1776. An Impartial Review of New Publications. ARTICLE CXCVI. Poetical, Controverfial, and Political. Containing many original Letters, Poems, and Trails, never before printed. With a new Life of the Author, by Capt. Edward Thomp fon. 4to. 3 vols. 31. 35. Boards. Becke. The public are here prefented with an elegant and complete edition of the works of a difinterested and real patrist. The editor's views in the collection were laudable, and his abilities equal to the undertaking. "I have ventured," fays he, "to give the excellent compofitions of this great and exalted character, because they have never been given to the world but in a mutilated and an imperfect state. His political and controverfial works were never yet collected. The late Mr. Thomas Hollis, of honourable memory, had once a defign of making a collection of his compofitions, and advertisements were published for that purpose." Our editor was furnished with Mr. Hollis's collection, and with a large correfpondence of letters addreffed by Mr. Marvell to his conftituents, the corporation of Hull, on national affairs; befides other valuable pieces from different quarters. He polieties much of the fame patriotic fpirit of his favourite author, and deferves the fupport and reward of the public. In mentioning the reasons for the prefent publication, he obferves: "I have now most carefully rendered to the public every valuable paper written by this illuftrious patriot, and with as much accuracy as poffible; and, as I mean the work to be a teftimony of refpect to the author, I hope it will be found and allowed, that I have fpared no expence in making it, in fome fmall degree, equal to his merits; though his compofitions unadorned, are the best obelisks of his virtues: and fince it hath been of late a kind of wicked fashion to decry the pureft compofitions of our nobleft authors, to vainly render patriotifm ridiculous, by attempting to laugh ali patriot virtue out of countenance; yet I trust, in the character of Mr. Marvel! there will be difcovered fuch proofs to the contrary, that the very Dalrymple, who hath attempted to traduce the glorious names of Sydney and Ruffel, will fail in any malignant efforts to blacken fo fair a page of character; and that one man, even with him. fhall be found to be proof against all bribery and corruption; and that no place in the gift of a king, nor any money in the treafury, could warp his mind to defert his religion when attacked by Papifts, or feduce him to abandon the poft of a faithful and watchful centinel in the hour 659 of ruin and danger. Dalrymple's papers I tion, and attribute their existence to that vindictive fpirit expreffed in their national motto, nemo me impune, &c. a, maxim fitter for the Indians or Chili and Peru, than of any Chriftian ftate. "One of my first and strongest reafons for publishing the works of Marvell, was the pleafing hopes of adding a number of ftrenuous and fincere friends to our conftitution; but alas! what is to be expected in this degenerate age, when arbitrary power, by her baneful engines of venality and corruption, is daily putting a check to every notion of rational and manly liberty! "The (late) Rev. Dr. Granger, in his excellent Biographical Hiftory of England, speaks thus of Marvell's character. "A. Marvell was an admirable matter of ridicule, which he exerted with great freedom in the caufe of liberty and virtue. He never refpected vice for being dignified, and dared to attack it wherever he found it, although on the throne itself. There never was a more honeft fatirift. He hated corruption more than he dreaded poverty; and was fo far from being venal, that he could not be bribed by the King into filence, when he fcarce knew how to procure a dinner." CXCVII. A Treatise upon Artificial Electricity; in which are given Solutions of a Number of interefting Electric Phænomena, bitherto unexplained. To which is added, an Efay on the mild and flow Electricity, which prevails in the Atmosphere during ferene Weather. Tranflated from the original Italian of Father Giampatifta Beccaria, Profelor of Natural Philojopby in the Univerfity of Turin. 