ARTICLE I.

A Differtation on Miracles.

Farmer.

By Hugh

It would be great injuftice to this writer not to declare, that he feems to poffefs a very confiderable fhare of learning, and that he exhibits proofs of much better abilities for reafoning than ufually appear to be the portion of modern divines. But, at the fame time, the duty we owe to the public obliges us to confefs, that we cannot find he has difcovered any thing new in this beaten track, or that he has placed the argument for miracles in a clearer point of view than other writers. The principal defign of this différtation is an attempt to fhew, that miracles are the immediate acts of God, and not the effects of any power delegated by Deity to any fpirits intermediate between God and us. A pofition which feems to be of no great importance whether it be true or falfe; and if it were otherwife, the proof of its truth was by no means amongst the defiderata of theologiral knowledge, as Mr. Le Moin, in his well known treatife on miracles, has eftablifhed this pofition, and we apprehend likewife every other in which Mr. Farmer differs from the common herd of writers on this fubject. We must confefs therefore we were greatly furprised to find, that M Farmer made no mention of that judicicus performance, as it is too well known for us to fuppofe him to be ignorant of it, and it is too inconfiftent with that candour which we believe Mr. Farmer to poffefs, to fuppofe him to have read it without acknowledging his obligations to it. As the author of this Differtation is a minifter of a diffenting congregation, it was fure of having high encomiums bestowed upon it by the Monthly Reviewers, whether it deferved it or not, and that THEY fhould particularly praife it for the only merit it has not (1 mean NOVELTY), will not appear furprifing to thofe who are well acquainted with the fpirit of their criticiims *, Not only an accurate Treatife on Miracles, but even a definition of a miracle is fill (otwithstanding this treatife) amongst the theological defiderata. For though the objections hitherto advanced by infidels have been amply anfwered, yet it might cafily be fhewn from the vulgar definition of a miracle, which

is even adopted by this writer, that a mi→ racle cannot be a proof of a divine revelation. Mr. Farmer is likewife the author of an ingenious effay, entitled, An Enquiry into the Nature and Defign of CHRIST'S TEMPTATION in the Wilderness, which, amongst other hypothefes, our readers may fee fully refuted in Mr. Cooper's fourth Differtation, in his EXPLANATION OF DIFFICULT TEXTS.

A.

II. The Man of Feeling, 1 vol. 12mo. 3s. Cadell.

There is much good fenfe, but very little order, in this novel; the fentiments do honour to humanity, and the general propriety of the obfervations give fuch ftriking leffons upon life, that we cannot difmifs the article without laying an extract before cur readers

THE PUPIL A FRAGMENT being a narrative in confequence of a dif courfe upon Education, between an old gentleman and the man of Feeling, Mr. Harley.

"But as to the higher part of education, Mr. Harley, the culture of the mind;-let the feelings be awakened, let the heart be but brought forth to its object, placed in the light in which nature would have it ftand, and its decifions will ever be juft. The world Will fmile, and fmile, and be a villain; and the youth, who does not fufpe&t its deceit, will be content to fmile with it. They will put on the most forbidsing afpect in nature, and tell him of the beauty of virtue. I have not, under thefe grey hairs, forgotten that I was once a young man, warm in the purfait of pieafure, but meaning to be honest as well as happy, I had ideas of virtue, of honour, of benevolence, which I had never been at the pains to define; but I felt my bofom heave at the thoughts of them, and I made the most delightful folloquiesIt is impoffible, faid I, that there can be half fo many rogues as they imagine.

I travelled, because it is the fashion for young men of my fortune to travel: I had a travelling tutor, which is the fashion too; but my tutor was a gentleman, which it is not always the fashion for tutors to be. His gentility indeed was all he had from his father, whofe prodigality had not left him a fhilling to fupport it.

Auguft, 1771

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I have

I have a favour to ask of you, my dear Mountford, faid my father, which I will not be refufed: You have travelled as became a man; neither France nor Italy have made any thing of Mountford, which Mountford before he left England would have been afhamed of my fon Edward goes abroad, would you take him under your protection ?” He blushed-my father's face was fcarlet he preffed his hand to his bofom, as if he had faid, -my heart does not mean to offend you. Mountford fighed twice" I am a proud fool, faid he, and you will pardon it;-(there he fighed again) I can hear of dependance, fince it is dependance on my Sedley."- "Dependance! anfwered my father; there can be no fuch word between us; what is there in 9000l. a year that fhould make me unworthy of Mountford's friendship?"They embraced ; foon after I fet out on my travels, with Mountford for my guardian.

and

We were at Milan, where my father happened to have an Italian friend, to whom he had been of fome fervice in England. The count, for he was of quality, was folicitous to return the obligation, by a particular attention to his fon: We lived in his palace, vifited with his family, were careffed by his friends, and I began to be fo well pleafed with my entertainment, that I thought of England as of fome foreign country.

