ART. 49. The Speech of Mr. S. Barton, delivered at the London Forum the 4th of December 1794, on the following Queftim, viz. "Which ought to be confidered the greatest Character, the late Lord Chatham, George Washington, or Kajcinsko ?" Taken down in Short-Hand by a Gentleman prefent. 8vo. 15 pp. 6d. Allen and West. 1794. Mr. Barton appears to have been extremely attentive to the public amufement, in permitting the notes taken at the London Forum to be communicated to the world in the form of a pamphlet. If our readers should be difgufted at the general dearnefs of marketable commodities, they will probably be gratified by the means which this pamphlet affords them, of purchafing, at the low price of fix-pence, a fulllength portrait of Ignorance and Conceit. ART. 50. The last Advice but one of a Lover of the British Conflitutions to all Lovers of the faid Conftitutim, respecting the new Sedition and Treafin Bills. Svo. pp. 20. 6d. Symonds. 1795. This writer thinks the Bills in queflion injure the Conftitution, he nevertheless ironically recommends fubmifion. ART. 51. The Speech of John Thelwall, at the General Meeting of the Friends of Parliamentary Reform, called by the London Correfponding Society, and held in the Neighbourhood of Copenhagen-House, on Monday, October 26, 1795. Taken in hort Hand by W. Kamfey. The Third Edition, with Corrections. 8vo. pp. 24. 6d. 1795. A violent declamation in behalf of Liberty; the comprehenfion of which term, the Orator confines to his own fect. Pitt, Dundas, Windham, Reeves, &c. &c. talk about it, he fays, without knowing what it means. ART. 52. A Supplement to fome Remarks on the apparent Circumftances of the War in the fourth Week of October, 1795; or, Reflections on the only Means of terminating the War. Svo. 52 PP. Is. 6d. Stockdale. 1796. It is neceffary here to flate that this fupplement is not written, nor pretended to be written, by the author of the "Remarks." The writer declares himself French, and undertakes to communicate what he thinks his predeceffor fuppreffed only through prudence, or the neceffary confiderations derived from his fituation. The opinion of this author decidedly is, that no good or permanent government can be formed by the prefent men who rule in France, and that nothing but reftoring the Fleurs de Lys and the ancient attachment of the French to Royalty, can re-establish the political health of that country. ART. ART. 53. Obfervations on the Corporation and Teft A&ts, in a Letter to a Friend, wherein is fully proved, that no Diffenter from the Etabl jhid Church can be admitted into any Office, where the Teft is required by Law as a Qualification, fuch Diffenter being inadmisible, though be demand the Sacrament on any Occafion whatever. To which is prefixed a fort Address to the Junior Council of the Town and County of Nottingham, by Charles Heathcote, Gentleman. Svo. 63 pp. 25. Payne. 1794. Mr. Heathcote appears to have taken a confiderable fhare in the political and religious Controverfies, which have divided the County of Nottingham. Allufions to thefe occupy the largest portion of the prefent pamphlet. Of Mr. Heathcote's zeal for the forms of government, abundant evidence appears; but we doubt whether the proof against the admiffibility of a Diffenter to the privilege of the Sacrament, is fufficiently made out, to warrant the ftrong declaration which the title page prefents. The exclafion of fuch perfons from offices of truft, was doubtlefs the object of this provisionary law; but the propriety of refusing the Sacrament to those who will confent to qualify, is probably a queftion, upon which Mr. H. and the Court of King's Bench would hold two opinions. MISCELLANIES. ART. 54 Mémoires fur la Vie et le Caracere de Mme. la Ducheffe de Polignac. Avec des Anecdotes intéreJones fur la Revolution Françsife, et fur la Perfonne de Marie Antoinette, Reine de France. Par la Com teffe Diane de Polignac. 8vo. 62 pp. 2s. 6d. Debrett. 