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the camp at Wilton, near Salisbury Plain, introduces" feveral ftanzas on Stonehenge and the druids, In fpeaking of the camp at Winchefter, he pays a compliment to Dr. Warton and the Winchefter fcholars'; from an account of the Devonshire militia he takes occafion to lament the death of colonel Ackland; and, in the conclufion, he addreffes himself, in a high ftrain of panegyric, to the spirit of lord Chatham.

These are the outlines of Mr. Tafker's performance. In his digreffions he has imitated the style and manner of Pindar; and though he has not the fire and fublimity of that celebrated bard, he has a laudable share of the spirit and genius of lyric poetry. Verfes on the Death of Col. Ackland. With fome Letters to a noble Lord. Particularly on the Advantages arifing from the Newfoundland Fishery, to Great-Britain and Ireland, 4to. 15. 6d. Brown.

The fhort and frivolous effufion of a mean elegiaft; accompanied with fome letters to lord North, from a flimfy politician.

An Elegy on the Death of Samuel Foote, Efq. By Bofchereccio. 4to. Is. 6d. Kearfly.

A lamentation, in which the province of Melpomene is ufurped by her fifter Thalia.-Annexed is an Ode on his majesty's birth-day, the production certainly, of none of the Muses.

CONTROVERSIAL.

A Free Difcuffion of the Doctrines of Materialism, and Philosophical. Neceffity, in a Correfpondence between Dr. Price and Dr. Priestley. Svo. 6s. boards. Johnfon.

As we have already given our readers a particular account of the principal fubjects, difcuffed in this volume, we shall content ourselves at prefent with fome general obfervations on what we conceive to be the real ftate of the controversy.

Dr. Priestley is right in his general notion, that thought may be connected with certain fyftems of matter; and this is fufficient to conftitute fouls, without adding fubftance; an idea taken wholly from matter, and leading to nonfenfe, wherever it is ufed: but he is wrong in excluding folidity, which is no more inconfiftent with thinking, than extenfion, repulfion, or attraction. In pursuing this notion he runs into Berkeleyifm, and maintains what neither Hartley nor Michell ever dreamt of.

Nerves, vibrations, &c. are only inftruments of thinking: how this is connected with any of them, fufpended, revived, or restored, is unknown. If the fame consciousness be annexed to any parcel of matter, it is the fame being or perfon, raised or revived: mens cujufque, is eft quifque.

Space and duration are merely abftra& ideas. With refpect to liberty, there are a thousand different cafes, where no motive can be fuppofed to determine the choice. Choofing here is not an effect without a caufe; the power itfelf is the caufe. This

See Crit. Rev. for March, April, and September laft.

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must belong to the firft caufe, and be communicable, as implying no contradiction, like that of communicating felf-existence.

If these ingenious writers had read King's Origin of Evil and the Notes, they might perhaps have faved fome trouble both to themselves and their readers, and have avoided repetitions.

They are to be commended for their candor in conducting the controverfy; but they do not feem to be fufficiently fenfible, how far the two fubjects are at present above the reach of our faculties.

In thefe and the like difquifitions, we fhould confine ourselves to facts, allow the evidence of our fenfes, and give the history of appearances, as Locke and Newton generally did, without attempting to difcover the cause, the modus, or the nature of the thing itself, which adds nothing to our knowlege, and commonly misleads the enquirer.

DIVINITY. The Converfion of Sinners the greateft Charity. Being the Subftance of a Sermon, preached on the 19th of November, at St. Peter's, Cornhill, before a Society for promoting Religious Knowledge amongst the Poor. By H. Venn, A. M. 8vo. 6d. Crowder. From these words, Pfal. cxix. 136. Rivers of waters * run from mine eyes, because they keep not thy law'-the author takes occafion to describe the ignorance, the depravity, and the wretchedness of the poor; and to recommend them to the care and compaffion of the fociety.

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Among other circumftances, to which he afcribes the growth of infidelity, he mentions the publication of blafphemous writings; but particularly the circulation of Voltaire's Works, in fix-penny numbers. He expreffes his indignation at fome of the impious tenets of this writer, and is extremely offended at him for faying man is but a mite, and our world the cheese, on which he lives.'