The count had a fon not much older than myfelf. At that age a friend is an eafy acquifition: we were friends the first night of our acquaintance.

He introduced me into the company of a fet of young gentlemen, whofe fortunes gave them the command of pleafure, and whofe inclinations incited them to the purchase. After having spent fome joyous evenings in their fociety, it became a fort of habit which I could not mifs without uneafiness, and our meetings, which before were frequent, were now stated and regular,

Sometimes in the paufes of our mirth, gaming was introduced as an amufement: it was an art in which I was a novice; I receive ed inftruction, as other novices do, by lofing pretty largely to my teachers. Nor was this the only evil which Mountford forefaw would arise from the connection I had formed; but a lecture of four injunctions was not his method of reclaiming. He fometimes afked me questions about the company; but they were fuch as the curiofity of any indifferent man might have prompted: I told him of their wit, their eloquence, their warmth of friendship, and their fenfibility of heart; "And their honour, faid I, laying my hand on my breaft, is unquestionable.' Mountford feemed to rejoice at my good for tune, and begged that I would introduce him to their acquaintance. At the next meeting I introduced him accordingly.

The converfation was as animated as ufual § they difplayed all that fprightlinefs and good humour which my praifes had led Mountford to expect; fubjects too of fentiment occurred, and their fpeeches, particularly thofe of our friend the fon of count Refpino, glowed with the warmth of honour, and foftened into the tenderness of feeling. Mountford was charmed with his companions, when we parted he made the highest eulogiums in their commendation: When fhall we see them again?" faid he. I was delighted with the demand, and promised to reconduct him on the

morrow.

In going to their place of rendezvous, he took me a little out of the road, to fee, as he told me, the performances of a young ftatuary. When we were near the house in which Mountford faid he lived, a boy of about feven years old croffed us in the street. At fight of Mountford he ftopped, and grafping his hand, "My dearest fir, faid he, my father is likely to do well; he will live to pray for you, and to bless you: yes, he will bless you, though you are an Englishman, and fome other hard word that the monk talked of this morning which I have forgot, but it meant that you should not go to hea ven; but he fhall go to heaven, faid I, for he has faved my father: come and fee him, fir, that we may be happy."- "My dear, I am engaged at prefent with this gentleman."

"But he shall come along with you; he is an Englishman too, I fancy; he fhall come and learn how an Englishman may go to heaven.". -Mountford fmiled, and we followed the boy together.

After croffing the next ftreet, we arrived at the gate of a prifon. I feemed furprized at the fight; our little conductor obferved it. Are your afraid, fir? faid he; I was afraid once too, but my father and mother are here, and I am never afraid when I am with them." He took my hand, and led me through a dark paffage that fronted the gate. When we came to a little door at the end, he tapped; a boy, ftill younger than him, opened it to receive us. Mountford entered with a look in which was pictured the benign affurance of a fuperior being. I followed in filence and amazement.

On fomething like a bed, lay a man, with a face feemingly emaciated with fickness, and a look of patient dejection; a bundle of dirty fhreds ferved him for a pillow; but he had a better fupport the army of a female who kneeled befide him, beautiful as an angel, but with a fading languor in her countenance, the ftill life of melancholy, that feemed to borrow its fhade from the objest on which the gazed. There was a tear in her eye! the fick man kiffed it off in its bud, fmiling through the dimnefs of his own!-when fie faw Mountford, the crawled forward on the ground and clasped his

knees;

knees; he raised her from the floor; fhe threw her arms round his neck, and fobed out a fpeech of thankfulness, eloquent beyond the power of language.'

