planation, and which are frequently too obfcure to explain themselves; he introduceth obfolete law-terms of Saxon original; fuch as Sacc-toll and Theam, Infanginthef and Utfangenthef. As to the fituation of the abbies, &c. a common reader is frequently left in the dark: for unless they take their denomination from the names of diftinguifhed places, fuch as Totness, Barnstaple, Tavistock, &c. he would in vain confult this Complete Hiftory for the fituation of many others that are denominated from obfcure villages. Hundreds, even in Devonshire, are totally ignorant whether the abbies of Ford, Newnham, Dunkefwell, Buckfaft or Bockland, lie in the northern or fouthern, the eastern or weftern part of the county: and the Rev. Mr. Jones's "Extracts from the moft original and authentic Records" will give them no fort of information. ART. VI. Letters fuppofed to have been written by Yorick and Eliza. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6 s. bound. Bew. 1779. THE HE Editor of thefe Letters informs us that the Author wrote them merely for the amusement of himself and a few friends but as a copy of them had got abroad, he was apprehenfive they might be published as the genuine Letters of the late ingenious and celebrated Mr. Sterne; for a trick of that kind had, we are informed, been very fuccefsfully played off before with a few of the Author's letters; and, while his confcience fhuddered at the impofition, his vanity, we doubt not, was highly gratified in feeing the ingenious cheat fo easily and unfufpectingly fwallowed. Whether the Letter-writer's motive in making a difcovery of this petty fraud arofe from a fcrupulous confcience, or the vanity of a felf-complacent mind, it would be too prefuming for us to decide. But we cannot avoid asking, Whether the Author fuppofed Mr. Sterne was injured or honoured by fuffering thofe fictitious letters to pass under his name? If the former, it was a point of honour to undeceive the Public. If the latter-Now, here, if our philofophy of the human heart deceives us not, the truth will come out. Authors have not fuch a profufion of generofity as to tear the laurels from their own brows to place them on another's; or if they should, it is feldom with a defign to let them continue there. It is only done (as the Editor fays) by way of experiment.' It is only to fee how they will fuit a diftinguished head: and when they have been wore long enough to be admired, it would be a piece of extraordinary and almoft unheard-of felf-denial for the original proprietor not to claim his own. We will affift our Author (as his heart appears to be fo much fet on it) in letting the world know that the 4th, 5th, 6th, and fo on to the 10th (inclufive) of a small Collection REV. O&. 1779. U of of Letters, in one volume, publifhed as the late Mr. Sterne's, were (as the Editor affures us) the offspring of that pen which wrote the contents of the volumes' now before us. We must acknowledge that these little volumes bear a ftrong resemblance of Mr. Sterne's epiftolary ftyle: particularly that which his whim or his weakness led him to adopt when he wrote his amorofo-fentimental letters to Mrs. Draper. His manner in thofe letters might be eafily imitated by a man of very moderate genius with a little fancy and feeling, who would find the fuperior excellencies of his other writings quite beyond his reach. In vain fhall we fearch thefe volumes for the enchanting wildness-the original wit and humour-the vivid defcriptions-the exquifite pathos, or the acute reflections of Triftram Shandy and the Sentimental Journey. The fpirit is fed:what is left is mawkish and infipid! The Writer of thefe Letters hath caught little of Yorick, except the whine and cant of we know not what to call that species of love with which he addreffed Mrs. Draper. It was in truth a fniveling paffion; -it was love ftruck with a palfy: and we never read letters written in this ftyle, but we recal to mind a paffage in the Apocrypha concerning "the eunuch who embraceth a virgin-and -figheth," &c. . Our Letter-writer fuppofes Yorick to have written to Eliza the following tender things, which we fhall tranfcribe as a specimen of his exquifite knack at fentimental imitation.- How happy fhould I be, Eliza, if I were permitted to take thee by the hand and lead thee through this beautiful temple [viz. York-minster -the Beauty of Holinefs (as he calls it), which was preferved from the deftroying hand of that anti-cathedral monster, Oliver Cromwell], and while you leaned upon my arm to hear you make your own feet remarks upon it!