From feveral circumftances it appears, that before the paffing the American ftamp act, Sir Francis Bernard held a diftinguished place in the opinion of that colony; but this unfortunate act rendered him from a very popular, a very unpopular Governor. He was known to disapprove the act, and ready to join in any legal measures to get rid of it; yet he thought it an inexcufable duty, and his orders were peremptory to fupport it, while it remained an act of parliament. This was an unpardonable crime at that time, and, with its confequences, and the improvements made of them by the enemies of government, was the whole cause of the great change made in the people with regard to him." p. 116.

To aflift the reader in difcriminating between private opinion and official acts, the 5th and the 9th letters, of early date, may be recommended to his particular notice; and it is but an act of juftice to Governor B. to pay due attention to them.

Thofe who wish to acquire a competent idea of the principles of American law and policy, will meet with a great degree of fatisfaction in the perufal of this pamphlet; which deferves to be distin guished from the rubbish with which every political question that arifes in this land of statesmen is ufually overwhelmed.

Art. 3. A Letter to Doctor Tucker, on his Propofal of a Separation between Great Britain and her American Colonies. 8vo. 15. Becket. 1774:

We are forry that the argument in this letter, which we think a good one, is not fupported by better talents than thofe of this Writer. The question, fays he, feems to require that we should confider the injury that Britain may receive from this feparation; and here I will beg leave to confider the fubject in a fomewhat different light; I would wish rather to confider the advantages that may accrue to Britain, and, indeed, to every part of her empire, from an union fupported by a proper conftitution. And this way of confidering the question, amounts to pretty much the fame thing; as whoever de- . prives us of an advantage we have a right to expect, does us a real injury. It is requifite here to confider the conftitution on which this union is founded; and as it is impoffible, at leaft with me, to confider the various claims of the refpective colonies refulting from their different charters, I must take the liberty to confider it as one conftitution common to them all; and indeed if Britain is ftill to poffefs thefe colonies, and your pen is not fated to deftroy the British empire in America, I believe it will be found necessary to have them formed under one conftitution.'

We hope the Author will now add one other confideration to the foregoing number, and then we fhall never have the trouble of confidering any more of his inconfiderable productions.

POLITICA L.

Art. 40. Literary Liberty confidered; in a Letter to Henry Sampfon Woodfall. 8vo. 2s. Johnfon. 1774

Contains fome very juft, and seasonable, and spirited animadverfions on the licentioufnefs of the prefs; particularly the licentioufnefs of the News-papers. The Author profeffes (and he writes with the greatest appearance of fincerity) that he is no enemy to welldirected fatire. He declares that there is no man who would with

greater

greater chearfulnefs, or in livelier colours, expofe a real knave, however rich or elevated; but, at the fame time, he is extremely and justly offended with that during spirit of detraction, and that confident folence, which fo frequently appear in the news papers and pam. phlets of the times. Thefe are evils of which every body complains, but for which no one has yet prefcribed a remedy that we think fo likely to prove effectual as the following, propofed by our Author; we shall give it in his own words. I move, Mr. Printer, that as it has been hitherto the custom to ftarve your authors into detraction, you endeavour, for the future, to ftarve them into morality.'—If this hint fhould not be clear to any of our Readers, they will find it fully explained in the pamphlet ; which is written in a vein of pleasantry, as well as with a great degree of folid and convincing argument.

RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL.

Art. 41. Queries relating to the Book of Common Prayer, Sc. with proposed Amendments. Addreffed to thofe in Authority, and fubmitted to their Confideration. By Francis Wollaton, LL. B. F. R. S. 8vo. 1s. Wilkie. 1774.

When applications have been made to thofe in authority for amendments in fome of our ecclefiaftical forms, the reply has often been, and, we are told, is ftill repeated, that the request was too general, and that particulars were not pointed out to their confideration. The Author of the performance now before us, in a very modest and respectful manner, and at the fame time with that ferioufnefs and earnestness that becomes a minifter of the Gospel, points out feveral important particulars to his fuperiors: whether they will pay any attention to them or not, they themselves best know; as for us, we shall only fay, that, if they do not, religion and their own characters may be the fufferers.

