Page images
PDF
EPUB

tion that refpects trade. Upon the whole, this is a defultory tract, containing little or no forcible reasoning, useful fuggeftion, or novel information.^

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 34. An biftorical and defcriptive Account of the Royal Hof pital, and the Royal Military Afylum at Chelsea: to which is prefixed an Account of King James's College, at Chelsea. Embellifbed with Engravings, and interfperfed with Biographical Anecdotes. 12mo. 115 PP. 35. 6d. Faulkner, Chelfea; Egerton, London. 1805.

Of this publication little more need be faid than that it relates to two noble and interefting national inftitutions, one of which (the afylum for the children of foldiers) originated during the prefent reign, and that it appears, so far as we are enabled to judge, authentic and accurate. The long account of King James's College, (for polemical divinity) and all its members, was not, we think, called for by the occafion. A flight notice might have been fufficient, as the inftitution has long ceafed.

ART. 35. A Map, illuftrative of the Changes of the Planet Venus, in refpect to her apparent Situation in the Heavens, (as seen from the Earth,) Eaft or Weft of the Sun; and whereby he becomes fucceffively an Evening and a Morning Star. 8vo. 12 pp. 15. Allen. 1804.

Nothing more can be faid of this little tract, than that it is extremely clear and illustrative of the fubject. The only fault is, that, in the explanation of the map, it gives the aftronomical marks for the Sun, Venus, &c. instead of those by which they are distinguished in the map itself, where the Sun is represented by a flaming figure in the centre, and Venus by a small orb, not by and 9.

The four last pages of the tract are occupied by proposals for "a fmall claffical treatife, being a genealogical History of the moft celebrated heroes of ancient Greece, from Japetus, (or Japhet, the fon of Noah), to the recovery of the Peloponnefus by the Heraclidæ."

ART. 36. The Horrors of the Negro Slavery exifting in our Weft India Islands fully and ably demonftrated from Official Documents recently prefented to the House of Commons. 8vo. Hatchard. 1805.

IS.

Some atrocious examples of negro fufferings are here brought iogether and published, without doubt, from benevolent and worthy motives. For our parts, nothing is neceffary to increase

Our

our deteftation of the thing itfelf, although we do not undertake to pronounce as to the expediency of its immediate and abrupt termination.

[ocr errors]

ART. 37. A Plan for the Establishment and Regulation of Sunday Schools: to which is prefixed, An Addrefs to the Public on their Importance and Utility, with an Appendix, containing ruled Forms of Books for keeping a methodical Account of the Scholars. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Kent. 1805.

The author of this tract, a zealous friend to the establishment of funday fchools, has here given fome judicious rules for their better regulation and conduct. He gives his opinion feparately on their importance, their place of meeting, hours of attendance, bufinefs, teachers, fuperintendants, vifitors, &c. &c. Some very ufeful hints are given, which will merit the attention of those, for whofe examination the work is intended.

ART. 38. The Thespian Dictionary; or Dramatic Biography of the prefent Age; containing Sketches of the Lives, Lifts of the Productions, various Merits, &c. &c. of all the principal Dra. matifts, Compofers, Commentators, Managers, Actors and Adresses, of the United Kingdom: interfperfed with numerous Original An ecdotes, forming a compleat Modern Hiftory of the English Stage. Second Edition, with confiderable Improvements and Additions. Small 8vo. Chapple. 1805.

Dramatic authors and popular actors will form a topic of inquiry, as they are a fource of amufement in every civilized nation; and we feldom mix in any tolerably informed fociety, where the lives, characters, and refpective merits of thefe perfons (especially of actors) do not furnish the most frequent fubject of converfation; confequently a work like the prefent is very convenient as a book of reference to every perfon of the leaft tafte and curiofity. Many a critic, at leaft, equal to Die Minim (fo well defcribed in the Idler) might be formed from the diligent perufal of it; and the Box Lobby-Loungers (as they are called) might be enabled to attend, with real profit, to the performance, inftead of annoying and disturbing the few perfons who do. We have read many of the articles in this dictionary, and have found them, so far as we could judge, as accurate as can be expected. The dramatic anecdotes are numerous; and the whole forms an entertaining and not uninftructive work.

ART. 39. Profpectus of a Work, intitled, A Philofophical and Experimental Inquiry into the Laws of Refiftance of Non-Elaftic Fluids, and Cobefion of Fibrous Solids, as far as cither is connected with the Theory, or Practice of Naval Architecture. Alfo Political and Commercial Strictures on the Comparative State of

Naval Architecture in Great Britain and India, in Three Parts. Part I. A View of the prefent State of Oak Timber in England, the Caufes of its Scarcity, with the Profpect of a future Supply. Par: II. A View of the Timber Trade of India, with a Plan for its Improvement, fo as to obviate the increafing Scarcity of Oak Timber in England. Part III. A View of the prefent State of Naval Archite&ure in India, fhewing in general the vaft Refources in Naval Staples, contained within the British Dominions in that Country; from the due Cultivation of which, it is prefumed, Great Britain might be rendered effectually independent of the northern Nations of Europe, for the means of supporting her Navy. The whole to conclude with an Addrefs to Jacob Bofanquet, Efq. Chairman of the Honourable the Court of Directors, on the Advantages which the Honourable Eaft India Company, in par ticular, would derive from the Extenfion, Improvement, and liberal Encouragement of the Naval Refources of British India. In Two Volumes, Quarto. By Alex. Mackonochie, Efq. of Baypoor, near Calicut, Malabar. T. Egerton. 1805.

