enough in fome places, on this general idea. In ftyle he affects to imitate the pointed fimplicity of Dr. Franklin's "Poor Richard :" but the copy drops far fhort of the original.

EAST INDIES.

Art. 23. An authentic Copy of the Correfpondence in India, between the Country Powers and the Hon. the Eaft-India Company's Servants; containing, amongst many others, the Letters of Gov. Haftings, J. Macpherson, J. Stables, E. Wheler, Nath. Middleton, Francis Fowke, James Frafer, John Briftow, David Anderfon, Efqrs. Sir John Cumming, General Stibbert, Colonel Morgan, Majors Palmer and Brown, &c. &c. together with the Minutes of the Supreme Council at Calcutta. The whole forming a Collection of the most interefting India Papers, which were laid before Parliament in the Seffion of 1786. 8vo. 6 vols. 11. 16s.

Debrett. 1787.

Boards.

Thofe who, from intereft or curiofity, may wifh for information, with respect to our political and military manœuvres in the Eaft Indies, will here meet with abundant gratification, from the literary correfpondence of our leading people in that part of the world, from 1775 to 1786, including every thing relative to the charges against Mr. Haftings. To the 6th volume is added an Indian Gloffary, explaining all the proper names of Eaft-Indian titles, offices, matters of revenue, military terms, &c. &c. the utility of which is fufficiently evident.

IMPEACHMENT of Mr. HASTINGS. Art. 24. The Speech of Major Scott, in the Houfe of Commons, on the Fourth Charge against Mr. Haftings, February 8, 1787. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett.

Major Scott, the able and vigilant advocate for Mr. Haftings, has again exerted himself with his ufual zeal in the Governor's behalf, by ftating every thing within the compafs of his knowledge and abilities, in order to justify his friend's conduct refpecting the Begums: a tranfaction that ought to be viewed with a mixed regard to British ideas of rectitude, and Indian maxims of conduct.

Art. 25. Minutes of the Evidence taken before the House of Commons, on the Charges against Warren Hattings, Efq. late Governor of Bengal. Being the Examinations of Nathaniel Middleton, Efq. and Sir Elijah Impey. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1787.

This pamphlet contains the particulars of Mr. Middleton's and Sir Elijah Impey's examinations on Feb. the 1ft and 2d, with refpect to fome of the charges brought against Mr. Haftings. Several original letters, which were produced in the course of the examination, are printed with thefe Minutes. The fubfequent examination of thefe gentlemen on the 20th of February is not here given. Art. 26. The genuine Speech of Mr. Sheridan, delivered in the Houfe of Commons, on a Charge of high Crimes and Misdemeanors against Warren Haftings, Eiq. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Richardfon. 1787. The celebrated fpeech here printed is an excellent fpecimen of Mr. Sheridan's oratorical abilities. Perhaps we may be deceived as to its being altogether authentic: it exhibits, nevertheless, a good refemblance of that gentleman's manner. The fubftance of the

fpeech

fpeech we have seen in the newspapers, from which, with fome little corrections, the prefent performance feems to have been compiled.

POLITICAL.

Art. 27. A Retrospect of the Portraits lately delineated in a "Short Review of the Political State, &c." 8vo. Is. Stockdale.

A fpirited, but fair and candid, commentary on the Short Review. The prefent writer's aim is, to do juftice to thofe great characters which, he apprehends, have been injuriously treated by the Reviewer; particularly those of the P. of W. the Marquis of Carmarthen, and Mr. Haftings. With refpect to the K-, our Retrofpector promifes to give us, hereafter, an original painting of him at full length, and taken from the life;-lefs gaudy, perhaps, in the colouring, than that of the vivid, but unfubftantial, delineator, whofe pencil has recently attracted the public; but certainly lefs ambiguoufly fhaded, lefs undefined, and more abfolute in the characteristic features that mark the monarch and the man.'

As the Reviewer had held up, for our esteem and admiration, the extraordinary character of the late King of Pruffia, our Retrospector hath drawn a different portrait of that prince; but fuch as will by no means attract the efteem of good men, nor excite the admiration of any man, who is not easily dazzled with the tinfel glitter of falfe greatness.