Letters to a Lady inclined to enter into the Communion of the Church of Rome. By William Law, M. A. 8vo. 1s. 6d. H. Payne.

A pious tract, breathing a catholic fpirit, and confifting chiefly of answers to the lady's queftions, refpecting her fafety in the church of England, the lawfulness of communicating with a fchifmatical church, the want of a fufficient authority, to which the might abfolutely refign her own thoughts and reasonings; with other points of a private nature.

An Antidote to Popery, or the Proteftant's Memory jogged in Seafon, by feveral Narratives and Facts. 12mo. 3d. Mathews. This publication contains an account of the perfecutions of the protestants in the reigns of Henry VIII. and queen Mary;

pelagi, rivi. This metaphor is common in other languages. Lachrymarum rivus, Ovid. Un torrent de larmes. Fenel, Telem. A flood of tears.

the

the Romish perfecutions in Ireland; the popith treafons and con fpiracies in England; the perfecutions in France, in 1562 and 1572; five letters on fome fuperftitious exhibitions at Lifbon [written by G. Whitefield, and published in 1755] and a list of the moft material errors of the church of Rome.

Whitefield's defcription of the ridiculous exhibitions at Lisbon is the best part of this publication. The preceding narratives are fhort and fuperficial; and discover the ufual ferocity and inhumanity of mankind in former times, rather than the genius and spirit of popery in the prefent age.

MEDICAL.

An Effay on the Confequences attending injudicious Bleeding in Pregnancy. By George Wallis, M. D. Svo. is. 6d. Bell.

As the advantage or detriment of blood-letting must be entirely relative to the deficiency or fuperabundance of the vital fluid, the effects of that operation will vary in different conflitutions; and hence it never can be indifcriminately and fafely used in all cafes, for alleviating the complaints of pregnant women. This principle the author enforces by phyfiological arguments, which he places in a clear light.

A Treatise on the Malignant Angina: or Putrid and Ulcerous SoreThroat. To which are added, fome Remarks on the Angina Trachealis. By J. Johnstone, M. D. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Becket. The principal part of this treatife, we are informed, was publifhed five years ago, as an inaugural differtation, at Edinburgh. It contains a fuccinct review of what has been written on the malignant angina, and the angina trachealis, accompanied with pertinent remarks, and useful practical observations.

MISCELLANEOUS. The Panegyric of Voltaire, written by the King of Pruffia, and read at an extraordinary Meeting of the Academy of Sciences and Belles Letters at Berlin, 26th November, 1778. 8vo.

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Murray. We are told by the translator of the king of Pruffia's performance, that it was compofed by his majefty after he had begun to withdraw his troops from Silefia, and before he returned to take up his winter quarters in that country. The piece, therefore, is not only remarkable in being the panegyric of a poet written by a prince, but is further diftinguished by being written by that prince amidst the cares, the fatigues, and the difappointments of the field. The king at the fame time that he writes the eulogium of Voltaire, gives a fhort analyfis and criticism of the various performances of this celebrated writer: fo that his panegyric will afford an agreeable fupplement to those who are poffeffed of Voltaire's works, as it contains an account of them by one who has long made their study one principal object of his literary purfuits. Befides thefe circumftances, what cannot fail to render this little work interefting, it prefents us with several curious

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anecdotes concerning the writings, the life, and death of Vol. taire, which are no where elfe related, and which nobody who was lefs concerned than the king of Pruffia in whatever befel the philofopher of Ferney, could be fo exactly informed of.

The English tranflation of this piece does juftice to the French original, preserving the fenfe, and maintaining the spirit unimpaired.

Cafe of William Brereton, Efq. late Commander of his Majefty's Ship Duke. 410. 35. 6d. Robfon.

