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the historical facts are entertaining and curious; for most of which the Editor acknowledges himself indebted to Anderfon's Hiftorical and Chronological Deductions. We fuppofe that Mr. Holt intends to bring down his work nearer to the present time, as this publication is marked Vol. I. though there is nothing faid concerning a future volume either in the preface or any other part of the book! Art. 60. The Journal of William Dowfing, of Stratford, parlia mentary Vifitor, for demolishing the fuperftitious Pictures and Or naments of Churches, &c. within the County of Suffolk, in the Years 1643 and 1644. 4to. 1s. Nichols. 1786.

Mr. Dowling acted under a warrant from the Earl of Manchester. There feems to be an air of humour in fome of his details-as-At Sunbury, we brake down 10 mighty great angels in glass.' At Haveril, broke down about 100 fuperftitious pictures; leven friars hugging a nun; and the picture of God, &c." At Clare, brake down 1000 pictures, fuperftitious; 3 of God the Father, 3 of Chrift and the holy Lamb, and 3 of the Holy Ghoft. At Rayden, a crucifix, 12 fuperftitious pictures, and a Popish infcription, Ora pro nobis, &c.' Barham, brake down the twelve Apostles in the chancel, and 6 fuperftitious more there; and 8 in the church, one a Lamb with a crofs X on the back; and digged down the steps and took up four fuperftitious infcriptions of brafs, one of them Jefu, fili Dei, miferere mei, and O mater Dei, memento mei- mother of God, have mercy on me!' Ufford, 67 fuperftitious pictures, and 40 cherubims, and the chancel levelled. There was a picture of Chrift on the cross and God the Father above it.' Rushmere, brake down the pictures of the 7 deadly fins, and the holy Lamb.' Peter's, the crown of thorns, the fpunge and nails, and the Trinity in ftone.' Bramford, a erofs to be taken off the steeple. Brake down 841 fuperftitious pictures.'. Lady Bruce's boufe (the chapel), a picture of God the Father, of the Trinity, of Chrift, the Holy Ghoff, and the cloven tongues; which we gave orders to take down, and the lady promited to do it.' Buers, brake 600 fuperttitious pictures, 8 Holy Ghofts, 3 of God the Father, and 3 of the Son. Beddingfield, a picture of God the Father, 2 doves, St Catharine and her wheel, and tone croffes on the porch, church, and chancel.'

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In this manner, breaking down, tearing up, and demolishing thefe trappings of the Whore of Babylon, did Mr. Dowfing and his deputies proceed through about 150 parishes; but, in their rage for reformation, they, with more zeal than knowledge, deftroyed many innocent things, particularly funeral monuments and infcriptions, which, had antiquaries only been employed in the bufinefs, would certainly have been spared.

Art. 61. Pogonologia; or a philofophical and hiftorical Essay on Beards. Tranflated from the French. Exeter printed, London told by Cadell. 8vo. 2s. 6d. 1786..

We were much entertained in peruling: this work, The Author has collected every thing that history could afford him concerning the fathion of wearing beards or no beards. In many places he invefti

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Poffibly this gentleman's name gave rife to the common term among school-boys and others, I'll give him a dowsing !'.

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gates the caufes of the changes of thefe fafhions, and introduces a

number of anecdotes, which, if they do not much inftruct, can fcarcely fail of diverting the reader. :

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Art. 62. Letters from Monf. Racine the Elder, to his Son M. Racine the Younger, when a Youth; containing Rules and Inftructions for his Conduct through Life; Anecdotes of feveral Perfons, and Sketches of historical Events in the Court of France in the Reign of Lewis XIV. To which is added, a fhort Account of the Abbey of Port Royal. 12mo. 2s. Boards. Wilkins. From this title-page, and the name of the Author, the reader may be led to entertain great expectations; but he will, upon the perufal of the book, be much difappointed. The letters, though evidently written by a very good man, and doubtlefs of great value to his family, are, for the most part, fuch as we apprehend will prove uninterefting to the Public.

Art. 63. The Philofophical Dictionary: or the Opinions of modern Philofophers on metaphyfical, moral, and political Subjects. 12mo. 4 Vols. 12s. fewed. Robinfons. 1786..

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.. This publication resembles those compilements which lately thickened upon us under the name of Beauties; and instead of calling it The philofophical Dictionary, it fhould have been denominated The Beauties of modern Infidelity.

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- Infidelity, like an epic poem or a tragedy, hath its beginning, middle, and end. There is a regular gradation, in it from its loweft ftages to its higheft confummation; and when it begins with carping at miracles, it seldom leaves off till it hath robbed man of an immortal foul, and confoled him for the lofs by telling him his remedy is at band, either in the pistol, the cup, or the cord.com

If any one needs inftruction or encouragement in thofe glorious ftudies which have a progrefs and termination fo devoutly to be wifhed, he may be amply furnished in thefe volumes; where the names of Bolingbroke, Voltaire, Hume, Helvetius, Rouffeau, &c. appear, like ftars of the firft magnitude, to throw a luftre on the page, and gladden the heart of the bewildered travellers in the dark and dreary wilderness of metaphy Gleichen, a German Nobleman, metaphyfics! Art. 64. The History of Count who received Permiffion from Pope Gregory IX. to have two Wives at the fame Time. Tranflated from the French of Arnaud. 12mo, 2s. 6d. Hookham. 1786..

