Art. 21. Experiments and Obfervations on Light and Colours: to which is prefixed the Analogy between Heat and Motion. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Johnson. 1787. This performance confifts of five different papers, on the following fubjects: viz. The analogy between heat and motion; On the light and colours of heated bodies; On the cooling power of light; On the blue colour of the fky; and, On the light of the celestial bodies. The Author proceeds abftractedly to fhew the analogy between heat and motion, and cold and reft: Reft,' fays he, is a privation of motion; and cold, a privation of heat. Bodies refift an endeavour to heat them, as they do an endeavour to put them in motion.' This is the firft and principal demonftration brought to fupport the analogy between heat and motion. What a privation of heat is we know not; nor has the degree of abfolute cold, to which reft is faid to be fimilar, ever been afcertained. With respect to the force of moving bodies, we think our Author has been too folicitous in proving a falfe doctrine erroneous. The momentum is univerfally acknowledged, from demonftration, to be as the velocity fimply, and not as the fquare of the velocity, which hath been lately affirmed. The fecond treatife fhews how the colour of heated bodies advances from red to violet, as the heat is encreafed. This is a curious thought; and we wish the Author had profecuted his ideas farther feveral particulars refpecting fhining bodies might have been illuftrated, which are here omitted. More experiments, as the Author juftly confeffes, are wanting to confirm the power, which light is faid to poffefs, of cooling bodies exposed to it. The fourth paper is on a fubject incapable of experimental proof. The hypothefes delivered in this and the following treatise, though ingenious, are merely conjectural, and may ferve to amufe thofe whom they cannot convince. In a note to the laft paper, the Author claims the discoveries, That water was the product of inflammable and dephlogisticated airs ;' and that phlogisticated air must be a combination of phlogifton and nitrous acid.' Thefe thoughts were communicated, in writing, to a friend, fome time before the papers which have been written on that fubject appeared in Public. If this is really the cafe, and can be proved, why does our Author conceal his name? The Public will not readily affent to the bare affertions of a writer, and more especially when the writer is unknown. We do not, however, mean to express any doubt on our own part. REPEAL of the TEST ACT, &c. Art. 22. Letter to a Member of Parliament, on the Cafe of the Proteftant Diffenters; and the Expediency of a general Repeal of all Penal Statutes that regard religious Opinions. 8vo. 1s. Faulder. 1787. In this well written pamphlet, the paper entitled the Cafe of the Proteftant Diffenters, &c. undergoes a ftrict inveftigation, and is charged with containing not only an evident mif- ftatement of facts, of which there was no need for the proper enforcement of their just juft claim, but also a difgufting illiberality of fentiment, unworthy of this enlightened and tolerant age.' This charge is advanced chiefly with a view to the Roman Catholics of this country, who are here vindicated, with every appearance of candour, as well as ability, from the reflections caft on them in the Diffenters' Cafe. In brief, the Author thinks that the late application of the Diffenters to Parliament for redress against tefts, &c. was narrow, ' pitiful, and partial;' and that they ought, as friends to toleration, to have generously included the Catholics, instead of endeavouring to fhut the door against their fuffering brethren.' On the fubject of toleration, the Author's ideas rife to a noble height indeed! 'The name of Chriftian,' fays he, in his conclufion, is a much more ancient and more honourable, as well as a more comprehenfive tie, than that of Proteftant; and there is a tie ftill more ancient and comprehenfive than either-that of humanity. The time, I truft, is not at a great diftance, when the full force of this laft will be understood and felt over all the polished nations of the world, when philanthropy and commutual interefts will be the fole links of fociety, when tefts and penal laws will be no more deemed neceffary for the fecurity of religion, and when Papift and Proteftant, Athanafian and Arian, Lutheran and Calvinift, Trinitarian and Unitarian, will be names of mere diftinction, not of reciprocal odium, and much lefs objects of reciprocal perfecution. 