-Having done this, I would conduct thee to the tomb of my anceftor-and then, Eliza, to my own-I mean, my dear, to that spot where I fhall defire fome kindred spirit to depofit my afhes.'-Very kind undoubtedly in Yorick to explain his deep meaning, left his poor, dear Eliza fhould think her poor dear Yorick was dead and buried all the while! Here it is that I purpose my marble bufto fhalk be placed as a memorial of me-with two lines telling to whom it belongs, and the kind hand which performed this laft office of affection. In this place, Eliza, we would ftand together;and while I vaticinated my deftiny, you would gently draw your arm from beneath mine-and ftealing your handkerchief from your pocket, would wipe away the tears which trickled down your cheeks - and when you had done it you would defire, if it was your fate to furvive me, that thou mighteft add a little tablet of thine own to be infcribed with thy name.-And fo thou fbalt, my affectionate girl!--and I will give thee fome lines. Τα to engrave upon it, which shall tell of thy tenderness and my friendship. Adieu!In the beginning of this letter you must have laughed; and at the clofe of it I well know that you will weep; -fo it is with me,—and the tears are now upon my cheek.- -As I wipe them off-I pray the angel of Pity to ftretch forth his hand-and wipe thine away for ever.' We fhall take our leave of this fictitious Yorick, after we have given a specimen of his wit. It is not the number of leaves or words which conftitute the real bulk of the volumebut the matter it contains: and there may be many a book which a man may carry in his breeches-What the deuce am I writing?in his waistcoat pocket, or a lady in her workbag, which when measured by this juft rule of dimenfion, would be found of a larger fize than many a cumbrous folio which fleeps and may all fuch for ever fleep-on the fhelf of fome college library.'-O ye fons of learned toil, on whose elaborate page the midnight taper fo often wafted its glimmering light, fee-fee what ye are come to! Ye ancient and ye modern fages-ye who studied before ye wrote, and preferred the cool judgment of the head to the wild and childish fallies of the heart, wipe your dim fpectacles, and behold the fate of all your labours! See to what dull obfcurity ye are configned. Your judge hath paffed your doom. "Duft to duft:-afhes to afhes:" nor can a refurrection be now your hope. Hic, qui fi crepidas Graïorum ludere geflit.- Si Cynico barbam petulans Nonaria vellat. a PERS. ART. VII. A Plan of Lectures on the Principles of Nonconformity, for the Inftruction of Catecumens. By R. Robinson. Small 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Buckland. 1778. A T the first rife of a fect, its grounds and principles are more carefully ftudied, and confequently better underftood by its profeffors, than when it hath gained a quiet eftablishment, and is grown familiar by cuftom. When the heat of controverfy hath fubfided, and oppofition hath weakened itfelf by its own ftruggles, zeal generally gives way to indifference: and that which is not deemed worth contention, is scarcely judged to be worthy of ftudy. Hence arifes the general ignorance of the Diffenters, with respect to the original grounds and reafons for nonconformity. They are at too great a remove from the cause, to feel themselves much interested in the effect. They were born to their profeffion; and on that account they paffively acquiefce in it but their forefathers were born to another profeffion; and when they left it, they were ftimulated by a pofitive principle. They became U 2 became actors in the great fcene of reformation. Their paf fions were unkindled; their intereft took a part in the contention. Oppofition fet them on their guard, and their whole fouls were alive to the best methods of attack and defence: but when nonconformity loft the allurement of novelty, it drew less attention, and became, in confequence, lefs the topic either of cenfure, or of vindication. The great zealots on both fides of the controverfy, who long kept up the flame of contention, being removed, the fire gradually decayed, and thofe who fucceeded were not much inclined to rekindle it. Diffenters, as they mingled with the world, loft the edge of their forefathers' fpirit. They had not their feelings, and could not intereft themselves in all their motives. This circumftance feems to be a matter of lamentation with Mr. Robinson; and to remedy it, appears to be the grand defign of his lectures. He wishes to collect the weak and feattered rays of zeal,-for at prefent they are at fuch a