by the Teutonic Theofopher is intended the divinely illuminated. Jacob Behmen, and by that great light of the age, who fo judicioufly and justly recommended his principles, is meant Mr. Law.' Art. 27. A Letter to the Rev. Mr. Toplady, occafioned by his late Letter to Mr. Wefley*. By Thomas Olivers. 12mo. 4 d. Cabe.

Mr. Olivers difclaims the ufe of that rough language with which, it must be acknowledged, Mr. Toplady's Letter too much abounds, or, in his own words, to embellifh almoft every page with fuch flowers as you, fays he, feem peculiarly to admire: which fame flowers are in this pamphlet twice collected together, and prefented in one view for the entertainment of his readers. I cannot, adds this Writer, prevail with myfelf to throw off all goodmanners, and to expofe that measure of common fenfe I am poffeffed of, to the contempt of every candid reader; much less to disclaim the meeknefs and gentlenefs of Chrift; and therefore, I shall not pretend to treat you-according to your deferts.' Yet this Writer is not always upon his guard; fo that, upon the whole, these champions feem to be well matched.-But is it not shameful that, instead of being bufied in fome honeft and ufeful occupation, any perfons fhould employ their pens in a manner, which, among fome kind of readers, may tend to expose religion it self to ridicule or neglect! MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 28. The Trial of Farmer Carter's Dog Porter, for Murder. 8vo. 1 s. Lowndes. 1771.

Poor Porter, who, we are informed, was the trufty cur of a farmer in Effex, being charged with having killed a hare, in the grounds of a neighbouring justice of the peace, was arbitrarily fentenced to the halter for the fame, to the great injury and lofs of his mafter, to whom he had been a most useful and faithful fervant. In revenge of this cruelty, fome friend of the farmer, or of the dog, has burlefqued the proceedings of the profecutor and his affociates, whom he wittily ftiles an affembly of juft-affes.

Art. 29. The Shipwreck and Adventures of Monf. Pierre Viaud. Tranflated from the French by Mrs. Griffith. 8vo. 4 s. fewed. Davies. 1771. We have here an affecting narrative of the most dreadful hardfhips and fufferings which it is poffible to fuppofe mankind capable of furviving. It is, indeed, fo fhocking a tale, that the humanity of the Reader will be glad to take refuge in the hope that fome of its circumftances are too horrible to be true. In that hope, too, he will be fomewhat encouraged and confirmed by the improbability of certain of the facts, and the notorious impoffibility of others :-as where the relator (Mr. V. himself) mentions his meeting with tygers and lions in the woods of North America, near the British fettlements at the Apalachians.

We fee no reason, however, to difpute the exiftence of fuch a perfon as Monf. Viaud, nor the reality of the fhipwreck, which forms the bafis of a work that feems to have been confiderably injured by

See Review, vol. xlii, p. 482.

embel

embellishment; and we are the more readily induced to believe that the narrative has its foundation in fact, by the certificate annexed to it, which mentions the deplorable fituation wherein Mr. V. and an unhappy gentlewoman, his only furviving + companion, were found. This certificate is figned by Lieut. Swettenham, late commanding officer at Fort St. Mark's, who, we are affured, is a man of too much character to countenance an impofition on the public. Art. 30. A Letter to the Governors of the College of New York; refpecting the Collection that was made in this Kingdom in 1762 and 1763, for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York. To which are added, explanatory Notes; and an Appendix, containing the Letters which paffed between Mr. Alderman Trecothick and the Author. By Sir James Jay, Knt. M. D. 8vo. Kearsley, &c. 1771.

1 5.

We are here informed, that, while Dr. Jay was in New York, and intending to come to England, a propofal was made to him for undertaking a collection in this Kingdom for the benefit of the college in that place; to which propofal he gave his confent; that, for a year and an half after his arrival in England, the greatest harmony fubfifted between the governors and himself; that he ftrenuoufly endeavoured to accomplish the business; that they approved his conduct, and repeatedly thanked him for his kind and faithful fervices. But, in this ftate of things, they drew, it is faid, for a larger fum than he had authorized them to do, or that then was in hand, even when the bills arrived: various pretexts, it is added, were af figned for drawing those bills; but the real ground of the proceeding, Dr. Jay now tells the public, he discovered to be an infinuation, clandeftinely tranfmitted to them by Mr. Alderman Trecothick of London, implying that the money was not fafe in my hands.' Such, we are told, was the rife of the difference between the governors and Dr. Jay. The Dr. farther recites, that they attempted to justify one injury by committing another, and then endeavoured to make good the whole by enforcing it with violence.' Their bills, it is added, were at length protefted, and immediately after a 30wer of attorney fent to Mr. Trecothick to fettle with Dr. Jay, und 2 pofitive inftruction to infift on his first paying for the protetted fills as a preliminary to the fettlement.' Dr. Jay informs us, that he ered to refer the affair to the Archbishop of Canterbury, or to anytwo or three gentlemen his Grace fhould name, or Mr. Trecotick would appoint, nay even to Mr. Trecothick himself, to fettle all IT ters between him and the governors.' This offer, fays he, was fufed, and a bill in Chancery was filed against me. It is now abo four years fince the fuit was commenced; and although I replied their bill, and carried on the proceedings on my fide with the greate difpatch, the governors have not yet taken a fingle step to bring i to a conclufion.'

+ Except a youth, the fon of this gentlewoman, who was left, in a dying condition, on a neighbouring defert ifland; where his body is faid to have been afterwards fought for, and found in a state putrefaction; and yet he recovered!

