wo greater respect to worldly authority, than what is warranted by them: let me call upon him particularly to read the precepts, and to obferve the character of our divine mafter; and if in not thing which he has faid, he can obferve the traces of the eftablishment of a clergy, the power of a bishop and church cenfures, let me call upon him to disclaim this unnatural authority, and endeavour, as much poffible, to effect a revolution, which may free him from thefe fhackles, reftore the caufe of reafon to his mind, fet his confcience at liberty from oppreffion, and justify the rights of the author of his religion.'

Some of our author's complaints may be very reasonable; but he should confider, that imperfections will attend every human inftitution; and that the religion of this kingdom would, perhaps, have been long fince in the most deplorable fituation, if that antiquated building, called the church, had been destroyed. 30. Meditations upon several Texts of Scripture. By the late Mrs Jean Steuart. 8vo. 6s. Dilly.

This volume contains 127 of Mrs. Jean Steuart's Meditations, and fome religious letters to her friends. From these devout works we can form no favourable idea of the deceased lady, as a writer. But let us take this opportunity to inform the public, that her moft amiable character entitles her memory to tendernefs and veneration, and that her Meditations, though not remarkable for elegance of ftile, or ftrength of argument, are evidently the overflowings of a heart fraught with benevolence, virtue, and piety.

31. The Life of Jofeph, the Son of Ifrael. 12mo. 35. Keith.

A religious novel, in which the interefting events that befel this patriarch are interwoven with the chimeras of the author's imagination. This piece refembles the Gothic defcriptions, and languid declamation, of the facred poems of the Klopstocks and the Geffners, which were tranflated into English fome years ago. Its pictures are executed with as little propriety, and fpirit as theirs, but they are not fo much daubed with the German glare of colouring. Its moft affecting fcenes are taken from the account which we have of Jofeph in fcripture; but the beautiful fimplicity of the facred writings is much difguised, and their ftriking energy is much weakened, by the minute narration, and tedious fpeeches of this author.

Left we should be thought too fevere in our remarks on this performance, we fhall give our readers a fhort quotation from it. Jofeph's brethren had dipped his coat in kid's blood, and brought it to their father, that he might conclude his fon was flain by a wild-beaft. Our author makes Jacob faint at the fight when he recovers, he breaks out in the following lamentation.

• Where am I? What has been the matter, my daughters? Why have ye disturbed me? I am now awakened from the foundest fleep that I ever fell into. My Dinah, where is she? Tell me, my girl, what ails thee? I am thy father, Di

nah ;

nah; come near my love, and let me embrace thee. Bid Jofeph to come fpeedily, I want to fee him. Ay, now have hit the fore. Joseph is gone, Dinah ! Jofeph is rent to pieces. Bring that bloody coat. That coat, Benjamin, is thy brother Jofeph's. He wears it no more. Some of that voracious army, wherewithal God hath plagued finful man, hath torn him in pieces and devoured him. O my Jofeph! my Jofeph! Had I a thousand lives, I would have given them all to have redeemed thee from death. But thou art gone, my fon, for ever gone from the land of light; and I fhall foon follow thee into that of darkness. I come my fon. I follow thee, I foon shall join thee in the land afar off. Haften thy pace, thou tardy executioner; cut short thy work, thou friendly enemy; I long once more to encircle my fon in these withered arms. Yet, my Dinah, poor ruined damfel, if I could, I would live for thy fake, a little to alleviate thy forrows. But I die my girl: I find I cannot long furvive my Jofeph.'

Our author forgets in this, and many other parts of his work, that people are not apt to prate when they are agitated by violent paffions.

He informs us, that in writing his book he chiefly had in view the entertanment and inftruction of boys and girls. But we do not think it well calculated even for their perufal: it might give them impreffions which are not eafily removed, and which often torment us with puerile apprehenfions in our riper yearsfor it abounds with flories of apparitions.

32. Remarks on M. de V's New Difcoveries in Natural Hiftory, in a late Publication, intituled Les Singularités de la Nature. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Robinfon and Roberts.

The defign of this pamphlet is to maintain the credibility of the Mofaic account of the deluge, against the notions of a celebrated writer. The remarks are in general fenfible and fpirited, and are founded upon the most rational fyftem of philofophy.

