to be in an exact proportion to one another, was led to believe that animal heat depends on the ftate of refpiration; that it is all generated in the lungs, by the action of the air upon the principle of inflammability, in a manner little diffimilar to what occurs in actual inflammation; and that it is thence diffused by means of the circulations over the reft of the vital system. This hypothefis Dr. Leflie examines with a degree of attention. proportioned to its ingenuity, and the great reputation of the author. In the firft place, he contends, that, though there fubfifts a very ftriking connexion between the state of respiration and the degree of heat in animals, and that they are even in proportion to each other, yet it by no means enfues, that the former is pofitively the caufe of the latter; for, were that really the cafe, thofe animals which are deftitute of the of refpiration, would generate no heat. organs In the fecond place, our author obferves, that if the heat of living animals be generated folely in the lungs, two things neceffarily follow, the former, that it can only be communicated to the other parts of the body through the channel of the arterial fyftem; and the latter, that it muft decrease as it recedes from its fuppofed centre; but neither of thefe propofitions is, he thinks, fufficiently afcertained to confirm the theory of Dr. Black. Under the third argument our author endeavours to show, that the vital fluid, fo far from acquiring all its heat in its paffage through the pulmonary fyftem, communicates no inconfiderable portion of what it had received in the course of circulation, to the atmospherical air alternately entering that organ, and iffuing from it. in utero. Under the fourth head is confidered Dr. Black's hypothefis, fo far as it denies the generation of heat to the fœtus This opinion Dr. Leflie endeavours to invalidate, by obferving, that the chick in ovo generates heat for fome time before it can have any communication with the atmospheric air; and that a full grown foetus may fubfift feveral hours after birth without respiration, yet preferve its natural temperature. The author having, by a variety of ingenious arguments, endeavoured to overturn the feveral theories which have hitherto been invented respecting animal heat, proceeds to deliver and eftablish, in the fecond part of the work, a theory of his own; and his idea is briefly this: That the fubtle principle, by chemifts termed phlogifton, which enters into the compofition of all natural bodies, is, in confequence of the alien of the vafcular fyftem, gradually evolved throughout every part of the animal machine, and that, during this evolution, heat is generated.' The The limits of our Review will not permit us to enter upon a detail of the arguments by which this theory is fupported, and we shall therefore only inform our readers, that it is established upon the demonftration of the following propofitions : ift, the blood contains phlogifton; zd, the action of the blood-veffels evolve phlogifton; 3d, the evolution of phlogifton is attended with heat; 4th, the heat, thus generated, is fufficient to account for the heat of living animals; 5th, the moft striking phænomena of animal heat evince the truth of thefe propofitions. We have only to add, that the author difcovers an ingenuity and acuteness that entitle him to a diftin guished rank among phyfiological writers. Shenftone-Green; or, the New Paradife Loft. Being a Hiftory of Human Nature. Written by the Proprietor of the Green. The Editor Courtney Melmoth. 3 vols. fmall 8vo. 75. 6d. ferved. Baldwin. THIS HIS novel is founded upon a benevolent fuggeftion, which, though in its nature exceedingly romantic, is defcribed by the author in fuch a manner as gives to fiction the air of probability and truth. A gentleman of a very affluent fortune, and who has no other child but one daughter, is feized with a ftrong defire of rendering a number of perfons happy, by placing them in a state of eafe, and genteel independence. The project is not much fooner conceived than it is carried into effect, with the utmost ardour, in oppofition to all the remonftrances of the gentleman's fteward, whofe fhrewd remarks, and peculiar manners, afford entertainment throughout the piece. An elegant town, under the name of Shenstone-Green, is quickly erected, and planted with inhabitants; in the choice of whom the benevolent frenzy of the founder is more confpicuous than his judgement. The time is now come when he hoped to behold virtue and uninterrupted happiness prevail in those peaceful abodes which he had deftined for their future fecurity. But fhort is the elyfian fcene. Diffipation and luxury fucceed to independence and eafe; the natural gradations of refinement take place in their turn; and the vifionary notions of felicity terminate in the profpect of vice and wretchedness. We fhall lay before our readers part of a chapter, in which the steward sets out on a journey to procure inhabitants for Shenftone-Green. One fair morning, preparations having been made, Mr. Samuel Sarcafm clapped the faddle-bags across his favourite pad, and was as well laden with letters as any mail whatsoever. But, he had not been abfent three days before we received from him the following epifile: • Sir, To Sir B. Beauchamp, • Looking upon it that I am charged with fach a commiflion as no fleward had ever before in truft, I am willing it should be fo done as to hand down my name to pofterity in a way to do it honour. Being now, as I take it, on the road of immortality, it behoveth me not to ftumble. It is to this end that I am baiting my horfe at a hedge ale house, in my way to London, where moft of your letters are directed. The horfe, I fay, fir, eateth while I write to know the full extent of my commision. I forgot to ask certain particulars before I fet out; fo pray tell me if I am to go to London right on; or, whether I may make fuch excurfions as feem to promife me, in the vagabond way, any fuccefs? Am I to take notice of any ragged tatterdemallions that I may meet, overtake, or follow upon the road-such as, beggars, gypfies, &c.