6 And have we not reafon to hope, Sir, that the British legiflature will be among the first to bring about a fyftem fo defirable, and fo congenial to the British conftitution? God knows we have, and ever fhall have, political difputes enough to divide us: why fhould those of religion come in for a share? Let fome patriotic and enlightened foul, then, move at once for a repeal of every penal religious ftatute, and every religious teft: be the pledge of the fidelity of the fubject in future, his ordinary oath of allegiance, and his fubfequent conduct, and let him be answerable only for his own; let religious principles be no more confounded with political ones; but let every Briton, without forfeiting his birth-right, profefs his own belief of the Divinity, and worship him after his own mode; and if he chooses not to worship at all, what is that to the ftate, if he faithfully ferve it in the ftation he holds, or the charge he is intrufted with? In a word, let the only teft of a good citizen be an obligation, to be a peaceable subject and an honest man. Such a motion, Sir, would do infinite honour to the mover; would be feconded and fupported by every man whofe heart were not callous to the feelings of humanity; and would immortalize the fovereign and the minister, in whofe reign and under whofe aufpices, it fhould be adopted, and paffed into a law.' Art. 23. An Addrefs to the Proteftant Diffenters who have lately petitioned for a Repeal of the Corporation and Teft Acts. By the Rev. Jofeph Berington. 8vo. 1s. Robinfons, &c. 1787. Similar to the foregoing tract, in defign, fpirit, and argument. The Reverend Author, it is well known, is a member of the Roman Catholic church, but he feems to have none of the bigotry and fuperftition with which the priesthood of that perfuafion have for Nn 3 merly merly been charged. He writes with temper and good fenfe; and his ftrictures on thofe parts of the Diffenters' Cafe, which he appre hends to bear too hard on the Papiits,' deferve the ferious confideration of the gentlemen by whom that cafe was drawn up; efpecially if it be true, as we have heard, that they mean to renew their application to Parliament for a repeal of the obnoxious acts abovementioned. Art. 24. Reflections on the Oaths which are tendered to the Subje& in this Country. 8vo. IS. Debrett. 1787. The number of legal oaths exacted under the British government, the injuftice and abfurdity of enforcing them in cafes relative to fpeculative opinions (that have no connexion with matters of civil go vernment), and all impofitions of religious tefts, are here judiciously confidered, and reprefented in the moft ferious light. Indeed, the evils here pointed out cry aloud for redrefs, and furely it is a great reproach to this enlightened age, that fuch oppreffions are ftill fuffered to fubfift! Art. 25. Curfory Remarks on the Rev. Dr. Priestley's Letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer: containing Hints, humbly offered in favour of the Eftablishment, and oppofed to the Principles contained in that Publication. By a Layman. 8vo. 1s. Denis. Dr. Priestley's letter to Mr. Pitt appeared to us, when we perufed it at the time of its publication*, to be a hafty performance, containing fome paffages which the Doctor's cooler judgment might have induced him to alter or reject, had he allowed himself fufficient time for revifal. But he feems to have ftruck boldly, while the iron was hot, as though his only fear was left the metal fhould grow cold on the anvil. This being the cafe, are we to wonder if fome flaws and defects are difcoverable in the workmanfhip. The writer of the fe remarks controverts feveral points with the Doctor. As a writer, he is by no means equal to his adverfary; but, what is no mean praife, he expreffes himself with decency and candour, treating the Doctor throughout with a degree of refpect and decorum, which gives us a favourable idea both of his temper and principles; though, as to the latter, he certainly appears in a queftionable fhape; for while he generally expreffes himself like a good and pious Chriftian, yet at the moment when he profeffes to be a "Proteftant of the church of England, in the common acceptation of the word," he adds, "but I frequent not her ceremonies, nor thofe of any other place of religious worship."-We are at fome lofs what to make of this declaration, but we deem it pretty clear, that our Author is not a very violent churchman. For the relt we fhall briefly obferve, that he has feveral judicious and pertinent, as well as fome unimportant, obfervations on the Doctor's letter-the particulars of which we cannot enumerate. He concludes with wifling his reverend and learned correfpondent," virtue, health, and hap pinefs;" and figns himself, "Yours in brotherly love, a Layman." * See Review for April, p. 348. POETRY, POETRY. Art. 26. The Loufiad. An Heroi-Comic Poem. Canto II. With an Engraving by an eminent Artift. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 2s. 6d. Kearfley. 1787. Bravo! perfevering laughter-loving Peter Pindar! Thy loufe in epic ftrains fhall ever live ;'- By future beauties fhall each tome be preft, And, like their lap-dogs, live a parlour gueft.' Vid. p. 13. For the First Canto, fee Review for Sept. 1785, art. 32. of the Catalogue. Art. 27. An apologetic Poftcript to "Ode upon Ode;" or a Peep at St. James's. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. 1s. 6d. Kearsley. 1787. Peter apologises chiefly for continually making kings his theme. Eternally, fays he, Of kings I dream As beggars, every night, we must suppose, Such things are always running in their heads.' Mafter Peter's apology will not much conciliate matters with thofe who are offended at the licentioufnefs of his mufe; but what will perhaps better anfwer his purpose, it will add to the entertainment of his admirers. Here we have, among other ftrokes of humour, a ftory of the APPLE DUMPLIN and a KING, which can never fail to fet the table in a roar; but it will never procure him a dumplin in the royal kitchen. Art. 28. More Odes upon Odes; or, a Peep at Peter Pindar; or, Falfehood detected; or, What you will. 4to. 2s. 6d. Lowndes. If this antagonist of P. P.'s does not equal him in wit, he exceeds him in grace, And pays due homage to the best of kings!" He will ftand a much better chance for an apple dumplin at St. James's. Art. 20. A Supplement to the Pharfalia of Lucan. Tranflated from the Latin of Thomas May. By the Rev. Edm. Poulter, M. A. Rector of Crawley, Hants. 4to. Is. 6d. Cadell. 1786. In the year 1630, Thomas May tranflated Lucan, and added an English continuation. But, not fatisfied with the latter, he published at Leyden, in the fame year, a Latin Supplement. It had indeed the good fortune of being well received; and what is ftill more, it it hath had the honour of being incorporated with the most eminent editions of the claffics, particularly thofe of Barbou, the Elzevirs, and Oudendorp. In our opinion, however, May was as unworthy to follow Lucan, as Mr. Poulter to tranflate May. The Latin fupplement (though little known to our claffical readers) may be easily procured; and we will therefore produce no extracts from it. The following fpecimen of Mr. Poulter's tranflation will, we prefume, fufficiently confirm the fentence we have passed on it; and if a farther confirmation is required, we refer to the whole work. The fea no longer frown'd; fafe from the waves, Safe from the wiles, the wrath of Egypt's flaves, Lo! Cæfar on the shore indignant fat, Breathing revenge, with anger fraught fo great, Whofe vengeance Rome herfelf could ill fuftain, Of freedom hazarded, and Pompey flain.' } To mere common readers the tranflation would be almost as unintelligible as the original. NOVELS. Art. 30. Orlando and Seraphina: a Turkish Story. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane. 1787. When a Turkish ftory is prefented to us, we naturally look for fomething refpecting the Porte, and the manners and cuftoms of the people. In the performance now before us, however, nothing of the kind is to be met with. It is fimply a tale for the ladies; as plentifully interlarded with abs! and abs! as the prayers of an old puritanic divine. A production, in fhort, in which there is little to cenfure, or to commend. "We cannot blame indeed — but we may fleep." Art. 31. The Village of Martindale. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. Lane. 1787. Written by the author of Orlando and Seraphina. This gentleman's talent is indifputably the humorous and burlesque; as he has here fufficiently manifested in a very lively and agreeable tale. We therefore hope, that he will not again employ his time in compofing whining and fantastical love ftories; ftories in which there is fcarcely any thing to be met with but Cupids, flames, and darts. Such extravagant language is happily ridiculed by Congreve in one of his plays Lard! he has fo peítered me with flames and ftuff, I fhall not be able to endure the fight of a fire this twelvemonth.' In a word, and to borrow an expreffion from the Rambler, we are inclined to confider fuch performances merely as pages of inanity,' pages which are only fitted for the perufal of mafters and miffes who are fresh from school, and which will confequently never be commended by us, though they should even chance to be correctly written. * See the account of Orlando and Seraphina,-the preceding article. Art. |