1776. An Impartial Review of New Publications. ARTICLE XLVII. THE Hiftory of the Province of Moray, by the Rev. Mr. Lochlan Shaw.1os. 6d. Donaldfon. Mr. Shaw hath here given a very accurate account of both the ancient and modern ftate of the province of Moray, whofe utmost extent in length is 62 Scottish, or 104 English miles, and the breadth about 38 Scottish, or 57 English miles, and the number of inhabitants 69 213. Any perfon wanting to be acquainted with the number of parishes, the moft remarkable feats, the principal families, and heritors in this diftrict, may here have full information. There are fome pleafing obfervations in his defcription of the natural, civil, and military hiftory of this province, the plains of which he fays have 40 days fair weather more in the year than any other county in Scotland. The following extract from his ecclefiaftical hiftory of the province we present to our readers. "The favour fhowed by our kings to Roman Catholics, ever fince the Reformation, is well known. King James VI. did not diffemble, that he would meet them half way; his fon, though called a zealous Proteftant, protected, employed, and encouraged Pa. pifts, during his unfortunate reign. King Charles II. was known to be, and died, a Roman Catholic; and his brother openly profeffed that religion. Notwithstanding the influence and example of thofe princes, very few in this province except the dependents on the family of Gordon, and the M'Donalds and Chisholms, have been feduced into popish errors. Among the Highland clans, the Frafers, Mac Intofhes, Grants, M'Pherfons, M'Gilliwrays, fcarce any Papifts are to be found. Even in the county of Badenoch, though all are either vaffals or tenants of the duke of Gordon, there are few, if any, of that religion. This has been owing in a great measure to the gentry and chiefs of clans, who early embraced the Reformation, and both encouraged and promoted it in their lands. The M'Donalds of Glengary, never that I know, were reformed. The gentlemen of that name have their fons educated in the Scots colleges abroad, especially at Doway: and they return home, either avowed or concealed Papifts. In the year 1726, in all Glengary and Achadrom, which may confift of 800 fouls, I could find very few Proteftants. Since that time, they have not become much better; but have diffused their errors into the neighbouring countries of Abertaf, Glenmorifton, and Strathglafs. The most noble family of Gordon, till of late, were Roman Catholics; and alApril 1776. 209 though now they are Proteftants, yet Popery ftill prevails in their lands, within this province particularly in Glenrinnis, Glenlivat, and Strathavon. I remember when a feminary, or academy of priests, was openly kept in Glenlivat, where the languages, philofophy, and divinity were regularly taught and a draught of the most promifing boys was fent to France, who returned home priests and jefuits. I am not certain, if fuch a feminary is now kept up there; but a Popish meetinghouse continues; and at high mass, 600 people or more convene to it. To conclude this account, in Glenrinnis, Glenlivat, and Strathayon; in Abertaf, Glengary, and Achadrom, and in Strathglass, there are, in my opinion, at least 30co Roman Catholics. It may not be improper here to observe, the happy increase of Chriftian knowledge fince the Revolution, by means of the early education of youth. All the parishes in this province, excepting three or four, have now schools erected in them according to law and some fociety fchools are fettled, where Popery prevails, or the extent of parishes requires." XLVIII. An Account of the Weather and Difeafes of South Carolina, by Lionel Chalmers, M.D. of Charles Town, South Carolina, 2 vols. 6s. Dilly. These volumes are the work of a gentleman eminent in his profeffion, and abound with much medical knowledge. He hath ftated a number of cafes, and mentioned those methods of cure which he found to be moft fuccefsful in his many years practice. As to the natural hiftory of South Caro lina, our author obferves, the coaft is fo low and flat, that it cannot be seen at the diftance of more than feven leagues, but about 50 miles from the fhore the land becomes more unequal, and confifts of fpacious levels, interfperfed with easy rifings, which gradually advancing in height towards the west, terminate in a range of lofty mountains, that form as it were a chain, which runs throughout the continent of North America, at the dif tance of about 300 miles from the fea coaft. Many rivers arife from the mountains, which are liable to inundations, fwelling fometimes 20 feet in perpendicular height in the space of twelve hours-where the land is lower, the water drowns the country for miles, yet fo prolific are the lands by it, that if one crop is loft out of three, the planters are recompenfed. The common increase from good land is