A fentimental Tale, likely to do more than even Thelyphthora itself, to convince our young people (for whofe benefit, no doubt, it was written), that the Turkish plan of love and matrimony is much better than the Christian..

Art. 65. Sawney Mackintosh's Travels through Ireland. Containing a particular Account of the Manners, Laws, Culloms, &c. of that Kingdom; with a great Number of curious Anecdotes, 12mo. Is. 6d. Adlard.

Vulgar trash.

Art. 66. The Art of converfing on moral, religious, and entertaining Subjects, in Profe and Verfe, adapted to the Capacities, and defigned for the Improvement of young Ladies and Gentlen.en.

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Containing

Containing pleafing Dialogues on Lying, Prayer, Fishing, Fowling, Death, Deformity, the Sagacity of the Ewes and Lambs, Detraction, the Tulip; and a Ramble through London, in a Dialogue between Mafter Jofeph and his Sifter. By G. Wright, Efq. Author of the young Moralift, Country 'Squire, &c. 12mo. Is. 6d. Turpin. 1785.

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It is ever unpleafant to us to fpeak cenforiously of works which appear to arife from a good intention, and to aim at promoting innocence, truth, and virtue: fuch is the nature of the prefent publication; and the collection of which it confifts may be amusing and ufeful to children: and fo it might, had both the poetry and profe been fomewhat more elegant and accurate. Some expreffions are illiterate, and falfe grammar, as, there is innocent amufements enow to be found,' there's things lawful that, &c.'-' down goes the peaches, &c.' Mr. Wright fays indeed, the learned critic may find many innaccuracies both in the compofition and the language? but this is not a fufficient apology for the publication of such crudities. However, though we could not avoid thefe hints, we must own that the performance is not an object of criticifm; yet ftill, it must be allowed, that literary compofitions intended for children and youth require fome care as to language and ftyle, as well as to doctrine and fentiment.

Art. 67. The Paper-makers' and Stationers' Affifant; being a correct Lift of all the different Papers, their Tables, Rates, and Sizes, with the new and additional Duties, and the Three Five per Cents, thereon, exactly calculated. By John Paine, Junior, 12mo. 6d, Symonds.

Useful to manufacturers and dealers in all kinds of paper, as well as to revenue-officers, with respect to this article of taxation. Art. 68. Bannister's Reports; or, a Series of Adjudications before Lord Justice Joker, in his Majefty's High Court of Wit, Humour, and Fun. 12mo.-15. 6d. fewed. Fielding.

A jet-book, which may ferve as a fupplement to Joe Miller, and the reft of em.

Art. 69. Bowles's new London Guide; being an Index to all the Streets, Squares, Lanes, Courts, Wharfs, Keys, &c. Churches, and other Places of Worship; Villages, Hofpitals, &c. &c. in and within five Miles of the Metropolis. With the Fares of Hackney Coaches from the feveral Stands, agreeable to the Act of Parliament which took place Auguft 1, 1786. And the Rates of Watermen, as newly regulated. 8vo. 78. d. bound. Bowles. The Editor of this very ufeful work justly obferves, that from the vast extent to which our great and flourishing capital has been brought within thefe few years, the inhabitant, as well as the ftranger [often] finds himself at a lofs to afcertain in what part of the metropolis, or its neighbourhood, numbers of places are fituated with which he may occafionally have concern.' Hence he has been induced to employ proper perfons to perambulate the metropolis and its environs, to the extent of five miles, in order to collect the names, and afcertain the fituations, of the feveral new ftreets and buildings of every denomination, which have never before been laid before the Public; and alfo to correct fuch of the others as have, of late, un

dergone

dergone alteration. The advantages of having a ready directory to places of public note, are too confpicuous to require any comment." We are particularly pleafed with that part of the work which Mr. Bowles withes to be diftinguished by the title of his New HackneyCoach Directory; it is well planned, and appears to be accurately executed. The title-page affirms that upwards of 50,000 fares are here comprehended. On the whole, this feems to be the best compilement of the kind that hath yet appeared

Art. 70. Memoirs of a French Officer, who escaped from Slavery. 8vo. zs. Oxford, at the Clarendon Prefs. Sold by Rivingtons in London. 1786.

