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the honour of teaching him to lie; and that if he offered to ftir, he would trample him to pieces; a threat, which it was very evident he could find no difficulty in executing. This unexpected incident ftruck an univerfal damp over the fpirits of the little gentry; and even Master Mash himself fo far forgot his dignity, as to fupplicate in a very fubmiffive manner for a releafe; in this he was joined by all his companions, and Harry among the reft. Well, faid the farmer, Ifhould never have thought that a parcel of young gentlemen, as you call yourselves, would come into public to behave with fo much rudeness; I am fure, that there is ne'er a plough-boy at my house, but what would have shown more fenfe and manners: but fince you are forry for what has happened, I am very willing to make an end of the affair; more efpecially for the fake of this little mafter here, who has behaved with fo much propriety, that I am fure he is a better gentleman than any of you, though he is not dreffed fo much like a monkey or a barber. With these words he fuffered the creft-fallen Mash to rife, who crept from his place of confinement, with looks infinitely more expreffive of mildness than he had brought with him: nor was the leffon loft upon the reft, for they behaved with the greateft decency during all the reft of the exhibition. However, Mafter Mafh's courage began to rife as he went home and found himself farther from this formidable farmer; for he affured his companions, that if it had not been fo vulgar a fellow, he would certainly call him out and piftol him.

The next day, at dinner, Mr. Merton and the ladies, who had not accompanied the young gentlemen to the play, nor had yet heard of the misfortune which had enfued, were very inquifitive about the preceding night's entertainment. The young people agreed that the performers were deteftable, but that the play was a charming piece, full of wit and fentiment, and extremely improving: this play was called The Marriage of Figaro, and Mafter Compton had informed them that it was amazingly admired by all the people of fashion in London. But Mr. Merton, who had obferved that Harry was totally filent, at length infifted upon knowing his opinion upon the fubject. Why, Sir, anfwered Harry, I am very little judge of these matters, for I never faw a play before in my life, and therefore I cannot tell whether it was acted well or ill; but as to the play itself, it seemed to be full of nothing but cheating and diffimulation, and the people that come in and out, do nothing but impose upon each other, and lie, and trick, and deceive. Were you, or any gentleman, to have fuch a parcel of fervants, you would think them fit for nothing in the world; and therefore I could not help wondering while the play was acting, that people would throw away fo much of their time upon fights that can do them no good; and fend their children and their relations to learn fraud and infincerity. Mr. Merton fmiled at the honeft bluntnefs of Harry; but several of the ladies, who had just been expreffing an extravagant admiration of this piece, feemed to be not a little mortified.'

Perhaps the Author infifts too much upon his favourite idea of training up children to do, and to bear, every thing, and requires a degree of paffive hardinefs fcarcely to be expected in the prefent fate of fociety: if it be an error, it lies, however, on

the

the right fide, in an age in which there is fo general a bias toward luxurious effeminacy. He has alfo, we think, expreffed himfelf too ftrongly concerning the difficulties and hardships of the military life. But thefe trifles weigh nothing against the uncommon merit of this work; which we truft the Author will continue, till he has conducted his young friend, Harry, up to E.

manhood.

ART. IX. An Efay on the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species, particularly the African, tranflated from a Latin Differtation which was honoured with the first Prize in the University of Cambridge, for the Year 1785. With Additions. Svo. 4s. Boards. Phillips. 1786.

'A

S the fubject of the following work,' fays the Author in his Preface, has fortunately become of late a topic of converfation, I cannot begin the Preface in a manner more fatiffactory to the feelings of the benevolent reader, than by giving an account of thofe humane and worthy perfons, who have endeavoured to draw upon it that fhare of the public attention which it has obtained.'

We have in this part of the work a review of all that has been written on the fubject, from the middle of the fifteenth century to the prefent time; and alfo an account of the effects, which have been produced among the humane and religious part of the colonists, in confequence of the writings and exertions of thofe benevolent men, who have defired to remove forrow from the heart of the oppreffed.

