Page images
PDF
EPUB

322

Review of New Publications:

quantity of labour which a certain quantity of corn can maintain and employ, but only the quantity of filver which it will exchange for it, it difcourages cur manufactures without rendering the fmalleft real fervice either to our farmers or country gentlemen. It puts, indeed, a little more money into the pockets of both, and it will perhaps be fomewhat difficult to perfuade the greater part of them that this is not rendering them a very real fervice. But if this money finks in its value, in the quantity of labour, provifions, and commoditics of all different kinds which it is capable of purchafing, as much as it rifes in its quantity, the service will be merely nominal and imaginary.

"There is, perhaps, but one fet of men in the whole commonwealth to whom the bounty either was or could be really ferviceable. These were the corn-merchants, the exporters and importers of corn. In years of plenty the bounty neceffarily occafioned a greater exportation than would otherwife have taken place; and by hindering the plenty of one year from relieving the fcarcity of another, it occafioned in years of scarcity a greater importation than would otherwife have been neceffary. It increafed the bufinefs of the corn-merchant in both, and in years of fcarcity it not only enabled him to import a greater quantity, but to fell it for a better price, and confequently with a greater profit than he could otherwife have made, if the plenty of one year had not been more or lefs hindered from relieving the scarcity of another. It is in this fett of men, accordingly, that I have obferved the greatest zeal for the continuance or renewal of the bounty."

Our author is an advocate for the reprefentation of the Americans in the British Houfe of Commons. He argues, that "tho' the Roman conftitution was neceffarily ruined by the union of Rome with the allied fates of Italy, there is not the leaft probability that the British conftitution would be hurt by the union of Great Britain with her colonies. That conftitution, on the contrary, would be compleated by it, and feems to be imperfect without it. The affembly which deliberates and decides concerning the affairs of every part of the empire, in order to be properly informed, ought certainly to have reprefentatives from every part of it. That this union, however, could be easily effectuated, or that difficulties and great difficulties might not occur in the execution, I do not pretend. I have yet heard of none, however, which appear infurmountable. The principal perhaps arife, not from the nature of things, but from the prejudices and opinions of the people both on this and the

other fide of the Atlantic.

"We on this fide the water are afraid left the multitude of American reprefentatives

June

should overturn the balance of the conftitution, and increafe too much either the influence of the Crown on the one hand, or the force of the democracy on the other. But if the number of American reprefentatives was to be in proportion to the produce of American taxation, the number of people to be managed would increase exactly in proportion to the means of managing them; and the means of managing, to the number of people to be managed. The monarchial and democratical parts of the conftitution would, after the union, ftand exactly in the fame degree of relative force with regard to one another as they had done before.

"The people on the other fide of the water are afraid left their distance from the feat of government might expofe them to many oppreffions. But their reprefentatives in parliament, of which the number ought from the firft to be confiderable, would easily be able to protect them from all oppreffion. The distance could not much weaken the dependency of the reprefentative upon the conftituent, and the former would fill feel that he owed his feat in Parliament and all the confequence which he derived from it to the good will of the latter. It would be the intereft of the former, therefore, to cultivate that good-will by complaining with all the authority of a member of the legislature, of every outrage which any civil or military officer might be guilty of in those remote parts of the empire. The diftance of America from the feat of government, befides, the nations of that country might flatter themfelves, with fome appearance of reafon too, would not be of very long continuance. Such has hitherto been the rapid progress of that country in wealth, population and improvement, that in the courfe of little more than a century, perhaps, the produce of America might exceed that of British taxation. The feat of the empire would then naturally remove itself to that part of the empire which contributed moft to the general defence and fapport of the whole."

XCI. Letters from Italy (defcribing the Manners, Customs, Antiquities, Paintings, &c. of that Country in the Years 1770 and 1771 by an Englifb Woman, 3 vols. 155. Dilly.

