perfection, a monfter which nature never formed. He is drawnfubject to the power, but not the flave of paffion; and speaks with freedom the fentiments fuggefted by the occafion, whether gay or grave, or reprehenfion or applaufe.'-To wipe off the falle colourings of prejudice, and thew truth in her native purity, is the Writer's aim:and we think he has fucceeded, in an eminent degree. Here are many leffons which it would be happy for mankind if all Princes would learn; viz. "Injudicious MERCY encourages CRIMES, by difarming JUSTICE of her terrors *."-Good magistrates ought particularly to be on their guard against the foft and plaufible feductions of their own humanity; and ever to bear in mind, that one great end of their exaltation is, that they be a terror to evil doers: by which means they will most effectually prevent evil from being done. Among other fabled truths, we meet with a very pathetic difplay of the miferies brought on the unhappy natives of thofe parts of the East Indies where the Europeans have fettled, by the avarice and tyranny of the rapacious intruders. Humanity will read the particulars with horror, and endeavour, we fear, in vain, to comfort herfelf with the hope that they have not their foundation in FACT.Let our Nabobs look to this! We have here, alfo, fome ftriking intimations, of the utmost national importance, with respect to over-grown empire, and colony connexions. Our Author prophecies much, but it is all melancholy; nothing but denunciations of woes;-from which, however, it is hoped, the goodness of Heaven will long preferve this hitherto highly favoured country; and not involve the innocent with the guilty, in one promiscuous public ruin. There are many fingularities in this work; but it abounds with excellent morality. The Author's invention is extremely fruitful; his language is nervous, his narratives are both entertaining and inftructive; and, on the whole, his performance is much fuperior to the ordinary novels of the times. Art. 17. The fatal Effects of Inconftancy; or, Letters of the Marchiones de Syrce, the Count de Mirbelle, and others. Tranflated from the French. Izmo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed. Bew. 1774. The fatal effects of criminal indulgences in amorous pursuits, are here difplayed, in a ftriking and exemplary light. The Author has ability, and the Tranflator judgment; though, perhaps, the latter is fomewhat deficient in talle. An eafy and elegant writer of Englith would not ta k of framing letters and novels;' nor would have made a lover, who is a man of family and education, complain that his miftrefs almoft fets him mad.'-But there are not very many flips of this kin 1, in the prefent work. *The alarming increase of highwaymen, houfebreakers, &c. furely calls for the utmolt exertion of the magiftrates vigilance, and the fir eft execut on of the laws: without which the evil will inevitably grow upon us, till the lower people of this country become little better than a nation of banditti. The example of Pope Sixtus the Fifth, with his wholesome severities, cannot be too much recommended to crowned heads. Art. Art. 18. The Pleafures of Retirement, preferable to the Joys of Diffipation; exemplified in the Life and Adventures of the Count de B. Written by himself, in Letters to a Friend. Now firft tranflated from the Original French. By a Lady. 12mo. 3s. Wilkie. 1774. Not now first tranflated from the original French.' A former English translation appeared about 30 years ago, under the title of 'The Confeffion of Count.de Harcourt.' MEDICA L. Art. 19. Advice to People afflicted with the Gout, &c. By J. Williams, M. D. Svo. I s. 6d. Becket. 1774. Notwithstanding the labours of the many writers, who have lately thought proper to addrefs the Public on the fubject of this effay, Dr. Williams has not confidered the matter as exhausted, but has thought proper to give us his opinions likewife concerning the nature of the gout, the treatment of patients in the different stages of it, and the means of preventing and fhortening the paroxyfms. He finds fault, with fome parts of the prefent practice; fpeaks largely of the good effects of me, exhibited to the quantity of a fcruple or half a drachm every fix hours, and even of caftor, in order to promote the expulfion of the gouty matter while it is fluctuating in the habit; and recommends cold bathing, as a practice well adapted to prevent a return of the fit. Late as it is in the feafon, the Author accompanies Dr. Cadogan through many parts of his pamphlet. But thofe who have any appetite left for this ftale fubject, or who may think it of confequence to know in what points Dr. Williams diffents from Dr. Cadogan's doctrine, or to what parts of it he gives his affent, we must refer to the effay itself. For our parts, we are heartily fick of the subject, and shall continue very fqueamish upon it, till fome man of genius ftarts up, and really throws fome new light upon the matter. Art. 20. Obfervations on Dr. Williams's Treatife upon the Gout: By Mr. Daniel Smith, &c. 8vo. I S. Carnan. 