The fubject of the following genuine letters, the time when they were written, and the rank and reputation of the writers, render them of much importance. To Benjamin Franklin, Efq; Philadelphia. Eagle, June 20. 1776. [xxxviii. 437.587] I Cannot, my worthy friend, permit the letters and parcels which I have fent you, in the ftate I received them, to be landed, without adding a word upon the fubject of the injurious extremities in which our unhappy disputes have engaged us. You will learn the nature of my miffion from the official dispatches which I have recommended to be forwarded by the fame conveyance. Retaining all the earneftnefs I ever expreffed, to fee our differences accommodated, I fall conceive, if I meet with the difpofition in the colonies which I was once taught to expect, the moft flattering hopes of proving ferviceable, in the objects of the King's paternal folicitude, by promoting the establishment of lafting peace and union with the colonies. But if the deeprooted prejudices of America, and the neceffity of preventing her trade from paffing into foreign channels, must keep ns ftill a divided people, I fhall, from every private, as well as public motive, moft heartily lament that it is not the moment wherein thofe great objects of my ambition are to be attained; and that I am to be longer deprived of an opportunity to affure you perfonally of the regard with which I am Your fincere and faithful humble fervant, HOWE. P. S. I was disappointed of the opportunity I expected for fending this letter at the time it was dated, and have been ever fince prevented, by calms and contrary winds, from getting here to in form Gen. Howe of the commiffion with which I have the fatisfaction to be charged, and of his being joined in it. Off Sandy-Hook, 12th July. To the Rt Hon. Lord Viscount Howe. Philadelphia, July 30. 1776. Received fafe the letters your Lordfhip fo kindly forwarded to me, and beg you to accept my thanks. The official dispatches to which you refer me, contain nothing more than what we had seen in the act of parliament, viz. offers of pardon upon fubmifion; which I was forry to find, as it muft give your Lordship pain to be fent fo far on fo hopeless a bufinefs. Directing pardons to be offered to the colonies, who are the very parties injured, expreffes indeed that opinion of our ignorance, bafeness, and infenfibility, which your uninformed and proud nation has long been pleafed to entertain of us; but it can have no other effect than that of increafing our refentments. It is impoffible we should think of fubmiffion to a government that has, with the moft wanton barbarity and cruelty, burnt our defenceless towns, in the midft of winter; excited the favages to maffacre our peaceful farmers, and our flaves to murder their mafters; and is even now bringing foreign mercenaries to deluge our fettlements with blood. Thefe atrocious injuries have extinguifhed every spark of affection for that parent-country we once held fo dear. But were it poffible for us to forget and forgive them, it is not poffible for you, I mean the British nation, to forgive the people you have so heavily injured: you can never confide again in those as fellow-fubjects, and permit them to enjoy equal freedom, to whom, you know, you have given fuch juft caufes of lafting enmity; and this muft impel you, were we again under your government, to endeavour the breaking our fpirit, by the fevereft tyranny, and obftructing by eftrength and prosperity. very means in your power, our growing But your Lordship mentions "the King's paternal folicitude for promoting the establishment of lafting peace and union with the colonies." If by peace is here meant a peace to be entered into by diftinct ftates, now at war, and his Majefty has given your Lordship power to treat with us of fuch a peace, I may venture to fay, though without authority, that I think a treaty for that purpose not quite impracticable, before we enter into foreign alliances [xxxviii. 587.]: but I am perfuaded you have no fuch powers. Your nation, though by punishing those American governors who have fomented the difcord, rebuilding our burnt towns, and repairing, as far as possible, the mitchief done us, the might recover a great fhare of our regard, and the greatest fhare of our growing commerce, with all the advantages of that additional ftrength to be derived from a friendship with us; yet I know too well her abounding pride, and deficient wifdom, to believe the will ever March 1777. Dr Franklin. Fits. A Jack of all Trades. ever take fuch falutary measures. Her fondness for conquest, as a warlike nation; her luft of dominion, as an ambitious one; and her thirft for a gainful monopoly, as a commercial one, (none of them legitimate caufes of war), will all join to hide from her eyes every view of her true intereft, and will continually goad her on, in these ruinous, diftant expeditions, fo deftructive both of lives, and of treasure, that they must prove as pernicious to her in the end, as the Croifades formerly were to most of the nations of Europe. I have not the vanity, my Lord, to think of intimidating, by thus predicting the effects of this war; for I know it will in England have the fate of all my former predictions, not to be believed, till the event shall verify it. Long did I endeavour, with