155. Nourie. Our author is rather a judicious obferven and collector, than an original genius; but the prefent work is a valuable addition to the former publications on the fubject of electricity. The following extract is fubmitted to our readers: "With regard to atmospheric electricity it appears manifeft, that nature makes an extenfive ufe of it for promoting vegetation, I. In the fpring, when plants begin to grow, temporary and electric clouds begin to appear, and pour frequent electric rains; the electricity of clouds, and of rain, increases afterwards in fummer, and continues to do fo, till that part of autumn in which the last fruits are gathered; fo that it appears, that the electricity which obtains in clouds and rain, when carried to a certain degree, ferves to promote, with regard to vegetation, the effects of common heat. 4 Pa 660 Review of New Publications. "II. It even feems that electricity fucceffively fupplies common heat itself, with that moisture, by the help of which it actuates and animates vegetation; which, if heat acted alone, would inevitably be ftopped. In fact, it is the electric fire that gathers the vapours together, forms clouds with them, and afterwards diffolves them into rain; it is the fame fire, therefore, that fupplies the earth with the nutritive moisture which is neceflary to plants; and this moifture, by melting the terreftrial faline particles it meets with, by diffufing them along with itfelf into the inmoft pores of plants, caufes them to grow and vegetate with fuch admirable incomprehenfible regularity "III. The common faying of countrymen, that no kind of watering gives the country fo fmiling a look as rain, may be explained on the fame principle. The rainy clouds, by extending their own electric atmospheres to plants, difpofe the pores of the latter to receive with greater facility, the liquid which is foon to follow; and the fucceeding drops penetrate into them the better, as every one carries along with it a portion of the penetrating dilating element. "I know that the regular diftribution of water which is made by rain, a fo contributes to render it particularly ufeful; it even feems to me, that to each feafon belong kinds of sain more or less lafting, more or less fudden, and falling in larger or leffer drops, according to the different kind of vegetation, which, in every feafon, are to be promoted; now, do not all thefe differences chiefly proceed from the different degrees of the electricity which fuch rains diftribute, or rather accompany? I have the knowledge of feveral facts, with which I propofe, in time, to increafe the probability of these my former conjectures. Befides, the mild electricity by excefs, which, as I have obferved for thefe many years paft, conftantly prevails when the weather is ferene, certainly contributes to promote vegetation, in the fame manner as experiments have fhewn us, that this is likewife the effect of the artificial electricity without fparks. And is it not likely, that the former kind of electricity promotes vege. ration ftill better than the latter can do, fince nature increafes it and leffens it, in fuch circumstances, and at fuch times, as particularly require it?" CXCVIII The Story of Lady Juliana Harley. A Novel; in Letters. By Mrs. Grifiths. 2 vols. 6s, Evans. The outlines of this novel are - - Mr. Heary Evelyn and Lady Juliana having entertained a mutual paffion for each other, he makes propofals of marriage to her father the Earl of K, bet that nobleman being prepoffefied in favour of Mr. Harley, Mr. Evelyn's fuit is rejected; and Lady Juliana, after mapy conflicts between her love and Dec: duty, confents to accept Mr. Harley for her. husband, who carries her down 'to Harleyhill. The Earl of K- dying fome months after in Scotland, Mr. Harley is obliged to go thither. In his abfence Lady Juliana frequently amufed herself in a grove and temple, at a distance from the houfe; in one of her excurfions, fhe perceived her former lover Henry ftanding before her, and immediately after, the trampling of a horse close by the temple fide alarms them; they feparate, and Lady Juliana returns to the house. Henry and the horseman, who proves to be Mr. Harley, meeting, they engage, and Harley is fhot by Evelyn. Lady Juliana is much affected at this accident, and Mr. Evelyn foon after dies of grief. Charles Evelyn, brother to the deceased Henry, afterwards seeing Lady Juliana Harley, at a vifit to his fifter Lady Defmond, becomes enamoured of her, and preffes his fuit, which he avoids; and, after many adventures, retires to Dijon in France, where she enters into a convent, and takes the veil. The following letter contains Evelyn's defeription to the. widow of his interview with her husband, and the manner of his death. "To Lady Juliana Harley. "Most loved and most unhappy of your fex, how fhall the caufe of all your woes dare to approach you? O Julia, could I wash away my crimes with my heart's blood, I would freely let it out. "Yet do not think me worfe than I uahappily am-though ftained with blood, I am not a vile murderer-Heaven knows how earnestly I fought to avoid the fatal conteft that has deftroyed our every hope of mutual happiness! He called me villain, baie adulterer! Impatient as my nature is, I yet forbore to answer him; for confcious inno cence disclaimed the opprobrious terms.