ART. 39. A Letter to Thomas Paine, in Reply to his Decline and Fall of the English Syftem of Finance. By Daniel Wakefield. 8vo. 35 PP. 1s. Rivingtons. 1796. Mr. Wakefield defends the credit of the Bank, and the private paper in circulation, on nearly the fame grounds as the writers whofe anfwers to Mr. Paine have, been before confidered. But he enters more particularly into a review of Mr. P.'s account of the progreffion As neither of thefe writers has of the expences of our feveral wars. made any diftinction between the charge of a war, the fum of the loans, and the augmentation of the capital of the debt, a distinction of great neceffity, an examination of Mr. P.'s table involving that errot, if it were rightly conducted otherwife, becomes of no confe. quence. ART. 40. For the Ufe of the Enemies of England: a real Statement of the Finances and Refources of Great Britain, illuftrated by two Copper-plate Charts. By William Playfair, Inventer of lineal Arithmetic. Stockdale. 1796. 32 PP. 2S. The charts give, at one view, a very good fummary idea of the ob jects they are formed to illuftrate: the first, the progress of the revenues in France and England, particularly fince the revolution: and the fecond, the increafing amount of the exports, during the whole of the prefent century: they demonftrate the increafing refources of · the country; but the evidence would have been more complete, if the line of imports had been given in the fecond. Mr. P. then proceeds to compare the burthen of the intereft of the debt in 1785, with that paid in the fpring of the prefent year. As the value of money had confiderably fallen in that term, that burthen certainly has not increased in the fame proportion as the interest: but that a further deduction is to be made, because the new annuitants pay 38. 4d. in the pound in taxes, in the expenditure of their annuities, is a point which cannot be conceded to this writer. If the annuities were an addition to the national income, it would be true; but their amount is only transferred to the receivers, from the contributors to the new taxes; who paid the fame fum out of it to the public revenue, while it was in their poffeffion. Another great article of deduction which Mr. P. makes, to obtain the true burthen of the debt, feems to us to contain an error of confiderable magnitude; and, upon the whole, the increafe of that burthen is almost as much underrated by him, as it is conftantly overrated by thofe writers whom he cenfures. ART. 41. A Letter to the Right Honourable William Pitt, Sherwing how IS. Mr. Donaldfon is certainly a well meaning man, and he gives oneproof of his fincerity which cannot poffibly be doubted; he is willing "to prevent crimes to take the management of the plans he propofes, roads, and make the people happy:" viz. a conftant watch of ftreets and 2 roads, and the provifion of juft balances and weights, entirely upon himfelf. That is, if Mr. Pitt will put them under his care. We do not indeed immediately fee how far this will prevent crimes or make the people happy; we, nevertheless, a fecond time, give Mr. D. full credit for the goodness of his intentions. ART. 42. Remarks on a Letter relative to the late Petitions to ParLiament, for the Safety and Prefervation of his Majesty's Perfon, and for the more effectually preventing feditions Meetings; with complete Ahftracts of the feveral Claufes contained in each Bill. By Sir Edward Harrington, Kit. Author of an Excurfion from Paris to Fantainbleau; a Schizzo on Genius, &c. 8vo. 69 pp. is. 6d. Steart, Bath; Longman, London. 1796. A very well-meant effort, in a good caufe. The author appears, by numerous quotations, differing in their degrees of aptnefs, to be very converfant with the writings of Shakspeare. We cannot, with a good confcience, award to the worthy knight any further commen dation. ART. 43. Reflections on the prefent State of the Refources of the Coun try. 8vo. 27 PP. IS. Stockdale. 1796. The object of this pamphlet is to prove, what it is now particularly important to know, that," fhould all expectation of peace be at an end, fhould Lord Malmbury's negotiation prove abortive, and the further profecution of the war become indifpenfable, the state of the country is fuch as to give us no reafon to doubt our capacity to make powerful and vigorous exertions." The point affumed by the author, who writes with great clearners, is, that if there is any quantity of debt, which experience proves a country to be able to bear without confiderable difficulty, the country will bear, with as little difficulty, an increase of that debt, provided there is an increase of riches and refources proportionate to it." He then proves, from authentic documents, that while our debt has increased by about four millions of annual intereft, our commerce has increased at the rate of nine millions, in exports only. From other circumftances, fuch as navigation and inclofure bills, he flates an equally flourishing condition of our internal commerce. He accounts for the apparent fcarcity of money, and other feeming difficulties, and, on the whole, concludes forcibly, that we have no reafon to be difcouraged on financial confiderations. This tract is attributed to Lord Hawkesbury, fon to the Earl of Liverpool. ART. 44. An Argument against continuing the War, by James Workman, of the Society of the Middle Temple. 