will ever be thofe who, studying mankind only in their closets, at tempt to defcribe manners they have never feen, are certain in the end to betray their ignorance and prefumption. Art. 24. A Poetic Epistle to the Author of a Paraphrafe of a celebrated Chapter of St. Paul. Fol. I S. Faulder. 1779.

On the fuppofition that Mr. Anitey, the humorous Author of The New Bath Guide, could not write feriously, our Author imagined (when he faw the Paraphrafe on the 13th Chapter to the Corinthjans advertised) that this fon of pleafantry muft mean a burlesque ; and having read the poem, he fill thinks that it is a ludicrous performance.-What a conftruction!

*

On this idea, the Author of the pamphlet before us has given Mr. Anftey a friendly admonition; of which a fingle line,

Renounce thy errors, and repent in time,'

may be a fufficient fpecimen.

Art. 25. The Divorce. A Poem. 4to. I s. 6d. Bishop.

1779.

The Author tells us in his preface he is refolved, with his eyes open, to join the fcribbling tribe.' Of this rah refolution take the following proof:

We, who fcorn the mufty rules
That ftern religion taught her fools,
Have fet at length the matter right,
And prov'd it as a jufler rite,
To find a flaw-and kindly fever
Whom fate unkindly yok'd together."

Art. 26. An Efay on Man, in his State of Policy; in a Series of
Twelve Epitiles. By Thomas Delamayne, Efq. 4to.

Harrison and Co.

2 s. 6 à.

Of the Twelve Epistles, announced in the title-page, the prefent publication contains only Three. When Mr. Delamayne has completed his defign, we fhall give an account of the whole perform

acce.

Art. 27. The Guardians; a Poem. By a young Lady of Portf mouth. 4to. 6 d. Robinson, &c. 1779.

The young Lady of Portsmouth, with fingular diffidence and modefy, requests, if this little poem fhould become an object of the Reviewers notice, that the worst lines may be felected as a specimen of the Author's performance.

We are forry that a tak fhould be impofed upon us, especially by a Lady, which, we must confefs, our abilities are in no degree equal For how can we prefume to point out the worst lines, when all are equally good?

to.

The poem is intended as a compliment to Admiral Keppel. Art. 28. Friendship the derniere Refource. A Poem, addressed to a Gentleman late of Cambridge. By a young Gentleman of the Middle Temple. 4to. I s. 6d. Evans.

For the fake of this young Gentleman's acquaintance, we will hope that Pope's obfervation is not true,

That each bad author is as bad a friend.

For an account of this performance, fee Review for June, 1779.

Art.

Art. 29. Bagnigge-Wells: A Poem. In which are pourtrayed the Characters of the most eminent Filles de joye. With Notes and Illustrations, critical, historical, and explanatory. 4to. 1 s. 6d. Hawkins, in Paternofter-Row. 1779.

Thy arbours, Bagnigge, and the gay alcove, Where the frail nymphs in amorous dalliance rove, Where 'prentic'd youths enjoy the Sunday feast, And city matrons boast their Sabbath's reft; Where unfledg'd Templars first as fops parade, And new-made Enfigns Sport their firft cockade ; Sing Mufe, converfant in the various styles Which deck St. James's, or adorn St. Giles.'Thus fings the Mufe of Bagnigge-Wells; and the poem proves the Author happily converfant with his noble fubject. Ode to the Genius of Great Britain.

Art. 30.

Dodiley.

A Pigmy bestriding the Pegafus of Pindar.

4to. 1 S.

Art. 31. The Modifh Wife. A Poem. Infcribed to the reigning Ton. 4to. I S. Dixwell.

A general fatire on modern female diffipation, and fashionable vice. The fubject and the verfe equally contemptible.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 32. Thoughts on the Conduct of Admiral Keppel; together with Reasons for restoring Sir Hugh Pallifer into the full Confidence and good Opinion of his Country. 8vo. 3 d. Richardfon and Urquhart. 1779.

A fober and fenfible vindication of Admiral Pallifer, under fourteen distinct heads,-the last of which being a general conclufion from the whole, may be here extracted. If a man, who in the heat of action behaved with the greatest gallantry, and in the most exemplary and meritorious manner, who fought his fhip till the was reduced to a perfect wreck, who was the last in action, fuffered the most in the action, and did not defift while fighting was permitted bim ;-if fuch a man, to whom the more generous fpirit of the ancients would have decreed public honours and rewards, were to fall a facrifice to party rage, and to be treated as an enemy to the ftate, who was the most anxious to ferve the ftate,-the navy of England, which was heretofore its glory and its boaft, must be haftening with quick fleps to inevitable ruin.'

