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people. By the ancient laws of this kingdom, no man was to find himself in a worfe condition from being a reprefentative of the people, than had they never conferred that honour upon him. At that time there was but one order of men in the nation that could not fit in the Houfe of Commons, which were the Clergy; and the reason was, they had a Houfe of Reprefentatives to fit in Convocation,. where the aids of the Clergy were granted to the Crown. At that time there was but one civil officer who could not be returned to fit in Parliament, which was the returning officer of the Writ of Election; and even this was a grievance loudly complained of, when any man was appointed Sheriff, with a design to prevent his election.

By the Statutes at large of this nation, no laws are to be found in former ages to disqualify gentlemen from fitting as Members in Parliament if duly elected, by reafon of any employment wharfoever, either under the Crown or otherwife. The Journals of the House of Commons fhew the fenfe of our forefathers ftrongly against every thing of this nature: when any one was chofen to fit in Parliament, they made no fcruple to affert it to be both his dury and right to fit there, whatever employment he might hold, or whatever fummons he might, have to attend in any other flation.' Several cafes of this kind are cited from the Journals of the houfe.

The prefent patriotic principle of uncorrupted reprefentation, is traced by our Author up to the famous Self-denying Ordinance of the Long Parliament; in the hiftory of which, from Lord Clarendon, he fhews it to have been the leading meafure to the fubverfion of the conftitution and of public liberty; and which finally fubverted even the deluded parliament that adopted it.

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Paffing over thefe well known facts, we find the following obfervation on like attempts after the Revolution. When this event had eftablished King William on the throne, the Jacobites, who ftill retained their love for an arbitraty reign, were fo wife as to carry on their schemes, even by the arts of men whom they had in abhorrence, and remembering well the fuccefs of the Oliverian Fation, in changing the conftitution by the means of the Self-denying Ordinance; they took up the fame refolution in their turn, and were in hopes that the old game which had ruined the Long Parliament, would equally tend to destroy that Parliamentary Power, which was the fupport of King William's reign.'

His reafoning on the principle of fuch a Parliamentary difqualification, is clearly and concifely fummed up in the following thort representations: It is, I truft, and ever will be the natural and warrantable ambition of the best gentlemen in this country, not only to reprefent the people, but execute the public offices. If their trus are at any time divided, and if perfons who execute the one, are" rendered incapable of the other, the great misfortune will be, that the weight of families and fortunes will entirely fall into one scale or the other; and either the House of Commons must be unwormsily composed, or all the employments of the public unworthily fu plied.

"If the Commons are incapable of adminiftring any office of the Government, it must then naturally fall into the hands of the Nobis lity and the weight of the power will be fo great in the hand- of the Lords, that this alone must defroy the liberty of the Conilitation

If the Lords and Commons are equally difabled to hold employments in the State, the weight of power will then fall into the hands of a separate party, and will create a separate intereft, which will be always attended with infinite mifchiefs, and may probably terminate in the deftruction of the liberties of Parliament.

Whilft gentlemen of great fortunes, eftates and interefts in the counties of England, fhall, by reafon of their credit and weight in their counties, be the only perfons thought capable of holding employments in the State, the power of employments (be they contracts or otherwife) will not be directed to hurt the liberties of the people, because the gentlemen who discharge them are interested in the most faithful execution of them.

But if ever gentlemen of fuch fortunes, eflates and interests with the people, fhall be the only men in England incapable of public employments, all the offices must be filled with others, who will have a lefs concern in the liberty and happiness of their country, and must be more easily drawn into meafures against that common interest, in which their own fhare is fo much lefs confiderable.-'

The objection of dependance on the Crown arifing from trufts of this nature, is merely invidious; for a gentleman of one thousand pounds per annum in his own right, will never leffen the fecurity of his eftate on any confideration, even of double the fum enjoyed by favour. He may ferve the King with greater affection for the honour or advantage accruing to him; but if he hath human reafon, he will not balance a moment, when his only option must be, Whether he will hazard his liberty and fortune, or his employment.'

Dangerous as it may be, to repofe too unreferved a confidence in any fet of men engaged in the adminiftration of government, the above argument has much more fobriety in it, than is found in many fenatorial declamations, calculated to work on the prejudices of thofe who are apt to confider minifters, and all perfons employed in national affairs, as ex officio enemies to their country. How far it may coincide with Montefquieu's idea of the union of the legislative with the executive power being dellructive to liberty, or how far fuch abstract propofitions can be adhered to in practice, are points which must be left to the ingenuity of those who have abilities and leisure for the investigation.

