Rances, too uniform to be of importance in the argument. A Scherteaberg in Saxony, M. Werner faw under the bafalt, fuc-, ceffively, walhe, clay, fand, quartz, gravel, and gaeis, which changed fo gradually, that no point or distinction could be ob ferved. He concludes, that all bafalt has been formed by a depolition of water, that its origin is recent; that it refts often on mountains formed by alluvion, which have been fince washed away, leaving only thefe prifmatic pillars."

The fecond part of the baron de Hupfch's mineralogical refearches, on the remarkable origin, and the important utility of the tufa of Cologne is publifhed. It contains alfo, as we have formerly obferved, what our author calls convincing proofs of the exiftence of valt volcanos, found on the borders of the Rhine, in the provinces of Cologne, Bergues, and Treves, in the remoteft period. In this part, he investigates the most probable origin of the tufa of Cologne, with reflections on the pumice ftone of this country, conjectures founded on its extin guifhed volcanos, the fource of this tufa. The baron is oc cafionally fanciful, and refts too frequently on conjectures We are inclined to truft only the general facts, that in this country there were once confiderable volcanos.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE.
DIVINITY, &c.

A Sermon preached at St. Dunstan's in the Weft, on Sunday, March 28, 1790, for the Benefit of the Royal Humane Society. By the Rev. Jofeph Holden Pott, A. M. 8vo. 15. Cadell. WE

E have feldom read a more elegant and judicious fermon;

paid antiently to the life of man, fuggefted by 2 Sam. xiii. 17, he paffes on to the dictates of the Gospel, and the example of Christ. Both the Old and New Teftament, therefore, join in recommending this inftitution, an inftitution which we always withed to serve, and have condemned only the conduct of its directors. We apprehend archdeacon Pott has been misinformed when he fpeaks of the method of recovering drowned perfons as a new difcovery, referved for the enlightened Dr. Hawes and his affiftants. It is at least as old as the time of Van Helmont.

Social Union and Benevolence, a Sermon, preached at Percy Cha pel, Rathbone Place, on Wednesday the 4th of November, 1779, before the ancient and honourable Order of Bucks. Published at their particular Requeft. By the Rev. Rice Hughes, A. M. 4to. 15. Johnson.

The name of a buck was fome few years fince a term of reproach; but, even in the title, we are told in the words of Cicero, that this fociety (the order of bucks we prefume) coptains every thing defirable, honefty, glory, tranquility, and

enjoyment,

enjoyment. If this order, however, defer es the eulogium of Our author, and we havent the lightest reafon to doubt it, we ought not to d foifs the fermon without expreffing our higheft approbation of the conflitution.

The antiquits, the preacher remarks, of your order claims respect; the moral excellency of its conflitution demands veneration and praite. Indutry is a prime object of your encouragement and regard. The cultivation of benevolence is your principal characteiftic. The facred name of religion is protected in your lodges from impiety and profanenefs. The whifper of calumny is not heard. Swearing and licentious wit are banished from your convivial board; nor is its harmony dif turbed by the unt iend'y and pernicious intrusion of gaming.'

This difcourfe i, in general, practical and pop lar. Mr. Hughes contrafts the state of that nation, where focial union and benevolence prevail, with fome of the vices of the pre ent age. To cultivare the first and avoid the last is the neceffary conclufion, a confummation which we devoutly join with the preacher in wishing for.

Obfervations on the Four Gofpels; Shewing their Defies, and bor far thofe Defects, toge her with the Writings of t. Paul, have mifled the Compilers of our Church Service, &c. thereby evincing the Neceffity of revifing the Whole by Authority. By a Friend to Truth. 820. 65. fewed. Kearsley.

We have feen the Harmony of the Gofpels, but this work may be styled their contraft. The author is aid to be a ferious, candid, filk-manu acturer at Lyons; but, in many paffages of this work, he difplays little judgment, and ftrongly fupports what we formerly remarked, that free enquiry, without judg ment and ability, will milead instead of inftructing.