distance from the focus, that they have no power to act: they neither enflame nor warm! The prefent publication is an analysis of twelve lectures which the Author read to his catecumens, on the principles of nonconformity. His original defign was to trace out their nature, influence, and progrefs, by a deduction of arguments, and an investigation of fuch facts as were judged neceflary to illustrate and confirm them. He wifhes his brethren to purfue the fame courfe; and as a guide to those who may want abilities to begin or carry on a scheme of this fort without fome directions and affiftance, he humbly prefents (he tells us) the following analyfis, hoping it may facilitate the diffemination of their own principles among the youth in their affemblies.' 6 As we are the avowed friends of liberty and free inquiry, we heartily with well to every scheme that tends to enlarge their influence, and promote their good effects; but we do not think Mr. Robinson's plan, if ftrictly adhered to, the beft calculated to answer these beneficial purposes: on the contrary, we are of opinion, that it directly tends to fupport a narrow and illiberal fyftem both of fpeculation and conduct,-notwithstanding that the Author talks fo pompously about liberty and free inquiry, and declaims fo frequently, and fo fiercely, against bigotry, intolerance, and defpotifm. The books he recommends-fo far as the hiftory of the Nonconformifts is concerned-are wholly confined to one fide of the controverfy. Oldmixon is his poleftar! Mr. Robinson is a writer of fome ingenuity and acuteness. We have already paid a compliment to his abilities; but, in juftice to our impartiality as public critics, we muft acknowledge that both his ingenuity and his acuteness almost shrink into nothing nothing when contrafted with his vanity and his zeal. His vanity makes him pert, and his zeal renders him outrageous. He is, in truth, the Luke Milbourne of the Diffenters :-and, "Curfe ye Meroz-curfe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord-to the help of the Lord against the mighty"-would have been a very proper text for moft of his lectures. Such writers are little calculated to do credit to any caufe; and least of all to nonconformity. They lofe by their fury, what they might have fecured by their moderation; and forfeit by petulance what might have been granted to modefty.-Granted?-Why, what would Mr. Robinfon have? What can even he wish for, beyond what hath been granted? He hath his liberty; he reads his lectures; and he prints them. He is indulged in the freedom of abufing the eftablished Church, and fpeaking evil of its dignitaries. He hath the liberty of making as many converts as he can, and of baptizing them in his own way, and on his own terms. He can receive his pay, without any impoft, and he may spend it in the manner which may be agreeable to his inclinations. He is fubject to no fines; or if he ever was liable to them, were they ever demanded? He need not fear ftar-chamber arraignments-nor five-mile acts, nor dread the malice of a fkulking informer. He hath then his freedom; and he makes a very free ufe of it: Now what would the man have more?—The hiftory of the godly friars of the laft century, is not yet forgotten: and we may learn by it, that ENVY is frequently the parent of zeal, and when it becomes united with power, it scarce ever fails to produce oppreffion. A few extracts from thefe Lectures-or rather this fyllabus of Lectures [a sketch or outline to be filled up by others]-will be fufficient to juftify our reflections; and from them the impartial reader may judge how far fuch a spirit as the Author difcovers is like to promote the caufe of liberal nonconformity-or (which is of higher moment) the great ends of living in fociety, and a true preparation for the world of eternal peace and love. Speaking of the public liturgy of the Church of England, he inftructs his brethren to reprefent it to their catecumens, as a ' defective book, in every point of view-that there are errors in it of every kind, viz. literary, philofophical, philological, and theological-that the very fcriptures are burlefqued by being turned into queftion and answer-that the whole is unneceffary and unwarrantable-and that the impofition of it is defpotical.' Again he fays, the whole ritual is unordained by Godunprofitable in divine worship-expenfive-heterogeneous and hurtful to popular piety, by employing the little time and capacities of the common people about trifles, generally rendered hateful to them by the flovenly manner in which they are per U 3 formed: |