DRAMATIC.

Art. 17. The Loyal Shepherd: or, The Ruftic Heroine, a
Dramatic Paftoral Poem, in one Act. To which is affixed, feveral
Sonnets, Ballads, Acroftics, &c. Written by T. Goodwin. 8vo.
1 S. Setchel, &c.

A wretched collection of trash!
Art. 18. Gallic Gratitude; or, The Frenchman in India.

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Comedy in Two Acts, as performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. By J. S. Dodd. 8vo. 1 s. E. Johnfon. 1779: Suo fibi gladio hunc jugulo Here are the arms of the French turned against themselves;-a Farce taken from that language, and converted into a national fatire. The piece is not defpicable, nor is its merit beyond mediocrity. The chief aim of the writer feems to have been, to ferve and celebrate a theatrical heroine of the name

of

of Jackfon, whofe picture and panegyric are prefixed and fubjoined to his performance.

CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 19. Three Letters to the Reverend Dr. Price: Containing Remarks on his Faft Sermon. By a Cobler. 8vo. 6d. Bladon. 1779.

I am a Cobler, and the fon of a Cobler,' fays this arch letterwriter, but he does not inform us what kind of cobler; whether he means to rank as a cobler of shoes, a cobler of fouls (not soals), or a cobler of the fate. We apprehend, he is of the laft mentioned clafs;-fome baftard, perhaps, thrice removed from Sacheverel, or Filmer. A merry-begotten one, no doubt, he is, and, with his laudable zeal, and happy exertions, he may figure in time, at the head of fome of our state-cobling Boards: a Lord of Trade, be-' like, or a Commiffioner of the Customs, or Standard-bearer to the Penfioners. He is certainly entitled to promotion, in reward of his attachment to the powers that be, and of his popular defence of their meafures, in oppofition to the antiminifterial writer, Dr. Price; whom he really combats with a good deal of fhrewdness: and it is but juftice to his abilities to add, that he is one of the Doctor's most fpirited antagonists. We wish we could likewife have faid the most candid, and the moft liberal.

Our theologico-political Cobler is even poffeffed (perhaps in virtue of his calling, for all coblers have, or fhould have, a dash of the comic) of fome portion of that rare quality, humour, --very little of which is seen in the polemical papers of the prefent times.

MATHEMATICS.

Art. 20. Elements of Algebra, for the Ufe of Students in Univerfities. 8vo. 3s. 6d. boards. Cadell. 1779.

This little tract, as we learn from a fhort Advertisement prefixed to it, was drawn up for the ufe of Students attending the Author's lectures, and is not offered as a complete treatife on the fubject. The work is divided into three parts, preceded by a fhort introduction, which contains fome pertinent remarks on the nature, extent, and object of algebra, with its advantages over common arithmetic. The Author then proceeds to define the terms, characters, and notation of which he makes ufe; after which he treats of what he calls fundamental operations; that is, of Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Divifion; demonftrating, in a concife manner, the principal rules, &c.

He then proceeds to the doctrine of Algebraic fractions, proportion, the nature, management and methods of folving fimple equations; to involution and evolution of quantities, the doctrine of furds, the refolution of equations which involve pure powers, and alfo quadratic equations. He next explains the nature of indeterminate problems; of arithmetical, geometrical, and infinite feries; and concludes his first part with an Appendix, fhewing the use of logarithms

The following paffage will juftify this drawback on the commendation due to the Author's abilities:- Blufh, Doctor :-if there is any blood in your veins, let us fee it in your face.' p. 34.Blush, Cobler, blush!

in refolving algebraic queftions, the application of algebra to phyfical problems, intereft, annuities, &c. &c.

In the fecond part, he treats of the origin and compofition of general equations, their transformation, and refolution, by different

methods.

The third part is employed in the application of algebra to geometry: He here explains the methods of expreffing geometrical magnitudes algebraically; alfo how the different orders of hues are expreffed and defined by algebraic equations; and fhews how to determine the figure and general properties of curves from thofe equations, together with various other circumftances relating to this very curious, and difficult fubject. He concludes the book with fhewing the nature, ufe and conftruction of the loci of equations, and also how to conftruct the equations themfelves.

From this account the Reader will perceive, notwithstanding the Author's modeft Advertisement, that his book is not a mere fyllabus ;. and we venture to pronounce that it will be found ufeful to all who study this difficult and extenfive fcience, either with or without a tutor, as it contains many curious and useful particulars, not to be met with in larger treatifes of algebra.