about 89 bushels of rough rice per acre, which, when cleaned, yield 2000 pounds weight, or four barrels fit for market, befides a large quantity of broken rice for the negroes, Ес The 210 Review of the Lufiad. The foil of this country is very various; for within twenty miles of the fea, it is generally light and landy: but far from being i.fertile. This, however, is to be underFood of the uplands only; for in many other places the mould is.as rich and deep as can be found any where. But, even in the most barren lands, vegetation is fo luxuriant when the weather is fhowery, that a plentiful in greafe is reaped from them. On the other hand, fuch moift weather is productive of innumerable multitudes of thole reptiles and infects, that require ftanding water for their ava to hatch in; fome of which are very troublesome to the inhabitants; more efpecially at night, unless they be iccured from their ftings, by furrounding the beds with gauze pavilions. But, the heat of the fun is fo great when the feafon is dry, and the earth becomes fo parched, that no feed which is fown will grow; and thofe things that were thriving and promifed well before, may at fuch times be deftroyed or yield but little. In this refpect however, rice feems the most hardy of all plants, for it will recover when the rains fet in, even after it had been burnt down to the ground. Further back in the country, the uplands very generally have a good foil; and the fertility of thele that are low, is thought to be inexhauftible. Even the very mountains are covered with a fine verdure of lofty trees, except in fome few places, where the fummits confift of naked rocks; amongst which is lime-ftone or marble of different colours. But, except in one river, a stone larger than a pebble is not to be found any where within twenty miles of the fea, fetting afide thofe that have been brought hither as ballaft for fhips. April fhould we add the exuberant tranfpiration from the foil, and the abundant perfpiration from vegetables of all forts, which every where cover the ground, the reafon will plainly appear, why our climate fhould be very moift. And that it is fo, will be clearly feen from the rain that falls at Charlestown, which at the medium for ten years, was 42 inches annually. XLIX. The Lufiad, or Difcovery of India, an Epic Peem, tranflated from the original Portuguese of De Camoens, with Notes, &c. by William Julius Mickle. 1.1s. Evans. It is with great pleasure we review the prefent performance. The Lufiad of Camoens has long been an object of admiration to the world of genius and tafte. But we apprehend that to most persons the admiration has been an ignorant acquiefence in the opinion of a few. They have admired as at a dif tant planet, luminous indeed in the heavens, but of whofe grandeur and beauty they had no diftinct ideas. Fanfhaw by his tranflation furnished our countrymen with a telescope, through which this illuftrious planet might be viewed to fome advantage; but it was referved to Mr. Mickle, to produce a more pure and perfect work. The Lufiad has been thus characterized by a gentleman, eminent in the Houfe of Commons in thefe our tumultuous and interefting times."It hath (fays he) an ardent spirit of military honour -a delicate fpirit of gallantry, and admiration for the fair fex, and a manly spirit of true patriotifm; in thefe it is unequalled by any poem.' In juftice to the ingenious tranflator, it must be obferved, that the fpirit of liberty breathes through the introduction, where the evil confequences of tyranny are most strikingly displayed in the fate of the Portuguese Governors of India. We alfe fee in it that the Portuguese degenerated in proportion as their monarchs advanced towards defpotifm, till Spain made an easy prey of their feeble kingdom. Rapin, the critic, perceived the high military honour of the Lufiad; but instead of giving it the praise which it deferves on that account, the cold blooded writer condemns it. moens (fays he) thought of nothing but to express the pride of his nation; and the fpirit of his poem is like it, fier et fafteux, fierce and difdainful." A generous mind muft feel indignation at fuch a mean remark. The difcovery of India, which is the great ftory of the Lufiad, is an event of fuch magnitude, and of confequences fo important to Europe, efpecially to Great Britain at this very time, that the poem cannot fail to exFrom the furfaces, therefore, of so many cite univerfal curiofity. We cannot at prelarge rivers, and numerous collections of fent give any extracts from it, but only obftanding waters; fuch quantities of funk, ferve, that as it abounds with the various fenny and marshy lands, and the vast Atlan-kinds of poetical excellence, thefe are tranftic ocean that borders on our coaft, it may fufed in an admirable manner by Mr. readily be inferred, that exceffive exhalations Mickle; he