and Euthymius alfo understand the particle as denoting only fimilitude: and, on the other hand, Glaffius, in his Philologia Sacra, Lib. 3 Tract, 5. Canon. 28." Bucherus, in his “ Antiquitates biblicæ ex N. T. fele&tæ. p. 670," and more particularly Webovius, in his "Diatribe in Hift. Palionis Dom. Noftri. p. 100,” maintain that do here denotes reality.

I beg leave to inform Clericus Wellenfs (through your Review) to whom you gave an answer in Auguft laft, reipecting "Epitome Vitarum Plutarchi, &c." that there is another edition of that" Epitome," with an "Index," viz. "apud Jacobum Stoer (no place mentioned) 1608." I would alfo refpectfully enlarge a paffage in your Review for June. p. 678, where you fay, that this Epitome" might be tranflated with advantage. It is already tranflated. It is an octavo of 350 pages. The title is, "Plutarch's Lives of the illuftrious Greeks and Romans, with their Comparifons. Done from the Epitomy of Darius Tibertus, a noble Italian, and corrected by the Original. By the Author of a Grammar of the English Tongue, with Notes, &c. London, 1713."

Now, Clericus Wellenfis may perhaps particularly want these books, and, as I have them, they are much at his service, on his fignifying his with through your Review, and they shall be left for him at Meffrs. Rivingtons.

With my congratulations to you on the well-earned and farextended reputation of the British Critic,

I remain, Gentlemen,

Jan. 25, 1796.

your obedient fervant,

(and former correfpondent)
A grateful Reader.

Benevolus may be affured, that the affertion to which he alludes was most strictly correct, and true. In the opinion he ftates, we do not at all coincide with him.

At the fuggeftion of R. B. C. we turned to the very entertaining adventures of Signor Gaudentio di Lucca, which we had formerly read and admired, and find that the Mezzoranian Tale is indeed there at p. 202. Perhaps an extract from fo common a book, should not have been inferted in a new publication without a reference to it. We return our thanks to this writer, for the very obliging expreffions with which he concludes his letter.

The objection raised by a clergyman to Mr. Keate's interpretation, from the nineteenth verfe, is fully obviated in p. 27 of his publication, and may be anfwered alfo in other

ways:

ways nor had the tendency of other paffages, of a fimilar kind, been overlooked, as may be feen in his twenty-fifth page. Our Admirer, who fends us verfes, may depend upon it that we are far from defigning to flight Loyal attachment. It will be noticed, if tardily, yet the more ftrongly fhould it be found to deferve it.

J. W. has no mercy. Because we will not take up a whole controverfy he picks out fcraps of it. If we thought with him on thefe points, we fhould be of his opinion in the reft. This is the laft answer we thall give.

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

A very elegant work is expected from the pen of a young man of high family. It is a tranflation of a very popular German Ballad, executed by Mr. W. Spencer. It will appear as a fpecimen of beautiful typography, and ornamented with engravings from drawings, by Lady D. Beauclerk.

Mr. Cox, fo juftly celebrated for his travels in the Northern parts of Europe, is now employed on Memoirs of Sir Robert Walpole, which will be illuftrated by ftate papers and letters never before publifhed, and carefully connected with the hiftory of the time.

The Journals of Captain Vancouver, who formerly failed. with Cook, and has lately returned from a voyage of difcovery, are in a state of preparation to be laid before the public by authority.

A work, confifting of many beautiful plates, from drawings of the moft ftriking fcenes in the environs of Rome, will foon be published by Mr. Edwards, in Bondftrect. Short defcriptions of the places reprefented are to accompany the plates.

We understand, alfo, that Mr. Dalby, of Liverpool, who has a very fine collection of Rembrandts, is about to publifh a Catalogue raifonné.

An undergraduate of Cambridge has projected, and nearly completed, a chronological View of all the Syftems of Theology which have prevailed in the different ages of the world. The work is said to be in confiderable forwardnefs.

ERRATUM.

In p. 93 of our laft Review, at Art. 43, for " Repofitory of Arts and Manufactures," read "Repertory?" alfo in the correfponding part of the blue cover.

THE

BRITISH CRITIC,

For MARCH, 1796.

Qui res audacter magnas, parvafque, jocumque
Eloqueret.

ENNIUS.

Be ours the task with freedom to produce,
Things fmall and great, for pleasure or for ufe,

ART. I. Philofophical Sketches of the Principles of Society and Government. 8vo. 159 pp. 4s. Elmfly. 1795.