Thefe volumes are very entertaining, and will give the public the best and trueft ideas of the prefent ftate of Italy, of any work. extant. The letters are genuine, and most of the accounts were written on the spot they defcribe. We wonder at our fair English Woman's declining to give her name, as it was improbable fuch a perfon as Mrs. Miller, of Bath Eafton, fhould long remain concealed. She writes with great eafe and freedom and fpirit, and hath exhibited a good knowledge of antiquities and paintings, as well as of former biftorians and travellers, whofe blunders the frequently corrects, Few natural or artj

See London Magazine for March, Article 37, p. 159.

1776.

Review of New Publications:

ficial curiofities efcape her. Her interview with the Pretender, Charles Stuart, was given last month, and her account of Cardinal Alberoni, at p. 300; we shall therefore confine ourselves here to the following extracts.

"Aiguebelle lies in a bottom clofely furrounded by mountains, whofe tops are covered with eternal fnows, which the peasants firmly believe have never melted fince the first fnow that fell after the creation of the world. This is but a poor ftraggling fort of village. The water here is delicious; it is clear, light, and fparkles in the glafs like champaigne. The inhabitants pretend, this village has acquired its name from the quality of the fine fountain that runs through it. The inn is tolerable; there are a few Sardinian cavalry quartered here. A female, who belonged to the troop, particularly attracted my attention; fhe was dreffed in the regimental uniform; a man's coat of blue cloth, faced with fcarlet, and filver buttons; the skirts very long; a petticoat, buttoned before and behind, of the fame materials; a small hoop under it. On her head, a brown peruke, I think it is called a ramilie, with a queue reaching down almoft to her heels. fon, extremely tall; her face long and pale, her nofe aquiline, and to crown the whole, in exceeding fierce cocked laced hat. M gone to fee the remains of the village of andan, which was deftroyed a few years fice in a wonderful manner; the cure of th parish is gone with him; if the account he ings me proves in any degree curious, I halcertainly retail it to you.

In per

"4——is returned, and I fhrewdly fufpect his accounts, that neither Richard nor Lande ever gave themselves the trouble to explo in perfon the devaftation that a falling fountain caufed, by its descent on the villag of Randan: an event which happened the 12th of June 1750. tinued heav rains for feveral days, fucceeded Conby a warmfun-fhine, diffolving the vaft heaps of fnor which lay on the mountains contiguous to he village, caufed fuch an inundation, as bought down on a fudden vaft fragments of the foil and prodigious rocks, in fuch an abundace as entirely to cover up the village, which onkled of thirty-fix houfes, the chateau, grdens, and ftables of the Seigneur, and the parish church: excepting about fixteen fee of its fteeple, which ftill appears above thefurface. The windows of the belfry are a ove eleven feet from the ground; not even with it, as Lalande aflerts; nor is there any paffibility of entering them without a ladder. The peafants have cleared about seven feet of the arch of the vault of this church; but it was too difficult an undertaking to continue. The space covered over is about 250 acres, including the village and adjoining fields. The ground is raised above its former leve, 36 feet in the highest pars, floping down to the river. Old trees

323

their topmost branches only appearing above are buried up to their heads, five or fix feet of the ground. Stupendous rocks lie difperfed on all fides; fome meafure from eleven to other; this unequal fuperficies is covered thirteen feet one way, by feven to eleven the fibres or feeds of which have come down in over between the rocks with brush-wood, the the fragments of the mountain. The torrent of melted fnow which forced its way down, formed two cataracts, overturning in its courfe, houfes, trees, and rocks; the channels they have left are 16 feet deep and 30 broad. As Lalande and Richard have faid very little about the catastrophe which befel this village and its environs in one day, I thought it worth while to defcribe its prefent ftation".

