be fo ready to facrifice our children, and our children's children, to
the flames, for the edification of the church; nor should we content
ourselves with offering up a prayer to our Great Mafter, without
exerting ourselves in the use of other means to avert fo great an
evil. We are advocates for the late bill in favour of the Roman
Catholics, because, next to its reasonableness in a christian view, it
is, we think, fafe in a political light. We are no friends to martyr-
dom. We would not perfecute; nor would we be perfecuted. Did
it appear probable that the lenient measures of government would
end in popish defpotifm and cruelty, instead of a tame fubmiffion,
we would heartily join in a vigorous refiftance. But fuch an event is
quite out of fight and it is an argument of a contracted and flavish
fpirit, to be conjuring up the fpectre of fear, and letting the imagi-
nation range without reftraint in the regions of poffibility to fearch
out (as Rabelais fays) fome great MAY BE!

Mr. Jeffe feems to have adopted fome of the notions of Mr.
Soame Jenyns, respecting a chriftian's engaging in war. He is not
perfectly a Quaker; and yet, confiftently with fome of his maxims,
he ought to be fo. 'Our relation to this world (fays he) is washed
off in the laver of regeneration; we are not of this world, even as
Chrift was not of this world: therefore his fervants may not fight to
preferve themselves from perfecution and bondage.' And yet this
meek man of God tells us in the fame page, that if he was drawn
for the militia, and could not pay for a fubititute, he would then
not only for wrath, but for confcience fake, carry his musket, and
ufe his bayonet with all the vigour of a Briton,' What a hero!-
But'this is a qualifying claufe to keep the balance even be-
tween the obedient fubject, and the humble and tender hearted
Chriflian but (fays Mr. Jeffe) I would take the firkt opportunity
to retire from thofe fcenes which are a difgrace to human nature.'

We shall present our readers with a farther fpecimen of the duɛlility of this gentleman's confcience: and it is the more curious, because religion accompanies every form into which the state may think proper to beat it out. Religion is its ornament and its defence! Hear him.

If this kingdom fhould be unhappily divided against itself: if
king and parliament, as in the last century, fhould wage civil war
against each other, I fhould think I owe allegiance to both parties.
I would not connect myself with either, if it should depend upon my
own choice. If I fhould be compelled by either party, I would obey
the force fo far, and fo long only as I should feel its power; and
whether peace enfue, or one party be entirely fubdued, I should
think myself under obligation, as a Chriftian, to obey "the
powers that be" of whatever kind.' And yet, notwithstanding this
time-ferying declaration, Mr. Jeffe adds another boast to his former
catalogue, viz.-that he is a man of God who loves peace, and,
not the Vicar of Bray, Sir."'

Art. 51. A Vindication of the Oppofition to the late intended Bill
for the Relief of the Roman Catholics in Scotland: in which an Ad-
drefs to the People on that Subject, by the Rev. Dr. Campbell,
Principal of Marifchal College, Aberdeen, is particularly con

jidered.

B...k.

fidered. 8vo. 6d. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Cadell is London. 1780.

The Author of this pamphlet expreffes a' furprise, as well as an anxiety, at the reflections which have been thrown upon those who flood forth in oppofition to the late intended Bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics in Scotland, by a repeal of the laws which had hitherto been a restraint on them in that country.'

The defign of this performance is to vindicate the zeal of the Scotch proteftants in their oppofition to popery, and to fhew the impolicy of freeing the Papifts from thofe restraints which the wif dom, as well as the piety, of our forefathers had laid on them.

The author reafons fhrewdly on the political part of the question: but when he pretends to foretel, from the Revelations, how, and by what terrible means, the whole ftyftem of popery, and its great inftruments, will be demolished, he loses himself in a labyrinth of theological hypothefis, and shows more what he wishes, than what he can demonstrate.

We totally difapproved of the oppofition which was made in Scot land to the Bill in favour of the Roman Catholics. It was begun in malice, and ended in outrage. What a difgrace will the remem brances of fome late events in Scotland and England ftamp on the annals of Proteftantiím! The pretence of religion only aggravated the guilt of fedition: and the facred name of Liberty was infulted and blafphemed, when rudely mixed with the outcries of licentioufnefs.