Art. 42. An Attempt to flate in a fhort, plain, and impartial Manner, the principal Arguments which have been used in the Controverly betwixt the Church of England and Protestant Diffenters. 4to. 1 s. Dilly. 1774.

This attempt is conducted with decency and a becoming spirit; but the Proteftant Diffenters, we apprehend, will not allow that the Author has placed their objections to the Church of England in a clear and ftrong light. He reduces their chief objections to the eight following particulars, viz Baptifm, Confirmation, kneeling at the Sacrament, Athanafius's Creed, Burial Office, Epifcopacy, canenical Obedience, and the Twentieth Article. There are other ob jections, however, which he has omitted, and on which the Protestant Diffenters lay great stress.

Art. 43. The true Nature and infinite Importance of Religion and Chriftianity opened and vindicated. 12mo. 35 Pages. Printed at Dublin, by S. Powell. 1774

A plain and rational account is here given of religion, natural and revealed; and both are difplayed in that engaging view, which may ferve to allure mankind to practife the duties which they inculcate.

This little tract may be very useful where greater books could not be purchased, or might not be perufed. It is written, we are in,

formed,

formed, by a worthy clergyman of Dublin, who hath printed a numerous impreffion, at his own expence, in order to distribute the copies among thofe to whom he had any expectations of doing good, by fo well intended and fuitable a present.

SERMONS.

I. Preached before the Prefident, Vice-Presidents, and Governors, of the Marine Society, at St. Andrew's Church, Holborn, on occafion of their Anniverfary Meeting, on Thursday 10th February 1774. By Samuel Glaffe, D. D. F.R. S. late Student of Chrift Church, Oxon, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. To which is added, a Lift of the Governors, and an Abstract of the Proceedings of the Marine Society, from its firft Inftitution; including the general Account of Receipts and Difbursements, to the prefent Time?' with the State of the Subfcription. 4to. 6d. Dodfley, &c.

The defign and inftitution of the Marine Society, entitle it to rank among the most laudable and ufeful of our public charities. The generous and truly patriotic view with which it was originally planned, and fince eftablished, by an act of incorporation, is, as Dr. Glaffe well expreffes it, to preferve fuch [poor friendless boys, &c.] as, in all appearance, were utterly loft to themselves and to the Pub lic; and by a change of circumftances fimilar almost to enchantment, to fubftitute cleanliness of perfon, decency of apparel, and chearfulness of countenance, for filthiness and nakedness, and dejection of fpirit. We raise them from the depths of indigence and neceffity, by furnishing them with the comforts of life, and enabling them to fupport themselves by honeft industry; we refcue them from the darkness of ignorance, and place them within the reach of information and knowledge:-and, laftly, we remove them from the contagion of evil examples, and by gradually inuring them to a courfe of diligence, we wean them from that habitual idlenefs which is the fruitful parent of all manner of vice.'

Those who are defirous of farther information, with respect to the nature, utility, and ftate of this very peculiar charity, mufl be referred to the publication before us; in which they will meet with full fatisfaction as to the particulars required,—and an excellent fermon into the bargain.

4 to.

II. Preached at the Chapel in Great Queen-ftreet, Lincoln's-InnFields, March 20, 1774, for the Benefit of unfortunate Perfons confined for fmall Debts. By Thomas Francklin, D. D. Minifter of Queen-ftreet Chapel, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty. 15. Sold for the Benefit of the Charity, by Davies, &c. The defign of that charity which this fermon recommends, ap: pears to be truly valuable and praife-worthy. The distinguishing characteristic, Dr. Francklin obferves, of this excellent plan, and which feems to gild it with a fuperior luftre, is, that it is at once an act both of justice and of mercy; whilft it imparts its welcome bounties to the unfortunate debtor, it fatisfies the legal claims of the creditor alfo :-not only doth the unhappy prifoner recover his freedom when affifted by us, but, whenever it happens, as it frequently doth that, on a frict and careful investigation of every circumstance, the

creditor

creditor is himself found to be in an indigent and diftrefsful condition, the whole debt is generously discharged; thus the relief of one is made fubfervient to the happiness of both, and the bleffing is doubled by the mutual participation of it.' The fermon is fenfible and perfuafive, and well fitted to enforce the exercise of that particular kind of charity it is intended to recommend. From the account printed at the end of the difcourfe, it appears that 1722 debtors have been discharged fince the commencement of this institution on the 23d of February 1772.