Mrs, Miller's account of the cicifbeos in pleafing to fome of our readers. the ftate of Venice, we prefume alfo will be

verfally here: this ufage would appear in a "The custom of cavalieri prevails uni, odium thrown upon the Italians, if the caproper light, and take off a great part of the valieri ferventi were called hufbands; for the real husband, or beloved friend, of a Ve netian lady (often for life) is the cicifbeo. The husband married in church is the choice lady. It is from fuch abfurd tyranny of the of her friends, not by any means of the relations and friends of young girls, not fuffering them to chufe for themselves, that this chufing of cicifbeos, or cavalieri ferven relinquished in Italy, whilft the fame inti's, has taken its rife, and will never be leffens the criminality, at leaft in fome decongruous combination fubfifts; this furely gree. ner of dreffing their heads, which becomes The Venetian ladies have a gay manthem extremely when young, but appears very abfurd when age has furrowed over their fine fkins, and brought them al fight of a tottering old pair I saw enter a cofmost to the ground. I felt a fhock at first fee house the other evening; they were both fhaken with the palfy, leant upon each other they were bent almoft double by the weight and fupported themselves by a crutch-ftick; of years and infirmities, yet the lady's head loured hat, nicely trimmed with blond, was was dreffed with great care; a little rofe-coher left was a fmall matt of artificial flowers; ftuck just above her right ear, and over her few grey hairs behind were tied with ribbon, but fo thinly scattered over her forehead, that large patches of her fhrivelled fkin appeared between the parting curls: the caval elegance confifted in an abundance of wig ere was not dreffed in the fame ftyle; all his which flowed upon his shoulders. I enquired who this venerable couple were, and learnt, cavaliere of the fame lady above forty that the gentleman had been the faithtul place St. Mark and the coffee houses, and years; that they regularly frequented the with the moft steady constancy had loyed

[ocr errors]

each

324

Review of New Publications,

each other, till age and difcafe were conducting them hand in hand together to the grave. However, a forty years conflancy is far from univerfal at Venice: coquettes are to be found there, as well as elfewhere: I have feen fome inftances of coquetry at fourfcore; a donna nobile, whom a catarrh and Satan had bound, lo, thefe eighteen years!" was fuftaining herself on the arm of a brik cicifbeo about twenty-five, in the place St. Mark; he had often changed cavalieres, as you may fuppofe, Several inftances of the moft fatal effects from jealoufy are to be found in the annals of modern Venetian gallantry; but fuch anecdotes, with fome of a lefs tragical kind, I fhall communicate to you when we meer, as they would confume too much time to narrate them with my pen."

XCII. Reflexions on the Growth of Heathenifm among modern Chriftians; in a Letter to a Friend at Oxford. 1s. Rivington.

Very pertinent reflexions. The author's complaint is too well founded, of more refped being paid by the noble and polite, to pagan temples and deities, than to places of Chriftian worship, or to God himself-and that even Heathen divinities, or idols, are introduced into the churches. He might have animadverted alfo on the growth of Popery, and bigb churcbifm, its near relation, for the old Laudean cuftom of the minifter and other church officers, making three reverential bows as they approach the altar, is reviving and already introduced in fome chuiches.

XCIII. Obfervations on the Night Thoughts of Dr. Young, with occafional Remarks on the Beauties of poetical Compofition. By Courtney Melmoth. 45. Richardfon.

Thefe obfervations prove the author not very unequal to the critical task he fet himfelf to perform, especially as they were written fome years ago. But ftill before he publifhed, doubtless he purfued Dean Swift's advice,

Blot out, correct, infert, refine, "Enlarge, diminish, interline."

He hath pointed out many great defects as well as ftriking beauties in his critique. To ufe his own words, "Young is a great, but very unequal writer; fometimes he fears into fublimity, and fometimes he finks into dulnefs. We are now aflon fhed by the vigorous pindaric flight of his genius, and now furprized to fee him fink below puerility." Dulness and puerility, we think, are epithets rather too fevere.

XCIV. Subfcription, or biftorical Extracts, humbly inferibed to the Right Rev. the Bishops, and to the Petitioners; fhewing the Impropristy of their Petition. 25. 6d. Hay.

A fenfible and difponate performance. The author hath justly defcribed the pernicious effects of subscription, and the follow

June

ing is his account of the origin of human impofitions in religion.

