all who got this medicine either escaped, or were easily cured, if they did not."

in an Appendix, Dr. G. enforces what he had previously delivered. He gives a ftrong caution against delution from the ftate of the pulfe, which is more frequently weak than full and ftrong. It became ftronger after bleeding.

There are many curious and fenfible remarks in this treatise, befides those which we have noticed.

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For NOVEMBER, 1795.

SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS, RELIEF OF THE POOR, &c. Art. 21. Thoughts on the most fafe and effectual Mode of relieving the Poor during the prefent Scarcity. 8vo. 6d. Longman.

THE fole object of this fmall publication, which made its appearance

before the late harveft, feems to have been to recommend a more fparing use of bread to all claffes of people, and to advise that charitable contributions be employed in furnishing the poor, at a cheap rate, with other articles of provision rather than bread.

Art. 22. A Letter to Sir T. C. Bunbury, Bart. one of the Members of Parliament for the County of Suffolk, on the Poor Rates, and the high Price of Provifions, with fome Propofals for reducing both. By a Suffolk Gentleman. 8vo. 15. Rivingtons.

The intelligent writer of this pamphlet regards as the cause of many public evils, the practice of uniting feveral fmall farms into a large one, and the confequent failure of the race of independent yeomanry, who formerly cultivated their own farms, from forty to fourscore pounds a year. The mifchiefs refulting from this practice are clearly laid open; and a plan is fuggefted for reducing the poor rates and the price of provifions, which may merit the attention of the public. It is briefly this; that every owner of land, to the amount of one hundred pounds a year, lying within three miles of a populous market town, should build and let a cottage, with at least an acre of land adjoining. The immediate advantages to the public, which the au. thor expects from this project, are the increafe for fale of many of the small articles of housekeeping, and the reduction of the poorrates. As a more remote confequence, he expects the revival of the old system of small farms.

The public attention being now unavoidably turned towards the important object of relieving and improving the condition of the poor, this public-fpirited gentleman may reasonably hope that his scheme will obtain attention.

Art. 23. An Addrefs to the different Claffes of Perfons in Great Britain, on the prefent high Price of Provilions. To which is added, an Appendix, containing a Table of the average Price of Wheat in every Year, from the Year 1595 to 1790, inclufive. By the Rev. Septimus Hodfon, M. B. Chaplain of the Afylum for Female Orphans. 8vo. PP. 57. 1s. 6d. Cadell, jun. and Davies.

We

We can be in no danger of paffing a falfe judgment in pronouncing this address an useful publication. It was printed in July laft, with an immediate reference to the public ftate of provifions at that time. However, as the dearnefs of the neceffaries of life continues, there is till an urgent call to examine how far the evil admits of a remedy, and to fearch for means of alleviating that part of the burden which cannot be removed. Mr. Hodfon afferts, we think, too confidently -that the dearnefs of wheat cannot fairly be confidered as a confequence of the war. That this is one, though perhaps not the principal, caufe of the evil, will not be queftioned by any perfon who attends to the large and fudden demands of government for the fupply of the army and navy, and who confiders how much more provifion is confumed and waited in this public fervice, than would have been fairly ufed in maintaining the fame number of men as labouring citizens.With the hope of relieving the prefent calamity, Mr. H. communicates to the public feveral useful fuggeftions. The opulent he advifes to retrain the ufe of bread in their own families to the lowest poffible confumption, and to refrain from the use of hair powder :which very few feem inclined to do.

Mr. H. farther recommends abftinence from the use of young animal food, and from the fuperfluous confumption of full grown meats. To government he fuggefts that, in aid of voluntary fubfcriptions, the parishes through the kingdom might be obliged to fell bread to the refident poor at a certain rate below the market price; a plan, perhaps, not very judicious, as it tends to increase the confumption of a fcarce commodity. It is alfo recommended that the flock of wheat be lengthened out by a mixture of barley and oats; that greater attention be paid to the fisheries; and that the ftate of agriculture, in all its branches, be brought under the confideration of the Legislature.

The pamphlet concludes with a very proper addrefs to the poor, to diffuade them from violent measures, as tending to increase the evils which they are defigned to remedy.

AMERICA.

