the real merit of this excellent young woman, we may be allowed to understand the panegyrift in a figurative fenfe; for it is only by an hyperbole, that this character is applicable to any human being. Art. 38. Proceedings for Sunday Schools; and a Plan of that in St. Stephen's, Norwich, eftablished October 16th, 1785. Svo. 6d. Norwich. Chafe and Co.

Much laudable pains appear to have been taken by the Rev. Mr. Adkin, the Author of this pamphlet, in establishing Sunday fchools at Norwich. The particulars of his proceedings, which are here minutely related, may be very ufeful to thofe who are inclined to begin, or carry forward, this good work, in other places. Farther affiftance may be derived from the Appendix to Dr. Horne's Sermon on this fubje&: See our Review for this month, Art. X. Art. 39. The Gospel of Christ worthy of all Acceptation: or, the Obligations of Men fully to credit, and cordially to approve, whatever God makes known, &c. By Andrew Fuller. 12mo.

Is. 6d. Buckland, &c. Art. 40. Remarks on a Treatise intitled, "The Gospel of Chrift worthy," &c. Wherein the Nature of fpecial Faith in Chrift is confidered, and feveral of Mr. F.'s Mitakes pointed out. By William Button. Izmo. Is. Buckland, &c. 1785. Art. 41. Philanthropos: or, a Letter to the Rev. Andrew Fuller in Reply to his Treatife on Damnation, &c. &c. &c. By Philip Withers, D.D. Chaplain to Lady Dowager Hereford. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Richardson, &c. 1785.

This controverfy, on Gospel Faith, Grace, &c. is enveloped, on all fides, in fuch a cloud of myftical language, that we acknowledge ourfelves wholly incompetent to the task of forming a judgment on its merits. The initiated will, doubtlefs, read thefe pieces with delight, and will think, at least, that they read them with underftanding and far be it from us to interrupt their pleasure or edification, by the troublefome intrusion of unhallowed criticifm.

SER MON S.

I. The Importance and Extent of Free Inquiry in Matters of Religion: Preached before the Congregations of the Old and New Meeting of Proteftant Diffenters at Birmingham, November 5, 1785. To which are added, Reflections on the prefent State of Free Inquiry in this Country; and Animadverfions on fome Paffages in Mr. White's Sermons at the Bampton Lectures; Mr. Howes's Difcourse on the Abufe of the Talent of Difputation in Religion, and a Pamphlet intitled, "Primitive Candour." By Jofeph Priestley, LL. D. FR. S. 8vo. Is. 6d. Johnson.

In this difcourfe, and the fubfequent remarks, Dr Priestley afferts the right, and the importance, of an unreftrained and diligent investigation of truth. The fum of what he advances is, that religion, as well as other fubjects, affords a boundless field of inquiry; that much yet remains to be done in order to complete the reformation that the fear of moving foundations ought not to prevent us from making improvements; that the fpirit of inquiry and innovation, tỏ which we owe every advance in knowledge and reformation, from the days of our heathen ancestors to the prefent time, ought to be

See his Sermon on this fubje&t, Rev. for May.

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left

left without reftraint;-that, if free scope be given to inquiry, truth will always have the advantage over error, and confequently, if Christianity be true (on which fuppofition alone wife men will wish for its prevalence), there can be no reafon to apprehend that it fhould fuffer from the moft rigorous examination.

The friends of free inquiry and truth (fays our Author) may rest fatisfied, that as every effort which has hitherto been made to bear down the caufe for which they contend, has in reality ferved to promote it, fo alfo will every future effort that can be made for the fame purpose. The caufe of truth may be compared to an engine, conftructed fo as to be put in motion by the tide, and which is kept in its proper movement whether the water flow in or flow out. Nothing here is wanting but motion, it being impoffible for that motion, from whatever quarter it arife, to operate unfavourably.'