The fubject of the work, of which the above is a profpectus, is of the highest importance to this as a maritime and commercial country; and fo highly do we think of the author's abilities, that we look forwards to the final accomplishment of his undertaking with particular fatisfaction.

ART. 40. The Hiftory of England; related in familiar Converfations by a Father to his Children: interfperfed with Moral and Inftructive Remarks and Observations on the most leading and in terefting Subjects; defigned for the perusal of Youth. By Eliza beth Helme. 2 Volumes. 12mo. 75. Longman. 1804.

This writer is entitled to much and great commendation for various ufeful works for the benefit of juvenile readers. The hiftory of their own country cannot be confidered as the least important part in the education of youth; and fhould be made, perhaps more frequently than it is, a portion of their daily and familiar application. The prefent undertaking is well adapted to the pur.. pofe, and is rendered engaging by the eafy and agreeable dialogue in which the most important facts of British history are communi cated. It is also a very cheap publication.

ART. 41. Notes, relative to the late Tranfactions in the Maratta Empire, Fort William, 16 December, 1803. Illuftrated with five Military Plans. 8vo. 135. Stockdale, 1804.

This may be confidered as an authentic exhibition of moft important State Papers. The fubject is of univerfal intereft, and the public will receive with fincere fatisfaction documents fo honourable to the valour and the glory of the British Empire.

Many

Many perhaps would be glad to purchase the Narrative without the Plans, which are only effential to thofe who wish to follow with accuracy the progrefs of the Military Expedition.

ART. 42. Efays, in a Series of Letters to a Friend, on the fol Loring Subjects: I. On a Man's writing Memoirs of himself. II. On Decifion of Character. III. On the Application of the Epithet Romantic. IV. On fome of the Caufes by which Evan gelical Religion has been rendered less acceptable to Perfons of cultivated Tafte. By John Fofter. 2 vols. Longman and Co. 1805.

There is an ingenuoufnefs, with a certain air of originality, in the Advertisement to this Publication, which induces us to infert the whole.

"Perhaps it will be thought that pieces, written fo much in the manner of fet compofitions as the following, fhould not have been denominated Letters; it may therefore be proper to fay that they are fo called, because they were actually addreffed to a friend. They were written however, with the intention to print them, if, when they were finished, the author could perfuade himself that they deferved it; and the character of authors is too well known for any one to be furprized that he could perfuade himfelf of this. The general character of readers is also too well known for an author to have any caufe to wonder, if they are delighted to find out that he has deceived himself. He may be ashamed, if he has not benevolence enough to be gratified in thus knowing that his being deemed to have written ill will not prevent him from giving nearly as much pleasure to his readers, as if he were deemed to have written well.

"When the author began thefe letters, his intention was to confine himself within fuch limits, that effays on twelve or fifteen fubjects might have been comprifed in a volume. But he foon found that an interefting fubject could not be fo fully unfolded as he wished in fuch a narrow fpace. It appeared to him that many things, which would be excluded, as much belonged to the purpofe of the effay as thofe which would be introduced..

"It will not feem a very natural manner of commencing a courfe of letters to a friend, to enter formally on a fubject, in the first fentence. In excufe for this abruptnefs it may be mentioned, that an introductory letter went before that which appears first in the feries; but as it was written in the prefumption that a confiderable variety of fubjects would be treated in the compafs of a moderate number of letters, it is omitted, as being lefs adapted to precede what is executed in a manner fo different from the defign.

"A remark or two feems requifite refpecting the following effays taken feparately-There may be fome reason to apprehend that the fpirit of the third will appear fo different from that of

the

the fecond, as to give an impreffion of fomething like inconfiftency; the former appearing to affert the poffibility of achieving almoft every thing, the latter, to deny the poffibility of achieving fcarcely any thing. It is prefumed however that an attentive reader will perceive the caufe of this to be, not any contrariety between the principles of thofe effays, but merely the contraft between an animated, and a gloomy, ftyle of illuftration. To a certain degree, the nature of the fubjects rendered this contrast inevitable. If it is thought too ftrong, the writer is willing to appeal to the experience of reflective men, whether they have not often perceived the train of fentiments, and of recollected facts, which were strictly appropriate to the principles of one fubject, fo uncongenial with thofe which they had previously felt appropriate to another, as to excite a doubt whether the opinions, which they adopted in the latter inftance, did not amount to a rejection of those, which they had afferted in the former; till, on examination, they have been fatisfied of their confiftency. The mind naturally feeks the ftrongeft illuftrations of a fubject, and the ftrongeft manner of illuftration neceffarily displays the principles of that fubject in their extreme character.

"In the fourth effay it was not intended to take a comprehenfive or fyftematic view of the caufes which are injurious to evangelical religion, but fimply to felect a few which had particularly excited the Author's attention. One or two more would have been fpecified, if the effay had not been already too long."

We do not know Mr. Fofter, but cannot help being seriously impreffed with his forcible and manly manner of expreffing his opinions, which deferve ferious attention from every defcription of readers.

The fourth Effay is particularly interesting, and contains many novel and ingenious obfervations.

MONTHLY LIST OF PUBLICATIONS.

DIVINITY.

Sermons on the Exiftence of the Deity; the Immortality of the Soul; the Authenticity of the Bible, and other important Subjects. By the Rev. John Adams, M. A. 7s. 6d.

A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Exeter, at the primary Vifitation of John, Lord Bishop of Exeter, 1804 and 1805. Published at the Request of the Clergy. 1s. 6d. A full and complete Analysis of Dr. Paley's Natural Theotogy. 35.

« PreviousContinue »