unfeigned ftrength and value that exifted in the The well-founded efteem, and, permit me to fay, affection, which I fhall always have for your Lordship, make it painful for me to fee you engaged in conducting a war, the great ground of which, as defcribed in your letter, is the neceffity of preventing the American trade from paffing into foreign channels. To me it seems, that neither the obtaining nor retaining any trade, how valuable foever, is an object for which men may justly spill each other's blood; that the true and fure means of extending and fecuring commerce, are the goodnefs and cheapnefs of commodities; and that the profits of no trade can ever be equal to the expence of compelling it, 158 and holding it by fleets and armies. I I know your great motive in coming hither was the hope of being inftrumental in a reconciliation; and believe, when. you find that to be impoffible, on any terms given you to propofe, you will reinquifh fo odious a command, and return to a more honourable private ftation. With the greatest and most fincere re- * [xxxvi. 248. xxxvii. 116.] A remarkable cure of Fits. Bath Chronicle, Thursday, March 20.1777. health, a fober, fteady perfon, in NEW NEW BOOKS. [102.] LONDON. Religion, Morality, &c. A theological furvey of the human under fanding. Intended as an antidote against modern Deifm. 5 5. Wallis & Co.Defigned to establish the doctrine of divine grace communicated to the mind of man, or the known principles of reafon independently of a written revelation; endeavour ng to fhew, that the mind of man is fuperaturally endowed with a divine principle, which counteracts the evil principle natural co him in confequence of the lapfe of his frit parents, and which is the fource of his faith in God, and in the immortality of the Lout. He fuppofes, that this principle, which he denominates a diftinct fenfation in the mind of man, and fometimes a fpiritual medium or organ, is the true foundasion of theology. This feems to be the general fcope of his reafoning; but he has collected together fuch a mals of heterogeneaus matter, that it is difficult to keep in fight the object at which he ultimately aims. M. An argument for natural and revealed reEgion in which the principles of free-thinkers are examined. By the Rev. James Wiliamfon, A. M. fellow of Hertford college, 2 5. Rivington. Many juft ideas, but ranged imníethodically, and expreffed ob Kurely. M. A charge delivered at the ordination of the Rev. Mr Thomas Twining, May 31. 1775, in Downton, Wilts, by John Sturch; and a fermon preached on the fame occa Lon, by Joshua Toulmin, A. M. Toge ther with an introductory difcourfe, by John Mills, and a confefiion of faith, by Thomas Twining. s. Backland.— -Pious and rational, and must prove peculiarly acceptable to the more liberal part of the DifLenters. M. times, even with the most upright intentions make mistakes, and it is poffible may mean amifs; in either of these cafes, wife and good men, appointed for fuch purpofes, and making a confcience of their duty, will speak and act according to reason, and their own information; and if this be done foberly and candidly, and according to the forms of the conftitution, it is truly meritorious, becoming men living in a land of liberty, and in divers refpects ferviceable to government itself; on the contrary, when things are carried to extremities, and conducted with rashness and violence, the most pernicious confequences must ensue. He illuftrates the fatal effects of fuch proceedings by a general view of the latter part of the reign of Charles I. and concludes with fome judicious observations on the circumftances of that melancholy but inftructive period. C. A fermon [from 2 Kings, iv. 1.] preached at the anniversary meeting of the fons of. the clergy, in the cathedral of St Paul, on Thursday, May 9. 1776. By Beilby Por Reus, D. D. Row Bifhep of Chofter. E S. Bathurst. Excellent; and does honour to his Lordship's literary character, and his humanity. C. A fermon [from 1 Pet. ii. 17] preached before the House of Lords, Jau. 30. 1777. By John Lord Bishop of Bangor. I s. Kobfon According to this Rt Rev. author, Chriftianity has introduced no altera. tions in the civil rights of men, or the political conftitutions of different countries; — oppofition to ruling powers may be fometimes expedient; governors are fallible, like other men; and, in fo extensive and complicated a courie, may, and muft fome A letter upon education, translated from the French of a royal author. 25. Nourfe. Printed in French not long fince at Berlin, under the feigned name of a Citizen of Geneva, but faid to have been written by a great northera potentate. Having fhewn the impropriety and the defects of the common modes of education, by which young men, especially the nobility, are brought up in effeminacy and indolence, he earneftly recommends a more vigorous and manly difcipline. "Regulate (fays he) their morals, imprefs them with virtuous fentiments, elevate their fouls, render them laborious, cultivate their understandings with care, ufe them to reflect upon their ac tions, teach them to be wife and circumfpect, to love frugality and fimplicity." He likewife takes notice of the frivolous education of the fair fex, and with equal warmth and energy recommends the cultivation of their minds.. The tranflator has fubjoined a confiderable number of notes, more particularly applicable to the circum ftances of the English nation. C. The pupil of pleafure; or, The new fyftem illuftrated. Infcribed to Mrs Eugenia Stanhope, editor of Lord Chesterfield's letters. By Courtney Melmoth. 