The

friend to truth,' finds the Evangelifts not only contradicting each other, but almost always the compilers of our church-fervice; and, in his zeal for reformation, leads us to the confines (perhaps beyond the confine) of Deifm. Difcutions of this kind are unfuitable to a popular journal, and we shall leave our author to the reforming Unitarians of the prefent age.

POETR Y.

Happiness, a Poem. 4to. 15. 6d. Ridgeway.

This is a first attempt, and the author pleads youth and the want of a liberal education to mitigate the feverity of criticism; bur, as he fays, what is that to the public?'-We mean not however to difcourage him: and, if his years and fituation allow it, we would advife him to acquire what literary inftruction he can, and to be reader for fome time before he makes his fecond attempt as an author. He does not appear to want abilities, and his diction is smooth and casy.

Cheye

Cheyt Sing, a Poem. By a Young Lady of Fifteen. 4to. 25. Woodhouse.

This young lady writes with fpirit and feeling; but her poem, like the preceding, will not often stand the test of criticism. Sunday, a Poem. 4to. Is. Dilly.

There are no marks of a vigorous fancy or warm imagination in this little performance, but we meet with many just obfervations, delivered in a clear and perfpicuous style. A fhort fpecimen may not be unacceptable:

Free to enjoy repofe from toil and care
Now vacant man a cleanly aspect wears,
The fruitful mother of a num'rous race
Wakens to call her progeny around,

To lave their blooming cheeks, and clothe their limbs
With garments fpotless as the breast they hide,
And youth and age the gen'ral law obey.
Lovely in fimple charms the village maid,
Her now with happier eyes her lover fees,
Or as the kneels at church, or treads the green.
The chimney-fweeper fabler e'en than he
Who plies laborious at the fcorching forge,
Nor plies his trade, nor wears its fable hue;
But mindful of the day that frees from toil,
He wipes his footy face, well pleas'd to feel
Fresh o'er his frame the grateful folace glide.
Delightful folace! kindling health and joy.

Hail cleanlinefs! thou cheaply-purchas'd blifs,
Virtue's ally, whofe foftly-stealing pow'r

Reaches the mind, and makes us clean within.'

The observation in the last three lines is happily conceived and expreffed.

Specimens of the early English Poets. Svo. 6s. Boards. Edwards,

It was intended to comprise within the compafs of one vo lume, all the most beautiful small poems which had been publifhed in this country during the fixteenth and seventeenth cen turies; but the completion of the author's plan has been prevented by the difficulty of procuring a fufficient flock of matter. The editor defigned to arrange them under the reigns in which their authors flourished; to unite the advantages of a poetical common-place book with thofe of a hiftory of English poetry:' this plan he has adhered to in the prefent fpecimen; and the poems are fo well chofen, and printed with fo much beauty and care, that we hope he will be enabled, by a more diligent search, to fill up his outline. The prefent collection begins at the reign of Henry VIII. and ends with the merry days of the second Charles.

We had intended to felect different fpecimens, in order to trace fome of our latest poets in the vestiges of their fucceffors, and to have shown, that in works of fancy and elegance, æras fo little distant scarcely gave any room to ascertain the progress of

the

the art. But we found the collection too inconfiderable to ad.. mit of a plan fo extenlive. This volume is, however, a very pleating companion; and we must repeat, that the poems are felected with great taste, and printed with much elegance.

The Prifon, a Poem. 4to. 2s. 6d. Stalker.

This performance appears to be written from a benevolent principle, and is entitled to approbation; particularly, if the. author is in reality entirely deftiture of all thofe acquifitions that education beltows;' and which he pleads in mitigation of critical feverity for any inaccuracies into which he may inadvertently have been betrayed.

NOVEL S.