The commercial treaty with France is likewife an object of the prefent writer's attention; and had he been himself the parent, or the negociator of this measure, he could not have dwelt upon the fubje&t with more rapturous fondnefs. He confiders it as the fource and reciprocation of benefits and bleffings, that may be expanded from realm to realm, to a degree never fuppofed attainable by human dexterity, between nations hitherto invariably jealous, hoftile, and almoft inveterate, against each other.' That,' adds he, this new and untried channel may be opened, we all powerfully feel;-not only for commercial activity, enterprize, and industry, but for all the endearing charities of life; for cementing the too long divided bonds of peace, for planting the immortal olive, as the pledge of affection, instead of the fanguinary laurel, as the fymbol of antipathy; -for preferving, through centuries, the fpirit and act of good-will among men, who will lofe all the low and miferable diftinctions of different lands and languages, and fmile and profper in the interchange of good offices;-embracing the interefts and happiness of Euro e as in a zone-and perhaps of the civilized earth: -for who may presume to say how far the effects of this treaty of univerfal friendfhip and amity may extend? It may prove the true focial compact, bounded only, in its foftening influence, by favage life, and even that it may gradually humanize.'-All this is highly defirable, to fay the leaft; and no part of it, we hope, is impoffible. Do not, therefore, good reader, for humanity's fake, do not pronounce it altogether "vifionary.'

This publication, as our readers have feen, in the foregoing fhort extracts, is well written. In fome places, the ftyle feems rather turgid and laboured; but the language is generally nervous, animated, and eloquent.

Art.

Art. 28. The genuine Review of the Political State of an unhappy Country, as originally written, before it was mutilated by a Right Rev. Prelate. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Ridgeway.

The celebrated Short Review" [See our number for January] is here hashed up again, and presented to us as a new dish. The alterations, which feem very unfair, are fo managed, as to ferve the purposes of the most inveterate malignity: the leading objects of which are, his M, and the Prime Minifter. On the other hand, the Heir-apparent is highly favoured; and fome of his principal friends are diftinguished as the first characters of the age.

Art. 29. The new Syftem of Libelling illuftrated, in a critical Examination of a late Short Review, &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett.

In this third answer to the " Short Review," that work is treated with great contempt. It is reprefented as an ill-written, and worseintended rhapsody; and the great attention that hath been paid to it, the prefent Anfwerer chiefly afcribes to the aftonishment with which the Public beheld a bardy familiarity, under pretence of " a fpeculative freedom," play with topics which difcretion avoids, or touches with timidity and awe: For, adds he,

"Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread."

Art. 30. The Monitor; or, an Addrefs to the People of Great Britain, America, and Ireland, on the prefent Situation of Affairs. By M. Beaty, Teacher of the Claffics, &c. 8vo. 35. Debrett, &c.

1786.

It were to be wifhed, that Mr. Beaty's attention were more clofely engaged in teaching the claffics, than we may fuppofe to be the cafe; for had he not too much time upon his hands, he would, we imagine, fcarcely have fuffered his thoughts to wander fo much at large from their regular track, and have been fo induftrious to exhibit himself to a difadvantage. His Monitor is a strange jumble of piety and politics; hints on education, popery, proftitution, war, the cultivation of wafte lands, impreffing of feamen, imprisonment for debt, &c. Where a man ferioufly means well, circumftances may fometimes refrain us from laughing at a publication of weakneffes; and we claim fome merit in refitting the prefent temptation.

Art. 31. Confiderations on the annual Million Bill, and on the real and imaginary Properties of a Sinking Fund. 8vo. Is. Payne.

1787.

The fenfible Author of this pamphlet argues against part of the Jate bill for reducing the national debt. He thinks the scheme a good one, provided the revenue of a peace eftablishment affords a furplus of a million per annum; but the borrowing money, in cafe of a deficiency, is a measure he cannot approve. He attacks Dr. Price, and other political arithmeticians, who maintain the practicability of borrowing money at fimple intereft, while, by means of a finking fund, they can pay at compound intereft.

The refult of his arguments is, ift, To endeavour, by every means not difcreditable, to preferve the continuance of peace. zdly, Economy. 3dly, A finking fund, fupported by a clear annual furplus, and not by loans. 4thly, To lower the interests of our debts, when

it

it can with propriety be done. 5thly, To avoid new loans, if poffible; but if they must be, to create new funds that fhall be more than fufficient to pay the intereft. And lastly, To give efficacy to the whole, for a reasonable equivalent, RESTORE GIBRALTAR; which fortification has, according to the Author's opinion, increased the national debt at leaft feventy millions, and ftill requires a very large annuity for its fupport.

AGRICULTURE.

Art. 32. An Efay on Agriculture, with a view to inform Gentlemen of landed Property, whether their Eftates are managed to the greatest Advantage. By Thomas Stone. 8vo. 6s. Boards.

Robfon. 1785.

