ways here given to their respective authors, the editor may justly claim the forgiveness of the reader, as the error is owing to fuch as have not acknowledged to whom they were themfelves indebted. And, as fome minutia may have escaped his vigilance in collating, he prefumes the pardon of all those who are acquainted with the extreme nicety of the undertaking; and hopes, the candid reader, who shall detect any such slight omiffion, will excufe it. The editor has the further fatisfaction to inform the reader that the plates of the frontispieces to each play are in the very beft prefervation, the tail-pieces only being worn out; which are re-engraved by a very eminent artist.

The epiftle addreffed to Sir T. H. by the late ingenious Mr. Collins was recommended as worthy to be prefixed to the prefent edition.'

In the mean time we cannot but exprefs our furprise, that when an edition of Shakespeare was projected, in which every expenfive and elegant embellishment was confulted, a more authentic text fhould not have been adopted. Yet it must be granted, that this defect is amply compenfated by the various. readings of Theobald and Capell, which the diligent and accurate editor has refpectively fubjoined to every volume. Sir Thomas Hanmer, whofe text has been implicitly followed in this publication, to use the words of a celebrated writer, a man eminently qualified for thefe ftudies.' But he totally marred the merit of his edition, and deftroyed its authority, by mixing conjectural readings, however ingenious and defenfible, with the established text. We do not mean by these curfory remarks, to detract from his due praife. He appears to have wanted judgment, not as a critic, but as an editor.

was

XII. Obfervations upon the Prophecies relating to the Refloration of the Jews. With an Appendix, in Answer to the Objections of Some late Writers. By Jofeph Eyre. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Cadell. THE Old Teftament contains a great number of prophecies

relative to the Jews; and particularly to their return from the Babylonian captivity, under Zerubbabel and his fucceffors. The prophets ufe many lofty expreffions and poetical images, when they fpeak of this joyful and interesting event. But feveral modern writers, not confidering the genius of oriental compofitions, or expecting defcriptions of Chriftianity in every page of the Bible, have applied thofe predictions, in an allegorical fenfe, to the ftate of the Chriftian church in Lome future period. Others, following the direction of dreaming rabbies, have contended for a temporal reign of the

Mef

fhip, are removed the next morning, on being informed that he is on the road to France. On her return to Clifton-hall, Mifs Maxwell feels no fmall pleasure at the fight of another letter from Mr, Sheldon, which is not lefs fatisfactory than that the received before her departure from thence. On the re-arrival of Mr. Sheldon from Oxford, Mifs Maxwell is very unexpectedly informed that he is her firft coufin Carlos Sibley, (grandfon of Sir Philip Sibley, whofe fecond fon married Mrs. Joanna's younger fifter, afterwards the mother of Lucy). This difcovery produces an interefting converfation between them. Mr. Sibley, no longer Sheldon, eager to find out the cruel authorefs of all his Lucy's injuries, employs neceffary agents for the detection of her retreat, but with no fuccefs. When some months have elapfed in a fruitlefs fearch, an old gentleman being fuddenly feized near Clifton hall with an apoplectic diforder, is brought to that hofpitable manfion, and every thing is done, by the humane Mrs. Neville's commands, to forward his recovery. This gentleman proves to be Sir Philip Sibley, who, finding himself better, and hearing that there is a gentleman from Oxford in the houfe, expreffes a ftrong defire to learn intelligence about his grandfon. He opens his mind to Mrs. Neville with regard to his behaviour to Carlos, and wishes to make all the reparation in his power for his paft unkindneffes. Mrs. Neville makes the old baronet extremely happy by the information which the gives him, and that information is followed by an affecting interview between Carlos and his grandfather. Sir Philip's joy is confiderably increafed by finding Mifs Maxwell at the fame time; he looks upon both as his children, and on being told that they had a fincere regard for each other, readily confents to their union; he having a generofity which doubles their gratitude to him, and their own mutual happiness. While fhe is upon a visit in Leicestershire, Mifs Maxwell meets with Dawson, her nurse's husband, whom the very much furprizes by her appearance, as her aunt had told him that she had been dead two years. With him he goes to the old cottage, and Mrs. Dawfon is equally aftonished at the fight of her. By them fhe is informed that her aunt was gone to fettle at Beverly in Yorkshire. Mr. Aimfley, the elder, having written to a relation at Beverly, is acquainted with the refidence of a Mrs. Maxwell there, of whofe death an account, in a fhort time, arrives. Mr. Aimfley, the younger, the Francifco already mentioned, and Mr. Sibley, fet out for Beverly. By a letter from her Carlos, Lucy is informed of the recovery of her little fortune, which had been unjustly detained from her by her aunt, but of which the had only appropriated the intereft to her own ufe. When

ever

every thing relating to the death of Mr. Maxwell is fettled, and when fome other family-affairs are adjufted, the fair hiftorian takes leave of her readers by telling us that she and her Carlos were indiffolubly united.

This hiftory contains many uninterefting adventures, inartificially huddled together; there is not a fingle character ftrongly marked through the whole; and the ftory of the heroine might have been comprized in a very fmall compass.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE. 11. Choir Gaur; the Grand Orrery of the antient Druids, commonly called Stonehenge, on Salisbury-Plain, aftronomically explained, and mathematically proved to be a Temple, erected in the earliest Ages, for obferving the Motions of the "heavenly Bodies. Illufirated with three Copper-Plates. By Dr. John Smith, Inoculator of the Small Pox. 40. 45. Horsfield.

