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abridgment of an effay on the treatment and converfion of African Alaves in the British fugar colonies, by Mr. Ramfay. Art. 18. Letters of Neptune and Gracchus, addressed to the P of W, and other diftinguished Characters; now first collected from their original Publication in the Morning Post. The Second Edition, 1s. 6d. M. Smith.

1784.

Thefe are bold writers; but the licence of the prefs is now a fecurity for any attempt. If the royal perfonage deserves the cenfure here infinuated, he cannot do better than take advice, which, to do the writer juftice, is conveyed in an elegant, nervous, and fpirited style.

Art. 19. The Looking Glafs: containing felect Fables of La Fontaine, imitated in English: witn additional Thoughts. Walter. 1784.

These imitations are in eafy flowing verfe, and are not deftitute of humour, but why drag in the ugly politics of the day? Art. 20. A new Vocabulary of the most difficult Words in the English Language; teaching to pronounce them with Eafe and Propriety; fhewing their various Significations, and where neceffary, are fpelled fo as to indicate the true Articulation: alfo, Names of Perfons and Places, more particularly thofe in the New Teftament: together with feveral common. Phrafes from the Latin and French, tranflated into English. The whole accented and arranged in Alphabetical order, and interspersed with Apophthegms, Ancient and Modern, tending to promote Virtue and Knowledge. Wherein is a new method of calculating the Sun's diameter, whereby his horizontal Parallax is determined; and a Plate annexed, by which may be difcovered the Magnitude of the Sun compared with the Earth. Compiled and calculated by William Fry, Teacher of Languages and Mathematical Sciences, 12mo. 2s. 6d. Author, St. Martin's le Grand. 1784.

Happily the bum-brufher has fo fully difplayed his acquaintance with grammatical propriety, and indeed his univerfal fcience, in his everlasting title-page, as to render all further critique unneceffary.

Art. 21. An Effay on Draining and Improving Peat Bogs; in which their Nature and Properties are fully confidered. By Mr. Nicholas Turner, of Bignor, Suffex. 8vo. 3s. Baldwin. 1784.

Mr. Turner having, in a Preface, touched on the importance and hiftory of agriculture, with equal modefty and concifenefs, proceeds to defcribe the nature, and to demonftrate the advantages of draining peat bogs. Peat, he fhews, is a vegetable matter, and in a living itate. It originates, he thinks, from waters impregnated with bitumen, and that the vegetable part of the peat is a fpecies of marfh mofs, which grows fpontaneoufly in waters thus impregnated. Having analyzed the principles of which that fubftance is compofed, he fhews the various purposes to which it may be applied, as fuel, and as manure. He proceeds to fhew the manner, and to estimate the advantages of draining peat-bogs, which are indeed immenfe. This pamphlet undoubtedly deferves the attention of landholders in marshy

Countries.

Art. 22.

Art. 22. Some Hints in regard to the better Management of the Poor in a Letter to a noble Lord. Cadell, 1s. 1784.

These hints deferve attention. No abufes are fo notorious as thofe here complained of. The writer propofes perpetual Guar dians of the poor, in lieu of those who take it by rotation, as wardens, &c.

Art. 23. Remarks concerning the Government and the Laws of the United States of America: In Four Letters addressed to Mr. Adams, Minifter Plenipotentiary from the United States of America to thofe of Holland; and one of the Negociators for the purpofe. of concluding a General Peace, from the French of the Abbé de Mably: With Notes by the Tranflator. 8vo. 4s. Debrett. 1784.

We can bestow no applaufe upon this verfion. The notes, like the text, generally originate in a mifunderstanding of the fenfe of the author... There is a ftrange affectation and an unintelligible fplendour in the ftyle, which prove, that the manufacturer should never be employed but upon the fruits of his own invention, and never write a period that does not close with a note of admira tion.

Art. 24. Confiderations on the National Debt, and Nett Produce of the Revenue: with a Plan for confolidating into one Rate the Land and all other Taxes, &c. By a Merchant of London, Dilly, 1s. 6d. 1784.

