attempt which the Mewattys made, and they carried off a horse from the very centre of the camp!' **

In consequence of this important enterprize, conceived aud executed in the very spirit of Diomede and Ulysses, an action took place the next day, which terminated in the success of General Thomas.

In its first view, this action, by the dread it spread among the enemy, proved highly fortunate. Great as was Mr. Thomas's loss of brave and attached soldiers, that of the Mewattys was infinitely more considerable. The immediate consequence was an overture on the part of their chief of terms which shortly led to an amicable adjustment. They agreed to pay Mr. Thomas a year's rent, and to restore him the property that had been stolen. The performance of these articles was guaranteed by securities."

After the specimens we have given of the style and important matter of these Memoirs, it would be trespassing too much upon the time of our readers, to tire them into a fullconviction of what we have asserted, by giving them many. further extracts. We shall, however, present them with one, which is a description given by Mr. Thomas himself of his establishments and his views, and which throws some light upon his character:

Here I established my capital, rebuilt the walls of the city long since fallen into decay, and repaired the fortifications. As it had been long deserted, at first I found difficulty in procuring inhabi tants, but by degrees and gentle treatment I selected between five and six thousand persons, to whom I allowed every lawful indulgence.

I established a mint, and coined my own rupees, which I made current in my army and country: as from the commencement of my career at Jyjur, I had resolved to establish an independency, I employed workmen and artificers of all kinds, and I now judged that nothing but force of arms could maintain me in my authority; I therefore increased their numbers, cast my own artillery, commenced making muskets, matchlocks, and powder, and in short made the best preparations for carrying on an offensive and defensive war, till at length having gained a capital and country, bordering on the Seik territories, I wished to put myself in a capacity, when a favourable opportunity should offer, of attempting the conquest of the Punjab, and aspired to the honour of planting the British standard on the banks of the Attock.'

These objects Gen. Thomas was disabled from accomplishing by the prudent interposition of Scindiah, whose forces under the direction of M. Perron compelled him to take refuge within the British territory, and he soon after died, in Aug.

1802, at the military cantonments of Berhampoor. The affectionate warmth of Captain Franklin has bestowed upon him every qualification of mind and body, which were necessary to form a perfect commander, and has prefaced the long catalogue by saying, that George Thomas was a native of Tipperary, in Ireland, about 46 years of age. We conceive that our author meant to convey by a new sort of metaphor, to the understandings of his readers, that he was gifted in perpetuity with the perfection of all the faculties which belong to that age, and which the rest of mankind only enjoy

for a year.

The volume is swelled to its present unnatural size by the very common expedient of calling in the aid of association. Accordingly, we find our author launching out into very long and tedious descriptions of different places and people, the recollection of which is excited by modes of connection much more delicate than the singular circumstance of General Thomas's happening to pass through them, or to fix his quarters in the neighbourhood. We shall trouble our readers with one instance of this felicity of transition, which occurs as early as the 6th page, and which will illustrate sufficiently well the mode in which this work has been constructed.

The march thus postponed, Appakandarow repaired to Delhi, to guard against an apprehended commotion in that capital. On their arrival at court, Appakandarow and other chiefs, among whom was Mr. Thomas, were honoured with Khillats. Similar presents were likewise given to Dowlut Rao Scindiah, who had now succeeded to the possessions of his deceased uncle.

The mention of Delhi affords an opportunity of presenting the reader with an account of some remarkable buildings, which stand within the precincts of the new city, and have hitherto escaped the observation of travellers. They were obtained by the compiler of these memoirs, during a visit to this celebrated city in 1793.

We came next to the tomb ofHumaion, the son of Baber, second of the imperial house of Timoor,' &c. &c.

This description of Delhi completely conceals the life of the General from our view for seven pages of the first thirteen in the book, a very convincing proof that, in our author's opinion at least, it was a much more interesting subject of description than the life of his hero.

This biblical unwieldiness, which we so strongly reprobate, is further increased by three appendices, the first of which contains a barren detail of the exports and imports of the different countries to the north-west of Delhi; the second, a prospectus of a survey of the Dooab, which is now useless,

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because we are acquainted with its actual results; and the third, a general statement of the forces of several of the na tive princes. From the last of these documents, Scindiah appears to have had only 31,150 cavalry, and 38,050 infantry, badly disciplined and officered, and Holkar's force amounts only to 13,800 infantry, and 40,000 cavalry. These numbers certainly lessen our idea of the difficulty of effecting conquests in India, and diminish our surprize at the power and extent of our oriental empire.

On the whole, we could have wished that Capt. Franklin had been at least good enough not to oppress the memory of General Thomas with so bulky a tome, and that he had not inflicted the terrible retribution of modern biography, by adding to a long life of difficulty and labour, a still longer posthumous life, which there is infinitely more difficulty and labour in getting through. We can only say that there is but one remedy for this defect, which Martial long ago pointed out, and which we feel it our duty to call to the recollection of our readers,

Si nimius videor, serâque coronide longus
Esse liber: legito pauca, libellus ero.