feems to have beftowed particumust be made in this fuitry climate to which lar pains in the ftudy of imitative and fen I doubt not (fays the author) but South Carelina produces all forts of metals. Gold, filver, copper, iron and lead have already been difcovered. We also have antimony, alum, talk, black-lead, marle, and very fine white clay, which is fit for making porcelain. I likewife have feen emeralds, that were brought from the country of the Cherokee Indians, which when cut and polished, teli nothing fhort of thofe which are imported from India in luftre; and rock cryfal abounds in feveral places. When the English first took poffeffion of this country, excepting Savannabs (which are plains naturally without trees) and fome fmall openings, that were here and there made by the Indians, the whole was one continued foreft; and perhaps. one twentieth part of it is not yet cleared and cultivated. A "Ca timental 1776. Hunter's Reflections on Lord Chesterfield. timental harmony, in which he has been very fuccefsful; and upon the whole thanks are due to him for having made fo valuable an addition to our polite literature. L. The Hiftory and Antiquities of Winabefter, 2 vols. 63. Crowder. The origin of this ancient city is by fome placed fo early as 892 years before Chrift. We are told that the prefent walls were erected A. D. 341, and that the castle, of which fome veftiges remain, was built by King Arthur A. D. 523. Winchefter alfo claims the being incorporated by a charter, and governed by a Mayor, &c. first in the kingdom, and 22 years before London. Our author fays, "in the year 1363, commenced the gradual decline of the ancient city of Winchester; for in this year, the wool manufactory, which had then nearly arifen to its full perfection, was, by the King's command, removed from hence to Calais, to the great impoverishment of this city, and injury of the factors, who had expended enormous fums in erecting new buildings and other proper and neceffary conveniencies for that bufinefs. Some time after the removal of the ftaple, followed the Speedy decline and diffolution of the cloathing manufactories, and of all the other commercial and extenfive branches ufually carried on in this city, which were in the courfe of a few years either neglected or removed. Thefe misfortunes being followed by continual migrations, whole streets were at length deferted, and left uninhabited; numerous houses tumbled down for want of tenants; churches mouldered away for want of parishioners to maintain their incumbents, and to keep them in repair; the navigation became neglected and choaked up, and the appearance of trade and commerce, once fo famous in this city, totally vanished, and gave place to adverfity and depopulation; whch is at this time too visible, from the great extent of garden and wafte ground within the walls of the city, befides the lofs of almost all its fuburbs." Before the Reformation, the bishoptic of Winchester paid to the Pope for first fruits 12000 ducats, and it is now esteemed one of the richest in the kingdom. LI. Reflections critical and moral on the Letters of the late Earl of Cheferfeld. By Thomas Hunter, M. A. 4. Cadell. Our author thus apolog zes for his reflections: "Lord Chesterfield's Letters were fish taken up as an amufement to deceive the peffing moments. They were, indeed, amufing, but foon appeared alarming. The reader found his faith, his virtue, his understanding infulted; and the fentiments of the juft and good in all ages and nations of the world who were favoured with almoft any degree of light, of truth and science, up. pofed and contradicted, by our well-bred and ourtly philofopher. The more reader was 211 thus led to commence author; and, very freely to express his indignation and contempt of a writer, who, great and shining as his abilities were, bath difgraced, by applying them to poifon the morals, to banith the fublimeft virtue, to extinguish the most falutary truths, and to exterminate the most important interefts and the fincereft happiness of mankind." Though Mr. Hunter condemns his Lorde fhip as an author, he allows him as a writer to be florid and ornamental; and his ftyle highly polished and mufical: he was a man of wit but no reafoner-with delight we liften to the fyren fong, though we reject the fubject and matter with fcorn. His lordfhip had an extenfive knowledge of the weakneffes and vices of human nature, but of its dignity, moral perfections, and divine capacities, he had no experience, and ap pears to have had no conception. In politics, fo far as an art not connected with, no: founded on virtue, truth, and confcience, he was a great proficient. So obnoxious is his moral character, our author thinks it is difficult to view him in any light without fome degree of cenfure or prejudice. His fyftem of ethics is void of all fincere love to God or man, and is