IF

we may believe the motto prefixed to this work,

Felix qui rerum potuit cognofcere caufas,

Dr. Smith is one of thofe happy beings for whom a very fingular discovery has been referved. The fecret of making porcelain is faid to have been found out by a chemist, who was in pursuit of the philofopher's ftone; and the use and origin of Stone-henge appears to have been revealed to one who only fettled in the neighbourhood of that mystical fabric for the lefs glorious purpose of inoculating for the fmall-pox.!

After a very short dedication to his grace the duke of Queensberry, in which that nobleman is compared to the fun, and the position of the ftones in Choir Gaur, to the regularity of his life, the author proceeds to an introduction, in the courfe of which he characterizes thofe who opposed him in his medical defign, by the diftinction of NOYSEY wretches, and malevolent villains. Having difpatched this affair of private quarrel, he acquaints us with the defign of his book, and concludes with an elogium on the learning, piety, &c. of his fecondary patron, Nathaniel St. André, efq. of Southampton, who once entertained the world with a ftill more extraordinary phenomenon, in the cafe of Mary Tofts, the rabbit-breeder, of Godalming, in Surry. It is not our intention to enter into the merits of this antiquated Charlatan, though he feems even yet to be willing enough to lend an obftetric hand to the production of any chimera, like that which has fo often rendered his name the fport of every news paper, and the ridicule of every tongue.

The name of fuch a patron and promoter of the work would naturally have led every reader to believe that StoneThis is a fpecimen of the author's orthography. X. 3

henge

Page 15.

The place of a dimenfionless point, is in that

point; but the place of an extended fubftance, is in the center of its dimenfions.'

Mem. To have the center of dimenfions defined.

6

Page 19. Why the marrow that forms the brain of a goole may in a fhort time form the brain of a philofopher, must be imputed to that omnifcient and omnipotent caufe by whom we live, move, and have our being.'

Mem. This is undoubtedly true with regard to the cause, if the fact be fo. Afk Mr. Kenrick, if he is affured of the latter, from the nature of his own brain?

Page 30.

As the space defcribed by falling bodies is as the fquare of their velocity, a body will in falling four feet acquire two degrees of velocity.'

Mem. The spaces defcribed by falling bodies are as the fquares of their velocities. This is certainly true; but it is impoffible to determine (otherwife than by experiment) what velocity a body in falling will acquire; therefore, to speak of a body acquiring two degrees of velocity, muft be farther explained,

Page 30. Now it is well known that it would require exacly the fame force to throw the fame body up again in the fame time to the fame height. But it is as well known that the weight of one pound, and ever fo little more, at the end of a balance beam of fixteen feet, would weigh up four pounds to the height of four feet, from whence fuppofe it fell. (Mem. To afk whereabout the fulcrum is placed.) It is equally as well known and certain, that if one pound be freely let fall fixteen feet, it will acquire but four degrees of velocity, and of courfe have acquired but four degrees of momentum by its gravitating force, which is but half the force of the greater weight, which nevertheless it counterbalances both in motion and at reft."

-

Mem. We apprehend the balance beam must be twenty feet in length; and if the fulcrum is to be placed fixteen feet from the farther end, then the velocity of the fingle pound weight will be only four times that of the four pound weight. Is not the velocity here employed to throw the fame body up again by this means decreased? Mr. Kenrick muft therefore fhew what mechanical advantage is hereby gained.

Page 42. The room itfelf, with all that are in it, is moved by the diurnal revolution of the earth many thousand miles in a minute.

Mem. To afk how this is poffible, when even the points of the equator move not above eighteen miles in a minute, by the earth's rotation about its axis ?

Page

Page 43.

An animal without weight, how great foever its good will, would not be able to lift, or draw a fingle fea

ther.'

Mem. To afk what kind of animals thofe are which have no weight?'

If Mr. Kenrick will condefcend to remove thefe (to us) feeming difficulties in his next Lecture, we doubt not but the poffibility of a perpetual motion will become extremely obvious.

XIV. Clementina, a Tragedy. As it is performed at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. 8vo. 15. 6d. Dilly.

Of all the dramatic performances which of late years have

met with any degree of fuccefs, this is by far the meaneft, whether we confider its fable, characters, or language. We fhall forbear to fwell our Review, by attempting any account of its conduct, for not a fingle ftriking fituation is to be found throughout the whole; nor ftrive to afford our readers any idea of its heroes or heroines, as no one is difcriminated from another by the leaft peculiar turn of mind or manners. Sentiments, indeed, there are, which have received the applaufe of the galleries, for whofe fole gratification they feem to have been introduced; as in the following inftance:

The people's voice, howe'er it fometimes errs,
Means always nobly, and is rais'd by virtue;
Their very faults, illuftrious from their motives,
Demand respect, nay, ask for admiration,

And foar, at least, half fanctify'd, to justice.'

The meaning comprized in the laft of thefe lines, (if any there be) is too fubftantially covered with words, for us to find it out. We shall now prefent our readers with a nofegay of flowers, which we have carefully fele&ted out of this tragedy, and leave their own judgments to expatiate in more extenfive criticifm. But when the arm, the mighty arm of kings, That fhould protect all mankind from oppreffion, Is ftretch'd to feize on what it ought to guard, Then heaven's own brand in aggravated fire, Should ftrike th' illuftrious villain to his hell; And war in mercy for a groaning world,'

one.

The questions to be afked on this occafion, are more than Firft, What is a brand in aggravated fire, or a brand firıking in aggravated fire? Secondly, What does his hell mean ? Had the tyrant a hell made on purpofe for him? We know none who have hells of their own, but taylors.

Thirdly, Is war in mercy to a groaning world, to be dispatched after him, or to unite the three questions, what is the meaning of the tout ensemble ?

Y 2