climate will be favourable to its production. Poffibly there may be fome difficulty in the management of thofe plants which are intended for feed. But fuppofing this to be the cafe, feed would, we prefame, be eafily imported at a very trifling expence. We have, however, known the feed ripen to great perfection in our English gardens. The rules which Mr. Carver lays down, though drawn only, as he informs us, from memory, feem to be both full and fatisfactory a's ⚫ well for the cultivating as curing this important article of commerce. If Mr. Carver's reprefentations be true, and there is no reason for fufpecting they are otherwife, the cultivation of tobacco is attended with as few difficulties as that of the most common vegetable; and the method of curing it alfo feems to be equally eafy and fimple. Befides the ufual purposes to which it is applied, it may be used alfo as a fubftitute for oak-bark in tanning leather. As an ornamental plant, it may be admitted into the pleafure-garden, being when in flower both majestic and beautiful. There is a good print of it in Mr. Carver's book. Art. 62. Confiderations on the East-India Bill now depending in Arraigns the justice of the bill, as a breach of public faith to the company affociated under a charter confirmed by fubfequent acts of parliament, purchased for valuable confiderations. But that bill having fince paffed into a law, the queftion is fo far decided, as to fuperfede any farther debate on it, except perhaps among the parties affected. RELIGIOUS. Art. 63. Earnest Advice, particularly to Perfons who live in an habitual Neglect of our Lord's Supper; confidered as a commemorative Sacrifice infeparable from Christianity, and as a Prefervative against fuperftitious Fears, and the immoral Practices, which deface the Glory of our Country, and darken our Profpects of a Life to come. In forty-nine Letters. By Jonas Hanway, Efq. 12mo. 2s. Dodfley, &c. 1778. Mr. Hanway, we fee, continues his benevolent labours to promote the virtue and happiness of his countrymen. He formerly published a fmall volume called the Commemorative Sacrifice; great part,' he fays, of the matter of that work is brought into this, but newly arranged; fome of the letters are fresh compofition, but comprehending the fenfe of different writers.-Molt of the letters are fhort, prefuming that fo many refling places will encourage thofe who read but little, or fuch as have but little time for reading. On the whole, he adds, I have endeavoured to divest myself of that mysterious awe which gives the major part of the people falle impreffions of that unworthiness alluded to by St. Paul; and fo far difpel the clouds of ignorance and careleffnefs, which fpread fo deep a fhadow over the land. Thus, I hope, my humble pen will bring fome to the table of our Lord, who might otherwife live and die totally negligent of this facred inftitution." In the dedication of this volume to the Countess Spencer, he obferves, when speaking of the ftate of piety and virtue, ・ moralifts, as well as divines, in all ages, have complained: the prefent ra cannot be called wonderful, when we fee the hiftories of mankind furnish fuch unnumbered inftances of the fame caufes producing the fame effects. Indeed we feem to be fo far fingular, that I will venture to fay there never was so free, learned, and ingenious a people in the fame degree negligent with regard to the prime article of the religion of their country; and from this caufe I apprehend we may fairly date the greatest part of the calamities which threaten us. Impreffed therefore by the truth and importance of christianity, and alfo by the obligation and usefulness of the peculiar inftitution which he here more profeffedly confiders, be proceeds with earneftnefs, and under a variety of views, to perfuade Chriftians to comply, in this instance, with the request and precept of their Lord. His book contains much ufeful inftruction and perfuafive piety; but had it been brought into a yet narrower compass, it might perhaps have been more beneficial. His frequent ufe of the words altar, facrifice, &c. tend, we think, to convey an idea of this ordinance fomewhat different from that which the plain and fhort account given of it in the New Testament fuggefts or warrants. However, though we do not regard the work as entirely free from objections, it is certainly calculated to promote the best purposes, and we heartily with the views of the worthy Author may be anfwered, by rendering his readers the better, and happier, for the perufal of his well-intended letters. SERMON S. I. Chriftianity the true Foundation of Civil Liberty.-Preached at St. Mary's, Leicefter, at the Affizes held there Aug. 12, 1778, by John Cole Galloway, A. M. Vicar of Hinckley in that County. 8vo. Is. H. Payne, &c. Plain, ferious, fenfible, and well adapted to the occafion. II. Chriftian Fortitude particularly recommended in Times of Danger, at the Chapel-Royal, St. James's, July 4, 1779. By S. Glaffe, D. D. F. R S. 8vo. 6d. Rivington. Dr. Glaffe fhall, himself, review this pious and feasonable sermon. It is the defign of this discourse to encourage reflections of the most falutary kind; to draw the line, as carefully as may be, betwixt a dangerous felf-confidence on the one hand, and a not lefs dangerous despair on the other; each leading by different paths to the fame end, viz. to a fatal inactivity.' CORRESPONDENCE. A CARD. HILODOMUS prefents his refpectful compliments to the Monthly Reviewers, begs that they will acquaint him when Organs were first introduced into the Chriftian Church, and by whom which will much oblige him, and fome others of their conftant Readers. Cumberland, 12th July, 1779. Some of our Readers may, perhaps, be able to fatisfy the curiofity of this Correfpondent. Poffibly the information he feeks may be obtained by confulting Burney's History of Mufic, or Sir John Hawkins; or Anderfon's Hiftory of Commerce. