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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 seventy chapIters, to which we must refer our Readers. Though the Author only touches upon many curious points, his touches are thofe of a master -EX PEDE HERCULEM,

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

Street, Oxford-Market.

3, 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 freet. Art. 37. The House of Peereffes; or, Female Oratory. Containing the Debates of feveral Peereffes on the Bishop of Llandaff's Bill for the more effectual Difcouragement of the Crime of Adultery. 4to. 2s. 6d. 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, Efq; By the late learned Robert Spearman, Efq; 8vo. 3 s. o d.

Law.

Thofe who have a reverence for the mystical philofophy of Mr. Hutchinfon, will be pleafed to find, in this pofthumous publication of Mr. Spearman, (one of Mr. H.'s most diftinguished followers) an ac count of the life of the great leader of a feet, 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 myfticifm!

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 Excije, 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 fmuggling, confifts in a dry frigid proof, that defrauding the state of its duties,

is a breach of the Mofaic injunction again ft ftealing. But it is much to be doubted whether a notable housewife, when the finds a fly opportunity of getting a pound of tea, a piece of Bruffels, or a gallon of nice Hollands for her own ufe, will think herfelf bound by the Jewish decalogue, provided the can elude the pains and penalties of a British act of parliament.

Sometimes mankind err in practice, when their intentions may be acquitted; but in the above cafes, thefe good ladies, though they always cunningly mean to defraud their country, are often perfectly innocent in the fact; by thinking as little of the duffer as they do of the eighth commandment.

11. The Neceffity of a National Reformation.-Occafioned by the prefent critical State of the Nation,-at the Parish Church of Leeds, July 11, 1779, and published by Requeft. By Miles Atkinfon, A. B. 8vo. 6d. Wallis, &c.

Mr. Atkinson contends that fin is the fource of all calamity, and that to repent and turn through Jefus Christ unto God, is the way to fafety and peace.'-This Gentleman preaches to a congregation of Christians, not philofophers.

III. Preparation for Death-Preached at the Interment of Mr. Samuel Knight, late of Shoreditch, near Taunton, Somerset (who was killed by the Fall of a Wall, Dec. 28, 1778, in the 41st Year of his Age). By Thomas Reader. 12mo. 3 d. Buckland.

This Author lately diftinguished himself as a great calculator :not in the fame line with the ingenious Dr. Price, but in a line quite out of the Doctor's reach, or indeed that of any other man of mere common sense. He hath plunged deep in faturity, and having feen, he tells

"Of things invisible to mortal fight!"

His prefent difcourfe, though not fo profound as his Apocalyptical Vifions +, is tinctured with the fame dark hue of myfticifm. We give Mr. Reader ample credit for his piety, which is undoubted; but we wish he would allow his good fenfe to check his fanaticifm. There is a warmth of colouring in fome of his expreffions, fuitable enough to a popular and illiterate audience; but we apprehend that only the loweft and groffeft part of the Diffenters can hear, without difguft, fuch an expreffion as this- It certainly becomes us to ask with a kind of infinite folicitude. Is the dart which is to diflodge me from earth, now fleeping in the milk and honey of God's gracious covenant, or in the vengeance of God's juttice ?'-To have given an air of confiftency to this curious antithefis, he fhould have compared the juftice of God to vinegar and gall.

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But we will not attempt to mend what ought to be totally reprobated as injurious to religion, and difgraceful to the pulpit. IV. The Duty and Character of a national Soldier, Jan. 2, 1-79, at the High Church in Hull, before the Nottinghamshire Militia, commanded by Lord George Sutton, on the Delivery of the Colours to the Regiment. 8vo. 6d. Johnson.

We cannot conceive why the name of the Preacher is with-held from this very fenfible and animated publication. It is really an excellent discourse, and cannot fail of doing honour to its Author.

↑ See Review for January, p. 75.

The

The friends of civil liberty will be peculiarly pleased with his fentiments on that head. Surely the worthy Preacher was not afraid left offence fhould be taken at those sentiments!

V. At New Broad-Street, Aug. 1, 1779, on the Death of the late Rev. Caleb Fleming, D. D. who departed this Life July 21, in the 81st Year of his Age By John Palmer. With the Oration delivered at the Interment, by Jofeph Towers. 8vo. 1 s. Johnson. A respectable commemoration of a very refpectable character.

CORRESPONDENCE.

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N anfwer to the quere of Philodemus (Vid Rev. July, laft page) Ia a Correfpondent has fent us the following extract from Leigh's Body of Divinity, inferted in a treatife of Lawfon's, printed in 1703, ch. 5. Of the Rife of Mufical Inftruments in the Churches profeffing Christianity.Inftruments of Mufic were not heard of in the Latin church, till the days of Pope Vitalian, who, about the year 660, invented and brought the ufe of Organs into the church.” Balani Angliæ Epifcopus, &c.

Our Correfpondent adds, that an Abbot named Benedictus, brought with him from Rome, in the year 724, one John the arch-chaunter; who first taught the English how to fing in the choir, after the manner of Rome; but that Sternhold and Hopkins were the first who compofed the Pfalms of David in English metre.

