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Art. 32. The Hiftory of Captain and Mifs Rivers. 12mo.

7s. 6d. fewed. Hookham. 1787.

3 Vols.

This Author appears to be fo highly delighted with his performance, that we imagine he will fcarcely believe us when we tell him that it is greatly wanting in effentials, i. e. in character, ftyle and fentiment;-or fhould he even be convinced of the truth of what we fay, it is not improbable but that, like Horace's enraptured citizen, who fat applauding imaginary actors, he will abuse the very friends who have kindly roufed him from his reverie.

Art. 33.

Olivia: or, Deferted; Bride.

Izmo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d.

fewed. Lane. 1787.

Hold up your head; hold up your hand;

Would it were not our lot to fhew ye

The cruel writ, wherein you ftand

Indicted by the name of Chloe.

You have purloin'd.'

Yes, fair lady, you ftand indicted of purloining much, very much, from the several novelifts who have immediately preceded you, and that with fo little taste and judgment, that we cannot even commend your talent at selection t. All we can honeftly allow is, that Olivia is much better written than most of the novels of the day; though it should at the fame time be obferved, that the ftyle of it is by no means perfectly elegant.

Art. 34. The Hiftory of Charles Falkland, Efq. and Mifs Louifa

Saville. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. fewed. Noble. 1787.

It was formerly the practice to finish every novel with a wedding. It is now become the fashion to conclude them, generally, with a funeral. The heroes and heroines muft all be buried. In the performance now before us (which by the way is nothing more than the old and hacknied ftory of a violated female and an injured friend) the dead are quite as numerous as in the mock-heroics of Chrononhotonthologos, and Tom Thumb.-But the aim of the writers, we fuppofe, is to awaken pity; and they not unfrequently fucceed. Art. 35. Exceffive Senfibility; or the Hiftory of Lady St. Laurence. 12mo. z Vols. 5s. fewed. Robin fons. 1787. The following fheets,' fays the Author of this novel, in his dedication of it to the Lady Fairford, are intended to exhibit a true picture of the depravity of modern manners, and it must be acknowledged that fome of this gentleman's characters are delineated with a bold and glowing pencil, and in a manner that fufficiently indicates his acquaintance with the human heart. His moral and

* Witness his dedication to Mifs Afhby, in which he obferves,A lady of quality, who hath long honoured me with her attention, and who, from the goodness of her heart, which ever prompts her to ferve and to oblige, undertook to have it printed, being previously affured by the bookfeller, that it would pleafe, and infure a good fale,' &c.

The incidents in this novel bear, in particular, fo ftrong a refemblance to those of Elfrida (fee Review for April laft), that we think it scarcely poffible fuch refemblance fhould be accidental.

conclufion

conclufion alfo being good, the punishment of vice, and the reward of virtue, deferves commendation, in this age particularly, when novels are fo numerous; when fo few have any moral at all, and when even fome not only idly and unprofitably waste the time, but alfo leave bad impreffions on the heart, of the young, unwary, and inexperienced reader. The Author's ftyle, however, is frequently faulty and inelegant, as will be feen by the following paffages-of which kind, Exceflive Senfibility' affords a confiderable number.

But I forgot to whom I am writing, a man of fashion to zuhom all thefe little minutie are above his confideration.'The man must want tafle indeed, that can ever tire of looking on her.'

If I could once more infpire her with a relifh for the country, of which the ufed to be lavish of her praife, I would yet expect to wean her from thefe follies."

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My husband had forgot me! my parents dead! and me the cause of haftening them to the grave!'

Art. 36. The Platonic Marriage. In a Series of Letters. By Mrs. Cartwright. 12mo. 3 Vols. 7s. 6d. fewed. Hookham, &c. 1786.

This novel we think fhould have borne a fecond title," or the man in love with his grandmother." The ftory is briefly as folJows:

Mifs Villeroy is reduced, by a train of unfortunate circumftances, from a ftate of affluence to that of poverty. In the height of her difirefs, and having an aged father to fupport, the commiffions a faithful fervant to difpofe of fome embroidery, the work of her hands. They are at this time at L near Paris. The faid fervant accordingly vifits that city, and fells a waistcoat, with which fhe was entrusted by her miftrefs, to a gentleman who called himfelf Monfieur D-, but whom they afterwards found to be the Duke of A. His Grace difcovers the retreat of Mifs Villeroy, and relieves her diftreffes. The Duke's kindness, however, occafions reports prejudicial to the Lady's honour. (The Duke of A. is eighty years of age, and Mifs Villeroy is about fixteen). To ftop the tongue of flander, therefore, the parties enter into a connubial engagement-an union of minds; or, as our Author is pleased to term it, a Platonic marriage.'