The general principle, fo well expreffed in this paffage, is undoubtedly right. There feems great reafon to expect, from the prefent progreffive ftate of knowledge, that truth will, at length, fo far prevail over error, that, on all queftions which lie within the compass. of the human faculties, there will be a general agreement in opinion. But to predict what particular fyftem of opinions will, in the refult of this progrefs, be admitted as true, is certainly to give a premature. judgment on a matter which is, by-fuppofition, as yet undetermined. In reply to the ftrictures on Socinianifm in Mr. White's Sermons at the Bampton Lecture, Dr. Prieftley maintains, that Chriftianity lofes none of its value upon Socinian principles; and that Socinianifm is not an advance towards Deifm, but tends to establish Chriftianity by removing fome of the principal objections which have been made against it.

In his remarks upon Mr. Howes's Difcourfe, he flatly contradicts his reprefentation of facts, and refents his infinuations that Dr. P. only pretends to believe Chriftianity.

The remarks upon "Primitive Candour" contradict the Author's reprefentation of the doctrine of the Gnoftics, and endeavour to invalidate his arguments, deduced from thence, to prove that the first Chriftians were Unitarians.

II. Preached at Kingston upon Thames, February 19, on the Death of Captain Richard Pierce, Commander of the Halfewell Eaft Indiaman, which was loft off the Island of Purbeck, January 6, 1786. By the Rev. Matthew Raine, A. M. Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. 4to. 15. Kearsley.

Of this difcourfe it will be a fufficient recommendation to fay, that it is exceedingly well adapted to the affecting event which occafioned it. The moral leffons taught by fuch events are plainly reprefented, and urged with manly energy, from the words of St. James, What is your life? It is even a vapour, &c.

*The Critique on the laft edition of Shakespeare, will appear

in our next.

++ S. is mistaken in his CONJECTURE:-and, with respect to his valuable PUBLICATION, our account of it (which was drawn up be fore we were favoured with his letter) will appear in the Review for Auguft.

Erratum in our last, viz. P. 474, par. 3, 1. 9, for tracts,' r. traits.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For AUGUST, 1786.

ART. I. The Plays of William Shakspeare. With the Corrections and Illuftrations of various Commentators; to which are added Notes by Samuel Johnfon and George Steevens.

The Third Edition, revifed and augmented by the Editor of Dodfley's Collection of Old Plays. 8vo. 10 Vols. 31. 10s. bound. Bathurst, Rivingtons, &c. 1785.

IN

IN the courfe of our periodical labours, we have frequently. obferved, that Fashion exerts her influence over the literary, as well as over the gay world. No fooner does a writer of acknowledged merit enter any walk of literature, than numerous authors are eager to pursue the fame path, without ever flopping to confider, whether their predeceffor may not have felected all the flowers in his way; whether the Public tafte may not be fufficiently gratified with those which have already been prefented to it; or whether (which indeed, though moft neceffary to be confidered, it is leaft of all likely that they would confider) they themselves have abilities and difcernment to add to the felection. We have feen the example of a Sterne turning every pen to the writing of fentimental journies; that of a Percy exciting a general rage for colle&ting old ballads; and that of a M'Gregor filling the town with "Heroic Epiftles." But, perhaps, there is no inftance where the power of fafhion, and the prevalence of example, are more confpicuous than in the cafe of of the work before us. The Commentators on our immortal Bard now amount, as appears by the lift given in the public papers, to upwards of fifty; most of whom have sprung up within these few years. Indeed, fo formidable is their number and their bulk, that, we know, many admirers of Shakspeare are apprehenfive that their favourite Poet is in danger of being made to resemble a Dutch edition of a CLASSIC. But, for our part, when we reflect on the great names and talents of moft of the Commentators, and when we review the effect of their labours, we are filled with gratitude for what has been already done; and freely acknowledge, that we with the zeal of others, as well fitted for the talk as thofe who have hitherto engaged in VOL. LXXV. it,

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it, may be effectually called forth being well convinced, that by a diligent perufal of the old writers; by a careful attention to the customs, manners, and language of the times in which Shakspeare lived; and, above all, by a penetrating judgment, many of the great Dramatift's obfcurities, which have hitherto refifted the united efforts of all his Annotators, may be happily elucidated.

