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when its last defences are impaired, if not broken; and new triumphs have added strength to him whose power was before fo formidable! Under fuch circumstances it will behove us to look, with the whole force of our attention, into the real Dangers of our country, in case the laft great conteft fhould take place. They are ably ftated by Mr. Stephen whofe patriotic views of the fubject in many refpects deferve confideration.

*

On the late political difputes in our own country, we have earnestly wished to avoid all violence and acrimony. At the fame time, there is one perfon, above all competition in point of rank, whofe firm and confiftent opinions on that great topic we have always felt it our undoubted duty to fupport. We fupport them from conviction, and therefore have recommended to our readers chiefly the tracts on that fide. But, exclufive of all controverfial writings, the Speech of Lord Sidmouth † ought to be confulted, as an authentic document, on points of the first importance. The reft we shall not recapitulate.

A material part of political economy is the relief and regulation of the poor, which a bill lately propofed has brought afresh into difcuffion. On the fubject of this defign we have paid attention to the remarks of different magiftrates, apparently men of experience, the one anonymous, the other of the name of Weyland §. Both are rather adverse to the principal regulations of the propofed bill. But whatever may be thought of legislative attempts to ameliorate the fituation of the poor, no benevolent perfon can fail to admire the efforts of the Society which is formed for that purpose. The completion of the fourth and of the fifth volume ¶ of their reports gave us occafion lately to speak as we ought of the zeal and intelligence of their proceedings.

* No. IV. P. 409. + No. VI. p. 687.
No. V. p. 562-3.
No. II. p. 205.

‡ No. IV. P. 432. No. III. p. 309. PHILOSOPHY

PHILOSOPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY.

Whether to make comprehenfive claffes, or minute fubdivifions, has fometimes been a doubt, in the arrangement of our prefaces. At prefent we are led to the former, by the convenience of uniting many articles in fome refpects differing from each other. Thus, Mr. Knight's Inquiry into the Principles of Tafte*, in which we found much to praife, is strictlya philofophical investigation; yet has it very few points of connection with Mr. Tooke's Diverfions of Purley, which is, or rather ought to be, confined to the philofophy of grammar, and the facts of etymology. The introduction of political opinions in it is perfectly heterogeneous. From thefe topics again we take a very wide compafs, when we fpeak of the Elements of Mechanical Philofophy the excellent work of the late Profeffor Robifon. This acute and found philofopher, whofe lofs we cannot too deeply regret, like Newton, was the firm opponent of atheism; and diftinctly traced the operations of divine intelligence in all the phænomena of the natural world. A part of this great fubject has also been ably handled by Profeffor Vince, who, in his Obfervations on the Caufe of Gravitation §, has fhown, upon mathematical principles, that the mechanical caufes attempted to be affigned are inadequate to the effects; which can be referred only to the direct appointment of the Creator. Mr. Williams's book on the Climate of Great Britain we can only mention as a work of great, but perverted ingenuity, to which the prefent feafon feems of itself to offer a fufficient confutation.

With Botany, Gardening, and Natural History in general we must conclude this very comprehenfive

P.

No. I. p. 1. II.
No. III. p. 221.

168. + No. V. p. 461. VI. 631.
IV. p. 508.
No. I. p. 44-

No. VI. p. 618.

fection.

fection. To the firft of thefe topics we are called by the fingle work of Meffrs. Turner and Dillwyn, the Botanist's Guide*; Mr. McDonald's Dictionary of Gardening brings us to the fecond; and Mr. Bigland's Letters on Natural History to the third. Though not works of primary importance, they are all calculated to be useful in their refpective departments; and ought not by any means to be paffed in filence.

MEDICINE.

The gout continues to be the reproach of medicine. A few letters on the fubject, by the late Dr. Hamilton, of Lynn Regis, ferve to fhow that a fanciful theory may happen to give rife to a judicious and ufeful practice. On the important fubject of Vaccination, every day becoming more important, by more ample confirmation of its efficacy §, Dr. Willan has produced a very inftructive and fatisfactory book, in which arguments and facts are well collected, mifreprefentations oppofed, and practical instructions conveyed. On the medical arrangements neceffary for armies, a work has been produced by Dr. R. Jackfon ¶, which appears to be the refult of much experience, accompanied and followed by much reflection. The fubject does not appear to have been before fo fyftematically confidered. On an anonymous book entitled the Manual of Health**, what fhall we say? At once eccentric and intelligent, it reminds us of the character of fome eminent phyficians, whofe oddities have been no lefs confpicuous than their professional merit.

No. I. p. 77.

See particularly

+ No. IV. p. 388. ‡ No I. p. 85. the Report of the Royal College of Phyficians of London," printed by order of the Houfe of Commons,

July 8, 1807.

No. III. p. 259. I No. VI. p. 692.

** No. II. p. 147.

Of

Of books more properly furgical, we have only two to notice; the first of which is the conclufion of an elaborate work on the Difeafes of the Teeth, by Mr. Fox*; of which the former volume was noticed long ago. The other is a book of practical importance; on the Excifion of carious joints †, the refult of the fagacity and experience of one French, and two Britifh, furgeons.

TRAVELS.

We have generally had a large affortment of travels; at prefent the republication of Bruce's Work is the principal article on our lift. The confirmation of feveral points which were thought doubtful will be found in this edition; but Bruce will ever be liable to fome contradictions; and, if we mistake not, there are fome as yet to come forward which will be found more formidable than all the reft. Mr. Thornton's Sporting Tour in France §, and Mr. Malcolm's Excursions || at home, are books which will produce no controverfy: but they will amufe thofe claffes of readers for whom they were intended, and with that their ambition must be fatisfied. The Beauties of England and Wales, by Meffrs. Brayley and Britton¶, are now becoming voluminous. If they are not ftrictly travels, they may well fupply the place of many English tours, which are ufually drawn up with much less knowledge, and accompanied by very inferior illustrations,

* No. IV. p. 357. No. III. p. 341.

+ No. IV. p. 445.
|| No. IV. p. 422.

No. VI. p. 650. I No. II. p. 212.

POETRY.

POETRY.

We are in arrear to the British Muses of two or three confiderable works, which accident has obliged us to defer. In the mean time we have only gleanings to bring forward, and those not very confiderable. The works of Mickle, though publifhed in a very humble form, must be acceptable to the lovers of poetry. Whether we fhall have ftimulated the editor to give more fplendour of appearance to his friend, remains as yet uncertain. The merit of Mr. Rhodes's poems, ought certainly to preferve them from oblivion; and several smaller effufions, which we do not here recapitulate, will be fought occafionally from the mention we have already made of them.

If we turn to tranflations, and new editions of established works, we have more important objects of attention. Mr. Good's tranflation of Lucretius is a claffical and able work; warm with the fire and fpirit of the original, and accompanied by copious illustrations. Mr. Cary has completed the third part of Dante's great Poem §, and has preferved the character he obtained, of a faithful and fpirited interpreter. We prefume, therefore, that this verfion of the Inferno, will be followed, in due time, by the Purgatorio and Paradifo.

Among editions, we have had to notice no lefs than two of Shakspeare; that republication of Steevens's edition which the late Mr. Ifaac Reed fuperintended, and an edition of more general ufe conducted by Mr. A. Chalmers ||.

The poetical works of Sir David Lindjey, an early poet of Scotland, have been brought forward, with abundant and learned illuftrations, by Mr. G. Chal

No. IV. p. 376.

No. VI. p. 607.
+ No. I. p. 77.
§ No. V. p. 528,

No, I. p. 31.

mers;

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