1774 Scribimus indocti doctique,—and on no art fo copiously and inceffantly as on phyfic, the moft obfcure, perhaps, of all the arts. When the molt learned and beft informed members of the faculty talk of the folids and the fluids, and theorife on the modus operandi of medicines on these two grand divifions of the human frame, they contribute very little to the illumination of their readers, and frequently bring their art into difgrace by their contradictory hypothefes. The reader will therefore eafily judge what kind and degree of information he is to expect on thefe dark points from the prefent writer, who is not of the faculty, and feems to have no other requifites or just pretenfions to commence Author and Theorist on thefe obfcure fubjects, than a ftrong inclination to benefit the Public by his fpeculations, and the having had feveral fmart fits of the gout, He ftoutly contraverts Dr. Williams's opinion, declared in the preceding pamphlet, that the gout owes its origin to the folids ;-a notion which rendered it neceffary' for him, it feems, in order to corroborate his former opinion on this head, to make fome obfervations on the Doctor's publication. In reference to this opinion, R 4 he he endeavours to fet the Doctor right with respect to his mistaken notions concerning the effects of cold bathing; and proves that the advantages derived from it are not produced by its bracing the folids, as the Doctor fuppofes, but by the influence of the cold water on the fluids. This, the Author, with great felf-complacency, at once evinces by a very familiar and obvious experiment on the thermometer:' for plunge this inftrument into a cold bath, fays he, and it will fhew by the defcent of the mercury that the cold principally affects the fluid contained in it; without producing the least visible alteration in the glafs tube ;'-that is, in the folids of the machine, which doubtless happily and aptly reprefent the folids in the human fyftem.--What can Dr. Williams or any other Doctor fay to this home proof? An experiment fo much in point! Leaving thefe fublime conundrums about the folids and the fluids, and the juices, and all that, we shall obferve that we entertained hopes that the Author would at length have favoured the Public with the recipe of the excellent anodyne application announced in his former publication; the extraordinary virtues of which piqued our curiofity, and ftill more our humanity, fo far as to induce us fomewhat earnestly to urge the Author to a speedy publication of a remedy, that had repeatedly given him inftant and never failing relief. We here however meet with nothing concerning it, except it is hinted at in the following declaration, made in the concluding fentence of this pamphlet; that in compliance with the warm folicitations of his friends,' he intends foon to publifh the remedies and method of treatment, which have done him fuch inconceivable fervice in this moft excruciating difeafe.-One fuch remedy for the difeafe, as the Author formerly reprefented this to be, is worth all the theoretical jargon that has ever been written concerning it. Art. 21. Cafes in the Acute Rheumatism and the Gout; with Curfory Remarks, and the Method of Treatment. By Thomas Dawfon, M. D. late Phyfician to the Middlefex, and the London Hofpital. 8vo. 2s. Johnfon. 1774. Though we cannot particularly enter into the contents of this pamphlet, which has accidentally been too long overlooked by us, we fhall fo far explain the defign of it, as to obferve that it contains an account of the effectual and speedy relief which has been given in feveral cafes of the acute rheumatifm and gout, by the exhibition of large dofes, to the amount of half an ounce each, of the Volatile Tincture of Guaiacum. Several of thefe cafes are here minutely related, each accompanied with a particular commentary, and with judicious remarks relating both to the general treatment of thefe diforders, and the proper feafons of exhibiting the medicine here recommended. On the whole, the refults of thefe cafes feem in a great meature to justify the good opinion which the Author enter tains concerning its efficacy, when adminiftered with a proper regard tó time and other circumstances. * See M. Review, Vol. xlvii. December, 1772, page 483. MATHEMATICS, &c. Art. 22. A new and eafy Method of finding the Longitude at Sea, with like Accuracy that the Latitude is found, adapted to general Ufe. By T. Kean. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Nourse. 1774. The following extract contains a sketch of the Author's new and eafy method, which he has illuftrated by examples: we shall fubmit it to the judgment of thofe Readers, who may be fortunate enough to understand it. Admitting that at the meridian of Greenwich, the moon comes to that meridian (by the ephemeris) at a certain hour and minute of the day; and the next day, I find fhe does not come to the fame meridian till an hour after: confequently at 90 degrees Weft diftance (or 6 hours) fhe must be 15 minutes later in coming to their meridian, than at the meridian of Greenwich; at 180 degrees Weft distance, the must be 30 minutes later; and fo on, till fhe has defcribed her circle; and at 60 minutes difference of time, comes to the place of beginning. This being granted, I take an al titude of the moon at fuch time as the rifeth or falleth fafteft, and moft equable, admit it to be 10' (or the 6th part of a degree) in a minute; which fhews that for 60 minutes, there must be 600 (or 10 degrees) difference of altitude from one day to the other (or in the fpace of 24 hours): and that every hour and minute fhe is altering the fame, from the time of her departure from the meridian of Greenwich, till her arrival there the next day. For inftance, at go degrees Weft diftance fhe is lower by 150 (or 2° 30) than at the meridian of Greenwich: at 180 degrees Weft diftance, fhe is lower by 300 (or ): and fo on till the finishes her circle.' Nothing more is neceffary than to determine the moon's true central altitude at the time of obfervation, and to compare it with the fame altitude at the meridian of Greenwich: and by this fingle obfervation the longitude, by account, is either afcertained or corrected. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 23. Obfervations upon the prefent State of our Gold and Silver Coins, 1730. By the late John Conduitt, Efq; Member for Southampton, and Mafter of his Majesty's Mint. From an original Manufcript, formerly in the Poffeflion of the late Dr. Jonathan Swift. 8vo. 1 s. 6 d. Becket. 1774. The ftate of our gold coin has of late been fo much the object of public attention, that we need not wonder if obfervations, new and old, fhould iffue from the prefs on this occafion. As the orator and politician have their "mollia tempora fandi," it is the province of our friend the book feller likewife to diftinguish times and seasons: and perhaps during the long interval of above 40 years that has elapfed fince thefe Obfervations were written, no period has occurred in which they would have been more pertinent than the prefent. That they are the genuine production of the author to whom they are afcribed, and faithfully tranfmitted to the prefs from his original manufcript, will fufficiently recommend them to all who wish to obtain an extenfiye and accurate information on this fubject. Some of the regulations that are here propofed have now been adopted: Mr. C. fuggefted them as preventives of the evil which they are now appointed to redrefs; and probably the following obfervation may may not be altogether unworthy the notice of those whom it more immediately concerns. The wear upon the gold and filver monies would be much greater, but for the general ufe of bank bills; and as it is a dead lofs to the nation, and a very confiderable one, it might not be improper to oblige the officers of the revenue, and the bank, and all bankers, to cover the counters where they tell their money, with cloth or leather; for the telling money on wood, especially with a mixture of fand, very much increases the wear.' Art. 24. The Life of the late Earl of Chesterfield: or, the Man of the World. Including his Lordship's principal Speeches in Parliament; his most admired Effays in the Paper called the World; his Poems ; &c. &c. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Bew. 1774. Lord C.'s fpeeches and letters, a large bundle; tied together with little threads of narrative, the whole of which would fcarce make a three penny pamphlet. Art. 25. Mufical Travels through England. By Joel Collier, Organist. 8vo. I 1 s. Kearly. 1774 Mr. Joel Collier, who would pafs himself upon us for a very funny fellow, appears evidently, in this exhibition of himself, to have fet Punch before him as his model; but he does not, in our opinion, come up to the true vis comica of that facetious gentleman, except perhaps in fome of the more reprehenfible parts of the conduct of that ancient wit-in mimicking his betters-talking grofs bawdy-and more particularly in his much too frequent ufe of that characteristical and ftanding joke of his great archetype, fting in the face of his audience, by way of humour. We are always well difpofed to join in and circulate a seasonable and hearty laugh; but this Mr. Collier, though he trains every nerve to make us merry, actually makes our jaws drop, and throws us into repeated fits of the vapours, with his difgulting, ftale, and ftolen jokes, and his coarfe manual wit. In fhort, we cannot even afford him the poor confolation of laughing at him; as any inclination of that kind is inftantly checked by the air of perfonal malignity, that evidently dictated and runs through the whole of this contemptible attack on an agreeable and inftructive writer. 3 s. To speak a word or two of him as an Author.-His humour, when he is not nafly or obicene, principally confifts in parodying certain parts of Dr. Burney's Journals. And for this purpofe our luckles Wight has pitched upon paffages and expreflions which do the mott credit to the good fenfe, feeling, and defcriptive talents of the ingenious Journalist - Lepidum Caput ! Art. 26. An Excurfion to the Lakes in Weftmoreland and Cumberland, Auguft, 1773. 8vo. 6 d. fewed. Wilkie. 1774.. The fcenes here defcribed are, indeed, worthy of all that the powers of the pen or the pencil could contribute toward their due celebration; but the hand in which either is held, ought to be guided by the genius of a Titian, a Pouffin, or a Claude. The talents of this Writer, however, are not to be compared with thofe of the great mailers above-named. He is capable of difcerning and tafting the beauties which he delineates; but he is faulty in his expreffion. His drawing wants correctness, and there is too much glare |