ART. IV.-An Examination of Mr. Dugald Stewart's Pamphlet, relative to the late Election of a Mathematical Professor in the University of Edinburgh. By one of the "Ministers of Edinburgh. 2d Edition, with an Appendix. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Longman. 1806.

ART. V.Postscript to Mr. Stewart's short Statement of Facts relative to the Election of Professor Leslie. With an Appendix, consisting chiefly of Extracts from the Records of the University, and from those of the City of Edinburgh, 8vo. Cadell and Davies. 1806.

ART. VI-Letter to the Author of the Examination of Professor Stewart's short Statement of Facts. With an Appendix. By John Playfair, A. M. Professor of Natural Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh. 8vo. Cadell and Davies. 1806.

A THEOLOGICAL warfare, commenced in the 19th century, on the ground of an abstract metaphysical doctrine, is a phenomenon which the hardiest speculator of modern times would scarcely have ventured to predict. We have, in truth, so long been accustomed to regard with indignation or contempt, those controversies which formerly brought so much scandal upon the christian church, that mankind

seemed to be for ever warned against the renewal of such odious perversions of the mild spirit of religion. So blindly however, and partially do we view our own pretensions to an enlightened superiority, that whilst we are glancing with an eye of pity over the records of theological hostility, or shrinking with horror from the almost fabled atrocities of religious persecution, we are summoned to listen to a new signal of alarm and battle, from a quarter whence, according to all human calculation, it might least have been expected. In the bosom of a church which is supposed to disdain the interested connections of temporal dominion, and to dread even the privilege of inquisitorial jurisdiction; in an university de servedly renowned for liberal science; and a metropolis adorned by liberal manners; the spark of sacred contention has once more been discovered, and, by a singular course of events, has unhappily been fanned into a flame. The actual mischief, however,which such a conflagration is in these days. likely to spread, is considerably less than the alarm; nor are these transient evils at all comparable to the lasting magnitude of its disgrace.

Our readers will recollect the statement which we lately afforded them in our Review for July 1805, of the various controversies, relating to the election of a mathematical professor in the University of Edinburgh. We do not mean to recount the dull and extravagant charges,which were alleged against the moral character of a very respectable candidate for the vacant academical chair, by a body of ecclesiastics, prompted to opposition from the double motives of zeal for their religion and ambition for their aggrandizement. It is with reluctance that we resume the discussion of any part of a question which has already kindled so much animosity, and betrayed so much unworthy principle and conduct, which should have remained for ever unsuspected. Prudence, or at least justice ought to have constrained the offending and vanquished party to a submissive silence. The evils which their mistaken and suspicious conduct had produced, demanded the atonement; and far more advisable would it have been for their own interests, to seek shelter in the retreats of oblivion, than venture their cause again before the tribunal of the public.

In an anonymous publication, the ministers of Edinburgh have recently stepped forth, not only to vindicate their own conduct on the late memorable occasion of their interference with the proceedings of the university, but to recriminate upon those individuals whose timely exertions repelled the meditated outrage. Tenderness for the sacred

character of the ecclesiastical profession might perhaps have induced us to pass lightly over the sin of obstinate adherence to a speculative error; whilst caution mingled with pity might have prompted us to pardon some excesses of fanatical zeal, mysteriously wrapped up in the cant of an unintelligible jargon. But neither pardon nor pity is due to a wanton and unprovoked attempt to injure the reputation of an unoffending individual. We may smile at the instrument, but we startle at the motives of so unaccountable a design: whilst the deliberate vindication of such conduct cannot but be considered as the signal even of popular indignation.

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In

in the first page of the Examination of Mr. Stewart's Statement of Facts,' &c.we are told that there was no other apparent motive to the publication of the third edition of Mr. Stewart's pamphlet, but a desire to injure the reputation of a majority of the ininisters of Edinburgh,' which therefore challenges them to their own defence. It is added, in the second page, that such a defence was rendered necessary, by the credit given to the same author's gross misrepresentation of facts. Malice and falsehood deliberately committed, and steadily maintained throughout three several editions of the publication which was destined to scatter them abroad, are imputations of no trifling magnitude. vain, however, have we searched to discover any credible foundation for these foul and unqualified allegations. We refer to Mr. Stewart's own clear and candid vindication; and we appeal to the more elaborate defence of professor Playfair, as incontrovertible testimonies of the truth and accuracy of the original Statement.' One solitary and equivocal instance of error, proceeding from misinformation, and relating to a point of no importance whatever, is ingenuously acknowledged and explained by Mr. Stewart. With the calm but lofty tone of offended dignity, he has exposed at once the futility and the meanness of the expedients to which his adversaries have resorted. Not condescending to enter the lists of rude and personal aggression with the ten ecclesiastical champions who have conspired in darkness to assault bim with their anonymous manifesto, he has singled out one whose situation as principal of the university demanded some regard, and to him has appealed for the recantation of those charges to which it should seem that he had weakly or wantonly assented. In the Postscript,' (to which we allude,) Mr. Stewart thus vindicates himself, and retorts upon the misconduct of his calumniator.