Art. 33. A Treatise on the Custom of counting Nofes. 8vo.

Kearfly. 1779:

I s.

This humorous Writer is of opinion that the Cuftom of counting Nofes will appear to the fagacious reader a fubject of the greatest import; being, fays he, no less than that upon which every movement' of the ftate depends: During this nafal ceremony, reafon and argument attend in fufpence, and are often difmiffed without a power of appeal.-Life, liberty, and property, is here under a moft abfolute controul: Is it not then incumbent on us to inquire into the nature of that upon which every thing fo dear to us depends ?'

After examining into the caufes and effects of this custom, he proceeds to inquire into its conveniency.

In the first place, then, the nose was, before this inftitution, (allowing me to speak in metaphor) the most idle member of fociety; and therefore certainly now the most proper to be employed. It partook of the smallest share in performing the functions of the human frame. Its peculiar fenfe is, comparatively fpeaking, trifling, and that too is frequently deftroyed, by the almoft continual colds which we labour under in this climate.

Again: it is, in fome cafes, from the habiliments of office, and a peculiarity of shape, in fact, the only point of the man that can be got at. For example, my Lord Bathurst, when a little while ago Lord Chancellor, could not, I contend for it, be told, upon a stateday, by any other evidence in nature. A meagre Bishop, in his lawn (though I confefs it would be a very new appearance), comes within the fame cafe; as do Judges, Peers, gentlemen of the Bar in the House of Commons, and the Speaker in general. The prefent one happening to have fo much forehead, does not overturn the rule, for exceptio probat regulam, cum multis aliis; fo that, but for this, in fome of the inftances I have given, as that of my Lords the Bishops (whofe taciturnity is not, from long and immemorial ufage, now a matter of remark), an enterprising Minifter might, like Bayes, foift in a bench of buckram upon any urgent occasion, and thus carry a question against the most leading principle of the con ftitution.

After expatiating with much pleafantry on the policy of the cuf tom, he concludes with a COMPLIMENT to Dr. Johnson, on the clearness of his definition of the nofe, which firft opened and gave a fcope to his comprehenfion of the fubject. Art. 34. A fhort Appeal to the Public. By the Gentleman who is particularly addreffed in the Poftfcript of the Vindication of fome Paffages in the fifteenth and fixteenth Chapters of the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. 8vo. Is. Robson, In the Postscript to his Vindication Mr. Gibbon makes a few observations on an anonymous pamphlet, under the title of A few Remarks, &c. By a GENTLEMAN. Most of the inftances, fays Mr. Gibbon, which are here produced, are of fo brittle a substance, that they fall in pieces as foon as they are touched: and I fearched for fome time before I was able to difcover an example of fome moment where the Gentleman had fairly staked his veracity against fome pofitive fact afferted in the two laft chapters of my Hiftory. At last I perceived that he has abfolutely denied that any thing can be gathered from the Epiftles of St. Cyprian, o. from his treatise de unitate Ecclefia, to which I had referred, to justify my account of the fpiritual pride and licentious manners of fome of the Confeffors.'

The Gentleman, in this Appeal to the Public, replies in the following manner As I profefs truth to be the only object of all my inquiries, fo, when found, I mean ever to make it the fole rule of all my words and actions. I fhall not therefore attempt to juftify, or even to palliate, the apparent error, otherwife than that the Author's period impreffed a very different idea on me than the words of St.

"The prominence on the face, which is the organ of fcent, and the emun&tory of the brain."

Cyprian,

Cyprian, as referred to, then did, or still do; and that very idea, through almost unpardonable inattention, I expreffed with the utmoft inaccuracy. But as the very beft excufes may not prove fatiffactory to all readers, I readily give it up, as I would any other error or errors pointed out to me, which I think it is the indifpenfable duty of every man of honour to do. I fhould moreover have acknowledged my obligations to the Author himself, for pointing out my error, had he done it with becoming decency and good manners.' The Gentleman acquaints us that there are feveral femarks both before and after the paffage Mr. Gibbon has condefcended to take notice of, in which he had fairly flaked his veracity against fome pofitive fact afferted in his hiftory; and he appeals to the Public, if they had not a right to be fatisfied on feveral other articles to which he has chofen to be utterly filent. He mentions fome few objections which a complete vindication, he fays, fhould have cleared up.-But we refer our Readers to the Appeal itself.

For our account of the Gentleman's former Remarks, fee Review, vol. lix. p. 231.

