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have been better acquainted with their principles and conduct. Had you been better acquainted with their history, you would have known that, from their first establishment in this country, they had rendered the most important fervices to government; that for near two centuries in the most difficult and trying times, and in the most dreadful convulfions of the ftate, their conduct had been uniform and fteady in fupport of the conftitution, when fome members of your church, and not a few, were more than fufpected by government, as we fhall fee hereafter. When you confider these facts with attention, you will perhaps find reafon to change your opinion, and to find the principle is merely fanciful, dictated by your fears or by prejudice, that the members of the "eftablished church, alone can be cordial friends to the entire conftitution of this realm, with perfect confiftency of principle."

An altercation of this kind operates like the vibration of a pendulum; from whatever point it commences, it fwings nearly as much beyond the perpendicular to the other fide. Thus Dr. Campbell, having fufficiently pleaded the caufe of his injured brethren, does not quit the field, but preffes his advantage, and attacks the bishop on his own ground refpecting tithes. What he urges on this fubject is much to the purpose, and well worth the reader's attention. The paffage we allude to, will be found at p. 46, and ending p. 52.

Should the bishop of Cloyne find the defence of tithes more embarraffed than it was before this interference; the duty of Christian forbearance and charity will but appear in fo much a clearer light. In a complaint against the Catholics, why was the inoffenfive Prefbyterian bystander to be wantonly attacked; he, who with a little brotherly treatment would now, as in time past, have proved a cheerful auxiliary?

IMPEACHMENT of Mr. HASTINGS.

Art. 28. The Speech of Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Efq. delivered in the Houfe of Commons, April 2, 1787, on a Charge of High Crimes and Misdemeanors againft Warren Haftings, Efq. 8vo. Lowndes.

Had this publication of Mr. Sheridan's speech proceeded from any authority fuperior to a common compilation, it would certainly have appeared to greater advantage both as to matter and manner. In default of competition, it becomes, nevertheless, the best edition as

yet extant.

Art. 29. Major Scott's Speech, on the Charge moved by Mr. Sheridan relative to the Prefents received by Mr. Hastings, April 2, 1787. 8vo. JS. Debrett.

'Tis ftrange, 'tis paffing ftrange! Every act, which in the preceding speech is represented as inconfiftent with the duty of the governor general, is now perfectly confiflent; and inconfiftency thrown at the door of his perfecutors! The public are feldom left without 4 Tale of a Tub for their amufement.

Art. 30. An Appeal from the Hafty to the Deliberative Judgment of the People of England; containing a Statement of the manifold Services rendered by our Countrymen in India, and their undeniable

Claim to the Applause of their Country,-to their good Fellowfhip and Efteem. Alfo vindicating the Characters of the Many from the Imputations thrown on them by the Conduct of a Few. Together with fome important Hints to Minifters, and to the Nation in general; but more immediately valuable to the Shipping Interefts of this Kingdom. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1787.

This performance is verbofe, heavy, and not always intelligible. The writer fhapes his courfe like a fhip in a foul wind, continually tacking about, with a great deal of trouble to gain a short distance; and feeming to go any way but that which is intended. The argument taken up by the writer might have been made fomething of with dexterous management; but alas!-Grammarians fometimes inftruct their pupils by exhibiting leffons of falfe English.

Art. 31. Minutes of the Evidence before the Committee of the House of Commons against Warren Haftings, Efq. being the Examinations of Sir Elijah Impey, Mefirs. Middleton, Mercer, &c. &c. 8vo. 35. Debrett. 1787.

There is no occafion for entering into the particulars that appear in this publication.

POOR.

Art. 32. A Letter to Thomas Gilbert, Efq. on his intended Reform of the Poor Laws. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 1s. Debrett. 1787. This is a letter of encouragement to Mr. Gilbert on occafion of fome oppofition to his plan, by a meeting of magistrates and gentlemen at Wakefield in Yorkshire, who have published a fet of refolutions disapproving it, figned by their chairman Mr. Zouch; and by Mr. Bayley of Manchefter, who has also stated his reasons against it in the public papers. The prefent writer treats these gentlemen very cavalierly; but a fcheme of fo ferious an extent, a fcheme that, as the Wakefield meeting obferve, shakes the whole fyftem of our poor laws to its very foundation, is not to be so decided. For though the -office of justice of the peace may in fome inftances fuffer by being improperly executed, and in fome local fituations, by being unworthily filled; yet the office is of that real importance, that he must very ill understand the conftitution of his country, who takes advantage of particular objects of complaint to extend popular expreflions of contempt to thofe magiftrates collectively. Surely a bench of justices, or any individuals, giving their reafons, are free to approve or difapprove any propofed alteration of laws that come within their cognizance! Why elfe did Mr. Gilbert fo candidly circulate his plan? This country gentleman, whether a justice or not, is rather too fanguine and warm to be of material fervice either to the public or to Mr. Gilbert.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 33. The Treasury of Wit; being a methodical Selection of about Twelve Hundred, the best, Apophthegms and Jefts; from Books in feveral Languages. By H. Bennet, M. A. 12mo. 2 vols. 5s. fewed. Dilly, &c. 1786.