Art. 24. Reports of Alexander Hamilton, Efq. Secretary of the Treafury; read in the House of REPRESENTATIVES of the UNITED STATES, Jan. 19, 1795; containing, 1. A Plan for the further Support of Public Credit. 2. For the Improvement and better Ma nagement of the Revenues of the United States; to which is an nexed, an Act for making Provifions for the Support of Public Credit, and the Redemption of the Debt. Printed by Order of the HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES. 4to. 4s. flitched. Debrett. Thefe authentic ftate papers of a rifing western empire will, we fuppofe, be confidered by political readers as documents of no inconfiderable value; and as an attentive perufal of them may poffibly furnish -ufeful hints of found policy and national economy, to which European Governments may attend with advantage.

HISTORY.

Art. 25. The Hiftory of France, from the earliest Times to the Acceffion of Louis the Sixteenth; with Notes Critical and Explanatory. By John Gifford, Efq. Vol. IV. 4to. pp. 718. Boards. C. Lowndes. 1793.

185.

The

The opinion which we formed of this History on the perufal of the preceding volumes, and which we expreffed at the opening of our first article, has been fo fully confirmed by the fequel, that it might be fufficient to refer our readers, for a general idea of the work; to M. R. New Series, vol. x p. 121. The Hiftory, which is now brought down to the clofe of the period mentioned in the title, is throughout executed with indefatigable diligence in collecting materials, with a confiderable share of judgment in the arrangement, and with uniform neatnefs and correctness of expreffion. If the writer feldom rifes into great excellence, he never finks into reprehenfible negligence. If he affumes no very decifive tone in political philofophy, he rarely difgufts his readers by the violence of party spirit, or Shocks him by bold deviations from commonly received opinions. Whatever information, instruction, or entertainment, can be expected from a plain and full detail of a series of events, respecting one of the greatest and most busy states of modern Europe, may be found in this History.

When we inform our readers that the prefent volume commences with the reign of Henry IV. and clofes with that of Louis XV. we need not say that it abounds with interesting materials. Many diftinguished characters are fairly and ably delineated. The feveral unfuccessful ftruggles for political power in the parliaments, and their gradual subjugation to defpotifm, are fully defcribed; and a clear account is given of the progrefs of the French fyftem of taxation.

policy as well as cruelty of religious perfecution is represented in ftrong colours, in the hiftory of the perfecution of the Huguenots; and the progrefs of commerce under the able minifter Colbert, and the improvements made in the arts and belles lettres during the splendid reign of Louis XIV. are related. In fine, befides the great facts of civil and military hiftory, the work is enlivened with many mifcellaneous anecdotes, and other articles of information.

From this vast mals, nothing would be eafier than to select numerous extracts highly amusing and inftructive: but those which we made from the former volumes are fufficient to affift our readers in judging of the merit of the work; and farther than this, in the midst of the prefent numerous demands on our attention, we must not proceed. We shall only add that we have little doubt that this publication, which is certainly the moft copious hiftory of France in the English language, will be generally thought worthy of a place in hiftorical libraries. A hiftory of the revolution is promifed.

We should have been glad to have seen better plates in a work of fuch importance: but thefe are matters of mere decoratien, and fubject to diverfities of taste.

LAW.

Art. 26. The Hiftory of the Common Law, by Sir Matthew Hale. The Fifth Edition, (with confiderable Additions,) illuftrated with Notes and References, and fome Account of the Life of the Author. By Charles Runnington, Serjeant at Law. 2 Vols. 8vo. 145. Boards. Robinfons. 1794.

We noticed the former edition of this valuable work by the fame editor in our 60th vol. p. 481, and are forry to repeat the cenfure

which we then found it neceffary to give. The learned Serjeant indulges in a larger extent of quotation than the nature of his labours demanded; and we must think that his additions (to ufe his own words) have been improvidently accumulated.' Sixty pages of extract from Debrett's Parliamentary Register are alloted to the question, Whether an impeachment abates by the diffolution of parliament." With fuch aids, how easy is it to make a book!