8vo. 89 pp. 25. Owen. 1795. If the ftrength of Mr. Workman's argument were to be determined by the length into which it is carried, we might expect the public ac quiefcence, in pronouncing it unanswerable. Eighty-nine pages of clofe printing, filled with remarks upon every thing connected with the the politics of Europe and Great-Britain, appear in the title-page under the modeft title of a fingle argument. We mean not, however, to depreciate the reafoning powers of Mr. Workman; his talents are doubtlefs of a refpectable clafs; and his language is fuited to the neceffary familiarity of popular difcuffion. Our readers will scarcely expect us, under the prefent circumstances, to enter further into the merits of this pamphlet, the argument of which feems chiefly defigned to demonftrate (to ufe the author's words)" the neceffity of dif miffing Mr. Pitt immediately, and of calling Mr. Fox to fill his place.' ART. 45. A Letter from a Chancellor out of Office to a King in Power, containing Reflections on the Era of his prefent Majefty's Acceffion to the Throne of his Ancestors. On the War with America; the Spanish and Ruffian Armaments; and the present War with France: Thoughts on church and fate Eftablishments, forming an Enquiry into the immediate Expediency of Reform, political, religious, and moral; in the Courfe of which are examined the relative Points about which Trinitarians and Unitarians chiefly differ, as well as Thomas Paine's Assertions concerning Jefus Chrift. Laftly, on the Laws that were, and the Laws that are; interfperfed with occafional Retrospectives of Affocia tions, national Bankruptcy, Revolutions, and univerfal Patriotifm. The whole being a folemn Appeal to the Juftice, Benevolence, and political Wisdom of our gracious King George the Third. 8vo. 172 pp. 3s. 6d. Eaton. No Date. A tiffue of abfurd and pompous nothings. The writer affects a fublimity of addrefs, in fentiments that border upon nonfenfe, and language that approaches to puerility. The title-page is in itself fufficiently characteristic of the book, and we can safely recommend it to those of our readers, who are anxious to hear a great deal said about every thing. ART. 46. Remarks upon the Conduct of the Perfons poffeffed of the Powers of Government in France; and upon the official Note of M. Barthelemi, dated at Bafle, March 26, 1796. 8vo. 58 pp. 1s. 6d. Owen. 1796. The overtures made by the British minifter, and rejected by the French Directory, at the opening of the prefent campaign, have been the occafion of much difcuffion. It is to the conduct of the Directory in that instance, that we are indebted for the prefent able and eloquent pamphlet. The writer arraigns the haughty pretenfions of the French government, in their appropriation of the different territories where their arms have been fuccefsful; and examines the right which, in this instance, they affume, by the fundamental laws of their government upon which they profefs to reft it. This conduct in the Directory is treated with ingenious and fuccefsful raillery. The writer then purfues, with ftrong and vigorous animadverfion, the fteps which were taken Bbb BRIT. CRIT. VOL. VIII. DEC. 1796. by by the governing powers to defeat the project of negociation; and concludes with a remonftrance, which, as it cannot but have a yet further application, we shall make no apology for laying before our readers. "All Europe will compare the haughty and prepofterous vanity of France, with the generofity and forbearance of Great Britain, upon this important and memorable occafion; it will not overlook nor miftake her magnanimity, nor be blinded by the vaunts aud boasts of her conceited and fupercilious enemy. It will not attribute her overtures of peace to a fenfe of weakness, or a dread of inferiority; nor their contemptuous rejection to any consciousness of advantage, or perfuafion of greater ftrength and more lafting refources; but it will affign the effect diftinctly to the caufe, and difcover the