No fpecies of literary compilation has, perhaps, been fo hackneyed as that of jeft books; and vile trash they have generally been;

but

but The Treafury of Wit,' coming with the fanction of an avowed author, and that author a clergyman, deferves fome confideration. A complete selection,' fays Mr. Bennet, of apophthegms and jefts, arranged, for the first time, in a new and methodical manner; and calculated to please the man of fashion, and the man of science, as well as the public in general; will, it is hoped, prove no unacceptable acceffion to English literature. The work has, to avoid a prolix title, been ftyled, "The Treafury of Wit;" and it is fhewn in the difcourfe on wit and humour, prefixed to the second volume, that wit admits of two divifions, ferious and comic. former is called apophthegm, the latter jeft.' The word apophthegm is rather a rough one, though it be Greek. It is derived from two Greek words, ac, of, and phylomar, I yield a found, and, metaphorically, I speak. The former is, however, the common meaning; and from it comes diphthong," two founds, as all diphthongs anciently had, and fhould have ftill, though fo rapid as to form but the time of one long vowel. Hence apophthegm implies a founding fentence, an expreffion that fpeaks like a trumpet.'

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Every one who has a wish to purchase these volumes, will be glad to learn that Mr. Bennet has been careful to admit nothing of that obfcenity and impiety which often stain works of this kind. Not a word,' fays he, will be found in this work, that a virgin may not read to a company without either blufh, or fear of blushing.' Certain it is, that we have obferved nothing impious, nor downright obfcene; but we have met with fome ftories fo indelicate, that we are fure no modest woman could read without blushing,' even to herfelf, and much lefs to a company,' especially a mixed one. fhould have been forry to have found this the cafe, even if Mr. B. had faid nothing concerning it, but when he had particularly refolved to guard against this circumstance, it increafes our regret at feeing it otherwife.

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We have obferved, in this collection, many jefts which we have often met with before; the point a d turn of fome of which have been rather injured by Mr. Bennet's repetition of them. Our au

thor's discourse on wit and humour,' confidered under the four different heads, Serious Wit, Comic Wit, Serious Humour, Comic Humour, forms, in our opinion, the best part of the volumes; it contains many juft and pertinent obfervations, and difplays knowledge, reading, and tafte. Mr. B. modeftly calls it a dull difcourje,' but we have not found it fo.

Νον
O VEL S.

Art. 34. The Victim of Fancy. By a Lady; author of "The Conquefts of the Heart *.” 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. fewed. Baldwin. 1787.

A new kind of Female Quixote, but bearing no refemblance to any former work of the fort, that we have feen. We imagine it to be the production of a young Authorefs, whose head and heart abound, or rather overflow with fentiment, fancy, feeling, and delicacy,but all tinctured too ftrongly with the extravagant, and the romantic.

*See Rev. vol. lxiv. p. 473.

Some

Some of her characters are well conceived; many of her thoughts are happy; and her expreffion is often highly impaffioned ;-yet, had her ftyle and language, on fome occafions, been lefs fublime, we believe he would have made her way more fuccefsfully to the reader's heart, and the critic's approbation; but the diction of this work is fometimes chargeable with groffer faults than even its overstrained attempts at grandeur and pathos. In the inftances we allude to, it is unchaftifed and incorrect, to a degree that (as well-wishers to genius and merit, fuch as this writer unquestionably poffeffes) we cannot avoid noticing. A paffage or two, out of many others which we have obferved, may fuffice, and are here offered, as hints for the fair author's confideration and future improvement.

My heart was taken by furprize; and as I fhut the door of her carriage, as I faw it depart, the laft waving of her delicate hand fixed every link of the ftrong and irrevocable chain which now binds me to her for ever.'