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For AUGUST, 1779. L ART. I. JOHNSON's Prefaces to the Works of the English Poets. Volume II. Vid. laft Month's Review, Art. I. T MILTO N. HE active part which Milton took in the public tranfactions of the times he lived in, will ever fubject him to the mifreprefentations of partiality or prejudice. In the biogra phical part of the preface before us, we have obferved fome paffages not totally free from the influence of one of these principles. In the opening of the narrative, after mentioning fome other particulars of his family, we are told that his father had two fons, John the poet, and Chriftopher, who studied the law, and adhered, as the law taught him, to the King's party. After the acceffion of King James, he was knighted, and • made a judge; but, his conftitution being too weak for bufi'ness, he retired before any difreputable compliances became neceffary.' Fenton fays, "by too eafy a compliance with "the doctrines of the court, both religious and civil, he at"tained to the dignity of being made a judge of the Common Pleas, of which he died divested not long after the Revolu"tion." As he is faid to have adhered to what the law taught him, we will hope, though there doth not feem much reason to believe, that he retired before any disreputable compliances became neceffary. Yet, when the difpofition of the times is confidered, it is far from probable that he fhould have been advanced from the obfcurity of chamber practice, which he followed, to fit as a judge in the court of Common Pleas, unless his readiness of compliance had been previously known. But, perhaps, as he adhered, as the law taught him, to King Charles's party, the biographer thought him entitled to fome little indulgence. VOL. LXI. G Milton Milton was first educated under a domestic tutor, and afterward fent to St. Paul's fchool; from whence, in the beginning of his fixteenth year, he was removed to Cambridge. We are told, there is reason to suspect that he was regarded in his college with no great fondnefs. That he obtained no fellowship is certain; but the unkindness with which he was treated was hot merely negative. I am afhamed,' continues the biographer, to relate what I fear is true, that Milton was the laft ftudent in either univerfity, that fuffered the public indignity of corporal correction. It was, in the violence of controverfial hoftility, objected to him, that he was expelled: this he fteadily denies, and it was apparently not true; but it feems plain from his own verfes to Diodati, that he had incurred Ruftication; a temporary difmiffion into the country, with perhaps the lofs of a term: Jam nec arundiferum mihi cura revisere Camum, Nec duri libet ufque minas perferre magiftri, Cæteraque ingenio non fubeunda meo. 'I cannot find any meaning but this, which even kindness and reverence can give to the term, vetiti laris," a habitation from which he is excluded;" or how exile can be otherwife interpreted. He declares yet more, that he is weary of enduring the threats of a rigorous mafier, and something else, which a temper like his cannot undergo. What was more than threat was evidently punishment.' If the evidence of Milton's fuffering the public indignity of corporal correction reft only on the above quoted lines, there is certainly a construction put upon them which the sense by no means requires. By rendering cæteraque in the fingular number, the application which in the original is general, in the tranflation is made particular. There are many infults and indignities which academical fubordination might make him liable to, befide corporal correction, or the threats of ruftication or expulfion, which a temper like Milton's might find a difficulty in fubmitting to. But fuppofing the conjecture to be true, fhame would furely never fuffer him even to allude to what he could not but think of with the utmost indignation, nor is it probable he would ever wish to revifit fcenes where he had fuffered fuch public indignity. When the biographer comes to that part of Milton's life when he returned from abroad, he tells us, that hearing of the differences between the King and parliament, he thought it proper to haften home, rather than pafs his life in foreign. amufements while his countrymen were contending for their rights. At his return he hired a lodging at the house of one Ruffel a taylor, in St. Bride's Church-yard, and undertook the education of John and Edward Philips, his fifter's fons. Finding his rooms too little, he took a house and garden in Alders4 gate L gate Areet. Here he received more boys to be boarded and intructed.' He then breaks off his narrative to. exclaim, Let not our veneration for Milton forbid us to look with fome degree of merriment on great promifes and fmall performance, on the man who haftens home, because his countrymen are contending for their liberty, and, when he reaches the scene of action, vapours away his patriotifm in a private boarding-school.' What the Doctor finds to excite merriment we own ourselves ignorant of. Whatever might be Milton's patriotism, it was neceffary he should live. To do this with competence and convenience, he undertook the education of youth. The neceffity of this is acknowledged. His allowance was not ample, and he fupplied its deficiencies by an honeft and ufeful employment.' That he promised more than other men in the like fituations may be doubted; that he performed lefs is what no man can have the hardiness to affirm. He had not been above a year in England before he fignalized himself, and affifted the cause which he efpoufed, by his treatife of Reformation, in two books. This work was foon followed by another, and that, in the year following, by a third. With what propriety, therefore, are we to look with merriment at his vapouring away his patriotifm in a private boarding-school? In what follows we fully agree with our Author: This is the period of his life from which all his biographers feem inclined to fhrink. They are unwilling that Milton fhould be degraded to a school-mafter; but fince it cannot be denied that he taught boys, one finds out that he taught for nothing, and another that his motive was only zeal for the propagation of learning and virtue; and all tell what they do not know to be true, only to excufe an act which no wife man will confider as in itfelf difgraceful. His father was alive; his allowance was not ample, and he fupplied its deficiencies by an honest and ufeful employment. It is told, continues this Writer, that in the art of education he performed wonders; and a form dable lift is given of the authors, Greek and Latin, that were read in Alderfgate-ftreet, by youth between ten and fifteen or fixteen years of age. Those who tell or receive these ftories, fhould confider that nobody can be taught fafter than he can learn. The fpeed of the best horfeman must be limited by the power of his horfe. Every man, that has ever undertaken to inftruct others, can tell what flow advances he has been able to make, and how much patience it requires to recal vagrant inattention, to ftimulate fluggish indifference, and to rectify abfurd mifapprehenfion Notwithstanding we give full credit to the juftnefs of thefe remarks, we cannot think it impoffible but Milton might make many improvements upon the modes of education which at that time might prevail; he certainly was capable of ftriking out new roads to learning that might poffibly be shorter and easier than those that were usually travelled. For, though it be true G 2 ⚫ that |