The performance before us is divided into three parts; in the firft of which Mr. Clarkson (the Author) gives a concife and learned hiftory of flavery in which he divides flavery into two diftinct kinds, voluntary and involuntary. The firft kind he treats but flightly; confining himfelf more especially to the latter, which is the immediate subject of his differtation.

Of involuntary flaves, the firft that are here confidered, are prifoners of war. Our Author traces the antiquity of the custom of devoting prifoners of war to flavery, fhews it to have been the practice of the ancient Eaftern nations, and that the more modern Western ones, though many and various, adopted the fame meafures. It was not victory alone, or any fuppofed right, founded in the damages of war, that afforded a pretence for invading the liberties of mankind; piracy contributed not a little to the flavery of the human fpecies. To thefe, who were taken publicly by a victorious army, or were privately ftolen by the depredations of pirates, the Author adds a third clafs, namely, the defcendents of the two former. He then goes on to describe the treatment these wretched mortals met with from their respective owners, and the barbarous and inhuman manner in which dif

ferent

ferent nations exercised their cruelties over these unfortunate people; and he inquires into the various caufes by which they were produced. The firft caufe whence fuch treatment originated, was, the commerce of the human fpecies; for, if men be confidered as poffeffions,-if, like cattle, they could be bought and fold, it will not be difficult to fuppofe that they would be held in the fame confideration, and treated in the fame manner. Our Author then traces the origin of the flave trade from its earlieft date, and fixes the first market for flaves, found on record, in Egypt; he fhews, that it travelled over the greatest part of Afia, that it fpread through the Grecian and Roman world, that it was in ufe among the barbarous nations who overturned the Roman empire, and that it was univerfally practifed about that period throughout all Europe. The flave trade he proves to have declined in other parts of the world, but efpecially in Europe, about the time when the Northern nations were fettled in their conquefts, and to have been totally abolished very foon after. A difference of opinion has arifen refpecting the caufes of its abolition; fome having afferted that they were the neceflary confequences of the feudal fyftem, while others maintain that they were the natural effects of Chriftianity. The arguments on both fides of the queftion are fet forth, but the Author inclines to the latter, with no small appearance of reafon. The Portugueze, within two centuries after the fuppreffion of flavery in Europe, were the first who renewed the flave trade among the moderns: they made their defcents on Africa, and in imitation of thofe piracies, which exifted in the uncivilized ages of the world, committed depredations on the coaft. Mr. Clarkfon enters minutely into the hiftory of this modern flave trade, recites its progrefs, and the manner in which it is carried on at prefent. If the Author does not exaggerate, it is a truly horrid、 trade!

In the fecond part, which, under gloffy language, contains much imperfect reafoning, our Author gives a curfory and unconnected hiftory of mankind,-treats of liberty as the natural and inherent right of man,-of the nature and end of government; and afferts, but without fufficient demonftration, all government to be adventitious. He next endeavours to determine whether mankind can be confidered as property, and examines the right, which the fellers and purchafers of flaves claim, of carrying on the commerce. The learning fo amply displayed in the first part. of this work, and the tinfel trappings which hide the falfe arguments in the fecond, are inconfiftent with each other.

The third part is employed in defcribing the treatment which the African flaves meet with in our colonies, and in refuting the feveral arguments that have been brought by the colonifts, or their friends, to vindicate their conduct. We here again find

much

much learning introduced, and the argumentative part of the work becomes more rational. But the language is in general too much laboured, and in many inftances too obfcure for the fimple, unadorned, and clear ftyle of demonftration. Toward the conclufion of his work, we think the Author has facrificed at the fhrine of enthusiasm, where he fays, The violent and fupernatural agitations of all the elements, which, for a series of years, have prevailed in the European fettlements, where the unfortunate Africans are retained in a ftate of flavery, and which have brought unfpeakable calamities on the inhabitants, and public loffes on the ftates to which they feverally belong, are fo many awful vifitations of GOD for this inhuman violation of his laws.' R-m

ART. X. The Mifcellaneous Companions. By William Matthews. 12mo. 3 Vols. 9s. fewed. Bath, printed; and fold in London. by Dilly. 1786.