natural defire and principle of juft and legal governments in peace and order, and the intereft and impunity of violence and ufurpation, in the prolongation of wars and the perpetuity of confufions. It will fee the true obftacle to its peace and tranquillity, not in the victories or refources of France, but in the fears and crimes of a handful of traitors, who can reign only amidst the defolation of their country, who have no fecurity but in common danger, no afylum but in the general diftrefs and calamity. Compelled to vindicate with arms the prefent interests of all mankind and dearest hope of pofterity, it will not be difmayed or terrified by the fury of the enemy which confumes his force, nor the rafhness which cuts off his refources; nor can it defpair, without fomething worse than cowardice and folly in a caufe defended before the throne of Heaven, not only by its own juftice, and the love of Heaven for juftice and for man, but by the guilt and ftains of thofe who invade it; by their contempt for laws, and their hatred of peace, by horrors without name or number, by a mockery of virtue, and a profeffion of impiety." AGRICULTURE. ART. 47. Outlines of Agriculture, addreffed to Sir John Sinclair, Bart. 1795. This tract contains a very clear statement of matters, for the moft part previously known, refpecting the nature of foils, and the growth of vegetables. The fingular and curious manner in which wheat forms its two roots, the feminal and the coronal; the one intended by nature to be within the earth, protected from the froft, the other clofe to the furface, in order to connect it with the richeft part of the foil, is illuftrated by a very accurate plate. To fhow the wonderful analogy between plants and animals, a plate is alfo given, reprefenting, in feveral views, an egg after four days of incubation. The whole is philofophical and ufeful. ART. By a ART. 48. A Dialogue between a Gentleman and a Farmer, on the prefent high Price of Provisions of all Kinds; wherein it is fet forth how the prefent Scarcity arofe, and how it may be in future prevented. Friend to his Country. 8vo. 20 pp. 6d. Arch, London; Eaftman, Basingstoke, &c. 1796. The farmer, being "the author of the dialogue," difpenfes with ceremony, and takes almoft the whole converfation to himfelf. We find, however, little caufe of regret on this fcore; for he talks with that plain good fenfe, occafionally mixed with much fhrewdness, by which English farmers are frequently diftinguifhed. He attributes the prefent [late] fearcity, and the confequent dearnefs of provifions, to the increafe of our population; and he thinks, that "the prefent number of people in this country cannot be fupplied from the number of acres now employed in agriculture." P. So far we fee no great reafon to differ from him; though we attribute more effect than he admits, to the deficient crops of wheat in 1794 and 1795; and though we think that an additional and powerful caufe of the icarcity may be affigned. In a very large county, well known to fine amon us, the bakers will not fell any other bread than the finest wheaten, because it anfwers beft to them; and this bread alone has been eaten, during feveral years, by the poor in general, and is even diftributed to them by parish-officers, in the difpofal of charitable donations. We believe that the fame habit has lately prevailed in molt parts of the kingdom; and how great the effect of it must have been in diminishing the "flock of wheat, which has been gradually decreafing for near twenty years," (p. 9) no one need to be told. The preven tion of fcarcity in future is propofed to be effected by the cultivation of those millions of acres now lying in heaths, forefts, downs, commons, moors, marthes," &c. To this plan little objection can be made. But when it is faid, that "if the deficiency was in wheat alone, that article only would be dear," we apprehend that the farmer's fagacity for a moment forfakes him. He fuggefts, however, many good hints; particularly with respect to the felling of corn by fample, the enlargement of farms (both which he defends) the affigning of land to cottagers, &c.; and the tract is, on all accounts, very refpectable. 66 MISCELLANIES. ART. 49. Rambles Farther: a Continuation of Rural Walks. In Dialogues. Intended for the Ufe of young Perfons. By Charlotte Smith. In two Volumes. 12mo. 55. Cadell and Davies. 1796. In our fifth volume, p. 552, we spoke highly in praife of the two little volumes, written by this ingenious female, for the ufe of children. Thefe before us are no lefs entitled to our praife. They are written in the fame fimple interefling manner, and, like them, are Bbbz agreeably |