If the name of this narrator had been affixed to his work, we might, perhaps, have been able to have formed a proper judgment with refpect to the degree of credit due to his ftory; but, anonymous as thefe memoirs are, we cannot be fure that we ought not to have claffed them with the common novels of the day. If, however, the story be real, the writer, whoever he is, and the companions of his unfortul nate voyage, are entitled to our utmost pity and commiferation, on account of the cruel treatment they received at the hands of the barbarians on whofe inhofpi:able fhore they were fhipwrecked.

The Author tells us that he was appointed by his fovereign, the King of France, to a command in the colony at Senegal that in December 1783, he embarked on board the Two Friends, Captain Carfin; and that on the 17th of January following, the veffel was caft away in a storm on the coaft of Barbary, where fome of the crew were feized as they fwam to fhore, and most inhumanly murdered by the natives; while those whofe lives were fpared were enflaved. The miferies endured by our Author, while among thefe favages, almoft exceed belief; for the hardships inflicted on him by his merciless mafters, feem to have been fuch as human ftrength, one would imagine, could not poffibly fupport. At length, by a proper applicacation of the European confuls to the Emperor of Morocco, the furviving fufferers were fet at liberty. The manner, however, in which they happily obtained their deliverance does not well comport with the language of our Author's title-page; in which we are told that he escaped from slavery.

THEOLOGY, &c.

Art. 71. A Short Effay on Baptifm; intended to elucidate the Queftion concerning the Extent and Perpetuity of its Obligation. By Joshua Toulmin, A. M. 8vo. is. Johnfon. 1786.

Mr. T.'s reafoning feems to prove, in a fatisfactory manner, that baptifm is a rite, not intended for the first converts alone, but that it is to be perpetually kept up in the Chriftian church. Concerning the filence obfervable, as to this particular, in the book of the Ads, it is remarked, that this book is not the hillory of the continuance of the gofpel, but of its planting - From any thing it fays, we fhould not know but that the Chriftian faith died with fuch as firit embraced it. That book doth not particularly inform us that their pofterity took it up and perpetuated it: it fays nothing of their children being believers, or forming churches, or obferving the Lord's Day, or celebrating the Lord's Supper. This is a confideration which has been, and very fairly may be, employed in favour of In

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fant-Baptifm, a practice which this Writer rejects. Yet the argu ment is not wholly without its weight. Art. 72. The Book of the Revelation of St. Fhn the Divine explained; in an hiftorical View of the past and present State of the Christian World, compared with the Prophetic Vifions. By Thomas Vivian, Vicar of Cornwood, Devon. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Law. 1785.

The general defign of the Revelation is to give, in a series of prophetic vifions, an hiftory of the future fortunes of the Chriftian church. Now, as feventeen hundred years are paft fince this prophecy first appeared, it is natural, as our Author obferves, to fuppofe, that fome of the events here foretold have already happened; others may ftill be future; and fome may be of that nature as to be fulfilling by a fucceffion of fimilar events for feveral ages together, and may be exifting at this prefent time.

In confequence of this fuppofition, the book divides itself into three parts: the first foretelling events that are now past; the fe cond, those that are now exifting; the third, thofe that are fill to

Come.

Mr. Vivian confiders thefe divifions under diftin&t claffes: and illuftrates the feveral fubje&s of which they treat, in an eafy and concise manner, fometinies appealing to history, and fometimes relying on conjecture.

The number of the Beast (666) in Rev. xiii. 18. hath given rife to much fpeculation, from Irenæus to the modern expofitors, on this myftical book. Molt Proteftant writers have fuppofed that it de notes the Roman Pontiff. Our Author is of another opinion; and fuppofes that the mistake arifes from confounding the first and fecond Beast, fpoken of in the fame chapter. The image of the for mer is delineated in the first ten verfes: the remaining part of the chapter defcribes the character of the latter.

Can it be imagined,' fays Mr. Vivian, that when the whole defcription from the 19th to the 18th verfe relates to the fecond Beaff, this 18th verfe fhould, without any intimation of the change of fubject, speak of the fir? Yet all the commentators, from Irenæus downwards, have fuppofed this to be the cafe, and have puzzled themselves to find fome word, in Hebrew or Greek, fuitable to the character of the firft Beaft, in which the letters are expreflive of the number 666. The moft plaufible of thefe is the Greek word (Latinos) the conjecture of Irenæus. But it may be afked, Of what man is this the name? Of, the Pope? True, just as much as it is of every man in Italy or in the Latin church. With respect to the Hebrew word Romith (Romana), with which others have been pleafed, it is feminine, and the name of no man at all; of courfe cannot be applied to the Pope. If the application of the reft of the character to the King of France is well founded; and if this 18th verfe relates to the fecond Beaft, the number 666 must fuit that monarch alfo for we have not the right key, unless it fuits any ward of the lock. But in what language fhall we examine this name, to fee the numerical amount of the letters contained in it? Hebrew (I fuppofe) is out of the queftion: and indeed fo fhould the Greek too, for the word is no otherwife known to us than as ex

preffed

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