Art. 35. Examen Philofophique et Politique des Loix relatives aux Mariage, Repudiation, Divorce et Separation. Par un Citoyen du Monde.-A Philofophical and Political Examination of the Laws concerning Marriage, Divorce, Separation, &c. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Elmiley. 1779.

The unknown Author of this Examination writes like a philofopher, a man of fenfe, and a good citizen. His tract is addreffed to the parliament of England, which he looks upon as the wifeft legiflative body in Europe, and to which, together with the study of our free conftitution, he acknowledges himfelf indebted for whatever ideas he has on the subject of legiflation. He further tells us, that if there is a state on earth which has given to laws their true direction, where man is in poffeffion of his native dignity, and enjoys all the advantages of fociety, without giving up too many of the prerogatives which he derives from nature, it is undoubtedly ENGLAND. The best political conftitution, however, he júftly obferves, has ftill too many defects; and, indeed, every work of man bears upon it evident and ftriking marks of his weakness, his pas fions, and his errors. It is incumbent, therefore, upon every good citizen, to point out, with modefty and decency, whatever he confiders as a defect in that fyftem of laws to which he is subject, and to contribute every thing in his power towards carrying it to as great -a degree of perfection as the prefent condition of humanity can admit.

The fubject of our Author's Examination is one of the most im'portant that can engage the attention of a legiflator; marriage being one of the principal pillars of fociety, one of the branches of legiflation which has the greatest influence upon the peace and order of fociety, and the happiness of individuals. Every abuse, indeed, in relation to it, muft neceffarily be attended with pernicious confequences to the body politic, and to its members.

It is to be regretted that our Author, who feems to be well acquainted with human nature, and to have confidered his subject very attentively, fhould have confined himself to fuch narrow limits; and fatisfied himself with a tranfient glance at a variety of topics, many

of

of which require, and to which he is very capable of giving, an ample difcuffion.

Within the limits of ninety-two pages we have about feventy chapters, to which we must refer our Readers. Though the Author only touches upon many curious points, his touches are thofe of a mafter -EX PEDE HERCULEM.

Art. 36. Remonftrance des Naturaliftes a la Chambre des Lords du Parlement d'Angleterre, relativement à la Libertè de Confcience. Ecrite par Mr. D. C. Avocat. 8vo. I s. Sold at No. 3, MarketStreet, Oxford-Market.

A light, declamatory piece, in favour of univerfal toleration, written in the true fpirit of Voltaire. It is probably intended to recommend the Freethinker's conventicle in Margaret street. Art. 37. The House of Peereffes; or, Female Oratory. Containing the Debates of feveral Peereffcs on the Bishop of Llandaff's Bill for the more effectual Difcouragement of the Crime of Adultery. 4to. 2 s. 6 d. Kearly. 1779.

The frequency of divorces in cafes of adultery, among our people of fashion, has given birth to this piece of pleafantry, among other late fatirical reprehenfions of the fhameless mifconduct of our highbred dames. The debates, in this female parliament, on the Bishop of Llandaff's Bill, are well imagined, and fupported with fpirit.Perhaps this ludicrous method of attacking the vices of the great, may be better adapted to produce fome degree of reformation, than more serious arguments, though drawn from the most interesting and important confiderations.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 38. A Supplement to the Works of John Hutchinson, Esq; By the late learned Robert Spearman, Efq; 8vo. 3 s. 6d.

Law.

Thofe who have a reverence for the myftical philofophy of Mr. Hutchinfon, will be pleafed to find, in this pofthumous publication of Mr. Spearman, (one of Mr. H.'s moft diftinguished followers) an account of the life of the great leader of a fect, of whom, though of very modern date, fcarce any traces now remain.-So, for the honour and intereft of the human faculties, may it ever fare with myticism!

Art. 39. A Theological Survey of the Human Understanding. Intended as an Antidote against Modern Deifm. By Robert Applegarth. 8vo. 5 s. Boards. Phillips, &c.

1779.

If we are not mistaken, this book has been already reviewed. Our Readers are referred to page 236 of our fifty-fixth volume. The work there mentioned bears the fame title with the book now before us; but the Author's name was not then put to it. Perhaps this is a new edition.

SERMONS.

I. The Evafion of Payments due to the State on Account of Customs and Excife, confidered, in a Difcourfe on Exod. xx. 15. Thou shalt not fteal. 8vo. 6d. Cambridge printed, and fold in London by Cadell, &c. 1779.

The force of this fhort diffuafive from the crime of smuggling, confifls in a dry frigid proof, that defrauding the fate of its duties,