MISCELL A N EOUS. 33. The Shipwreck and Adventures of Monf. Pierre Viaud, 8vo. 45. T. Davies.

To give a particular account of these Adventures, would, in fome measure preclude the pleafure which the perufal of them will afford our readers. We fhall therefore, confine ourselves to a general recommendation of them.

Captain Viaud, in a Letter to a Friend, relates the almoft unparalleled hardships and dangers which he and his companions fuffered on fome American iflands, and the neighbouring continent. The furprising series of events which befel them, is recited in a diftinct and agreeable narrative, interfperfed with moral and sentimental reflections. The reader will find these Adventures fufficiently authenticated to gain the belief of every rational mind. They will only be deemed fabulous by people

of

of limited understanding and fuperficial reflexions who refufe credit to those facts which happen out of the sphere of common and domestic obfervations; who are ignorant of the complicated hiftory of mankind. *

Thefe entertaining and interefting Adventures have an excellent moral tendency. They teach us never to admit defpair while we retain life. They corroborate the falutary belief of an active Providence, ever watchful over the welfare of the patient and the virtuous.

34. Mifcellaneous Tracts of the Rev. John Clubbe, Redor of 2 Vols. 8vo. 6s. Longman.

Whatfield

The first volume of thefe Mifcellaneous Tracts contains the History and Antiquities of Whatfield, 2d. Edit.-Phyfiognomy, being an Introduction to a larger Work, 2d. Edit.-Scattered Thoughts on Title-pages, Dedications, Prefaces, and Postscripts. The fecond volume contains-A Letter of Free Advice to a Young Clergyman, 2d. Edit.-A Sermon Preached before the Sons of the Clergy at Ipfwich, Suffolk, 2d. Edit.-Infant Baptifm confidered under the great Probability, if not abfolute Certainty of its Practice in the firft Ages of Chriftianity.

We have already taken notice of all thefe Tracts except the laft one of each volume. His Thoughts on Title-pages, Dedications, Prefaces, and Pamphlets, are juft and numorous. His Treatife on Infant-Baptifm is learned and judicious. By many texts of fcripture, by the Jewish manner of admitting profelytes to the religion of Mofes, and by the teftimony of Clemens Romanus, Justin Martyr, and other fathers, he proves, to the fatisfaction of an unprejudiced mind, that infant-baptifm was recommended to the church by the practice of Christ and his apostles.

35. Sketches and Characters of the most eminent and most fingular Perfons now living. Vol. I. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Wheble.

In an age when the cabinets of the dead are ranfacked for their letters, and each forgotten folly of thofe who are at all concerned in the management of ftate-affairs, is revived, it is no wonder that publications like these fhould be tempted abroad into the world. The comfort of fuch as are injured by them; ought to be, that the abufe of to-morrow will expel the lampoon of to-day; for when the blameless and the guilty are indifcriminately lafhed by fatire, the original end of it is loft, and with it all its power to do either good or harm. The mark of ftripes, inflicted even by the iron rod of a Junius, fpeedily wear out; and what lafting effects can this impotent writer promife to the puny chaftifements of his lafh of film ?

This performance is as contemptible as malicious. The author knows little of what paffes in the polite world; and generally contrives to render that little unintelligible by his manner

cates.

The truth of thefe Adventures are attested by authentic certifi

of

of telling it. The Critical Reviewers, among others, are treated, with as much severity as the poor rogue was able to treat them; and are represented for the ten thousandth time (to use the language of Chevy-Chafe) as

All men of pleafant Tividale

Faft by the river Tweed..

We leave all particular cenfure of this defpicable catchpenny to fome of thofe diftinguished characters who have had their good name filched from them by the anonymous writer; and will venture to prophecy, that nothing can ever tend to abridge the freedom of the prefs fo effectually as its own licentioufnefs. All ranks of people begin to be tired of feeing their names expofed to public ridicule, and will unite, in fome unlucky hour, to court the aid of that restraint which they have hitherto been taught to abhor as the badge of slavery.