1796. The preface to this most interefting publication is in English; the reft in French, for the following judicious reafon: "The exclamations of forrow, and the apostrophes.of diftrefs, however touching in themselves, will not bear the fhackles of tranflation. The very nature and genius of the fubject matter required that it fhould be left in its natural form, and in its original language. By attempting to tranffufe them, all their delicacy and frefhnefs would evaporate.' We are affured, therefore, that not the flighteft liberty has been taken with the manufcript; which was lately fent over that it might be printed. We have seldom feen a narrative fo truly affecting. The writer, who is fifter to the Duke of Polignac, employs that language of fincerity and truth which appears to come directly from the heart, and goes directly to it. Nothing can be more truly amiable than the character of the Dutchefs of Polignac, as it is here drawn, with an affectionate, but apparently a faithful pencil. Among the atrocities of the French revolution, few are more deteftable than that diabolical calumny by which its leaders conftantly prepared their moft illuftrious victims for deftruction. The union of the unfortunate Marie Antoinette and the Dutchefs of Polignac exhibits, in this narrative, a picture of the fincereft friendship; and the death of the latter, after efcaping A a BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VII. MARCH, 1796. efcaping from the land of affaffination, is attributed entirely to the grief for the calumnies by which fhe was blackened, and for the miferies and death of her beloved Sovereigns. ART. 55. A Collection of scarce and interefting Tracts, tending to elucidate detached Parts of the Hiftory of Great Britain; felected from the Sommers Collections, and arranged in chronological Order. 4to. 627 pp. R. Edwards. 1795. A fimilar felection from the Harleian Mifcellany, which appeared fome time ago [See Brit. Crit. Vol. I. p. 210.] profeffedly gave rife to the prefent publication. The difficulty of obtaining the original collection complete, its' magnitude and price, confilling of fixteen quarto volumes, and thofe become fcarce from the circumftance of a fire, which deftroyed great part of the impreffion, will probably render it defirable to many perfons to poffefs this fmaller fpecimen. The arrangement of the Tracts in chronological order, which is totally wanted in all thefe original compilations, gives an additional value to the prefent volume, by making its contents more cafy to be comprehended and confulted. It begins with the account of the Chriftening of Prince Arthur, fon to Henry VII, from a paper which was deftroyed by the fire in the Cotton Library; and ends with the reafons affigned by Queen Anne for creating Prince George of Hanover a Peer of this Realm, with remarks upon it, written in the year 1712: and the Tracts are fifty-feven in number.. They are well felected, being all fuch as will naturally excite the curiofity of every reader of English History and Memoirs. ART. 56. The Age of Reason, Part the Second. Being an Investi gation of true and fabulous Theology. By Thomas Paine, Author of the Works intituled Common Senje, Ec. 8vo. 107 PP. 2s. 6d. Symonds. 1795. When we fee the Books of Scripture reviled and cenfured, in the moft unqualified and daring manner; and a pretended confutation of them written with a degree of confidence, which implies that the author thought it impoffible he should be mistaken; a fear unavoidably arifes, left this cenfure, and this confidence, fhould pafs, with ignorant readers, for argument, and they fhould take up the notion, that the author must be right, becaufe he is prefumptuous. The end of the fe things must be left to Divine Providence; but it is melancholy to fee opinions put into circulation, which cannot be forbidden without increafing the contraband diftribution, nor anfwered without giving them additional notoriety. There is no danger in this work to enlightened readers; if the author expofed his prefumption, when he criticized the Bible without reading it, ftill more does he difplay his haftiness and ignorance, now that he profeffes to have procured and read it. His objections are, for the most part, fuch as have been made and anfwered before; but they are new to him: he has drawn them from the fources of his own mind, and, for fo doing, he gives himself credit to fuch an extent, as to feem firmly perfuaded that he has no equal upon earth. Advocates for revealed religion are, to a man, in his eftimation, eftimation, either fools or knaves; though the former opinion feems to prevail, and contempt is accordingly more lavishly expreffed than any other paffion. As there will be, and are already, many answers to this book, we fhall not dwell upon it further than thus to give its character. The author, we fear, is not corrigible. In his first part, blunders were detected which ought to have covered him with fhame; yet he fays infolently of his anfwerers, that "they must return to their work, and fpin their cobweb over again. The firft was brushed away by accident." Such arrogance is invincible; and thus, though detection is even now laying open his fecond part to the very bone, we may be too well affured he will not feel it. ART. 57. A Vindication of the Age of Reason, by Thomas Paine: in Answer to the Strictures of Mr. Gilbert Wakefield and Dr. Priestley, on this celebrated Performance. By Thomas Dutton. 