What is meant by an irrevocable chain,' we do not rightly underfland. We have heard of iron chains, and golden chains: we have heard too of irrevocable decrees. Should the Lady tell us, that chain is ufed for decree, we muft obferve to her that the Catachrefis is much too violent, and fuch as the sober critic can never admit.

The powers of repentance are loft-the curtain which can no more be raised is fallen for ever."

Fly, it seems to fay (the Lady is fpeaking of the moral of a tale), fly while ye yet are strong. O wait not till the arrow empoisoned, however diftantly empoifoned with guilt, has fpread its fubtle and unconquerable venom through the heart!"

The diftantly empoifoned arrow. Far beyond our comprehenfion; and-but we need not enlarge: the writer's good fense will supply the commentary.

The dedicatory verfes to Mr. Hayley convey a compliment to that elegant poet, which even his mufe, we apprehend, will not deem unworthy of a kind acceptance.

Art. 35. The Difinterested Nabob, a Novel interfperfed with genuine Defcriptions of India, its Manners and Customs. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Robinfons. 1787.

A very uncommon character is here prefented to us, that of a man whose principal fatisfaction is in viewing the happiness of his fellowcreatures, and who contributes every thing in his power to fecure to them that happiness, wholly regardless of the fneers of the worldlyminded and the bafe.-He eftablishes a fund for the relief of the indigent and oppreffed: he lends money without intereft to fuch as are of fair and honourable character, and who are thereby enabled to become ufeful members of a community in which they were before afhamed to fhew their heads. In a word, his acts of kindness and benevolence are unbounded, and we may fafely repeat with the poet

A black fwan is not half fo rare a bird.'

Thus much with refpect to the Difinterefted Nabob,' a very amiable and well-drawn character; but the author muft pardon us if we give it as our opinion that the Letters from India' were written by his fire-fide at home. Mrs. Kinderfley's publication, and

2

others

others of the like kind, appear to have furnished him with his genuine description of the Eaft. Be this, however, as it may, there is nothing in his account of the country that can boaft the fmalleft pretenfion to novelty; all that is to be found concerning it in the prefent publication having been related by other writers, and in a much more pleafing ftyle.

Art. 36. Reuben, or the Suicide. Izmo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Swift. 1787.

The Author never intended these private Letters to be sent into the world for public obfervation: they were wrote from the heart, and not from the bead.'--' But obferve, Gentlemen Reviewers, that REUBEN can receive no gratification from fublunary opinion, as he is united with the duft from which he was taken, and is now equally infenfible to cenfure or applaufe.'

EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT.

Thus has the Editor of Reuben fhut the door against criticism. But if the Author of the Letters in queftion never intended them for the public eye, why have they been presented to that public? The publisher perhaps can tell.

Art. 37. The Hiftory of Lady Emma Melcombe and her Family.

By

a Female. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Robinfons. 1787. This female, if we may judge from her leffons in virtue and morality, which the ftrongly endeavours to inculcate, is in poffeffion of a very excellent heart

To tell her, however, that she can write well, were to deceive her in an eminent degree. It were to refemble the cruel kindness of a parent who indulges his children in their untoward humours, and who even allows them to proceed in their error till they are wholly beyond the reach of check or controul. We will act more generously by the Lady in question. We will tell her that her novel, in point of tyle and grammar, abounds with faults; and this we are the rather induced to do, as the appears to be of a good and ingenuous difpofition, and one who is likely to profit by our hint.-When acquainted with the rules of compofition, and when her judgment shall be ripened, the may poffibly produce a better work than the History of Lady Emma Melcombe.

Art. 38. The Curfe of Sentiment. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Robinfons. 1787.

A very fimple tale, and told in a particularly fimple manner. The ftory, indeed, is much too ridiculous for us to enter into an examination of it. We fhall therefore content ourselves with laying before the Reader fome few paffages from the work, by which we shall be fully enabled to appreciate its several excellencies, as well with refpec to ftyle as fentiment.

SENTIMENT.

Let not man fay, "I am a fuperior being." A dog, call them not brutes-is in few refpects his inferior, in many his equal, and in fome his fuperior.'

I fent my fervant to my friend's to learn if he (his dog) had returned, which I found to be the cafe, and that he was quite eafy and contented. Account for this ye ftoics, atheists, and philofo

phers,

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