We cannot perufe the Cafe of this naval gentleman without feeling those emotions of fympathy, which naturally arise in every humane breaft, when the character and fortune of any perfon have fuffered from apparent feverity. We are informed that captain Brereton, who commanded the Duke man of war in the engagement off Ufhant on the 27th of July laft, behaved in fuch a manner as procured him the approbation of admiral Keppel; and after the above mentioned action, the fame mutual intercourfe, as formerly, fubfifted between him and the other captains of the fleet. On the 24th of August, however, two days after the fleet had failed from Plymouth on a fecond cruize, he was informed by captain Walfingham, who purposely came on board the Duke, that while the feet was at Plymouth, unfavourable reports had been circulated of his behaviour in the time of the engagement. Anxious to vindicate his reputation by fuch means as the fituation of the fleet would admit, he requested of admiral Keppel, that an enquiry fhould be made into his conduct. A court of enquiry was accordingly appointed, which, as we learn from this publication, not reAraining itself within the limits prefcribed by law, proceeded to exercise the prerogative of a court-martial, and not only condemned him upon vague and contradictory evidence, but deprived him of his command. The cafe is drawn up with precision as well as force of argument, and merits attention.

An Introduction to English Grammar. By Joshua Story. 12mo. No Price. Newcastle. Charnley and Atkinfon.

Dr. Lowth's incomparable Introduction to English Grammar has produced a multitude of imitations. Mr. Story's is one of the best we have feen. His examples of impropriety of expreffion, which are very numerous, are thrown into the latter part, to be rectified by a reference to the preceding rules.

Euterpe; or, Remarks on the Use and Abuse of Mufic, as a Part of modern Education. 410. 15. 6d. Dodfley.

It is univerfally acknowledged, that mufic has a powerful effect on the human paflions; that it is able to foothe the mind, in its greatest perturbations; to infpire it with ferenity and joy; and to elevate the foul to heaven. Timotheus, when he touched his lyre, made Alexander ftart impetuoufly from his feat, and fnatch his armour *. A modern mafter of the chord is faid to

Nam, concinente Timotheo, velut furens ad arma profiluit Alexander, Rhodig. Lect, Antiq. ix. 8.

have driven Eric, king of Denmark, to rage, and to have made him kill his faithful and favourite fervants. Nieuwentyt relates, that an Italian, by his various modulations, could caufe diftraction and madness. Nay, we are told, that a famous old mufician could tame lions and tygers; could foften the rocks; could Hop the courfe of rivers, could detain the rapid winds, and lead the oaks and elms into a country dance.-Such being the efficacy of mufic, the author of this effay endeavours to fhew, that, when it is under proper regulations, directed by taste and judgement, it may be applied to the nobleft purposes; may be made an elegant and ufeful part of education; may be the means of improving the heart, and alluring it to the love of moral harmony, virtue, and religion. But he obferves, that if finging has any power over the foul, it must arife from its affifting fentimental expreffion; that if mufic be too complicated, the fenfe is confounded, and the effect deftroyed in a word, that the true pathetic is only to be found in fimplicity. Whatever may be the ftate of mufic in the prefent age, thousands who frequent operas, oratorios, and concerts, are no better judges of mufic, than the rural audience which attended old Orpheus. Our author therefore, without doubt, has some reason, when he exclaims in these terms: How great the degeneracy of those times, when the unthinking daughters of diffipation turned with a tearless eye from the fweet perfuafion of a Sheridan, and a Harrop; and the relentless fons of folly lent but a careless ear to the unrivalled excellence of a Fischer, and a Lamotte'!

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The author of this effay, who feems to be a young writer, has fhewn an excellent tafte for the true principles of harmony, and a laudable zeal for the honour and improvement of his favorite art.

An Efay on Human Nature.

12 mio. No Price. Carlifle. For the Author.

In this effay the author endeavours to fhew, that there are certain natural impulfes, feelings, faculties, or fentiments, impreffed upon all beings, whether inanimate, animal, or human:

fuch as that of attraction and gravitation common to inanimate bodies; that of hunger, felf-prefervation, and propagation, common to animals and men; the approbation of our species, the difcernment of the agreement and difagreement between our ideas, words and actions, and reflection with its concomitant reafon, common only to men;-and that in 'a conformity to thefe laws, peculiar to each particular fpecies of beings, confift the regularity and juft order of the inanimate bodies in the folar fyftem, the proper purfuits of the animal, and the proper con-' duct of the human fpecies, each tending to the perfection of their refpective nature. The author propofes his fentiments with modefty and perfpicuity.

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