IT

T has been a favourite maxim with writers of a particular clafs, to reprefent government as then only deferving the praife of wisdom and juftice, when it is characterized by fimplicity, and rendered, whether as a fubject of ftudy or adminiftration, familiar to the capacities and talents of all. This maxim has been founded upon an erroneous view of the origin and the ends of government. The eye directed to the fingle contemplation of man in the abstract, has traced out a code. of imaginary rights; which, however confiftent with primeval union, are totally incompatible with a more advanced state of human hiftory. The progrefs of mankind from the first point of civil affociation to the full zenith of political establishment, involves a variety of changes and gradations; in their

R

BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. MARCH, 1796.

paffage

paffage through which, the rights of man and the principles of government become neceffarily modified and adapted to the circumstances of a community, increafing in the numbers of its members, and the variety of its individual interefts. To follow this progress through its important changes; to define how much belongs to corruption, how much to neceffity; to harmonize power with liberty, and right with expediency, is the province of that philofophy which dictates for the mixed ftate of human condition; and, by a comparifon of cause with effect, and a balance of good against evil, fettles the juft proportion which may be expected, and ought to be required, of political perfection.

With fuch a philofophy the writer before us appears to have cultivated a very laudable familiarity. Affuming his principles from the experience, rather than the hypothefis of man, he argues in reference to what he is, rather than what he ought to be; and, therefore, deduces a theory, which is equally juft and practicable, and which undertakes for as much happiness to the individual as is confiftent with the fafety of the whole.

In Sketch I. the writer adverts to a state of nature; and, in establishing a diftinction between this and a ftate of fociety, profeffes a wifh of excluding the term right totally from the firft, and confining it to the laft. His reafoning fufficiently evinces the propriety of this rule, from a confideration of the liberty effential to a state of nature, which, therefore, can admit of no right but that of the ftrongeft. Proceeding on this principle, the author of this book traces what he confiders as the real origin of right, in a ftate of affociation. This he ilJuftrates by fome parallels tending to prove, that however power may belong to nature, right belongs exclufively to fociety. Sketch III. difcuffes this question ftill more at large: in this the author contends, that right, as employed in a political fenfe, not only implies a power of acting, but in addition to that power, a fanction received from fome other beings, for the due and unobstructed ufe of that power. The errors which have obtained amongst mankind from a want of attention to thefe ufeful diftinétions, is urged in the conclufion of this sketch with equal eloquence and justice.

"From want of fufficient attention to this diftinction, confiderable errors have arifen, and a fatal delufion has fpread itself over Europe. Several authors, fuppofing that the word right, when applied to man in a state of nature, carries with it the fame import, which it bears in fociety, have haftily concluded that right is coeval with man's existence; and hence they have reafoned upon the inutility, nay, the inconvenience of the very circumftances, which originally gave birth,

and

and are neceffary to the continuance of all right whatsoever, viz. affociation.

"From mistakes of this kind it arifes, that an odium is caft upon fociety; and the focial compact, the fource of every happiness to man, which raifes him above the beats of the field, and gives him dominion over the rest of the creation, is reprefented under the unfavourable afpect of flavery and fubjection; and is regarded as the means of defalcating from his rights, and restricting his liberties; thereby depriving him of innumerable enjoyments, in which, in a state of nature, he was at liberty to revel. He continues in fociety, therefore, not with an idea that he is receiving from others what he could not himself procure, that he is partaking of benefits to which he is not the natural heir; but he remains in it, under the gloomy impreffion, that he is daily, and at his own expence, contributing to the fuperfluity of others; and that he is hourly difpenfing from that stock of happiness, which Nature, in her moments of partiality, allotted to his thare. Vain, deluded man! if thou wouldst know thy natural rights, if thou wouldst feel the bleffings to which, as an individual animal, thou art entitled, ftrip thyself of the arts with which fociety has furnished thee, and contend for them with the lion! Will he regard the fuperior elegance of thy form, and thy exalted birth? will he refpect thy children and thy poffeffions? or will he refign the dominion of his native forefts, that thou mayft range over them at large and uncontrolled? Where are the documents which prove the fuperiority of thy claim? where the title deeds which he will ac knowledge? his tenfold powers, if thou dareft oppose them, will fhrink thee into nothing; and at once convince thee, that the right of the ftrongest is the only right, which a ftate of nature confers." P. zo.

In order to afcertain the fpecific rights of man in fociety, this writer confiders focieties as fimple and compound; the first providing only for the natural, the fecond for the natural and artificial neceffities of mankind. The laft is evidently that with which the philofopher has most concern. In inveftigating the restraints which muft neceffarily enter into a fyftem accommodated to such a state, the author lays down the conditions on which is founded the Social Compact.

"The conditions upon which each depofits his power are three: "First, to be entitled to the full benefits arifing from the fund.

Secondly, to have that portion or furplus of power from the fund, which is not immediately employed by the fociety, conftantly returned to him.

"Thirdly, to be allowed to trade, or traffic with fuch furplus to his own private advantage; provided that, in fo doing, he does not injure, or interfere with that furplus, which belongs to another. "Thefe conditions conftitute what is termed the Social Compact." P. 37.