1776. Review of New Publications. CLIX. Honda Angel-cynn an ;or,a complete View of the Manners, Cuftoms, Arms, Habits, &c. of the Inhabitants of England, from the Arrival of the Saxons to the prefent Time; with a fhort Account of the Britons, during the Government of the Romans. By Jofeph Strutt, Author of the Regal and Ecclefiaftical Antiquities of England. Vol. III. 1. 11s. 6d. Payne. Our author in this, as well as in the preceding volumes, hath difplayed great induftry and abilities. He is well verfed in antiquities, and hath spared no pains to make his fubject as entertaining and perfect as poffible. From the following extract, our readers will obferve the price of provifions in this kingdom about the year 1350. "In the reign of Edward the Third it was enacted, by proclamation, that no poulterer fhould fell one of the beft fwans for more than four fhillings, and that he fhould fell the porcelle (porcellus a fucking-pig) for eight-pence, the beft ewe for fix-pence, the best capon for fix pence, the best hen for four-pence, the best pullet for two-pence halfpenny, the best poucyn (pouffin a young chicken) for two-pence, the best conyuge (perhaps coney) or a peel for four-pence, the beft teal two-pence, the beft river mailard five-pence, the best mailard of the fyns threepence, the best fnype one penny, four allozes (alouettes, larks) one penny, the best woodcock three-pence, the best partridge fivepence, the best plover three-pence, the best pheasant one hilling and four-pence, thirteen of the best thrushes fix-pence, twelve eggs one penny, twelve fmall birds one penny, the best curbi (corbeau a raven, or a curlew) ten-pence." It feems that the taste for expenfive furniture, chiefly began to prevail generally among the people in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. A writer of that period fays, "Now the furniture of our houfes is growne, in maner even to paffing delicacie: and herein I do not fpcake of the nobilitie and gentrie onely, but even of the loweft forte that have any thing at all to take to. Certes in noblemens houfes it is not rare to fee abundance of arras, riche hangings of tapiftry, filvor veffeil, and fo much other plate, as may furnish fundrie cupbordes, to the fumme often times of a thousand or two thousande pounde at the leaft: wherby the value of this and the reaft of their stuffe doth grow to be ineftimable. Likewife in the houses of knightes, gentle. men, marchauntmen, and fome other wealthie citizens, it is not gefon to beholde generallye their great provifion of tapiftrie, Turkye worke, pewter, braffe, fine linen, and therto cofly cupbordes of plate woorth five or fixe hundred pounde, to be demed by eftimation. But as herein all these fortes doe farre exceede their elders, and predefeffours, fo in time paft, the coftly furniture fayed there, whereas now it is descended 547 yet lower, even unto the inferiour artificers and moft fermers, who have learned alfo to garnish their cupbords with plate, their beddes with tapiftry and filke hanginges, and their tables with fine naperie, whereby the wealth of our countrie doth infinitely appeare. Neyther do I fpeake this in reproach of any man, God is my judge, but to thew that I do rejoyce rather to fee how God hath bleffed us with hys good giftes, and to beholde howe that in a time wherein all thinges are grown to moft exceffive prieces, we do yet finde the meanes to obtayne and atchieve fuch furniture as heretofore hath been unpoffible." Stow obferves, in his Chronicle, in the life of King James the Firft, Cufhens, and window pillowes of velvet, and damafk, &c. in former times were only used in the houses of the chief princes, and peers of the land; though at this day thofe ornaments of eftate, and other princely furniture, be very plenteous in most citizens houfes, and many other of like eftate.' CLX. A Supplement to Dr. Swift's Works; being a Collection of Mifcellanies in Profe and Verse, by the Dean, Dr. Delany, Dr. Sheridan, and others, bis intimate Friends. Witb Explanatory Notes, aud an Index, by the Editor. 75. 6d. Conant. The poetical pieces are truly Swiftean, humorous and fatirical. Those of a political caft, are tinged with prejudice and fpleen against the Whigs, and notorious partiality for the adminiftration under Harley and Bolingbroke, who appear to have uted him rather as a tool, than a real friend. His ironical effay on Collins's difcourfe of freethinking, is the best piece, in the collection, of which we shall select a specimen. "How can a man think at all, if he does not think freely? A man who does not eat and drink freely, does not eat and drink at all. Why may I not be denied the liberty of free-feeing as well as free thinking? Yet nobody pretends that the first is unlawful, for a cat may look on a king; though you be near fighted, or have weak or fore eyes, or are blind, you may be a free-feer; you ought to fee for yourself, and not to truft to a guide to chufe the colour