truly a system of felf-love. "His four volumes may be entitled, An entire Code of Hypocrify and Diffimulation; containing the fine, the artifice, the craft, the virtue, or the temblance of virtue, with all the external accomplishments neceffary to form the character of the complete courtier. The chriftian, or, in other words the fincere moralift, will look upon the noble lord, with all his wit, his genius, his elegance and penetration, as a little, a frivolous and furperficial man ; engroffed by selfishnets, vanity and ambition; and in order to gratify thefe paflions, a devout conformist to the world, its fashions and follies; - regardless of the interefts or miferies of mortality, but fo far as he may reap advantage from them, and profit by the follies or frailties of mankind." "One important leffan, which we may, however, learn from the letters before us, is his: That noble birth, great natural abilities, a polite education, and much reading and reflection, uninfluenced by religious motives, and directed to no religious end, render the poffeffor a poor and contemptible creature, a faithless friend, a falfe patriot, an immoral philofopher; and in respect to the trueft virtue, the foolimeft knowledge, and the most important privileges of our nature, leave him poor and miserable, and blind and naked; and, in point of real dignity, rank him lower than the lowest of the fervants of the carpenter's fon." We meet alfo with fome excellent reflec tions on Voltaire, whom Lord Chesterfield fo highly commended and our author will E e 2 ΠΟΣ 212 Review of New Publications. not allow his Lordship. "the honour of being a chriftian", though he thinks him to have been a practical rather than a fpeculative unbeliever. LII. An Efay towardseftablishing the Melody and Measure of Speech to be exprefed and perpetuated by peculiar Symbols, 10s. 6d. Almon. This effay hath merit, and many of the writer's obfervations are new and judicious. He obferves that "the puzzling obfcurity relative to the melody and measure of speech which hath hitherto exifted between modern critics and ancient grammarians, hath been chiefly owing to a want of terms and characters, fufficient to distinguish clearly the feveral properties and accidents belonging to language, fuch as accents, emphafis, quantity, pause and force. Inftead of which eight terms they have generally used only two, accent and quantity, with fome loofe hints concerning pauses." In like manner, there ftill exifts another defect in literal language, of a fimilar kind; that is, there are in nature, neither more, nor lefs, than feven vowel founds, befides diphthongs; for which feven, the principal nations in Europe ufe only five characters (for the y has, with us, no found diftinét from the i) and this defect throws the orthography and pronunciation of the whole into uncertainty and confufion, . In order to diftinguish what are vowels, But a LIII. The Breathings of Genius. Being The poems are scarcely par: the effays LIV. Ode for the Year 1776, 13. Almon. Far beyond the poet laureat's both in sentiment and poetry. It begins I. Genius of Albion! whither art thou fled! O ftretch again thy faving hand, April In mercy to this groaning ifle! II. Beyond the rough Atlantic tide, The gen'rous band. O, while the tempeft Peace to thy fhade, lamented.king; From the cold tomb could't thou arife, LV. Variety, a Tale for married People, 18. The perfons for whom this agreeable tale is defigned, will read it if in good temper with great pleasure. The married couple here defcribed were first tired of a country life, the reafon was, We live, my dear, too much together. «Behold us now, diffolving quite LVI. The Bard, a Pindaric Poem. By Mr. Gray. Tranflated into Latin Verfe, ta which is prefixed a Dedication to the Genius of Ancient Britain, 15. Bew. The tranflator may be ranked with fome of the first of claffical bards. LVII. A Hiftory of the Island of Anglefey. from its firft Invasion by the Romans, until finally acceded to the Crezon of England. To which are added, Memoirs of Owen Glendower. 35. Bew. Anglefey is at prefent, according to our author, in a very flourishing ftate: though not more than go miles in circumference, it hath feventy-four parishes and four principal SA market 1776. Review of New Publications. market towns. In the year 1770 upwards of 90,000 bushels of grain were exported from its feveral harbours, and the quantity is encreafing yearly from the great improvements in hufbandry carrying on. The ifle fends annually from 12 to 15,000 head of cattle, as well as a great number of theep and hogs, to the English markets-and the number of inhabitants fo far back as the middle of the last century, was computed to be 12,000; fince that period population hath made confiderable advances by the regifter books, and which is attributed chiefly to the people's living more on the potatoe, than on falted herrings which formerly was their principal food. LVIII. Obfervations on the Cafe of Mifs Butterfield. 