Compofe yourself, my love, faid the man on the bed; but he, whofe goodness has caufed that emotion, will pardon its effects." "How is this, Mountford? faid I; what do I fee? What muft I do?" You fee, replied the ftranger, a wretch, funk in -poverty, ftarving in prifon, ftretched on a fick bed! but that is little there are his wife and children, wanting the bread which he has not to give them! Yet you cannot eafily imagine the confcious ferenity of his mind; in the gripe of affliction, his heart fwells with the pride of virtue! it can even look down with pity on the man whofe cruelty has wrung it almost to bursting. You are, I fancy, a friend of Mr. Mountford's; come nearer and I will tell you; for, short as my ftory is, I can hardly command breath enough for a recital. The fon of count Ref. pino (I ftarted as if I had trod on a viper) has long had a criminal paffion for my wife; this her prudence had concealed from me; but he had lately the boldnefs to declare it to myfelf. He promifed me affluence in exchange for honour; and threatened mifery, as its attendant, if I kept it. I treated him with the contempt he def ved: the confequence was, that he hired a couple of bravoes (for I am perfuaded they acted under his direction) who attempted to affaffinate me in the street; but I made fuch a defence as obliged them to fly, after having given me two or three ftabs, none of which however were mortal. But his revenge was not thus to be difappointed: in the little dealings of my trade I had contracted fome debts, which he had made himfelf mafter of for my ruin; I was confined here at his fuit, when not yet recovered from the wounds I had received; that dear woman, 'and these two boys, followed me, that we might ftarve together; but providence interpofed, and fent Mr. Mountford to our fupport: he has relieved my family from the gnawings of hunger, and refcued me from death, to which a fever, confequent on my wounds, and increafed by the want of every neceffary, had nearly reduced me.'

Inhuman villain!" I exclaimed, lifting up my eyes to heaven. «Inhuman indeed! faid the lovely woman who stood at my fide: alas! fir, what had we done to offend him? What had thefe little ones done, that they hould perish in the toils of his vengeance?" I reached a pen which stood in an inkStandish at the bed-fide" May I ask what is the amount of the fum for which you are imprisoned?"" I was able, he replied, to pay all but 500 crowns."-I wrote a draught on the banker with whom I had a credit from my father for 2500, and prefenting it to the ftranger's wife, "You will receive, Madam, on prefenting this note, a

fum more than fufficient for your husband's difcharge; the remainder I leave for his induftry to increafe." I would have left the room: each of them laid hold of one of my hands; the children clung to my coat:Oh! Mr. Harley, methinks I feel their gentle violence at this moment; it beats here with delight inexpreffible !"Stay, fir, faid he, I do not mean attempting to thank you; (he took a pocket-book from under his pillow) let me bût know what name I fhall place here next to Mr. Mountford's ?". Shedley- he writ it down

an Englishman too I prefume,"_" He fhall go to heaven notwithstanding," said the boy who had been our guide. It began to be too much for me; I squeezed his hand that was clasped in mine; his wife's I pressed to my lips, and burst from the place to give veat to the feelings that laboured within me,

Oh! Mountford!" faid I, when he had overtaken me at the door: "it is time, replied he, that we fhould think of our appointe ment; young Refpino and his friends are waiting us."- "Damn him, damn him! faid I; let us leave Milan inftantly; but foft I will be calm; Mountford, your pencil." I wrote on a flip of paper,

To Signor RESPINO.

When you receive this I am at a distance from Milan. Accept of my thanks for the civilities I have received from you and your family. As to the friendship with which you was pleafed to honour me, the prifon, which I have juft left, has exhibited a scene to cancel it for ever. You may poffibly be merry with your companions at my weakness, as I fuppofe you will term it. I give you leave for derifion: you may affect a triumphs I shall feel it. EDWARD SEDLEY,"

You may fend this if you will, faid Mountford coolly; but ftill Respino is a man of bonour'; the world will continue to call him fo." It is probable, I answered, they may; I envy not the appellation. If this is the world's honour, if thefe men are the guides of its manners"" Tut! faid Mountford, do you eat macaroni ?”—

III. Religion, a Poem; infcribed to Walter Griffith, Efq; By G. Menell, Lieutenant of bis Majesty's Ship the Namur. 4to. Is.

Was the execution of this poem équal to the apparent rectitude of the defign, the author would make no inconfiderable figure in the catalogue of writers. But though the verfification is by no means adequate to the fubject, it is fufficient, with all its faults, to convey a favourable idea of the author's abilities.

IV. Reflexions upon the Study of Divinity, &c. By E. Bentham, D. D. 8vo. 1s. 6d. White.

Thefe reflections are admirably calculated for the use of every ferious reader, particularly for every gentleman who means to make a profeffion of divinity. The worthy G & g 2

author