of your stockings, or fave you from falling into a ditch. "In like manner, there ought to be no reftraint at all on thinking freely upon any propofition, however impious or abfurd. There is not the leaft hurt in the wickeucft thoughts, provided they be free; nor in tell. ing those thoughts to every body, and endeavouring to convince the world of them; for all this is included in the doctrine of freethinking, as I fhall plainly fhew you in what follows; and therefore you are all along to understand the word free-thinking in this fense. "If you are apt to be afraid of the Devil, think freely of him, and you destroy him and 4A 2 his 548 Review of New Publications. his kingdom. Free-thinking has done him more mifchief than all the clergy in the world ever could do; they believe in the Dewil, they have an intereft in him, and therefore are the great fupports of his kingdom. The Devil was in the States General before they began to be free-thinkers: for England and Holland were formerly the chriftian territories of the Devil. I told you how he left Holland; and free-thinking and the Revolution banished him from England; I defy all the clergy to fhew me when they ever had fuch fuccefs against him. My meaning is, that to think freely of the Devil, is to think there is no Devil at all; and he that thinks fo, the Devil is in him if he be afraid of the Devil. "The priest tells me, I am to believe the bible; but free-thinking tells me otherwife in many particulars. The bible fays, the Jews were a nation favoured by God; but I, who am a free-thinker, fay, that cannot be, because the Jews lived in a corner of the earth, and free-thinking makes it clear, that thofe who live in corners cannot be favourites of God. The New Teftament all along af ferts the truth of chriftianity; but freethinking denies it: because chriflianity was communicated but to a few; and whatever is communicated but to a few, cannot be true; for that is like whispering, and the proverb fays, "that there is no whispering without lying." "The defign of his piece is to recommend free-thinking; and one chief motive is the example of many excellent men who were of that fect. He produces as the principal points of their free thinking; that they denied the being of a God, the torments of hell, the immortality of the foul, the TriBity, Incarnation, the Hiftory of the Creation by Mofes, with many other fuch fabulous and blafphemous ftories,' as he judiciously calls them: and he afferts, that whoever denies the most of thefe, is the completeft free-thinker, and confequently the wifeft and moft virtuous man. "The author, fenfible of the prejudices of the age, does not directly affirm himself an atheift; he goes no further than to pronounce that atheism is the most perfect degree of free-thinking; and leaves the reader to form the conclufion. However, he feems to allow that a man may be a tolerable freethinker, though he does believe a God; provided he utterly rejects Providence, Revelation, the Old and New Testament, Future Rewards and Punishments, the Immortality of the Soul,' and other the like impoffible abfurdities. Which mark of fu perabundant caution, facrificing truth to the fuperftition of priests, may perhaps be forgiven, but ought not to be imitated by any who would arrive (even in this auther's judgement) at the true perfection of free thinking." CLXI. A comparative View of the feveral Methods of promoting religious Inftru&tion, from the earliest down to the prefent Time; from which the fuperior Excellence of that re"commended in the Chriftian Inflitutes, particularly from the Illuftration of Scripture Hiftory and Characters, is evinced and demonftrated. By Duncan Shaw, D. D. 2 vols. 10s. Richardson. A valuable performance. The author hath accurately and judiciously traced the history of religion from the beginning, to the eftablifhment of Chriftianity. The early corruption of religion, he attributes in a great measure to the flights of the poets, justly obferving "They were the divines, and as fuch employed to fing the praises of their gods, and inftruct the people in religion. In the praifes of their gods, ample fcope was afforded to their poetic fancies. Under pretence that the fubject was too fublime to be treated in a plain and common ftyle, their compofitions, which were generally in verfe, were enriched with all the ornaments and imagery, that could ferve to exalt their ideas of the gods, or give beauty and grandeur to the defcriptions of their characters. And thus, in procefs of time, their divinity became converted into a perfect mythology: and the history they meant to convey down to after. ages, is loft in fable." The best method of promoting religious inftruction, our author maintains, is Preach ing, with the delineation of fcripture characters; and for this we have the appointment and example of Chrift. He ably points out the defect of all other methods, as romances, novels, &c. and as to the flage, he remarks: "If we confult the opinion of the more fober and thinking part of mankind up. on the fubject of the ftage, in the several pe riods of its exiftence, or obferve the effects produced by it, we can from neither entertain a very high opinion of its importance to the interefts of virtue." CLXII. A Four Months Tour through France, 2 vols. 5s. Kearsley. A fenfible and entertaining defcription of the most capital places in France, enlivened with many anecdotes, and hath the marks of being faithfully given. His obfervations on the Cabinet at Chantilly, and our British Museum, are worthy of particular attention. "But I must not forget to mention the Cabinet, which has lately been fitted up in the palace, for the reception of a choice collection of foffils, prefented to the Prince by the King of Sweden, Almoft every beauty of the mineral kingdom is here difplayed in great abundance, with all its exquifite diver fity of colours, fpars, and precious ftones, ftudded by chance in lumps of rich ore, fo as to have as fine an effect, as the hand of art is capable of giving. There are alfo other natural productions of various kinds: but fuch 1776. Review of New Publications. as would not be thought worthy for their fcarcity to enter into the Museum of a Sir Hans Sloane. However, fmall as this colJection is, you receive one pleasure from it, which the great apartments of Bloomsbury do not give: I mean the opportunity of reading yourself an explanation of every thing you fee, without troubling the perfon who fhews it; who, if he is inclined, and able to give you proper information, can never anfwer the numberless questions, that the many who are introduced muft find neceffary. Those who vifit fuch repofitories, are not in general people who are capable of claffing common things under their proper heads, and much lefs the extraordinary. It may be said, that there is a perfon appointed, whose bufnefs it is to inform thofe who are ignorant, and answer their questions: I allow it- but then I cannot monopolize this perfon, nor lead him by the ear through the rooms, till he has given me the hiftory of every thing in which I would be inftructed. I fuppofe there is no one, who has ever vifited the London Mufeum, but will confefs how highly dif agreeable the neceffity of inceffant questions is; and few modeft men, who have not been content to remain in ignorance of many things, rather than purchase information at fuch a price. Were flips of paper fixed on, or over every curiofity, defcribing what it is, as in the Prince of Conde's cabinet, I fhould pafs through the apartments with much greater pleafure; and I am fatisfied, that by this means, I fhould gain more knowledge in the few hours that are allotted, than in vifiting it every day for a twelvemonth, with those who are appointed to fhew it in the ftate it is at prefent." The following is his account of a French diverfion : "Among the public fpectacles, I muft not forget to tell you of one, that I little expected to have feen in France: I mean bullbaiting, and that more inhuman than even an English butcher can well conceive. The place appointed for this polite diverfion, is a Imall amphitheatre built of wood. Around the arena, in the ancient manner, are the caves and dens for the beafts of combat; and over thefe are the boxes and galleries for the fpectators. As this fpectacle was announced by printed papers, Mr. and I had the curiofity to fee how it was conducted: as the French beftow very liberally on the English, the title of a cruel nation, on account of the fondness the common people difcover for this, and fome other diverfions of the fame fort. It begun with various combats of wolves, bears, and wild boars, with maftiffs: but the bull was referved as a finishing ftroke to fatiate the cruelty of the fpectators. It was not long before ours was fufficiently glutted. The animal, in fpringing to the first dog that entered, broke off his horn, clofe to his head, against the wall. He was then defenceless: 549 but they continued to fend in mastiffs to the number of fourteen, that were suffered to hang about him, till he fell to the ground. This we did not fee, for we could not stay the conclufion; but as we heard from our fervant whom we left there, he was devouring alive for more than two hours, and that his nofe, tongue, eyes, and throat were eaten, before he expired. Join with me, here, in retorting back on the French, the appellation they beftow on us, of Peuple barbare." CLXIII. A Tour in Ireland in 1775 55% Robfon. In our Review last year (Mag. for May) we took fome notice of Mr.Twifs as an author and traveller. After traverfing Portugal and Spain, he next directed his feet to Ireland; and fome Irish publications fay, he was glad to return foon again to England. Some of his obfervations are judicious refpecting places and manners; but it feems as if an entertainment he received at Waterford, which is not mentioned in the Tour, filled. him with prejudice