This writer calculated that the intereft of the national debt when the whole is funded, which is to be paid annually, is nine millions, that the peace establishment, civil lift, &c: make fix millions more, to pay which we cannot at prefent command more than 14,268,1961. but by confolidating all the taxes, cuftoms, excife, &c. into one rate, we raife upwards of feventeen millions. The fcheme is drawn with care, and appears to us to be plaufible. The one rate is on windows.

up

*

Art. 25. Tales of the Cafle: or, Stories of Inftruction and Delight. Being les Veillées du Chateau, Written in French by Madame la Comteffe de Genlis, Author of the Theatre of Education, Adela and Theodore, &c. Tranflated into English, by Thomas Holcroft. 5 vols. 12mo. 17s. 6d. Robinfon, 1785. We difcern traces of Mr. Holcroft's improvement in the facility and judgment, with, which the idioms of the two_languages are affimilated to each other, in the volumes before us. But we can fcarcely restrain our regret at feeing a writer qualified to inftruct and amufe the public from his native ftores, thus condemned to the tedious and degrading tafk of tranflation.

Art. 26. The Cafket; or Double Discovery: a Novel. By the Author of High Life. 2 vols. 12mo. 6s. Lowndes, 1785. The reader mut not expect a Clariffa, with her humble fervant Efquire Lovelace, the imaginary beings of romance. The character of the prefent volumes are mere plain, downright Englifh.' Such is the author's bill of fare. To this we have only to

* For our account of the original, fee vol. iv. p. 213.

fay

fay, that there is more penetration and valuable knowledge of hu man nature, in a line of the characters of Lovelace and Clariffa, than the prefent writer and fifty fuch authors will ever be able to exhibit in the course of their lives.

Art. 27. Bannifier's Reports; or a Series of Adjudications before Lord Chief Justice Joker, in his Majefty's High Courts of Wit, Humour, and Fun. Published without authority of the refpective Courts, 12mo. 1s. 6d. Fielding. 1735.

Many a ferious truth is betrayed by the inadvertence of the man it hurts. Certain it is, that the genuine powers of wit and humour could never have been prevailed upon to autherife fuch a vile collection of ribaldry, nonfenfe, and abfurdities.

Art. 28. The Emperor's Claims; being a Defcription of the City of Antwerp, and the river Scheldt. With a concife History of the Auftrian Netherlands. Together with Extracts from the Articles of the Treaty of Munfter, and thofe of the Barrier Treaty, whereby the Dutch found their Right to the Blocking up of the Scheldt. Interfperfed with Remarks on the Rife and Fall of the Trade of Antwerp, and every Thing tending to elucidate the prefent Subject of Difpute between the Emperor and the Dutch. With a Prefaee, containing different Views of the Emperor's Defigns, and an Admonition to the British Government relative to their Behaviour in the Conteft. Adorned with an elegant Map of the river Scheldt; a View of the City of Antwerp, and all the adjacent Imperial and Dutch Territories. Dedicated to the Emperor. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Stockdale. 1785.

A petty compilation, drawn up in a moft illiterate ftyle, and fold at more than double the price ufually affixed to the fame number of pages.

Art. 29. A Letter from a Medical Gentleman in Town to his Friend in the Country; containing an authentic Account of the Difference between the Medical Society of Crane-court, and Dr, Whitehead, &c. 8vo. 6d, March. 1784.

If this be the true ftate of the cafe, Dr. Whitehead is a much injured character, and it would be prudent in the Society to give a public vindication of their conduct.

For the ENGLISH REVIEW. POLITICAL STATE of EUROPE, for the year 1784.

GREAT BRITAIN.

This year prefents to the political obferver, Great Britain in a ftate of entire feparation from America; furveving the ground on which the now ftands, anxious to preferve and fecure what yet remains of her foreign poffeffions, and to make up for past profufion by future economy. The mode by which thete objects might be be best accomplished, became a fubject of contention in parliament, difplayed the views of different factions, alarmed all good, men for

a time

a time, but finally proved the excellence of the British conftitu

tion.

The frequent and quick changes of miniftry, the political divifions which continually retarded, and too often obftructed the best laid defigns, the want of vigour and unanimity in the public councils, in a word, the feeblenefs of government, had fufficiently intructed the leaders of oppofire parties in the state, that permanency in office could not be expected from any other fyftem of conduct than a comprehenfive coalition. Coalition, too, in the light of many well-meaning men, feemed neceffary for conducting with expedition and effect the great bufinefs of the nation. This was the ground on which Lord North and Mr. Fox publicly defended the novelty of their political concord ground on which it might indeed have been defended by abilities inferior to theirs, if the measures they concerted had not quickly betrayed a defign to hold and perpetuate their power independently of any controul that could be reafonably expected to exift amidst the prefent corruption of manners. The public eye penetrated their artful project. Even of thofe who had approved of their junction, not a few were of opinion that the mifchiefs that had flowed from their difcord were yet lefs than the dangers threatened by their union.