8vo. 131 pp. 29. 6d. Griffiths. 1795. That there are bigots on the fide of infidelity, and at this day perhaps more than in the oppofite clafs, is a remark we have frequently had occafion to make. This character Mr. Dutton is among the foremoft to deferve. The opinion of Paine, that all national churches are only human inventions, fet up to terrify and enflave mankind, and monopolize power and profit, he pronounces a felf-evident axiom ; either not knowing what an axiom is, or choofing fo to name a mere question of fact. Yet he condefcends to prove it from "the uniform practice of priests in all ages and countries, from the Sons of Eli," &c. Thus a fingle folitary inftance in the whole hiftory of the Jews, and that accompanied by the ftrongeft reprobation, is to prove the univerfality of a delinquency, at leaft among them; though the proof, if it be any, tends the contrary way, fince it is recorded not as general, but as fingular. The liberality of a writer, who imputes difhonefty to whole communities at once, and devotes them by his ful! and hearty execration," is certainly not fuperior to that of an inquifitor. The author foon after becomes violently angry with the fecond commandinent, though it threatens no more than Providence daily exhibits before his eyes, the extenfion of temporal punishment beyond the perfons of the offenders. The pretended contradictions in Ezekiel, &c. are only prophetic of the more perfect Gofpel fyftem, which refpects not worldly vifitation, but final judgment. The chief advantages this writer obtains are from the conceffions of his very imperfectly believing antagonists, against whom he ftrongly urges the impropriety of making up a partial faith, out of what may chance to fuit the fancy of the individual. ART. 58. Sentiments on Eloquence, in a Letter, addreed to Efq. of Gray's-Inn, by a Gentleman of Shropshire. 8vo. 26 pp. is. Longman. 1795. This very modeft and timid author, having declined the profeffion of a barrister himself, from a fear that his abilities were unequal to the attempt, ventures to delineate to a friend, who is proceeding in that A a 2 line, line, a fketch of forenfic eloquence. He propofes Lord Mansfield as a model; and certainly he could not easily have chofen a better. His entiments throughout are marked by an ingenuoufnefs, which inclines us to believe, that his promife of becoming that very useful and refpectable member of fociety, an honeft attorney, is perfectly fincere. The author's name, we understand, is Woodforde. ART. 59. A Narrative of the Infults offered to the King, on his Way to and from the House of Lords, on Thursday last; to which is fubjoined, the Proceedings in both Houses of Parliament on the Address of Con gratulation to his Majefty. By an Eye-Witnefs. 8vo. 32 pp. IS. Owen. 1795. This melancholy and difgraceful day was, as is well known, the 29th of October. The tract contains more than it promifes, for it gives an account of the reception of the Royal Family at the Theatre, on the 30th. The relater ftrongly expreffes his abhorrence of the attempt, which gave rife to his narrative. ART. 60. A new Introduction to Reading: or, a Collection of easy ART. 61. The Memoirs and Adventures of Mark Moore, late an Of- Stewart. 1795. The fpecimen which we fhall lay before our readers of the anecdotes contained in this book, will give them a juft idea both of the ftyle in which it is compofed, and of the credit which is due to the narration. The author relates, that he hired a pilot, on the coaft of Lancashire, who fteered him fafe up to the fhore. "When I came up, I found the brig moored along-fide a veffel, two tier from the quay of Lancafter; there were two planks to cross, and two veffels, before we could get on fhore; the pilot went forward, and I followed him across three fields, till he came to the Sun tavern; being a ftranger, he fhewed me there to pay his pilotage: I called for a bowl of grog to treat him, and threw the money on the table, which he demanded for pilotage; he was a long time groping for it, though before him upon the table, upon which I faid, jocularly, "dam'me! why don't you take it up? fure you are not blind?" when, to my utter aftonishment and furprife, he informed me, that he was as blind as ! |