against the whole country. Speaking of Dublin, he obferves: "In the year 1749, it was computed that in the city and liberties of Dublin there were two thousand alehoufes, three hundred taverns, and twelve hundred brandy fhops. In 1766 the number of houfes in Dublin was thirteen thousand, one hundred and ninetyfour; fo that it is probable that the number of inhabitants furpaffes one hundred thousand." As to the natural hiftory of the Irish fpecies, he fays, they are only remarkable for the thickness of their legs, efpecially those of the plebeian females. "Saint Patrick, the patron and tutelary faint of Ireland, was born about the middle of the fourth century. In his Life I find it recorded that he daily rehearsed the whole pfalter, with a great number of prayers, and that he mortified himself by " saying every night fifty pfalms in water.' He is faid to have been canonized for having illuftrated the Trinity by the comparison of a fhamrock, or trefoil. And in honour of this apoftle, Paddy is the popular chriftian name of the Irish. The name of Teague is likewife very common; it is derived from Thadeus." In an Appendix to this Tour, the author hath given many excellent hints to travellers, particularly the following: "If a traveller will but reflect, that however elevated his rank, however refpectable his connexions, or however great his fortune may be in his own country, when he is abroad he ftands only on his own ground, often without any poffibility of claiming any friends or protectors; he will then be fenfible of the neceffity of meriting friends and protectors among the natives, who may occafionally prove of infinite fervice, notwithstanding their inferiority, and who are fome 1 550 Review of New Publications. times willing to forgive any little inadvertencies to foreigners, rather than to their own countrymen." CLXIV. A Defcription of Killarney. 35. Dodfley. A pleafing, as well as general sketch of the confines of the lakes, their bays, and the feveral iflands in Killarney, The defcriber obferves, that The most magnificent view of the Great 'Lake and its environs is that from the YelJow Mountain, about two miles to the Northward. The eye paffing over a rich valley, meets the lake in the center, with the Eagle's Neft, and the other mountains which ftretch to the upper lake, behind it: on one fide are Glena, Tomé, and M'Gilly Cuddy's Ricks, which lose themfelves to the Weftward; on the other, Turk, Mangerton, Glanflefk, and the Paps, in the oppofite direction; all together forming a range of more than twenty miles. The waving outline of these mountains is uncommonly beautiful: the lake is happily placed in the centre; and there is a degree of unftudied regularity in the whole, which, added to the majefty of the fingle parts, makes a noble, regular, and striking picture. To thofe who would have a perfect knowledge of the lakes, the top of Turk is the best station. From thence they appear as diftin&tly, as if delineated on canvas; but the minuter beauties are loft by the height of the mountain, and at beft a profpect from fuch an overtopping eminence, is better calculated for the Ichnographift, than the man of taste and fancy." CLXV. Letters from Edinburgh; written in the Years 1774 and 1775. 55. Dodfley. Thefe Letters contain obfervations on the diverfions, customs, manners, and laws of the Scotch nation; but the obferver confeffes he refided only fix months in Edinburgh. He cenfures Dr. Johnson for his illiberal remarks on the Scots; and yet in many places he follows his feps, and fometimes exceeds him. We fhall prefent our readers with his characser of the Scots. The gentlemen of this nation (pardon my impartiality) are infinitely better calculated for an agreeable fociety than Englishmen; as they have the spirit of the French without their grimace, with much more learning, and more modefty, mixed with that philofophical referve, fo diftinguishable in .our countrymen. They are extremely fond of jovial company; and if they did not too often facrifice to Bacchus the joys of a vacant hour, they would be the most entertaining people in Europe: but the goodness of their wine, and the feverity of their climate, are indeed fome excufe for them. In other pleafures they are rather temperate, careful, and parfimonious though avarice is feldom known amon t them; nor is any vice carried to a great excess. Their pride, which is not lit O&. tle, makes them too much prejudiced in favour of their country, and one another. They are neither deficient in judgment, or memory; they poffefs defign and craft, though no deep penetration; and are honest, and coura. geous. As to temper; active, and enthusiaftic in bufiness, perfevering and liberal, affable and familiar; and, notwithstanding a roughness in their outward deportment, they are peculiarly poffeffed of the art of perfuafion. They spend moft of their time in reading, ftudy, and thinking; and you find few of the common people very