The fame Correfpondent informs us that Mr. Carr, the tranflator of Lucian, is the very refpectable Master of a boarding school in great repute, at Hertford:' this in answer to a note at the end of our Review for June.

... To the Correfpondent who inquires concerning the further confideration of Dr. Kippis's Biographia Britannica,' we reply,-the fubject will be refumed on the appearance of the fecond volume.

The N. B. from the fame Correfpondent, relating to a matter of bufinefs, in the Publifher's department, is referred to Mr. Becket; who will answer the Gentleman's inquiry, if favoured with his addrefs.

+++ Robertfonioni's Letter is received, and the "Prize Effays"

therein mentioned will be confidered.

§15 The explanation of the proverbial phrafe to "Bear the Bell," being a matter fomewhat foreign from our plan, has been feat to the St. James's Chronicle, and was inferted in that paper of Sept. 21.

** The Bishop of Offory's Harmony of the Gospels, and Marshall's Experiments and Obfervations concerning Agriculture and the Weather,

in our next.

* The wafer has rendered the name illegible; but it seems to be John or James, or fomething - Lawfon. We have not the book to confult.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For OCTOBER, 1779.

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ART. I. Experiments and Obfervations concerning Agriculture and the Weather. By Mr. Marshall, Author of the Minutes of Agriculture." 4to. 7 s. 6d. fewed. Dodfley. 1779.

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HE choice that Solomon made of wisdom in preference to every other endowment, confidering that he was then a very young man, appears not a little extraordinary, and is a convincing proof that he was not, even at that period, deftitute of a very confiderable share of that eftimable quality he wished to poffefs in ftill greater perfection; but in the eyes of moft young men, the brilliancy of GENIUS feems more irrefiftibly alluring, although to fuch as are of riper years, it is often evident that this endowment more frequently proves hurtful than beneficial to its poffeffors, as it occafions a nicety of perception, and a keen irritability of temper, ill adapted to the ordinary occurrences of life. Convinced of this fact, Erasmus endeavoured to folace himself for the inconveniencies which had accrued to him from this caufe, by writing his eulogium of FOLLY; and a later author*, with lefs wit, has more pathetically described the troubles that environ the man who is poffeffed of talents fuperior to those which the generality of mankind can boast.

This obfervation occurred to us on reading the work which is the fubject of the prefent Article, and which is the production of a writer, who (if we mistake not) will, in time, feel the juftnefs of thefe reflections ftill more forcibly than ourselves: for throughout the whole of his remarks we difcover evident proofs of a lively and penetrating genius, running rapidly forward, in a career, in which he will be followed by few. He does not seem aware, that those who are the leaft able to

• Dr. John Gregory, in his Comparative View, &c.
VOL. LXI.
R

cem

comprehend the excellences of his performance, will not only be most willing, but most able to difcover its defects, and will be most fuccefsful, likewife, in pointing out thofe defects to others for the little mind, incapable of comprehending the general plan of any great defign, creeps along, pries into every trifle, catches at minute defects, and faithfully points them out to the multitude, whofe contracted optics take in the same narrow range with itself t.

Old as we are now become in our literary labours, and accustomed to remark, for many years, the effects of different circumflances on the minds of men, it is hard to say whether, in many cafes, we derive greater pleasure or pain from the perufal of works of genius. If we were to confider only ourselves,

There is a fiertè, a fpecies of haughtinefs in behaviour, too natural to men of talents, which it were happy for themselves if they could correct, as it is perhaps the fource of more uneafinefs than they can be aware of. We meet with a ftrong and most disgusting example of this, toward the end of the advertisement prefixed to the prefent volume. The farm, fays he, was let to a neighbour, whofe birth, parentage, and education; life, character, and VIOUR, are jointly and feverally-not worth recording.'-The paffage is printed, as we have given it.

BEHA

Notwithstanding our tenderness, and avowed partiality, for this Author, it is impoffible for us to find words fufficiently expreffive of our diflike of the foregoing paffage; which is altogether unworthy of a place in any literary work. Leaving it, therefore, as indefenfible, in a liberal view, we fhall only remonftrate with our Author on its impropriety with regard to himself. Mr. M. here affumes, with the utmost arrogance, a pre-eminence over his neighbour, to which it is very poble his own vanity alone gives him a title. In certain refpects it is highly probable our Author has greatly the advantage over his neighbour; in others, perhaps, the neighbour may excel our Author and the wafpifhnefs of this remark is a strong prefump

tion with us that it is fo.

But granting it fhould be otherwife. Allowing even that this neighbour fhould be a much more infignificant perfon than he really is; if our Author has fuperior talents, ought he not to exercife thefe talents in cultivating a more liberal difpofition of mind than can be expected from thofe to whom nature has been lefs bountiful? Ought he not alfo to know, that people of inferior abilities may be as vain of their talents as others, and must be more shocked at any contemptuous treatment than men of greater parts would be, because it preffes more upon the fore heel? Why then should he wil fully hurt them? It indicates a littlenefs of mind, to be capable of doing this, of which we hope our Author would be ashamed. Let him, moreover, be reminded, that indulging fallies of this kind, is ufually attended by the most difagreeable confequences to the aggreffor; it irritates beyond a poffibility of forgiveness; and may excite a third of vengeance which never can be fatiated,

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