— He ftruck me, Julia-I could bear no more, but bade him ufe the weapons of a gentle-We both had piftols; he difcharged one, but miffed me; I fired one of mine in the air. He again prefented at me, swearing with the most dreadful imprecation, that if I escaped his fecond fire, you should be his man victim the next inftant. "My calmness left me; your danger roufed my paffions; we both fired at the fame inftant-1 faw the unhappy Harley fall-I threw myself upon my knees beside him, but foon difcovered that all help was vain.-Heaven is my witness, that at that moment I wished to have been in his fitu. ation rather than my own.-But when I thought of what you must have fuffered had he lived, it in fome meafure reconciled me to his death; though never, Julia, will my mind know peace, for having been the unhappy inftrument of his untimely fate, I was a thousand times tempted to give myself up to juftice, and expiate my crime by yielding 1776. Review of New Publications. yielding up my life-But there again you interfered; I could not bear the thought of loading you with ignominy, of blafting your fair fame, and leaving you alone to ftand the fhock of infamy. "Yet while I write I feel I fhall not long Support my share of mifery-a burning fever preys upon my nerves.-How wretched is my lot, ftill doomed to add new forrows to that heart, for whofe dear peace I would ten thousand times have facrificed my own! "I tremble for your fufferings, Julia, when you fhall hear your Henry is no moreYet, O my love, my life, remember, that if my days were lengthened, they must be days of forrow, nor would our fate permit that I should soften or alleviate yours-We muft have parted, Julia, and what is death but parting? Its only pang is there, and that is paft. "Then grudge me not the fole retreat of mifery, the peaceful grave; there only can your Henry know reft, and there I trust that he fhall find it, if true contrition can atone his crime. O my loved Julia! add your prayers to mine, for pardon and peace to the departing fpirit of your faithful dying HENRY." CXCIX. A Series of Answers to certain popular Objections against feparating from the rebellious Colonies, and difcarding them entirely. By Jaftab Tucker, D. D. Dean of Gloucefter. 25. Cadell. The Reverend Dean informs the public, that this is his concluding Tract on the fubject of American affairs. We apprehend that this will be pleafing news both to administration and their opponents. It is time to feal up his paradoxes, as neither party approve of his productions, and no good is likely to refult to his country from them. We acknowledge, his propofal of an amicable feparation, is far preferable to that of war and defolation; but we think his anfwers to the objections against a feparation are far from being folid and fatisfactory. Our manufactures, our fhips, our feamen, our ftrength, must be all confiderably diminished. His charges against the younger Diffenters of all denominations, are groundlefs; and the elder among them will not thank him for his coarfe compliment. There are certainly more Episcopalians, in a suitable proportion, against the prefent meafures of adminiftration, than there are Diffenters -Among the former, the Dean himfelt ranks. He is equally mistaken in his affertion concerning the whole Church of Scotland, as not divided in the prefent conteft. It is a pity for good men to liften to ignorant or prejudiced informers. Several of the Kirk minifters have written against the ruinous civil war as well as the Dean, and one of the firft minifters in Edinburgh but Tately published a pamphlet, declaring it to 661 be unpolitic, if not unlawful, ❝ to go to war with our American brethren." The following extracts, we apprehend, will be acceptable to our readers, as curiofities: "From whence comes the prefent fiend of fury and difcord among us? Reader, I will not mince the matter, but declare it at once, -it came from the Regency-bill: that fatal bill has brought on all the calamities, which both Great Britain and America have fuffered, or are likely to fuffer in the prefent war. To make this clearly appear, if it wants any illuftration, I would obferve, that it had been the conftant practice with the mock-patriots and republicans, for many years, to represent the late Princess Dowager of Wales in the most odious colours, and to afperfe her character in almost every refpect: in which endeavour they had certainly fo far fucceeded, as to render her extremely unpopular. Therefore, when the Regency-bill was to be framed, the minister [Mr. Grenville] thought it the moft prudent way to get it constructed in fuch a manner, as to omit her name, and confequently to exclude her from being regent. This was handle enough for wily, and machiavelian politicians to take hold of. Confequently, they, who