illiterate, though the first of their literati are no great scholars. They have little invention; and are no poets. Wit and humour are not known; and it rarely happens that a Scotchman laughs at ridicule." We hardly know whether the writer is ferious or ironical in the following paffage : as, "The Scotch language has one beauty, in which it greatly excels the English, and in which alfo it conforms to the Italian; that of diminutives, which are created at pleasure, and expreffed in one word, by the addition of a letter or fyllable: thus, they say "manny, doggy, catty," for a little man, dog, or cat; 66 wifey," for a little wife; and if it was neceffary to speak of an inanimate thing, they do it also in the fame manner; a buckley, knifey, booky, housey," for a little buckle, knite, book, and houfe. I need not tell you how emphatical this makes their tongue, and what an improvement it is on ours. But their pronunciation and accent is far from being agreeable: it gives an air of gravity, fedateness, and importance to their words; which, though of ufe fometimes in an harangue or public dif course, in common conversation feems dull, heavy, ftupid, and unharmonious. On which account I fcarcely ever heard a Scotchman tell a good story in all my life; for, notwithftanding he might put in all the circumdances to work it to a point, he would be lure to fpoil it by his deficiency in manner, and remove the fting, which ought to tickle the imagination of the hearer, by appearing not to feel it himself." CLXVI. The Flight of Freedom, a Fragment. 15. 68. Williams. Our poet will have it that Freedom hath taken her flight from England to America CLXVII. The Frolics of Fancy, an Epifi to a Friend. By Rowley Thomas. 15. Richardfon. Good for little-deftitute both of inven tion and fenfe. CLXVIII. Clifton, a Poem, iz Imitation of Spenfer. 2s. Robinson. In praife of the place from which it is intituled, and the poetry about par. CLXIX. Poems on various Occafions. By Samuel Bentley. 65. Stevens. Mr. Bentley hath great room to improve, as have the authors of CLXX. POETICAL ESSAYS in CLXX. Shenfione; or, the Force of Be nevolence: a Poem. 2s. Newbery, And CLXXI. Sylva; or, a Collection of Poems. By a young Gentleman of Chicbefter. 28. 6d. Hawes, CLXXII. The Truth of the Chriftian Religion, a Poem, founded on a celebrated Work of Grotius. By Charles L'Ofte, M. A. 5. 3d. White. Miferable poetry, as is CLXXIII. Abounding Grace, a Poem. Is. 6d. Harris. PUBLICATIONS THIS MONTH Befides thofe that have been reviewed. AMERICAN AND POLITICAL. ETTERS on the American Troubles. By M. de Pinto. Is. 6d. Boofey. An Oration delivered at the State Houfe in Philadelphia, on Thursday the 1ft of Auguft, 1776. By Samuel Adam, one of the Members of the General Congress. 1s. John fon. HISTORY. Remarks on the two laft Chapters of Mr. Gibbon's Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire; in a Letter to a Friend, Is. 6d. Payne. MEDICAL. An Answer to Dr. Lettfom's Pamphlet, entitled, Obfervations preparatory to the Use of Dr. Myersbach's Medicines. Is. Almon. OCTOBER, 1776. 551 Metallurgic Chymistry; being a Syftema tical Treatife of Foffils, and all Kinds of Minerals, Theoretical and Practical. Translated from the original German of C. E. Gellett. 6s. Becket. NOVEL. Memoirs of the Life of Mifs Sophy Sternheim. Tranflated from the German of the celebrated Mr. Welland. By E. Harwood, D. D. 2 vols. 5s. Becket. MISCELLANEOUS Letters written by the late Pope, Cardinal Ganganelli, to fome of the moft diftinguished Political and Literary Characters of the prefent Age. To which are prefixed, Anecdotes of his Life, 2 vols. 5s, Becket. Life; for the Ufe of the British Youth. The Preceptor, or Counsellor of Human Containing felect Pieces in Natural and Mo Compiled by John Ryland, M. A. 35. Dilly. ral Philofophy, Hiftory, and Eloquence, &c. RELIGIOUS. Pfalms and Hymns for Public and Private Worship. Collected (for the moft Part) and published, by Auguftus Toplady, A. B. Vicar of Broad Hembury. 3s. Dilly. A Letter to Soame Jenyns, Efq. occafionthe internal Evidence of the Chriftian Relied by an Affertion contained in his View of gion. By G. U. Is. 6d. Davies. POETICAL ESSAYS. The famous Speech-maker of ENGLAND, or ROM London to Exon, FBy (pecial direction, Came down the world's wonder, And thus open'd and faid: Gentlemen of the Grand Inqueft, Upon fuch as offenders have been: So then, not to scatter More words on the matter, We're beginning just now to begin. But hold-first and foremost I must enter a claufe, Astouching and concerning our excellent laws; Which, here I aver, Are better by far [fea: Than them all put together abroad and beyond And fword that devours } They preserve liberty and property, for which men pull and hale fo, And they are made for the fupport of good government alfo. Her Majefty, knowing To work for the weal of the nation, Builds on that rock, Which ali ftorms will mock, Since Religion is made the foundation. But |