The first learned teachers of Chriftia nity, whofe previous education had been formed in the fchools of human wisdom, were too much influenced by the fublime and baselefs vifions of Fagan Philofophy, Pagan Theology, and Pagan Metaphyfics; more particularly the Theology and Metaphyfics of Plato. From him they learned the doctrine of a Triad, or Trinity, in the divine effence, and the natural immortality of man. By the first they contradicted the effential doctrine of the Scriptures both in the Old and New Teftament, the abfolute unity of God s by the fecond they fubverted the fundamental doctrine of a refurrection from death, and a future judgment; thereby fuperfeding the neceffity of the Chriftian dif penfation. And indeed not this alone, but many other bad confequences followed the introduction of the Pagan principles. Such as the doctrine of an imputed ftain of original depravity; a doctrine not only abfurd, unjuft, and impious, but abfolutely im poffible; the doctrine of purgatory, limbus patrum, infantum, maffes for the dead, faint and image worship, and all the nonfenfe of an

intermediate state of existenc between death and the refurrection. The things were the confequences of explaini the doctrines of Chriftianity upon the pri ciples of Pagan philofophy.

"I charge not the perfons who firfdid this, with any bad defign; and only inent in men undoubtedly of great merit, fun co gent examples of human frailty. caufe this their frailty in procefs of time sve ope portunity to others to carry the fort defigns into execution. The religionof Chrift however made a rapid progrefs, and great numbers were converted even their reprefentation of the Chriftian fith. Here began the misfortune and great orruption of the Church; not in the numers convert. ed to Chriftianity, but in the numbers per verted after their converfion to these vain doctrines of fallible men. Fr these learned and philofophic Chriftians nw made themfelves the heads of partie; no better in truth than leaders of fo may separate facti ons; and taught peculiar motions, and doctrines of their own. Then human pride took alarm. Each feparat teacher, like the ancient fectarian philofophers, thought he raised his own reputation the more, as he could make himself the nore diftinguished, The peculiarities of his own doctrines ferved as a characteristic creed, or confeffion of faith, which was the mark of his difciples; was the admiffion into that particular fociety, and in time effected the exclufion of those who were of a different opinion.

"At this era, I place the origin of subfcription. For though thefe leaders perhaps did not actually require in writing an affent

1776.

Review of New Publications,

to their peculiarities; yet whoever would be efteemed a difciple, muft by fome outward form profefs the opinions of his mafter; which in my apprehenfion comes to the fame thing. In this manner did human erudition and Pagan Philofophy new mould the plain and important doctrines of Chriftianity; and by impofing the falfe opinions of men as neceffary articles of faith, throw fuch a burthen upon confcience as is now become too grievous to be borne."

XCV. A Plea for the Divinity of our Lord Jefus Chrift, in a Paftoral Letter addreffed to the Congregation of Proteftant Diffenters at Cambridge. 1s. 6d. Keith,

The writer is fenfible and candid, and many of his remarks are very judicious. But after all, we are at a lofs whether to clafs him with the Trinitarians, or Sabellians. They who plead for, or againft, the divinity of , Chrift, fhould be explicit.

XCVI. A Findication of the Apamean Medal and of the Infeription NE, &c. By the Author of the Analysis of ancient Mythology, 19. Payne.

In our laft magazine we gave a plate of the Apamean medal, and a coin of the emperor Severus-the authority of which hath lately been questioned, but is in this pamphlet fupported by folid arguments. Part of Mr. Bryant's reafoning we shall extract, as it will ferve alfo to further illuftrate the engraving, and the account given of it last month.