36. The Academy Keeper: or Variety of useful Directions concerning the Management of an Academy, the Terms, Diet, Lodging, Recreation, Difcipline, and Inftruction of Young Gentlemen, &c., 8vo, is. Peat.

We have received no fmall degree of entertainment from this ironical pamphlet, in which all the frauds of academy-keepers are pointed out with much good fenfe, perfpicuity, and humour. We fincerely recommend the work before us, to the notice of thofe parents and guardians, who have been fo far imposed on by pompous advertisements, as to shut up their children or wards in fuch baftard places of education. We never pafs by the door of one of thefe feminaries of second-rate erudition, without reading the board difplayed over it with the fame contempt as we fhould express on perufing the bill of a Tower-bill or WeftSmithfield quack. The refemblance between the profeffors of irregular education and unlicensed phyfic, is more than imaginary. The firft fet of men make no fcruple to promife their pupils inftruction in claffic authors, of whofe names they are too often ignorant; and the fecond as frequently arrogate to themfelves the cure of difeafes, with the fame impudent oftentation, though they are unable to fpell their very titles with propriety. 37. A New and Accurate Defcription of all the Direct and Principal Crofs-Roads in Great Britain, &c. By Daniel Paterson, affiftant to the Quarter-Master-General of his Majefly's Forces. 8vo. Is. 6d. Carnan.

The preference which the following Description claims to any work of the kind hitherto published, will be very apparent, on the leaft comparifon. It contains all the new roads to the present time, and the alterations and improvements in the old roads.

At the first view, is fhewn the diftance of each city, town, and remarkable village from London, with a particular account of the road leading to it, measured from the Standards in London, according to the mile-ftones on each road.'

We

for

We take what this author fays in praise of his work, granted, as we have reafon to believe that uncommon pains has been taken to make it correct.

38. The Trial of Farmer Carter's Dog Porter, for Murder. Taken down verbatim et literatim in Short-band, and now Publifhed by Authority from the corrected Manufcript of Counsellor Clear-point, Barrifler at Law, &c. 8vo. Is Lowndes.

If this Trial, &c. means any thing, it is to be witty on the Game-act. We had hardly fufficient patience to read it through.

39. An Index to the Excife Laws; or an Abridgement of all the Statutes now in Force relating to the Excife. By Jelinger Symons. 8vo. Printed for the Author. Is.

Soon after the Reftoration, in the year 1660, the commons granted to the reftored fovereign, in lieu of the revenue arising from the Court of Wards and Liveries, and in full recompence and fatisfaction for all tenures in capite, and knight's fervice, an annual income to be raised by Excife upon beer, ale, cyder, perry, and ftrong waters. On cafting up the numbers for paffing this bill, they stood 151 against 149. Since that time, during the courfe of 110 years, the Excife-laws are become fo numerous, and the frequent alterations therein, and many references from one to another, have made them fo intricate, that, as our author juftly obferves, fome help is abfolutely neceffary to those who would acquire a knowledge of them. This led Mr. Symons to the defign of drawing up an abridgment of the ftatutes now in force relating to the Excife-laws, wherein the method he has purfued in the arrangement of those laws under their proper heads, and referring to the particular chapter and fection, where each act may be found in the Statutes at Large, cannot, in our opinion, fail of rendering this work extremely useful to thofe whofe dealings in trade may require an immediate knowledge in Excise duties.

There are, however, (as indeed it is almost impoffible to be otherwife in a work of this nature) fome few things which have escaped the obfervation of our author. As for inftance we find no mention made of the penalty, which is five fhillings per bushel and the whole wetting charged with the full duty of fix fhillings per quarter, incurred by any malfter who fhall fuffer his malt upon the floor to become acrefpired. Nor has Mr. Symons informed his readers that the penalties in the coach-act admit not of any mitigation. These and other omiffions (if any other there are) we hope the author will fupply in the next edition of this very useful performance.

40. A Letter to the Members of the Provident, and other Societies, eftablished with a View to Jecure a Provifion in Old Age, on the Impropriety and Infuficiency of their prefent Plans. 1s. Brotherton. This pamphlet is intended to fhew, that the feveral focieties, stablished for the benefit of age, by granting annuities to the

mem