The history of the Saracens, of Venice, of Portugal, of Holland, and of England, proves that whatever nation poffeffes the commerce of the Eaft, poffefles alfo a fuperiority in refpect of wealth and naval greatnefs. Similar advantages, it was obvious, would accrue to whatever faction fhould be able to grafp the riches and the patronage of India. "Give me," faid Archimedes," a base on which to fix my foot, and I will wield this world at pleasure." With the treasures of Bengal it feemed not impoffible to manage the Commons of England. With one foot on Indoftan it seemed not impoffible for a man of fubtle and of daring genius to move or control Great Britain with the other.

Ever fince the cftablishment of the Hanoverian fucceffion, the Houfe of Commons had appeared to every eye as the preponderating branch in the British government. The confidence of the Com mons could exalt the opponent, or degrade the favourite of the court from the higheft offices. The new allies poffeffed abilities, eloquence, and numerous adherents fixed to their political principles by public profeffions, and attached to their perfons by long habits of friendship. Hereditary wealth and honours, too, were on their fide, and feemed to confolidate all their advantages into one ariftocratical phalanx. Fortified by talents, by numbers, and by noble names, Mr. Fox, with the privity and approbation of Lord North, fabricated a bill for regulating the commerce, and governing the territorial property of Great Britain in India, which indeed had a vigour in it well adapted to the purpofe of retaining our foreign poffef fions in fubjection, but it calculated to maintein internal liberty. The powers of coercion, and prompt execution vefted in a council for the government of India, were well fuited to that object: but as that council was to be chofen by a majority in the House of Commons, and to be refponfible only to thofe who chose them-and as the members of that council were to hold their offices at least for

four

four years (a space that must bring on a new parliament) a founda tion was laid for a collufion which would infallibly have trampled on all the forms of government, and have fet the power of the laws at defiance. The patronage annexed to the government of our domi nions in the Eaft, is immenfe. It is computed even to exceed that of the executive government of Great Britain. A power of nominating perfons to fill offices, and to hold contracts, would have beftowed on the commiffioners for governing India, the means of a most extensive influence, which would have been exerted agreeable to the inclinations of that majority in the Houfe of Commons, who were at once their creators and their judges while rich prefents and feats in parliament purchafed by their Afiatic clients, would have fwelled the tide of corruption, and rendered it, in the end, irrefiftible.

So bold an innovation alarmed the jealoufy of five diftinct orders of men in the British government. 1. The Royal Family: 2. The Houfe of Peers: 3. The Ancient Landholders: 4. Corporations 5. What may be called a compofite order, an order formed out of different clafles of men, and comprehending all true friends to our civil conftitution. The Royal Line could not behold with indifference encroachments fo ftriking in their refemblance to thofe which made the crown totter and fall from the head of the first Charles. The peers were interested in maintaining that political equipoife on which their own privileges and advantages all depend. For whichever of the other two branches of the conftitution, arifes, they are fure proportionally to fall. If the crown, becomes abfolute, they will be enflaved together with the rest of their fellow-citizens. If the executive power be feized by the Commons, the House of Peers, as formerly, will perhaps be voted, and certainly confidered as ufelets. As the elevation of the Commons would deprefs the Houfe af Peers, fo the fudden riches and fplendour of the numerous creatures of administration in India would introduce into Parliament a new and formidable intereft; an intereft, which would neither depen on landed property, nor on that regular industry and commerce whence landed property derives its principal value. Hence it was natural, as was obferved in the House of Peers by Lord Gower, that the ancient landholders fhould regard with mortification and concern, a parliamentary intereft hitherto unknown to the conflitution. The inhabitants, too, of towns and boroughs, enjoying privileges and immunities; members of univerfities; all who poffeffed chartered. rights; and even the church herself; was not a little alarmed at that fpirit which violated the public faith to the East India Company, burft open the doors of their warehouses, arrefted their fhips, feized their papers, their money, and their goods. The Eaft India Company themfelves, above all others, were alarmed at the denunciation of fuch arbitrary proceedings. What though a diftinction was made in words, between robbery and fequeftration? From their own history they were taught that there is fometimes no difference between the administration of eftates and the legal poffeffion of them. It is in the ufurped character of adminiftrators for the princes of Alia, that they have acquired all their wealth and dominions..

But, befides thofe peculiar interefts which operated against Mr. Fox's Eaft India Bill, there was a general intereft in the nation to

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