"If the term NOE were an appendage to the name AABBANAP. in the circular part of the infeription, it would have been brought nearer, and flood almoft within point of contact, But it is placed on the farther fquare of the machine, and too near the centre of the coin to have any fuch connexion. In the next place, the arrangement of the letters would have been different, if they had the reference fuppofed, For, if we were to accede to the notion above, we must fuppofe that the two parts of the fame name were written Bergond or in contrary directions. Now I do not remember an inftance of this upon any Grecian coin: and fhould an example be found, it would hardly be fo late as the time of the Roman empire, and the reign of Philip, But what puts the matter out of all doubt, is the pofition of the letters N and F, which prove to a demonftration, that the elements are not to be read backwards: for had they been the termination of the word spoken of, they would have food the contrary way, N23. Falconerius was too curious and experienced to be impofed upon and he had for fome time fufpicions about this part of the infeription. He thought, that poffibly the letters NOE might

be the remains of the word ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ written NEMAIA. But he foon gave up his furmifes; as the pofition of the letters N and E could not be made to correspond with this retrograde way of reading. No

325

engraved in the space allotted for it. Indeed, was there room for such a word to have been it would have been unneceffary and redundant; as it is found immediately expreffed below.

"Laftly, if any thing more be wanting to detect the falfe reading, it is to ascertain the true; which one would imagine, could with medals. The imperfect term AAɛZnot be long a fecret to a perfon acquainted ANAP. did not relate to a people, but to a pertroverfy appear, if with the malleft defon AAEZANAPOY: and this will paft congree of attention we examine the courfe of the engraving. The infcription is manifeftly this, as Falconerius rightly obferves, El. M. Sub Marco Aurelio Alexandro iterum ArchiΑΥΡ. ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ Β. ΑΡΧΙ, ΑΠΑΜΕΩΝ. præfule Apamenfium. truck, when Marcus Aurelius Alexander was This medal was This a fecond time chief pontiff of the Apameans. ther coin defcribed by Falconerius, and may be fatisfactorily proved from ano ftruck by the Apameans. It has a different the fame; only the name AAEBANAPOT is figure: but the circular infcription is nearly length, without any break: fo that it au here expreffed with a zeta, and quite at thenticates the true reading in the coin above, though it varies a small degree in the orthography."

XCVII. The New Gazetteer, or Geographi concife Account, alphabetically arranged, of cal Companion, containing a general and all the Empires, Kingdoms, States, Provin ces, Cities, Toruns, Seas, Harbours, Bays, Rivers, Lakes and Mountains in the known World, and more particularly in Great Britain, Ireland and America. The whole in the Readers of Public News Papers, and for tended as an ufeful Pocket Vade-Mecum, for young Students in Geography. By R. Jobnfon 25. Baldwin.

The contents of this volume are fully
correfpond with the title. By printing the
explained by, and on examination, juftly
whole in a small but legible type, the edieor
hath been enabled, he fays, "to give the
names of about 1000 places more than are
for near double the price,'
to be met with in geographical gazetteers fold
Great attention
alfo appears to have been paid to the most
ufeful particulars of the places defcribed.

newly invented Patent Candle Snuffers, by
XCVIII. Ode to Mr. Piacbbeck upon bis
Malcolm M'Gregor, Efq; 6d. Almon.

addreffed, and on the heads of administration
A fevere fatyr on the perfon to whomiltis
-as a poem it hath merit.

Thou well-belov'd and beft king's friend,
"Illuftrious Pinchbeck! condescend,

To fnuff the candle of the ftate,
Thefe lyric lines to view;
O! may they prompt thee, ere too late,
Thas burns a little blue,

326

Review of New Publications.

It once had got a ftately wick,
When in its patent-candlestick
The Revolution put it;
As white as wax we saw it fhine

Thro' two whole lengths of Brunswick's line,
'Till B-firft dared to fmut it.
Since then-but wherefore tell the tale?
Enough, that now it burneth pale,
And forely waftes its tallow:
Nay, if thy poet rightly weens,
(Tho' little skill'd in ways and means)

Its fave-all is but fhallow.
Come then, ingenious arrift, come,
And put thy finger, and thy thumb,
Into each polifh'd handle;
On thee alone our hopes depend,
Thy king's, and eke thy country's friend,
To trim old England's candle.
But first we pray, for its relief,
Pluck from its wick each tory thief,
It elfe muft quickly rue it ;
While N- and M-fputter there,
Thou'lt ne'er prevent with all thy care,
The melting of the fuet.