In the mean time, Lord Edward Carteret, grandson of the Duke of A. finds by accident the portrait of a lady, and, like another Pygmalion, becomes enamoured of the inanimate beauty. He fearches diligently for the enchanting original; and at length dif covers her in the perfon of his grandmother, the Duchefs of A. whom he waits on in confequence of her marriage with his relation, His Lordship is particularly happy in the meeting; and as the growing infirmities of the Duke feem to threaten him with a speedy diffolution, he is in hope of poffeffing the object of his love. The canonical interdiction however, a man is not to marry his grandmother,' awakens all his fears, and he really knows not how to act. But he is foon relieved from his embarraffment;-in a very few months his good and noble relation bids the world good night; a difpenfation

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difpenfation is immediately procured, and Lord Edward Carteret is bleffed in the arms of his grandmother.

The reader will readily perceive that there is fomething of novelty in the ftory, which is conducted with tolerable skill and addrefs. -The work, however, is incorrectly written, and several vulgarifms are fcattered through it. One lady, for example, is made to talk of being hummed into happiness, and another of a skin-deep impreffion, &c. &c.

Art. 37. William of Normandy. An hiftorical Novel. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Axtell. 1787.

A monstrous and mif-fhapen birth; and fuch as criticism turns from in terror and disgust.

Art. 38. The Sorrows of the Heart.

12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Murray, 1787.

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The modern novel affords us nothing like variety. Soup for breakfast, foup for dinner, and foup for fupper,' as the libertine in the comedy obferves of his wife. We are very fairly tired of it.

The compofition before us is an infipid mafs indeed! but we will pick out a few of its ingredients, fo that our readers may taste and judge.

Oh! my friend, that I could reprefs this ardor, this impetuofity of temper in every thing in which my heart has any concern! It is not by reafon it is to be calmed down.

For two or three days paft a lucid interval of ferenity has beamed upon my mind, and my fpirits are calmed down in a very unwonted degree.

He is a genteel young man, about twenty-five. My father, whofe letter it feems was only in general terms, was ignorant of the motives that induced him to vifit this place. In the courfe of converfation after dinner, he asked him rather abruptly, which threw him into the moft tremulous confufion.' Afked him what? Why inquired into the motives which induced him to vifit the town,' to be fure, replies our Author. Very true-fuch is the meaning without a doubt. But what kind of writing is this?

He ftill purfues me with the most unfeeling perfeverance; and encouraged as he is by my parents, I fear it will not ceafe till I have taken refuge in his arms'-Julia. The lady may be right;the unfeeling perfeverance of her lover may very poffibly ceafe, when once the has taken refuge in his arms.

O Matilda! could you but feel a momentary glimpse of the joy this letter has produced in my breast.'

I flew upon the wings of impatient friendship to your house. You were gone, but had left a letter for me-I opened it, and was blafted by the baleful contents. Had you been near me, my friend, I should have wreaked my fury upon you.' That is, had his friend been prefent he would have wreaked his fury on him for going awayfor writing the difagreeable letter which was left for his perufal, Arrah! Arrah!

NATURAL HISTORY. Art. 39. Hiftoire naturelle des Oiseaux, par le Comte de Buffon, et les Planches enluminées; fyftematically difpofed. (And on another

Title-page) Indexes to the Ornithology of the Comte de Buffon and the Planches enluminées. 4to. 7s. 6d. fewed. White and Son. 1786.

Mr. Pennant has here prefented the Public two Indexes. The first is arranged according to the Author's own fyftem, with the names of Buffon, Linnæus, and Latham : to these fynonyma are added references to the Planches enluminées. The fecond Index is a mere catalogue of the Planches enlumineés.

LAW.

Art. 40. The Speeches of the Judges of the Court of Exchequer, upon granting a new Trial in the Cafe of Captain Sutton, against Commodore Johnftone, on the 30th of June 1784; together with Baron Eyre's Speech, on the Motion to arrest the Judgment. Taken in Short Hand by Jofeph Gurney. The Report of the two Chief Juftices, Lords Mansfield and Loughborough, to the Lord Chancellor, on an Appeal from the Judgment of the Court of Exchequer, in the Cafe of Sutton against Johnstone. 4to. 1s. 6d. 1787.

Stockdale.

