the Right Hon. William, Earl of Mansfield, and a Special Jury, in the Court of King's Bench, Westminster Hall, Feb. . Feb. 21, 1982. Taken in Short Hand by R. P. Donkin. 4to. ONE SHILLING Damages! -How mortifying to the injured husband! What a triumph to the vicious! O tempora! O mores! SERMONS. I. In Lambeth Chapel, at the Confecration of Dr. S. Hallifax, Lord Bishop of Gloucester, Octob. 28, 1781. By Eaft Apthorp, D. D. 4to. 1 S. Cadell, An ingenious but flattering eulogium on Epifcopacy and the Conftitution of the Church of England. There is an affectation in this Writer's ftyle and manner which favours of great vanity: if the young divine can difpenfe with that, we would recommend to his attention Dr. Apthorp's judicious hints respecting the study of theology as a fcience, affixed to the prefent difcourfe. B.d.k. II. Advice addreffed to the young Clergy of the Diocese of Carlife; preached at a general Ordination holden at Rofe Caftle, July 29, 1781. By William Paley, M. A. Chaplain to the Bishop of Carlife. 4to. 6d. Faulder. We have perused this fermon with more than common pleasure. For the juftness of its reflections, the propriety of its language, and the benevolence, good fenfe, and piety which breathe through the whole, we have rarely met with its equal. That young divine must be ftupid or vicious to the last degree, who can read it without being affected and improved by it. B. d.k. In answer to the Correfpondent who enquires concerning the Mr. Jones who is the Author of Phyfiological Difquifitions, mentioned in our Review for January last, Art. II. we are to observe, that the Difquifitor is the Rev. Mr. Jones, Rector of Pafton in Northamptonfhire. Our Correfpondent is miftaken in fuppofing the Writer here meant, to be William Jones, Efq. The laft named Gentleman is of the Law; and one of the firft literary characters of the age. + In answer to B. D.'s Letter, dated from Coleshill, Dec. 8th, 1781, we can only fay, that we know of no Work, on the fubject he mentions, that will give him fo much pleasure and inftruction as Millot's Ancient and Modern Hiftory. If B. D. understands the French language, we would recommend the original Work to him; if he does not, there is a good Translation of it, published for Mr. R. Cadell. The Sermons on the late General Fast in our next: Alfo the Letters on the Rot in Sheep, mentioned at the end of our last month's Review. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For APRIL, 1782. ART. I. Bever's Hiftory of the Legal Polity of the Roman State, CONCLUDED. See our laft Month's Review. HAVING paid the refpect which we judged to be due to the ingenious Author of this work, under the character of a civilian, we shall now attempt to do juftice to his merit under the other character in which this hiftory places him before the public, that of a politician. It is certainly a degradation of the dignity of hiftorical writ ing, and neceffarily creates fufpicions of partiality, to admit local and temporary politics into general hiftory. The hifto rian who steps out of his way to apply his narrative to the times in which he writes, muft not be furprifed if his readers fuppofe, that he has fome favourite cause to ferve, or fyftem to establish. How far Dr. B. has given occafion for fuch fufpicions, may perhaps in fome measure appear from what follows. Concerning the extinction of the regal government at the expulfion of Tarquin, our Author fays: Fortunate as this event really was in itself, confidered as a deliverance from one accidental tyrant; yet the anarchy and confafion which immediately enfued, was a very poor exchange for the tranquillity they enjoyed under their primitive kingly government. In thofe golden days, when the people were kept in fubjection by the influence of manners, rather than by the dint of authority; where a happy mediocrity, both of fortune and defires, prevailed univerfally through all orders and ranks of the ftate; each enjoyed his lot in content and fecurity. Wealth, luxury and ambition, the certain fources of licentiousness, vice, and disorder, had not then invaded their innocent manfions. The laws were few, many being unneceffary; and they were obeyed with cheerfulness, because in their obedience the people faw their intereft, R VOL. LXII. Livy, Livy, therefore, juftly observes †, that "Had another Brutus wrefted the fceptre out of the hands of any of the former kings, it must have been fatal to the very being of the state. For what evils would not have arifen from a tumultuous rabble of fhepherds and refugees, who had obtained liberty, or rather impunity, under the inviolable fanctuary of a temple; when uncontrolled by regal authority; agitated by the ftorms of tribunitian fury; and engaged in contests with the patricians in a ftrange city; before the pledges of wives and children, and an affection for the foil itself, to which time only could reconcile them, had cordially united their minds? Difcord would have totally diffolved their infant ftate, which the mild hand of regal government carefully cherished, and gradually brought to fuch a perfection of ftrength and maturity, that they were well prepared to fupport fo violent a convulfion; and to enjoy, with ease, the full harvest of liberty." On this paffage it is an obvious remark, that, in their reprefentations of the confequences of this event, the English and the Roman hiftorian materially differ; the former representing the happiness of the Roman people as much greater in the golden days of the kings,' than under the confuls; the latter de fcribing the period of the regal government as a course of preparatory difcipline, neceffary to train up the ftate for enjoying the full harveft of liberty. In the beginning of our Author's detail of the early revolutions in the confular state of Rome, we find him treating with contempt the general voice of hiftory, which has pronounced the firft Brutus a model of patriotifm-holding up his conduct before the death of Lucretia to ridicule-representing this great revolution as the effect of envy and jealoufy in the patricians, who employed the popular cry of liberty to accomplish their ambitious defigns-and pronouncing the change which was then made in the political fyftem of Rome an act of injustice. Brutus has been held up to all following ages, as a confummate model of genuine patriotifm; yet it was a fudden accident only that called forth his virtues into action, and made him the fortunate instrument of his country's deliverance. If we look back upon this "Neque ambigitur, quin Brutus idem, qui tantum gloriæ, Superbe exacto rege, meruit, peffimo publico id facturus fuerit, fi libertatis immaturæ cupidine priorum regum alicui regnum extorfiffet. Quid enim futurum fuit, fi illa paftorum convenarumque plebs tranffuga ex fuis populis, fub tutela inviolati templi, aut libertatem, aut certe impunitatem adepta, foluta regio metu, agitari cæpta eft tribunitiis procellis? Et in aliena urbe cum patribus ferere certamina, priufquam pignora conjugum ac liberorum, caritafque ipfius foli, cui longo tempore affuefcitur, animos eorum confociaffet? Diffipatæ res, nondum adulta, difcordia forent: quas fovit tranquilla moderatio imperii, eoque nutriendo perduxit, ut bonam frugem libertatis maturis jam viribus ferre poffent." Liv. II. 1. inflexible |