1. Williams. This pamphlet is calculated to fhew the hardships the has unjustly fuftained, and the neceffity of profecuting her right in a court of juftice. Her cafe is truly a pitiable one, and it feems that when Mr. Sc-n made his will, he was under the influence of an erroneous perfuafion, if not in reality non compos animi & voluntatis.-And her advocate thinks that a will obtained by false infinuations ought to be exploded. LIX. Speculations and Conjectures on the Qualities of the Nerves, by Samuel Musgrave, M. D. 2s. 6d. Payne. According to Dr. Mufgrave, the nerves have more powerful qualities, and produce greater effects on the human frame than has generally been fuppofed. His fpeculations are worthy the attention of the faculty, and the following paragraph we fubmit to our readers: "Hence alfo we are furnished with the folation of a phænomenon, of which no fatisfactory account has hitherto been given, to wit, the great fwelling of the body that fometimes comes on after eating muscles. It is at leaft poffible that the nerves of the ftomach may be fo powerfully ftimulated by the juices of that animal, as to communicate the irritation to every part of the fyftem, which, ac.ording to the doctrine here laid down, would, in every part, produce a conftriction of the veins; the confequence of which must be an univerfal fwel ling. I am not now enquiring to what circumftance the innocence of mufcles at one time, and their hurtfulness at another, is owing. Yet I cannot pafs by fo remarkable a phænomenon without offering my conjecture, that this difference arifes partly from the different fenfibility of different ftomachs, and partly alfo, from the more or lefs vigorous ftate of the fish; the juices of that, which is in the fullest health, being probably the moft rich and stimulating, and therefore the moft noxious. LX. Thoughts on the prefent State of the Poor, and the intended Bill for their farther Relief and Employment. 1s. Bew. This writer thinks that the laws now in force, it put in execution, are fufficient for 213 every purpofe intended by the new bill. But fome of the beft laws are almoft quite difregarded, as one, that ordered thofe who received parish relief to wear a badge on their right fhoulder. This would fpur them on to induftry and fobriety, and prevent them from impofing on paffengers and house-keepers, as paupers and beggars. If any regulation be made, the appointment of an infpector to overfee a certain number of parifhes-to examine the lifts of the poor-to fee they regularly wear the badge-to provide them with proper work, &c. might be very beneficial. LXI. Obfervations on the Bill intended to and Employment of the Poor, by Richard be offered to Parliament for the better Relief Burn, LL, D. Is. Cadell. We hope that the legislature will attend to thefe obfervations; we alfo think that our author's fcheme is the best: inftead of one large enormous grand building to contain an immenfe family, let feveral fmall houses be built contiguous fo as to receive feparate families; with rooms or apartments therein, fome more, fome fewer, fome larger, fome smaller, according to the number and circumstances of a man's family, that may be brought to be lodged there. This is the leaft expenfive-may be done graduallywill promote health, and prevent contagion -and not infringe the connubial state, or prevent population. LXII. The Rights of Great Britain af ferted against the Claims of America. 1s. 6d. Cadell. This pamphlet is of ministerial extraction, and countenanced and fpread by all the votaries of adminiftration. The contents are plaufible,admirably calculated to bewilder the weak, and impofe on the ignorant. Those however who are acquainted with the rife and progrefs of the conteft, will easily detect the writer in advancing as facts, what had no existence. Among other affertions, we meet with the following, "the moft fplendid actions in the laft war happened after Mr. Pitt's refignation. Our merchants find themselves incapable of fulfilling their commiffions from foreign ftates-the national ftocks fuffer neither fluctuation, nor fall in the price. The deftruction of the tea at Bofton was the deliberate act of a very great majority of the inhabitants-the bill for fufpending the trade of Bofton was conditional on repairing the damage to the Eaft India Company. The alteration in the Government of Maffachufett's Bay, is no more than putting the inhabitants on the fame footing with the other colonies-No other form of Government could have been established fo fuitable to the difpofition of the Canadians, the tenures of their property, and the toleration of their religion, as the Quebec act. The Americans aim evidently at a total independence in all matters. That they might openly |