III. Preached at W1772. By the Rev.

n, in the Diocese of Winchefter, May 24,

4to. 1s. Kearly. 1774

Humbly inscribed to the Audience.

A trifle, ftruck off at a heat, in that a-la-volée fort of way, often mistaken by authors for the impetuofity of inspiration. This minikin fermon was written in three hours; it might have been written in one, and the Writer have no reason to glory in his exploit. IV. Occafioned by the Death of Elizabeth Stafford, who departed this Life March 29, 1774, in the 15th Year of her Age; together with fome Anecdotes concerning her, both previous to and during her laft Illness. By John Stafford. 6d. Buckland.

V. Before the Incorporated Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, Feb. 18, 1774. By Edmund Lord Bishop of Carlifle. 4to. I S. Harrifon.

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the EDITOR of the MONTHLY REVIEW.

done. He fays, amongst other things, that "Dr. Fothergill efcaped the cenfure of the Society, (meaning through partiality) Leeds was deemed the aggreffor, and disowned.-On this circumftance (fays Impartial) I make no comment."

But the circumftance is not true; Leeds was not difowned: it admits not, therefore, of the comment fuggefted, That Leeds was condemned unjustly, and the Society guilty of grofs partiality.

AMICUS.

CANTIANUS informs us that Mr. Lewis, whom we supposed to have been the Tranflator of the Antiquities of Richborough, has been dead these twenty years; that Mr. L. was only the Author of the Differtation annexed; and that the Tranflator of Dr. Battely's Latin work is (as our Correspondent has been informed, one of the fix preachers at Canterbury cathedral.

• See Review for April, p. 318.

The Gentleman who fent the Plan for public Examinations, at Cambridge, defiring that it might be inferted in the next Review, feems to have mistaken the nature and defign of our work.

ERRATUM in our laft.

P. 304, par. 3, 1.9, for do not, read does not.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JUNE, 1774.

ART. I. Warton's Hiftory of English Poetry, continued.

PROCE

ROCEEDING with our Author in his firft differtation, we meet with the following fingular remarks on the influence of women under the Gothic conftitutions.

It must be confeffed, fays he, that the ideas of chivalry, the appendage and the subject of romance, fubfifted among the Goths. But this must be understood under certain limitations. There is no peculiarity which more strongly difcriminates the manners of the Greeks and Romans from thofe of modern times, than that small degree of attention and refpect with which thofe nations treated the fair fex, and that inconfiderable share which they were permitted to take in converfation, and the general commerce of life. For the truth of this obfervation, we need only appeal to the claffic writers: in which their women appear to have been devoted to a ftate of feclufion and obfcurity. One is surprised that barbarians fhould be greater mafters of complaifance than the most polished people that ever existed. No fooner was the Roman empire overthrown, and the Goths had overpowered Europe, than we find the female character affuming an unufual importance and authority, and diftinguished with new privileges, in all the European governments established by the northern conquerors. Even amidit the confufions of favage war, and among the almost incredible enormities committed by the Goths at their invafion of the empire, they forbore to offer any violence to the women. This perhaps is one of the most striking features in the new state of manners, which took place about the feventh century and it is to this period, and to this people, that we must refer the origin of gallantry in Europe. The Romans never introduced these sentiments into their European provinces.

The Goths believed fome divine and prophetic quality to be inherent in their women; they admitted them into their councils, and confulted them on the public business of the ftate. They were suffered to conduct the great events which they predicted. Ganna, a prophetic virgin of the Marcomanni, a German or Gaulish tribe, was fent by her nation to Rome, and admitted into the prefence of DoVOL. L. mitian,

E e