2 vols. 65. Robinson. Whatever latitude Lord Che. terfield's fyftem may allow, in the purfuie of pleasure, or the practice of diffimulation, there feems to be no foundation for loading it with the infamy of producing characters capable of every fpecies of villany. And in this light we muft confider Mr Melmoth's Pupil of Pleafure; whom he has defcribed as forming a plan of seduction against a married woman who was in the last stage of a confumption, and at length, feizing the momeat of a fainting fit into which his prefence had thrown her, for accomplishing his purpofe by force. This part of the ftary is to lated with fo many heightening circumftan- ther Rousseau [xxviii. 695.], not Dr Beattie ces, that it is impoffible to read it without feeling difguft, and pronouncing the whole unnatural and shocking In the other parts of the work, the fcenes of feduction are painted in fuch glowing colours, that fome readers may be apt to question whether Mr Melmoth's preparation will operate as an antidote against the poison of Lord Chesterfield's writings. M. A letter to Courtney Melmoth, Efq; with fome remarks on two books, called Liberal Opinions, and The Pupil of Pleasure. 6 d. Wilkie. -The advice of a good friend to Mr Melmoth, and apparently fo to morality. C. Hiftory, Law, Politics, &c. The life of David Hume, Efq; Written by himself. [1] 1 s. 6d. Cadell. -A writer in the Gentleman's Magazine obferves, that Mr Hume, in faying, that his Hiftory of England was at firft difapproved and detefted, and that the Primates of England and Ireland were the only perfons confider able for rank or letters who encouraged him to perfevere [3.1, "has furely much overcharged the piece, and has by no means done justice to himself, or to the public. Another exception, a man of rank and letters, I beg leave to mention, namely, the late Earl of Corke, who at that time [1755] thus expreffed himself: "I am reading every evening Mr Hume's Hiftory of Great Britain [fo he at firft ftyled it]; I own myself much pleased with it in general. The ftyle is par ticularly lively and excellent. Where he is obscure, I believe he is affectedly fo. His materials are admirably put together; many very curious remarks; fome new facts; and all old and known ftories put into a new method, and perfectly entertaining." Hughes's Correfpondence, vol. 3. p. 145. note. The ti tle of the pamphlet alluded to by Mr Hume [3.is, Remarks on Mr David Hume's Effy on the Natural Hiftory of Religion. Addreffed to the Rev. Dr Warburton.-Since the appearance of Mr Hume's Life, a new edition of this performance has been published, with the following advertisement prefixed."The following is fuppofed to be the pamphlet referred to by the late Mr David Hume, in p. 21. of his Life, as being written by Dr Hurd. Upon my applying to the Bishop of Litchfield and Coventry for his permiffion to republish it, he very readily gave me his confent. His Lordship only added, he was forry he could not take to himfelf the whole infamy of the charge brought against him; but that he fhould hereafter, if he thought it worth his while, explain himfelf more particularly on that fubject. T. CADELL. Strand, March, 1777.”—In this Life it is ob fervable, (continues our author), that nei VOL. XXXIX. [xxxii. 428. xxxiii. 199. xxxv. 78. 387. 504.], are once named. As to the manner of his death, as Mr Hume lived, fo, it feems, he died, without hopes or fears of futurity. That he had an amiable temper, extenfive learning, and many virtues [xxxviii. 455. 578.], we readily grant; but cannot, with Dr Adam Smith, think any man "perfectly wife" [7.], who is not wife unto falvation. A journey to the highlands of Scotland. With occafional remarks on Dr Johnfon's tour. By a lady. 2s. 6d. fewed. Fielding and Walker.- The lady who writes this epiftolary narrative, appears to be a lively correfpondent; but her information is fometimes erroneous. C. The penal ftatutes abridged, and alphabetically arranged. Calculated to ferve the defirable end of an alphabetical commonplace book of the penal laws. Exhibiting, at one view, the nature of the offence; the penalty annexed to it, for the first, second, and third offence; the number of witneffes and magiftrates neceffary to conviction; the application of the penalty; the manner of profecuting and recovering the penalty. By George Clark, Efq: 3s. fewed. Fielding and Walker. Addington's abridgement [xxxvii. 618.] was given in a tabular form; this is arranged in the dictionary-method; and may be confidered as an appendix to Burn's Juftice. M. Confiderations on the laws relating to the office of a coroner, and on the practice of coroners, in taking inquifitions fuper vilum corporis, &c. 2 s. 6 d. Baldwin. Offers many fenfible remarks on the defective state of our laws refpecting the inquifitions taken by coroners on dead bodies, &c. M. Characters. Containing an impartial review of_the_public conduct and abilities of the most eminent perfonages in the pailiament of G. Britain; confidered as ftatefmen, fenators, and publie speakers. Revised and corrected by the author, fince their original publication in the Gazetteer. 