There is more of the crafty politician in this pamphlet than the meek christian, and more of the bigotted fectarian than either.

PAMPHLETS relative to the late RIOTS, &c. B...k I. A Plain and Succina Narrative of the late Disturbances, &c. By William Vincent, of Gray's Inn. 8vo. 1s. Fielding and Co. To this narrative, which appears to be fufficiently circumftantial and exact, is prefixed, an abstract of the act lately paffed in favour of the Roman Catholics; as alfo, an account of the Bill, as moved for in Parliament by Sir George Saville; with the obfervations of Sir George and Mr. Dunning on the Papift penal laws. The author has likewife added fome anecdotes of the life of Lord George Gordon with whose commitment to the Tower this narrative concludes.

II. A Narrative of the Proceedings of Lord George Gordon, and the Perfons affembled under the Denomination of the Protestant Association, &c. to the Time of his Lordship's Commitment to the Tower, &c. 8vo. Is. Wallis.

This narrative likewise contains an abstract of the late act, on which the disturbances were founded; alfo, the address presented to his Majesty, on this occafion, by the Roman Catholic peers, &c. III. Confiderations on the late Disturbances. By a Confiftent Whig 8vo. I s. Almon.

The Confiderer warmly arraigns, and totally condemns the prin ciple of the petition, framed by the Proteftant Affociation,―vindi, cates, both on religious and political ground, the late act in favour of the Roman Catholics, commonly ftyled Sir George Saville's Bill,

-july

-juftly execrates the horrid proceedings of the mob,—and then deduces the following general conclufions:

1. That the Protestant religion had nothing to do in the late disturbances.

2. That the prayer of the petition by no means meets with general approbation; and that neither from the numbers or character of the fubfcribers, the object of their petition, or the manner of their proceedings is it to be raised to a level with thofe petitions that have been prefented in a conftitutional manner, by the reprefentatives of feveral of the counties from their conftituents, praying for a redress of their grievances.

3. That the late Act, in favour of the Papifts, has not been properly reprefented to the people; that nothing can be further from the truth than, that it amounts to an abfolute repeal of the penal laws, or the establishment of the Popish religion; that fo far from their numbers having encreased in confequence of the mitigation of the penal laws, they have decreased confiderably, both in this kingdom and Ireland. And,

repeal.'

Laftly-That neither juftice nor found policy can justify the IV. Fanaticism and Treafon: or a Difpaffionate Hiftory of the Rife, Progrefs, and Suppreffion of the Rebellious Infurrections in June, 1780. By a Real Friend to Religion and to Britain. 8vo. 2 S. Kearfly.

This warm inveftigator of fanaticism, treason, and rebellion," who thus cries aloud and fpares not, has given a very elaborate and fuccinct account of what has happened; but he is as much at a loss to affign the cause which has produced fuch lamentable effects, as any of his brother authors, who have obliged the public with their narratives, &c. on this unhappy occafion. Yet our hiftorian seems eager to fix the charge fomewhere; and we heartily with he were able to do it with certainty, that the fecret, the real authors of so much diabolical mischief (whoever they are) may be brought to exemplary punishment. But this gentleman is not fufficiently difpaffionate* in his inquiries; abounding more in declamation than argument. He writes, however, in a train fuperior to our common fcribblers to the times, and his manner is frequently entertaining, even on this horrid fubject. His view is, obviously, to vindicate the proceedings of government, in every ftage of this ugly bufinefs; and he points with eagernefs at many gentlemen in oppofition, of whom he more than -hefitates diflike,

Willing to wound, but yet afraid to strike!

On the whole, though intemperately written, and containing, perhaps, fome unfair fuggeftions,-and though it has much the appearance of a ministerial produation, yet this pamphlet deferves to be diftinguished from the mob of catchpenny things, that will naturally fpring from this new raised hot-bed of fedition.

It would have been as well if the Author had omitted this word in his title-page.

COR

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the MONTHLY REVIEWERS.