-or am I to let them alone? I have already paffed feveral very ill-looking fellows, and as many dirty huffeys, who, I verily believe, would not refufe to become our penfioners. There was particularly a man with a fhock head of hair, and two wooden legs, who accofted me yesterday, in God's name, to give him a fhilling. By the fplendour of his demand, (being eleven times more than ordinary beggars have the impudence to afk) I am perfuaded he would like to lay his fumps upon the Green. If I had given him any encouragement, he would certainly have undertaken to hop to you in about forty eight hours; nay, he worked away upon his timber ten or a dozen paces to fhow me how he could move; but I have let him flip through my fingers. If you think he is a prize, fir, I will contrive to pick him up and pack him in a cart; or, if your honour choofes, in a coach, as I come back. Even in this pot-houfe, (where I am ufing the vileft pen and most polluted paper upon the most virtuous fubje&) there are half a fcore as pretty, that is to fay, as ugly, objects for the penfion as you could with. I do not believe there are twelve ounces of wholefome human flesh amongst the ten; and, to all appearance, not above a fhirt and an half, were one to tack all their flips of linen together. If thefe would not be glad of your honour's patronage, I do not know who would. From what has been faid then, fir, you will perceive that I could get a number of recruits (and almost all fuch as are too frightful for any hofpital but your honour's) as I go along. Fail not then to let me know the bounds of my authority, and I remain, in the mean time, Your honour's Moft faithful fervant and fleward, The following letter from the clergyman of Shenstone-Green gives an account of one of the earlieft pefts that entered this happy retreat. • To To Sir B. Beauchamp. Honoured Patron, The abandoned women, whom a certain young Shenfloniar first countenanced and then difmiffed, have not yet quitted the village, though, we underland, they were furnished by Mr. Danby with money fufficient to take them to whence they came. Seeing them flare about the neighbourhood from day to day, to the great annoyance of female virtue, which is under the fhadow of fir Benjamin's wings, I fought out. the haunt which they frequent and by virtue of mine holy office, exhorted them to quit our Paradife, threatning, at the fame time, that if they did not, they should be first excommunicated, and then driven out by the angel of our garden with a flaming fword. They anfwered hereunto very unfeemly, firft, faying that they had as much right to live in Paradife as a parfon, and, that as to excommunication, that would only be to forbid them going to a place, which is the laft public exhibition they fhould at any time think of troubling. After this they changed their addrefs, and defired me to fit fociably down. to fit fociably down. Albeit my profeffion might be degraded, and my cloth flained by fitting me down amongst the naughty ones; I refolved for once to approach pollution in the hope of wiping it away with holy exhortation. Hereupon, I rehearfed that chapter of the everlating volume, which the fcriptural fage in the character of a father, giveth to young men. I began with My fon, my son, hearken unto the words of my mouth, &c.-and went quite through.-But mark the progrefs of abandoned hearts. All the time I was predi cating, they affumed an affected gravity, which impofed upon my fimplicity. One of them patted me upon my cheek, under pretence of praifing the voice with which I exhorted, and fqueezed my hand, while fhe declared I had the true pulpit deportment. A fecond ftroaked my chin, and obferved, that, as eloquence was apt to parch the tongue, it might be as well if I were to call for my bottle; while the third-for the fourth had fled elsewhere for fhame--drew her palm along my knee, and even to the taper of my thigh, faying, the wifhed her eyes might drop out of her head if I was not a very proper man. Now it was that I perceived I had got into a den of thieves, who wanted to feal away the virtue, which I came to infpire. Yes, my honoured patron, three pair of black eyes,-fent their flames at my honour; and it was only by a precipitate retreat, after being much stirred, in which I left my hat and wig, which they fwore fhould pay for my priggih impertinence, that I could fave mine integrity from the fnare. As I ran bald-headed from the door, they hooted me with one accord; and, ftrange to tell, I have been scarce out of my bed fince. "It is incumbent that thefe evils be done away, and that these fair devils be cast out of Shenflone-Green, which otherwife will be like unto the Strand, where once upon a time, I was car VOL. XLVII. March, 1779. ried P ried off in my canonicals, and ftripped of every thing but MY PURITY. Parfonage Place. "I am, honoured patron, "Your humble fervant, CHARLES CUSHEON." Befides a variety of incidents, this novel contains a picturesque description of several characters, which are well fupported; and the author has adhered to nature in delineating the progrefs and the series of events. Lectures on the Catechism of the Church of England. By William Gilpin, M. A. 2 Vels. Small 8vo. 7. Blamire. THES HESE Lectures were compofed for the use of the young gentlemen educated at Cheam fchool; and form a plain, familiar explanation of the catechifm of the church of England. But the author has not confined himself to the mere words of the Catechifm; he has taken a larger compafs, illuftrated many points, which were only alluded to, or taken for granted, and has laid before his readers the evidences of the gospel hiftory, as well as the principal doctrines of our religion. In the courfe of this performance he has endeavoured to fhew, that fcarce any of the great truths of Christianity were fo wholly new, but that fome notices of them, or at least fome refemblances, may be traced even among the heathen nations, especially among thofe, which were more polished; and perhaps among all, if we were more intimately acquainted with them. This, our author thinks, is an argument which carries great conviction, as it implies, that there is either a perfect harmony between reafon and revelation; or, that these preparatory notices originated immediately from the Deity. If we even suppose, these notices to have been wholly of Jewish origin, ftill the unforced adoption of them fhews frongly their agreement with reafon; and therefore opposes ftrongly the endeavours of thofe, who labour to fet reason and revelation at variance. In this light, continues Mr. Gilpin, a very late ingenious and diftinguished writer feems to build a part of his theory upon false ground, when he tells us, that from the New Teftament may be extracted a fyftem of religion entirely new, both with regard to the object and the doctrines of it, and totally unlike every thing, which had ever before entered into the mind of man.' Jenyns's Evid. p. 17.' In this paffage Mr. Jenyns probably alludes to certain fpeculative doctrines, which have been fuppofed to form a confider able |