The power neceffary to give energy to military enterprizes, does not combine well with the liberal fpirit of our civil inftitutions; there is hence little caufe for furprize to find Commodore Johnstone refift the verdict of a jury against him for damages, in an initance that would difarm every Commander in Chief, and difable the country from all exertion of its ftrength. The chief juftices truly obferve, that "the falvation of this country depends on the difci"pline of the fleet; without difcipline they would be a rabble, dangerous only to their friends, and harmless to the enemy." The reader who is interested will find many curious remarks in the fpeeches of the judges, on a new caufe, the hiftory of which is to be found in all the periodical prints of the time.

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Art. 41. Letters which paffed between Commodore Johnstone and Captain Sutton, in 1781, with refpect to the bringing Captain Sutton to Trial. 8vo. 6d. Stockdale. 1787.

Thefe letters are reprinted from the court martial trial, to fhew that no juft imputation can be fixed on Commodore Johnstone for delaying the trial of Captain Sutton, or for want of indulgence or politeness to him under the arrest.

Art. 42. Confiderations on the Question lately agitated in WestminsterHall, whether the Proceedings of Commanders in Chief of Fleets and Armies, acting within the Military Powers delegated to them, and in the courfe of Difcipline, are fubject to the Review of the Civil Courts of Law; with Obfervations on the Cafe which has given rife to this important Quellion, and on other Points which have occurred in that Caufe. By William Pulteney, Efq. 8vo. Is. 6d. Stockdale. 1787.

It is publicly known that Commodore Johnstone, under a diffatisfaction with the conduct of Captain Sutton in the action at Port Praya, caufed an inquiry into his conduct to be made by a court martial for difobedience of orders: and that Captain Sutton, being honourably acquitted by proof of the difability of his fhip, com

menced

menced an action against Commodore Johnftone for a malicious charge and arreft; in which action he obtained a verdict for 5000%. damages. The Commodore moved for a new trial, which when granted, the damages were extended to 6000l. and on his farther motion for an arreft of judgment, on the pleas that no fuch action could lie against a Commander in Chief; and that if it could, the fentence of the court martial admitted the difobedience, by the justi fication from circumftances, which was fufficient bar to an action for malice; on June 15th 1785, the Court of Exchequer determined against arresting the judgment, and the caufe was referred to the Houfe of Lords for a final decifion: The Lords, accordingly, on May 22, 1787, determined it in favour of the Governor,-who died on the 24th, within two hours after he received the news.

Mr. Pulteney juftly obferves, that though the public have hitherto confidered the caufe merely as a queftion between two individuals, it is really of a public nature, has never yet been determined, and is of the most serious confequence to the difcipline both of the navy and army.

The cafe of thofe, fays our author, who ferve in the navy and army, is different from that of the other fubjects; they are fubjected to military law and difcipline, becaufe without that fort of law they could not be effectually employed for the fervice of the flate. They furrender, by entering into either of these fervices, many valuable privileges of citizens, because the public policy and neceffity requires that they fhould do fo; but, on the other hand, they are entitled to many diftinguished privileges and advantages, from which the rest of the fubjects are excluded. The articles of war are a complete fyftem for the difcipline and government of the navy and army, and all military offences are punishable under thefe laws, and not fubject to any other. If an inferior officer is guilty of any military offence, it is the duty of the commander in chief to bring him to trial by a court-martial. He is the grand jury in that cafe to find the bill of indictment, but he cannot himself fit upon the trial. If the commander in chief is guilty of oppreffion in bringing any inferior officer to trial, the commander in chief is himself punishable for that offence by a court-martial.'

The confequences of land and fea officers being cramped in their difcipline, by the dread or by the threats of actions at law, are well reprefented; and many judicious remarks are made on Baron Eyre's fpeech against the motion for arreft of the judgment given on the fecond trial; particularly in one inftance, which as well fhews the extent of military power, as the remedy afforded by the martial code, when it may happen to be unduly afferted, or refifted.

Mr. Baron Eyre feems in fome measure to call in question alfo the neceffity of obedience, in all cafes, to the orders of a fuperior officer, and he puts the cafe of a man ordered to the maft head, who the fuperior officer knew was incapacitated by fome bodily infirmity from doing it, and that he muft infallibly break his neck in the attempt, and fays, if the order was obeyed, and the man killed, the officer might be tried for murder. This doctrine, if held to be law, would be of very ferious confequence indeed to the difcipline of the navy and army. The articles of war require obedience only to

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