HE attention and judgment with which you felect the most important obfervations of the Authors that come under your Review, entitle you to public approbation; and particularly your care to exhibit whatever immediately interefts the general economy of life. In this view I confider your extracts and remarks in the last month on Dr. Ingen houfz's experiments upon vegetables, from which you take occafion to communicate the danger of confinement in a clofe room containing a large quantity of fragrant flowers.. imagine your Review is more generally read than any other periodical performance in Europe, I doubt not but your communication will extenfively diffufe a proper fufpicion of this fragrant and infidious poison, and thereby obviate future injuries from the fame caufe; but I was not a little furprised, when you mentioned this as a cause of danger" hitherto unfufpected."

Though I am of opinion, that Dr. Ingenhoufz has more clearly explained this deleterious quality in fragrant flowers, it has, I be-, lieve, been long fufpected, though not elucidated with that accuracy which the discoveries of Dr. Priestley have fince enabled experimentalifts to do. About ten years ago I intimated my opinion, in the History of Tea, that its fragrance was deleterious, founded upon experiments, and confirmed by experience; and inftanced two examples of death in tea brokers, who in order to afcertain the refpective qualities of teas, fmell at them forcibly, and thus infpire their effluvia; one of these persons died paralytic, and the other apoplectic.

Lucretius, in his 6th Book, fpeaks very fully of the deleterious ef fects of effluvia from different fubftances; and his ideas are so applicable to the prefent fubject, that I beg leave to tranfcribe them here! Arboribus primum certis gravis umbra tributà eft

Uique adeo, capitis faciant ut fæpe dolores,
Siquis eas fubter jacuit proftratus in herbis.
Eft etiam in magnis Heliconis montibus arbos
Floris odore hominem tetro confueta necare.

In the Acta Curioforum, as well as in fome of the earlier Philofophical Tranfactions, I think I recollect having feen accounts of fome examples of fatality from expofure to fragrant flowers in confined rooms. All the early navigators to the Welt Indies notice the deleterious effluvium of the Manchineel tree, though they vary respecting its virulence. I do not therefore addrefs you as claiming the merit of a discovery, but to confirm the fufpicions which you have already fuggefted, as feveral cafes have been related to me of perfons who have lost their lives by this expofure, and more than one inftance where the fame fatal confequences have happened from fleeping in a field of beans in bloffom.

London, June 12, 1780.

next.

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM.

C.'s favour is received, and fhall be farther noticed in our

APPENDIX

TO THE

MONTHLY REVIEW.

VOLUME the SIXTY-SECOND.

FOREIGN LITERATURE.

ART. I.'

Memoire dans lequel on examine les Fondemens de l'Ancienne Histoire Chinoife, ou l'on fait voir que les Miffionaires fe font appuyés fur divers Paffages corrompus d'Auteurs Chinois pour etablir 'lAncienneté de la Nation-An Inquiry into the Foundations of the ANCIENT HISTORY of China, in which it is proved, that the Miffionaries have employed several corrupted Paffages of the Chinese Authors to afcertain the Antiquity of that Nation. By M. DE GUIGNES, Member of the Royal Academy of Infcriptions, &c.

TH

THIS Piece is the fummary of a more ample and extenfive Memoir, which the learned Author had read at different fittings of the Royal Academy, and it contains an examination of the proofs that have been employed to afcertain the Chinese chronology; Ift, in the writings of the Miffionaries; and 2dly, in the annals of China, themselves. In a former Memoir, M. DE GUIGNES, by an attentive difcuffion of fome parts of the ancient hiftory of China, had fhewn how uncertain that history is and as feveral Miffionaries had endeavoured to anfwer his objections, he returns to the fubject in the prefent Memoir, and illuftrates and confirms, by new acceffions of evidence, what he had formerly maintained.

One of the first particulars we obferve in this Memoir, is, the learned FRERET employing a paffage of Meng-tse, a claffical author among the Chinese, and looking upon it as one of the ftrongest proofs of the authenticity of the Chinese chronology; while it is evident, that this paffage does not exift in Meng-tfe, but was a note of a commentator, who lived near twelve hundred years after *. Father Noel, in his tranflation of the works

Meng-tfe lived in the ivth century before the Chriftian æra, and his Commentator in the xiith century after. APP. REV. Vol. lxii, LI

of