It would perhaps be happy for the republic of letters, if all didactic writers, were firft to ferve an apprenticeship as Reviewers; for in that cafe they would be obliged to read what had been previously written on a fubject, before they commenced authors themselves; and that they would then not only know what points required to be elucidated, but they would alfo be, in many cafes, fully inftructed on fome branches of knowledge, in which they might otherwife be little informed, and be thereby prevented from troubling the world. with their own crude and indigefted notions. Mr. Stone, though he feems not to be deficient in natural talents, appears to have given himfelf very little trouble to enquire what has been faid by others on the fubjects he inveftigates. And though we admit, that lefs reading is neceflary to qualify a man to write on agriculture, than on most other fubjects, if he has a fufficient fund of practical knowledge; yet, without a moderate fhare of reading, his notions will be fo confined, and his expreffions will be fo local, that he will be understood only in the fmall circle where fuch words are current. Thefe defects are fo obvious in Mr. Stone's book, that we fear it never can be of much general utility.

It does not appear that this Author has had either much reading, or much practical experience in agriculture; though he feems to poffefs a talent for obfervation, which, if cultivated, might be of use. In his remarks on foils, we have fome pointing towards certain theories, that would have been better received a century ago. We were, in particular, greatly furprised to find, at the prefent time, long after the nature of calcareous manures had been very minutely explained in feveral well-known publications on agriculture, that Mr. Stone fhould fo invariably make use of the terms marle, and clay, as entirely fynonymous.

We do not meet with any thing new in this treatife; but his obfervations on the advantages of a stock of cattle fuitable to the farm are more out of the beaten track than the other parts of it. The practical directions are, in general, liable to no great exception, and may be of ufe to fome farmers, whofe ideas have never yet been enlarged. The Author's chief aim, however, in this performance, is to imprefs landed gentlemen with an idea of the great importance of employing a fteward, who understands the proper management of an estate. To this theme he frequently returns, and infits upon it with great zeal, ab ovo ufque ad mala. Whence

we conclude, that Mr. Stone would have no objection to be himself employed in that capacity; and we doubt not but he is fufficiently qualified for difcharging the duties of that office.

Though the style of this effay is rather too low for criticism; yet we cannot help expreffing the difguft that we felt at meeting, fo very often, with the intolerable vulgarifm which we have fo frequently had occafion to reprehend, viz. that of the verb to lay, instead of to lie. This occurs in almost every page; and we do not recollect to have met with these words in the proper fenfe, even once, in this performance. For the use of fuch authors as are unacquainted with the common principles of Grammar, we beg leave to repeat, what we have often before mentioned, that to lay, preterite laid, always means to put fome object down, so as that it may remain where we have placed it ;-to lie-preterite, lay-means to place one's felf in a cumbent pofture.

MEDICA L.

Art. 33. An Experimental Enquiry into the Properties of Opium, and its Effects on living Subjects: being the Difputation which gained the Harveian Prize for the Year 1785. By John Leigh, M. D. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Edinburgh, Elliot; London, Robin fons. 1786. After defcribing the plant whence opium is extracted, and the manner in which it is prepared, our Author examines its conftituent parts, and inftitutes a number of experiments to determine its effects on living animals. We do not find that he has made any new obfervations: his experiments indeed are numerous; but the conclutions drawn from them only ferve to confirm the opinions concerning the properties and effects of this powerful medicine, which mont writers on the materia medica have formerly delivered. Dr. Leigh very prudently declines giving any opinion about the operation of opium: it is a fubject which, he fays, has been much darkened by the fhades of controversy.

Art. 34. Phyfiological Conjectures concerning certain Functions of the human Economy in the Foetus and the Adult. By James Rymer, 8vo. IS. Evans. 1787.

The Author acknowledges, that what he advances on this dark and intricate subject, is all conjecture; and, as fuch, he trufts it can be productive of no evil. His thoughts are ingenious; and, however, at prefent, unfupported by argument, they may deserve the attention of practical anatomists.

Art. 35. A Philofophical and Medical Sketch of the Natural Hiflory of the Human Body and Mind. To which is fubjoined, an Effay on the Difficulties of attaining medical Knowledge. By James Makittrick Adair, M. D. Fellow of the College of Phyficians at Edinburgh. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Dilly. 1787.

The defign of this publication is to fhew, that a fuperficial knowledge of the medical art must render the practice of it unfafe and dangerous, and to warn the reader against the evils refulting from the prefent prevailing propenfity to empiricifm. There are few nations in Europe where the practice of medicine is in fo bad a state as in England. The experienced phyfician is feldom fent for, until the difeafe is confirmed and established, and feveral quack medicines