Louifa, a Novel 3 Vols. By the Author of Melia and Marcia, or the Sifters. 12mo. 95. Hookham,

The author of this pleafing and interefting ftory has fixed her eyes on Cecilia, and, from this charming model, founded her history. The changes of fortune are frequent; the characters well diverfified, though not strongly marked or pointedly contrafted; and the intereft moft feelingly fupported. If there is a fault it is perhaps in the frequent changes: the difficulties are scarcely farted, but they are explained; and a miffortune feldom happens without a remedy being foon at hand. If this conduct leffens the force of the impreffion, it adds to the variety, and renders the work more amufing. A few of the characters alfo feem to be drawn from life, with peculiarly characteristic traits. We may mention Bangrove, Mrs. Gillinfby, lady Roseville, and fir Ralph Random. The character of fir Charles Rofeville is not always, we fufpect, confiftent; and the peculiar traits of his fon fhould have been brought forward more pointedly than by defcription. Yet, on the whole, we have been highly entertained by this novel, and think it much beyond the ufual works of this clafs.

The Fate of Velina de Guidova, a Novel. 3 Vol. 12mo. 91. Lane.

The Fate of Velina is a happy one; but it is brought about by common incidents, and the characters differ only from the works whofe fcene is laid in England in the names and titles. The Letter on Suicide, and the Sermon in anfwer to it, contain few arguments that are not hackneyed, and few remarks that, in fimilar fituations, will have any influences The circumftances of the story are also improbable, and the denouement is improperly hurried.

Arley; or, the Faithless Wife. 2 Vols. 12mo. 5. Barr.

The adventures of Arley are not without fome contradictions and improbabilities. The characters alfo of the citizen and his 'family, as well as of Manfel, too nearly border on fome corref ponding ones in Cecilias. but the parfimony of Briggs, united

to

to the vulgar familiarity of the Branetons, are not well applied to the opulent inhabitant of Mincing-lane. When we have faid that this novel is amusing, we have nothing farther to add in its praise.

Caroline; or, the Heroine of the Camp, a Novel. 2 Vols. 12mo. 55. Beilby.

This lady has no great right to the name of heroine, for she remains quietly at New York, in peace from all attacks but thofe of love. Though the story is told in a plain ealy manner, and amuses for the time, we cannot avoid ftyling it a trite, hackneyed tale, while reflection does not furnish one hint or character to induce us to make a fingle effort to rescue it from oblivion.

Plexippus; or, the Afpiring Plebeian. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. Dodfley.

Our author is greatly fuperior to the common rank of profeffional novellifts. His narrative is written in elegant language, without the affectation of ornament, and occafionally difplays, not only the attractive neatness of Mr. Graves' ftyle, but fometimes the fhrewd farcasms, which we admire in Columella and the Spiritual Quixote. There is no attempt at humour; and the author feems rather to aim at copying from nature, without diftorting the features to render the pictures ridiculous, or the portraits carricatures. He has greatly entertained us, and it is a debt of gratitude, on our fide, to recommend his work. We truft our recommendation will not be in vain.

Sidney and Eugenia, a Novel. By a Lady. 2 Vols. 12mo. 65. Wilkins.

We perceive neither novelty nor merit in thefe volumes: it is the hackneyed tale ten times told; told till it difgufts. As it is from a female pen, we can excufe the profufion with which Hymen scatters his faveurs; but we cannot excufe, from a lady, the great fufceptibility of each fair one introduced. Every lady is quickly in love, and no lady fcruples to own it: almost every one gives fufficient intimation of it to the gentleman fle diftinguishes.

Norman and Bertha; or, Exalted Attachment, a Novel. Writ ten by a Lady. 2 Vols. 12mo. 65. Walter.

If the lady who wrote Sidney and Eugenia diftinguished herfelf by love and matrimony, our prefent fair one delights in fudden deaths, and unexpected changes of character and conduct. In fhort, probability is violated every moment, and we meet with nothing to reconcile the difguft which this inatten tion muft neceffarily produce.

MISCELLANEOUS. Mammuth, or Nature displayed on a grand Scale, in a Tour with the Tinkers into the inland Parts of Africa. By the Man in the Moon. 2 Vols. 12mo. 65. Murray.

In this frange, whimfica', excentric, and unequal performVOL. LXX. July, 1790.

H

ance,