XCIX. The Haunch of Venison, a poetical
Epifle to Lord Clare, by the late Dr. Gold-
Smith, 1s. 6d,

A pleafing humourous epiftle-it beginsThanks, my lord, for your ven'fon; for finer, or fatter, [platter: Never rang'd in a forest, or fmok'd in a The haunch was a picture for painters to study; [ruddy! The white was fo white, and the red was fo I had thoughts, in my chamber to hang it in view,

To be shown my friends, as a piece of Virtù;
As in fome Irish houses, where things are
fo.fo,

One a gammon of bacon hangs up for a fhow;
But, for eating a rather of what they take
pride in,
[fry'd in.
They'd as foon think of eating the pan it is
But hold let us paufe-don't I hear you

pronounce

This tale of the bacon a damnable bounce ? Well, fuppofe it a bounce; fure a poet may try,

[ocr errors]

By a bounce now and then, to get courage to
But, my lord, it's no bounce; I proteft in
my turn,
[Burne.
It's a truth; and your lordship may aik Mr.
To go on with my tale as I gaz'd on the
haunch,
[ftaunch

I thought of a friend that was trufty and
So I cut it, and fent it to Reynolds undreft,
To paint it, or eat it, juft as he lik'd beft.
Of the neck and the breaft I had next to
difpofe;
[val Monroe's
'Twas a neck and a breast-that might ri
But in parting with thefe I was puzzled
again,
[and the ben;
With the bow, and the who, and the where,

and Hiff

June

There's Coley, and Williams, and Howard,
[love beef:
I think they love ven'fon; I know they
But-hang it !-to poets, that feldom can eat,
Your very good mutton's a very good treat :
Such dainties to them! it would look like a
flirt,
[hirt.
Like fending 'em ruffles when wanting a

C. The Tears of the Footguards, on their Departure for America, written by ax Enfign in the Army. 1s. Kearsley.

Cl. An Anfwer to the Tears of the Footguards, &c. 1s. Kearsley.

Both these poems feem to be the produce tion of the fame pen. The effeminacy of fome of our modern officers is well described, and we wish the fatyr may have the defired effect.

CII. Bedlam, a Ball, and Dr. Price's Obfervations on the Nature of Civil Liberty, a poetical Medley. 1s. Dodfley.

An incoherent, unprofitable medley.

CIII. The South Wiltshire Petitioners, a Mock Heroic Poem, attempted after the Manner of Hudibras. Is. Snagg.

A fatyr on a Weft country knight, ftiled in the poem, Sir Blufter, for interefting himself in procuring a petition to Parliament, for conciliatory measures with America. The performance hath humour, and the story is well told; but we think the writer might with equal propriety (if not more) have prefixed the word fmuggled to the addresses, as well as the petitions.

CIV. An Addrefs to the Genius of Ame rica. By the Rev. Chriftopher Wells. 15. DodЛley.

Our author's genius is very unequal to the task he hath affumed.

CV. A Letter to a Baptift Minifter, containing fome Strictures on bis late Condu in the Baptization of certain Adults at Shrewfbury, &c. 15. 6d. Robinson.

Many fires have been kindled by the queftion about water baptifm, and those who ufe the most water and have been dipped all over, it is remarkable, are the most fiery and contentious. This letter writer indeed is warm, although an advocate for fprinkling the arguments are conclufive, and which have often before been urged in the controverly, but he hath wandered alfo into politics and things too deep for him.

CVI. Reflections on Government with refped to America. 15. Lewis. For the Colonies, but nothing new. CVII. Remarks оп a Pamphlet lately published by Dr. Price. Is. Cadell. CVIII. The plain Question upon the prefent Difputes with our American Colonies. 2d. Wilkie,

These two pamphlets have the appearance of minifterial extraction-they aver boldly and decide with temerity. The queftion is no

thing

*Thefe Initials, like "thofe in the banns of marriage published between N. and M. mày bị

Filled up at the reader's pleajure.

Vide Common Prayer Book.

« PreviousContinue »