TH

HE firft of thefe volumes is, in the Author's phrafe, a fhort tour of obfervation and fentiment, through a part of South Wales. The fecond contains maxims and thoughts, with reflections on felect paffages of Scripture. The third confifts of differtations on particular fubjects and occafions, together with Dialogues in the world of Spirits.

The tour in Wales does not furnish fo many travelling events, defcriptions, or obfervations on the country, as might be expected from fuch a title; but it is nevertheless entertaining in a plain and inoffenfive way, and always directed to fome kind of ufeful improvement. It gives a few amufing accounts of the country, the inhabitants, and their manners, intermixed with the Author's reflections; among which, Thoughts on Education, and Thoughts on Hunting, occupy many pages: the latter fubject is purfued through a courfe of arguments pro and con; and, in the conclufion, the amufement is condemned.

Concerning the Maxims and Thoughts, which conftitute a chief part of the fecond volume, we cannot do better than to extract from them a fhort paragraph, as follows: All I have to fay for this part of my work, is, that they [the Maxims, &c.] were written moft confonantly with my own occafional views and perfuafions of truth and if they appear fometimes trite, fometimes unflattering to human vanity, and fometimes recurrent of the fame fenfe, they may nevertheless be generally found among the useful way-marks of public and private virtue.' Thefe obfervations fall very properly under the defcription of way-marks." They contain much good-fenfe, piety, and virtue. A tincture

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In a note the Author recites the different earthquakes in the Weft-Indian Ilands, and the loffes our navy has frequently fuftained by the hurricanes in those parts.

of

of this writer's peculiar tenets runs through them, and also difcovers itself in the Tour, and in the whole publication *. It is however to be remarked, concerning intelligent perfons of this denomination, that, making allowance for tome exceptionable explications, and for what is myftical and unintelligible, when they fpeak of the light, the word, &c. they appear to understand, and enter deeply into the real fpirit of Chriftianity. We much approve the philanthropy and charity that breathe throughout thefe pages, and the warm attachment which they manifeft to the juft liberties of mankind. Thus, indeed, it must be with thofe, who have a true acquaintance with the Chriftian doctrine; fuch knowledge and influence will render them advocates for a full and rational freedom, civil and religious. Our Author's maxims, together with the differtations which compofe the remainder of this volume, are chiefly of the grave kind; but, while the reader is edified, as certainly he may, or muft be, by the perufal, he will probably be diverted alfo by fuch a paffage as the following: It may be nearly as edifying to hear two fith-women fcold about reputation, as two grave divines, or any two fyftematic religionifts, difpute about a right or faving faith!"

The third volume prefents us with differtations on Marriage, on the Laft-day, and on Everlasting punishment. In each, the writer manifefts thought and ingenuity, piety and goodness. On the second of these topics, he difcovers fomewhat of the peculiarity belonging to his immediate party, while he not only fuppofes, that death is to every man the Left-day, and that the Judgment is progreffive and continual, as human fouls are perpetually dif miffed from this world; but farther conceives that the accounts of a refurrection of the body are merely to be explained in a figurative and fpiritual manner. We fhall principally take notice of the third differtation, written with great modefty, fimplicity, and candour; and shall infert what is faid relative to it in the Preface:

The longest treatife in thefe volumes, viz. that on Everlasting punishment, will perhaps meet fome ftrong objections among the more timorous and inconfiderate part of mankind while I think it right to fay in this place, that, under my own full perfuafions refpecting the fubject, I could not, with an eafy mind, avoid treating on it in the manner I have done. In my childhood, I found it impoffible to fix my belief in the common notion of endless torments; as I grew older, my fentiments occafionally became known. I was affailed, in confequence, by fome few zealous and implicit believers, among my friends; particularly by one, for whom, on account of his moral character, I had confiderable refpect. And being under the common frailty of human nature, I was influenced, for a fhort time, to

* Mr. Matthews is one of the people called Quakers.

doubt

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