The prefent edition of our great Poet is given to the world by Mr. Reed of Staple's Inn, who has proved himself well qualified for the undertaking by his former publications; and who, we will venture to predict, will receive no fmall addition to his literary credit, from the work under confideration. In his advertisement, the Editor modeftly informs us, that he did not intrude himfelf into his prefent fituation;' but entered on his office in confequence of an application which was too flattering, and too honourable for him to decline: Mr. Steevens, after withdrawing himself from a repetition of those labours which he had exerted in fuperintending the two former, having committed to him the care of this third edition. The following extract contains a fummary of thofe particulars wherein the prefent differs from the preceding editions:

As fome alterations have been made in the present edition, it may be thought neceffary to point them out. Thefe are of two kinds, additions and omiffions. The additions are fuch as have been fupplied by the laft Editor, and the principal of the living Commentators. To mention thefe affiftances, is fufficient to excite expectation; but to speak any thing in their praife will be fuperfluous to thofe who are acquainted with their former labours. Some remarks are alfo added from new Commentators, and fome notices extracted from books which have been published in the courfe of a few years paft.'

The Editor then proceeds to inform us, that the moft im'portant of the omiffions are fome notes which have been demonftrated to be ill-founded, and fome which were supposed to add to the fize of the volumes without increafing their value.' He has alfo diminished the number of quotations which had been produced to exemplify particular words, or explain obfolete cuftoms; because when the point is once known to be eftablished, there is not the fame neceffity for them, that there was, before the matter had been fully fettled: and in vindication of this part of his conduct he appeals to the authority of Prior,

he has

As to his own obfervations, Mr. Reed tells us, that added but little to the bulk of the volumes, having, upon every occafion, rather chofen to avoid a note, than to court the opportunity of inferting one.'

Among

Among the new matter, befides additional obfervations by the former Annotators, we find here the notes of Sir William Blackftone, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Meffrs. Henley, Henderfon, Monck Mason, those of the author of Remarks on the laft (1778) edition of Shakspeare, and most of the criticifms which were published in Mr. Malone's Supplement to Shakfpeare: whence the Editor has alfo extracted Mr. Tyrwhitt's ingenious obfervations on romances of chivalry; Warburton's very curious Letter to Concanen, of which fome notice was taken in our Review, vol. lxiii. p. 255; and alfo feveral of the ftories from old and scarce books, which have ferved Shakspeare as the ground-work of many of his dramas; particularly the ftory of The two lovers of Pifa, from which Falftaff's adventures in the Merry Wives of Windfor feem to have been borrowed: a declamation from an old book called, The Orator, printed at London 1596, which probably furnished the original of the incident of the bond in the Merchant of Venice: a ftory from Weftward for Smelts, to which Shakspeare seems to have been indebted for part of the fable of Cymbeline: and the long, but curious, poem of "The tragicall byftory of Romeus and Juliet.'

The prolegomena to this edition fill nearly half of a very thick volume but, as this part of the work does not materially differ from the edition of 1778; and was largely defcribed in the 62d volume of our Review, page 12, &c. we fhall take no further notice of it here, than juft to express our wifh, that, as Mr. Reed has judiciously borrowed many things from Mr. Malone's Supplement, he had also, in this part of his publication, in. ferted that gentleman's ingenious account of our ancient theatres. We shall therefore proceed to extract, for the entertainment and information of our Readers, fome illuftrations of difficult paffages, fubjoining, as we go along, our own remarks; in hope that, by a fuccefsful interpretation of fome places, which have been hitherto misunderstood, we may encourage future critics to try their strength upon our great Bard's remaining obfcurities. To Profpero's inquiry, in the firft Act of the Tempeft, Are they fafe? Ariel replies, Not a hair perifh'd; on their fuftaining garments not a blemish: that is (fays Mr. Steevens) Their garments that bore them up and supported. them. So in King Lear, "In our sustaining corn." Mr. Edwards, in his MSS. recommends us to read, fea-ftain'd, with which Dr. Johnfon fuppofes no reader will be fatisfied." We own ourselves not fatisfied with either the emendation, or the explanation. We do not think that fuftaining has the fenfe of bearing up eieither here, or in Lear. May it not mean, their garments which fuftained the violence of the tempeft-their fuffering garments? even that which was moft exposed to the ftorm, and suffered its greateft fury, has not now a blemish. So Pofthu

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mus,