Art. 21. The Seaman's complete Daily Affiftant: Being an eafy and correct Method of keeping a Journal at Sea Containing Rules for working the Cafes in plain (plane) Middle-latitude, and Mercator's failing, by the Tables of difference of Latitude and Departure.— And for finding the Latitude, Longitude, Amplitude, and Azimuth, by Obfervation. Illuftrated by a fufficient Number of, Examples. Likewife Rules fhewing, how the Allowances are to be made for Lee-way, Variation, Heave of the Sea, fetting of the Currents, &c. And to correct the dead Reckoning by an Obfervation in all Cafes. The new Method of finding the Latitude by two Altitudes of the Sun; and the finding the Longitude by the. Moon's Distance from the Sun, or a fixed Star, rendered easy to any common Capacity. To which are added, the Tables of Difference of Latitude and Departure to 350 Miles of Distance; the new Solar Tables, and Tables of natural Sines; with a larger and more correct Table of the Latitudes and Longitudes of Places, than any hitherto publifhed, together with all the Tables neceffary for the Seaman's Ufe, in working a Day's Work at Sca, The whole contructed upon a new Plan. By John Hamilton Moore, Author of the Practical Navigator, and formerly belonging to the Royal Navy. 8vo. 3 5. Robinion. 1779,

The Reader will readily judge of the true intent and complexion, of this work, from the quantity of matter contained in its title-page: the proportion, however, which generally obtains in things of this nature; namely, that the quantity of matter in the book is inversely as that in the title page, fails here.

Mr. Moore, befides precepts in abundance, and a new journal, gives us tables of difference of latitude and departure to every degree, as well as to every point and quarter point of the compafs, up to 300 miles of dillance, a table of meridional parts, a table of the fun's amplitude for every degree of his declination, and to each. degree of latitude from the equator to the polar-circle, and a table

of

of the variation of the fun's declination to every ten degrees of longitude, all taken from Hafelden's old Seaman's Daily Affilant:-A table of the refraction of the heavenly bodies in altitude, a table of the difc of the horizon, and a table of the correction of the moon's altitude for the joint effects of parallax and refraction, taken from the tables requifice to be used with the nautical Almanac:-Tables for finding the latitude by two altitudes, and a table of natural fines from N. Falck, M. D. who had before borrowed them from another perfon. Thefe, together with fome others, of lefs ufe, from different Authors, render the work more comprehenfive, and of courfe more useful, than the old one, to fuch perfons as understand the ufe of the tables, without the help of the precepts which are annexed to them by the Compiler. But the precepts want that perfpicuity for which Hafelden's book has fo long been admired; and this circumftance renders the prefent volume ufclefs to fuch as have occafion to confult them: moreover, in attempting to plume the feathers which he has borrowed, the Compiler has betrayed a deficiency of knowledge in the fubject on which he has undertaken to write...

For example, not content with the defcription of the nautical day, and the manner in which feamen keep their accounts of time, as he found it in other authors, he adds, " Therefore, the declination used in fettling any day's latitude, must be the declination for the following day in the table of declination. Thus, in fettling my latitude on Wednesday, May 6th, or finding my latitude at the close of that day, I ufe the declination for Thursday, May 7th." Now all this is abfolutely wrong, for the 6th nautical day begins on the 5th, at noon, according to the common, or civil account of days, and ends at noon on the 6th, at which time the 6th attronomical day begins;: to which inftant, namely, the end of the 6th nautical day, and be-ginning of the 6th aftronomical day, the declination of the fun is computed in all tables whatfoever; confequently, as the feaman always makes up his reckoning at the end of his day, and the beginning of the astronomical one of the fame name, he mult ufe the declination put down in the tables for that day, and not "the declination for the following one," as Mr. Moore advifes. This miftake, which runs through all Mr. Moore's nautical writings, is the more extraordinary in a perfon who tells us, he has formerly belongedto the royal navy but, we will venture to affirm, that on board no fhip in the royal navy could he ever have worked an obfervation, at noon, without differing from every other person in it.

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From among the many unfortunate additions made by this Author, we fhall only felect one more, viz. page 65, he gives the common rule for computing an azimuth (which is to be met with in every book of navigation), namely, Add: the complement of the latitude, the complement of the altitude, and the fun or ftar's polar distance into one fum: from half that fum, fubtract the polar distance, and note the half fum and the remainder.' So far our Author.runs with the herd; but in order to fupply the deficiencies of all who wrote before him, he adds, "But if the half fum-be-lefs than the

* See p. 162, of his Practical Navigator, 2d edit

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