had fo lately, and fo grofly abused and infulted, now as much flattered and cajoled her, offering all their weight and affiftance to ferve her in this caufe. The bait took; her name was inferted in the Regency-bill; the stamp-minister was difmiffed; and they of courfe fucceeded in his room. And then indeed, out of mere neceffity (for I do not believe it was their inward choice) they were compelled to repeal, that Stamp-act, against which they had fo long, and fo vehemently exclaimed. But alas! confcious to themfelves, that they had done exceedingly wrong, they endeavoured to mend the matter, tinker like, by making it mucn worse; hoping (vainly hoping) to patch up the breach they had made in the conftitution, by the folde, ing of a declaratory Jaw. But the Americans, now taught to know their own importance (a doctrine, which they were always ready to learn) and feeling their own ftrength in our weakness, rejected the expedient with difdain. The only use, to which they put it, was to fwell their catalogue of pretended grievances with this additional one of an enflaving declaratory law. And to be fure, it ferved admirably well for that purpose, but for no other. For as to any thing elfe, to pretend to bind the colonics in all cafes whatsoever, after having given fuch a recent proot, that we dared not bind them to pay even an halfpenny tax on a news-paper, was fuch an inftance of gafconading folly as is hardly to be paralleled. No wonder then, that the colonists should first treat it as a ridiculous bravado; and then make use of it as a weapon against our kelves, Review of New Publications. 662 felves, by putting it into the lift of imaginary wrongs. As a clergyman, it is often objected to me, that I am a mercenary wretch (or, as, Mr. Burke was pleafed to phrafe it, a court vermin) writing for preferment. This is very hard and cruel, after fo many folemn declarations to the contrary. Let it therefore be obferved, that whereas I had often faid before, I would never directly, or indi-. rectly feek for preferment; I will here add, once for all, that I will never accept of any, even though offered to, and preffed upon me. So help me God!" CC. Jane Shore to her Friend, a poetical Epistle. By the Authorefs of the Exemplary Mother, &c. Is. Becket. Good poetry, and excellent moral fentiments. But neither the deep remorfe, nor great fufferings of the unhappy Jane Shore, will letlen, we fear, the melancholy inftances of conjugal infidelity in the prefent day. The following lines are a specimen of the poem: "Affliction's fchool hath taught me to The mask of vice, and folly's thin difguife. Each glance, the foftness of my foul confest. Why did I gaze, why hear his foothing fong? devoted wife? fcene! Yet, how ensnaring was the glittering [queen! To vie in pomp and ftate with England's To me, each courtier bent his fupple knee, The varying feafons feem'd to bloom for me; The choiceft viands crown'd my fplendid board, The richeft elegance my wardrobe ftor'd; To native beauty, foreign aids conduc'd, For me Golconda brighteft gems produc'd; Each vain refource of meretricious art, Adorn'd my perfon, but debas'd my heart; To fix my Edward's love my conftant care, For every vagrant with concentred there. But oh! how frail the love on beauty built! How fhort the empire of ufurping guilt! My confcious heart with felf-upbraidings toft, Regretted-ah!-too late-the innocence it loft. When vernal pleafure's opening buds expand, Beware the thorns, that wound the eager hand! Alas! the ne'er her lover's oaths can trust, Who knows, that love pronounceth him unjust!" Dec. Each radiant virtue tho' thofe deeds difSure, happy he who that fweet voice should hear [ful ftrain, Mould the foft fpeech, or fwell the tuneAnd, confcious that his humble vows were vain, Shut fond attention from his clofed ear, AS o'er yon wild hill, when the browner light But feebly buds, ere fpring has open'd quite So I, with fuch-like gentle thoughts devise, By fuch as wont to Tamis' banks repair, Tamis' forfook, for Arno's flowery fide, So wrought love's will that ever ruleth wide! CCII. Truth and Errer contrafied, in a are clearly familiar Dialogue: In which fhewn the miflaken Notions of Mankind, relative to their prefent and future State, to the Refurrection and Judgment, to Heaven and Hell, and Life and Death. By a Lover of Truth. With an Appendix; containing EfJays and Extracts from Letters relative to the fame Subject. 