Art. 27. The whole Law relative to the Duty and Office of a Justice of Peace; comprifing alfo the Authority of Parish Officers. By Thomas Walter Williams, Efq. of the Inner Temple, Barrister at Law. 4 Vols. 8vo. 21. 2s. Boards. Robinsons. 1793, 1795. The author concludes his preface, in which he gives a fhort view of his work, with the following words; As to its general accuracy, perfpicuity, and utility, he trufts, that time and investigation will eftablish its character in those respects; and evince that it poffeffes a decided fuperiority over every other work of a fimilar nature.' Dr. Burn published his very useful and methodical book on this fubject about the year 1754; and, in every fubfequent edition during his life, he continued to give it thofe improvements which the nature of his plan admitted. Fifteen editions were published by him, and two have fince been published by his fon, who has proceeded in them on the fame plan which was introduced by his father. The general good character of the work has been too long established to require any praise at this time: its accuracy of information and methodical arrangement have been frequently mentioned in our courts with approbation. With the fubject thus pre-occupied, we did not expect another compilement on the duty and office of a juftice of the peace. Every work on this fubject must neceffarily be compofed of the fame materials; namely, the different acts of parliament, and the decifions of the courts; and the merit and reputation of the respective authors muft depend almost entirely on the method and order in which they have arranged and confidered the different heads. Doctor Burn had the merit of introducing an accurate and ufeful arrangement, which has been followed in a great measure by Mr. Williams; the materials used by both are the fame; the laft edition of Burn comes down to the 33d year of his prefent majefty, fo that the acts which have paffed, and the decifions of the courts, in the interval, cannot be very numerous. This new matter, however, inconfiderable as it is, appears to us to form the great diflinction between these two rival works, for in this light it is neceffary to view them; and these additions feem to be scarcely fufficient to juftify the author in the flattering expectations which he has expreffed, and which we have quoted at the beginning of this article.

Art. 28. The Principles and Rules of Law on the Settlement of the Poor, analized and explained. By which every Perfon may be able to judge for himself in what Place he is legally fettled; with an Abftract of the Acts of Parliament. By a Student of the Inner Temple. 12mo. pp. 30. Is. 6d, Crosby.

The author of this little treatife promifes too much for the limits to which he has confined himself; and the fubject which he has undertaken is of too great an extent to be treated fatisfactorily in a volume of the prefent fize.

Rev. Nov. 1795

Art.

Art. 29. The Laws refpe&ting Parish Matters. Containing the feve ral Offices and Duties of Churchwardens, Overfeers of the Poor, Contables, Watchmen, Parish Clerk, Sexton, Beadle, &c. &c. Together with the Laws refpecting Rates and Affeffments, Settlements and Removals, and of the Poor in general, laid down in a plain and eafy Manner, and in which all technical Terms of Law are familiarly explained, &c. &c. &c. By the Author of the Laws of Landlord and Tenant, Law of Wills, and Masters and Servants. 8vo. pp. 126. 2s. ód. Clarke. 1795.

The prefent work is the fourth divifion of law felections, the former parts of which we have already noticed. We think that the author fhews diligence and accuracy, but that the fubject of this article is liable to the fame objection with the preceding one, and that a much larger volume would be neceffary to give an adequate view of this extenfive department of the law.

Art. 30. Index to Records, called the Originalia and Memoranda on the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer's Side of the Exchequer: extracted from the Records, and from the MS. of Mr. Taylēure, Mr. Madox, and Mr. Chapman, formerly Officers in that Office. Containing all the Grants of Abbey Lands, and other Property, granted by the Crown, from the Beginning of the Reign of Henry VIII. to the End of Queen Anne. Alfo Inrolments of Charters, Grants, and Patents to feveral religious Houfes; and to Cities, Boroughs, Towns, Companies, Colleges, and other public Inftitutions from the earlieft Period. Together with Pleadings and Proceedings relative to the Tenures and Eftates of the Nobility and Gentry, Commiffions of Survey, Manors, Lands, and Tenements; and innumerable other Matters. By Edward Jones, Inner Temple. 2 Vols. Folio. 31. 35. Printed for the Editor.

1795.

We shall tranfcribe from the editor's preface his account of the nature and plan of the prefent publication:

The first volume of this work being an index nominum virorum, or of the names of grantees, contains references to all the grants of abbey lands, and other property granted by the Crown from the beginning of the reign of Henry Vill. to the end of the reign of Queen Anne, which are exceedingly extenfive, as may be feen by the great fpace occupied by the index, although every article is compreffed as fmall as pofiible; and when it is confidered that every two or three lines refer to an inftrument of fuch confequence as a grant or charter, it will, in fome degree, give us an idea of their extent, especially when we confider that most grants are exceeding long and generally contain a great number of places; and that charters, &c. are inftruments of the first magnitude, containing the conftitution, regulation, and government of the place or company to which they belong; these are indexed according to the name of the city, borough, town, company, &c. to which they appertain.

England Bank Carta concifa, vol. i. of this work, original: Tempore R. & R. Will. & Mar. anno 6. Rotulo 47.-This reference alone, fhort as it is, refers to an inftrument almoft as large as the quarter of either of thefe volumes, containing all the regulations of that great body."