25 68. Bew. Thefe characteristic delineations have obtained a very confiderable degree of approbation. They appear to have been drawn with tolerable impartiality, although the ingenious author feems to lean, in fome degree, toward the party in oppofition. M: State of the gaols in London, Westminster, and borough of Southwark. To which is added, an account of the prefent ftare of the convicts fentenced to hard labour on board the Juftitia upon the river Thames. By Wils liam Smith, M. D. 15. 6 d-The Reviewers fpeak in terms of approbation of this performance both with refped to intention and execution. The diftreffes and abufes which it prefents to the view of the pu blic are of a nature which must intereft every feoling feeling mind, and excite an earnest desire to promote any scheme by which they may be removed. M. An effay on British liberty: addreffed to both Houfes of parliament. 3s. Bew.Defigned to expofe the licentioufnefs fo openly practifed and afferted under falle ideas of liberty. C. A letter to the directors of the Eaft-India Company. By Keane Fitzgerald, Efq; 1s. Payne. Expofes the unjustifiable practices refpecting the management of the shipping. C. Reflections on ufury. 1s. Fielding and Walker.We are here prefented with an account of thofe ufurious and pernicious contracts carried on under the mode of under-valued annuities; with the substance of the bill now before the parliament to prevent them, and obfervations on the advanpage of which it will be productive to the public. C. America. A A political paradox. 6d. Almon. fling at the miniftry, who have declared, on a folemn occafion, their defire of reftoying to America the bleffings of law and li. berty [xxxviii. 562.]." To prove their fincerity, thefe bleffings, it is remarked, are tendered to the Americans by the hands of 40,000 lawgivers from Britain and Germany. M. A letter to Dr Price on his " Additional Obfervations," &c. [98.] 6 d. Southern.Contains fome pertinent, though trite remarks. M. The American crisis. I S. Flexney. Nothing new. Recommends the profecution of the war with vigour, and the temperate ufe of victory. C. A calm addrefs to the inhabitants of Eng. land. By John Welley. 3 d. Fry.-Employed on the fame fubject with the former [xxxvii. 571,4.621.]; being intended to ex: pofe the injuftice of the American claim to independency, as well as the ridiculous notion of that liberty which the rebels pretend to affert. C. Sermons on the general faft, Dec. 13. 1776. Judgement begun in the house of God, to be finished on its enemies. In Duke ftreet chapel, Westminster. By G. Mariot, Rector of Alphamston in Essex. I s. Flex Differs from most of the faft-fermons in this respect, that Popery is the chief object of the author's fears and apprehenfions, and the main theme of his animated and not inelegant declamation. We approve his zeal against the Babylonish harlot, fo far as it is prudently and feasonably exer ed; but we do not think the faft day was the proper time for giving the old Jezebel her dref hing. M. Subjection to the higher powers. A fermon by S. John Chryfoftom, Patriarch of Conftantinople, near 1400 years ago, explaining that celebrated paffage upon government, Rom. xiii. 1.-]]. Tranflated from the Greek, and preached to a countrycongregation. To which is added, a letter from a late judge, concerning the right of Great Britain to tax her colonies. With an Appendix. By Ed. Lewis, M. A. Rector of Waterflock and Emington, Oxon. 1 S. Rivington. The "Letter from a judge," is faid to have been written, in 1763, by the late Sir Jofeph Yeates, and addreffed to Chriftopher Griffith, Efq; at that time member for the county of Berks; and contains fome arguments in fupport of the defign of taxing America, which have, fince, been irrefragably answered by the advocates on the other fide. — Of Mr Lewis's amiable candor, moderation, and decency of deportment in the field of controverfy, take the following fpecimen, from his Appendix. -After an invective against modern patriotifm, he thus proceeds. "Suppose that in confequence of thefe patriotic notions of a natural and inalienable right, &c.-I should fhoot my worthy friend and neighbour, the collector of the window tax, who, backed by the authority of the whole legislature, attempted to enter my house, in order to diftrain my goods, and to fell them, to pay the faid tax. Does Reafon fay, I should merit applause as a patriot and friend to Liberty, or that I ought to be hanged as a rebel and a murderer? Think as you please, but I am fure my confcience would fly in my face, and tell me that hanging was too gentle a death for fuch a villain. [So far you fay well, Mr Lewis;-go on, Sir!] But at the fame time, does not there feem to be fome reason that that factious leveller, Dr Price, fhould meet with the fame fate. with his liberty-book, lying calculations, and city cup dangling at his back fide, [Q fye, Mr Lewis !], in readiness to receive [hold your nose, Reader !] the last discharge of nature [out upon you, Mr Lewis!] in her laft efforts, and for a recompence to Jack Ketch, for executing a deed of more merit, than that whereby its prefent owner gained it."—Enough of Mafter Lewis, Rector of Waterstock and Emington! M. |