25. Leacroft. A defence of the Quakers notion of the refurrection" that it is not after this life, but in thefe bodies to be looked for "-written by one who thinks himself extraordinarily enlightened. сci. Harmony of Truth: An abfolute Confutation of all Infidelity, addressed to Mr. Ly 19. Law. A zealous defender of the Church of England articles; particularly that of the Trinity. CCiv. Misguided religious Zeal, trampling on Humanity, Candour, and Benevo lines, reproved and condemned. Containing Remarks on a late Pamphlet called "Die. trepbos 1776. Review and Lift of New Publications. This author is very warm-too much fo for a difputant. He appears to have evaded feveral material circumftances in the pamphlet to which he replies, and we fear we fhall have to review another pamphlet foon, in which his "falfe facts, illiberal reflections, mean quibbles, unmerited reproaches, uncharitable conclufions, unjust cenfures and afperfions," will be fharply retorted. CCV. An Answer to the Declaration of the American Congrefs. 25. Cadell. By a very able difputant. Many of his replies are rather plaufible than convincing; and fome, evafive. But there are others which have great force, and deferve a ferious confideration. According to our author, the Americans had not one juft caufe of complaint, which will lead fome to throw afide the answer without reading it. "What was their original, their only original grievance? That they were actually taxed more than they could bear? No; but that they were liable to be fo taxed. What is the amount of all the subsequent grievances they alledge? That they were actually oppreffed by Government? That Government had actually mifufed its power? No; but that it was poffible they might be oppreffed; poffible that Government might mifufe its powers. Is there any where, can there be imagined any where, that Government, where fubjects are not liable to be taxed more than they can bear? where it is not poffible that fubjects may be oppreffed, not poffible that Government may mifufe its powers? "This, I fay, is the amount, the whole fum and fubftance of all their grievances." The writer might have remembered that this kind of grievance led Hampden to refuse paying the light tax of fhip money, which led on to a destructive civil war. CCVI. Take your Choice! Representation and Refpect, Impofition and Contempt, Annual Parliaments and Liberty, long Parliaments and Slavery. 1s. 6d. Almon. This author is for annual parliaments, and reftoring a full, equal, and perfect reprefentation to the Commons; and he would have what he calls a grand national assɔciation for reftoring the Conftitution," the great object of which is a parliamentary reformation. CCVII. A Letter from Gov. Pownall to Adam Smith, LL. D. being an Examination of feveral Points of Doctrine laid down in bis Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. 1s. 6d. Almon. A judicious investigation of fome of Dr. Smith's propofitions concerning the influx of riches, and of the final effect, wealth and power. 063 CCVIII. Letters on the American Troubles. By M. de Pinto. Is. 6d. Boofey. Written to juftify the hoftile operations against the American Colonies. But the author is perfuaded that America will at length be independent. CCIX. An Oration delivered at the State Houfe in Philadelphia. By Samuel Adams, Member of the General Congrefs. 18. Johnfon. Againit kingly, and for a republican go vernment. CCX. Additions to Common Senfe, addreffed to the Inbabitants of America. 15. Almon. On the fame fubject, and plan, as the preceding article. CCXI. The Genius of Britain to General Hove, the Night before the Battle at Long Island. 1s. Sewell, Tolerable, on fo melancholy a fubject. CCXII. The Religious Harmonist; or, a Recipe for the Cure of Schifm, the fatal Source of our American Disputes. 4d. Bew. A ftrange medley. Our author or Dean CCXIII. The Triumphs of Fashion. A A fayrical poem, about par. We wish the fashionable world may profit by the hints, and fome of the vicious characters here represented may become virtuous, CCXIV, The General Faft. A Lyric Ode: With a Dedication to the King, and a Prayer proper for the Occafion. 19. Fielding. This writer, like many other perfons, treats the general faft as a political farce. CCXV. Medical Refearches: Being an Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Hyfterics in the Female Conftitution, and into the Diftinction between that Difeafe and Hypochondriac or Nervous Diforders, Sc. By Andrew Wilfon, M. D. 5s. Hooper. Our author appears to be well versed in books and difeafes; but hath a peculiar manner of expreffion, and not very intelligible. His medical researches before us, are too deep for common readers. PUBLICATIONS THIS MONTH Befides thofe that have been reviewed, AMERICAN AFFAIRS AND POLITICAL. EFLECTIONS on the State of Parties, on the National Debt, and the Necefty and Expedience of tuppreffing the American Rebellion. By J. Champion. 15. 6d. Davis. RE Minutes of the Trial and Examination of certain Perfons in the Province of New • Reviewed in our Mag. for May, York, |