Upon

Upon this ftate of the cafe the Letter, which employs the greater part of the pamphlet, is founded. The Writer preffes the governors to expedite their proceedings, and offers fome farther obfervations on the fubject. We cannot make ourselves parties in the difpute, or prétend to enter into the merits of the affair: one reflection, however, is almoft unavoidable,-that the inhabitants of Great Britain have, on several occafions, with great cheerfulness and generofity, contributed to the affiftance of our brethren in the American plantations; but fhould it appear that fome of the monies thus raifed, are at any time mifapplied, or fquandered in expenfive difputes and litigations, this will certainly cool, and juftly check, that liberality which might be hoped for on future emergencies. Art. 31. A Letter to Sir Robert Ladbroke, Knt. fenior Alderman, and one of the Reprefentatives of the City of London: With an Attempt to fhew the good Effects which may reasonably be expected from the Confinement of Criminals in feparate Apartments. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Rivington. 1771.

In this judicious pamphlet the danger which refults to the health and the morals of criminals from their intercourfe in gaols, is fully infifted upon; and a method is proposed, the execution of which, while it would tend confiderably to preferve them from diftempers, would recover many of them to induftry and to fociety. When fchemes of general utility are fuggefted by the public fpirit of individuals, it is the duty of the legislature to attent do them.

Art. 32. A Practical English Grammar, for the Ufe of Schools and private Gentlemen and Ladies; with Exercises of false Orthography and Syntax at large. By the Rev. Mr. Hodgson, Ma fter of the Grammar School in Southampton. 12mo. 2 s. Law.

1771.

This Grammar may be of confiderable use to young beginners, in their ftudy of the English language. What chiefly diftinguishes it from other productions of the fame kind is, that, as the title imports, it contains great variety of exercifes on orthography, and large collections of examples of falfe fyntax.

Art. 33. New-market; or, an Effay on the Turf. Very proper to be had in all Pockets at the next Meeting. Small 8vo. 2 Vols. s. fewed. Baldwin, &c. 1771.

The extravagant attachment of our people of fashion to the diver0 fion of the horse-courfe, the corruption of this ancient mode of paftime, by debafing it into an infamous fyftem of modern gaming, and the contamination of the manners of our young men of birth and fortune, by their intimacy with jockeys, grooms, and fharpers, -altogether furnifh a juft and ample fubject for fatire.

Such a fatire is here attempted, by a Writer poffeffed of no inconfiderable talents; but, we fear, his work will fail of producing the full effect that might be hoped from fuch abilities, exerted in fo Jaudable an undertaking; for, if we are not mistaken, he has not

One would fufpect that there were here both a letter and an attempt; but the latter is included in the former. Inftead of with, the Author fhould have faid being or containing.

been

been altogether happy in the manner which he has adopted. While he has aimed at Swift's ironical train of mock panegyric, he has fallen into the rambling incoherence affected by the imitators of Sterne: which, if not fupported with native and inceffant humour, or relieved by feasonable strokes of genuine pathos, will tire instead of captivating the Reader's attention. The Author, however, feems rather unwilling to be numbered among the difciples of Sterne, afferting the preference due.to the witty Dean as a model; and difclaiming, particularly, the impurities which are, indeed, the difgrace of the jocular and unfcrupulous Prebendary.

With refpect to the plan of this fatirical work, the general idea of it is, that of a parallel between the New market meetings and the periodical affemblies of the ancient Greeks, at the celebrations of the Olympic games-Among other objects of his feverity, he has not overlooked the cruel, unmanly Sport of cock-fighting; for his juft reprehenfion of which, he deferves the thanks of every lover of humanity.

SERMON S.

1. The improved Chriftian's Courage and Comfort in Affliation and Death, through the gracious Prefence and Influence of his heavenly Shepberd-Occafioned by the Death of Mrs. Sarah Jeffery, Relict of Mr. Richard Jeffery, of Mount Sion.-Preached alfo at Lewes in Suffex, on the Death of Mifs Ann Johnston Daughter of the Rev. Mr. Ebenezer Johnston, Minifter there. By William Johnston, M. A. 6d. Johnston.

II. Before the Sons of the Clergy, at their Anniversary Meeting, at St. Paul's, May 17, 1770. By Peter Whalley, LL B. 6d. Rivington.

III. Before the Governors of the Lying in Charity, for delivering poor Married Women at their own Habitations, on the 10th of April, 1771, at St. Ann's, Soho. By the Hon. Brownlow North, LL D. Dean of Canterbury. Published for the Benefit of the Charity. Robfon, Johnfon, &c.

The remainder of the fingle Sermons in our next.

Mr. Smith's Sermon at Bury, in 1766, came to hand this Month; but is out of Time for particular Notice.

Error of the Prefs in our laft Month's Review; viz.

P. 334, in the account of The Disguise, a Novel, for "intimately unacquainted," read intimately acquainted.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JUNE, 1771.

ART. I. Differtation fur la Literature Orientale. 8vo. I S. Elmfley. 1771.

WE on

E have on fome occafion or other obferved, that it is abfurd to feparate the idea of utility from poetry, because whatever is agreeable is ufeful; and we are pleafed to find the very learned Author of this treatise, in his apology for the Belles Lettres learning, fall into the fame opinion. After this apology he comes immediately to his fubject, which is to examine the works of the oriental writers in hiftory, philofophy, and poetry. It must be owned, fays he, that Afia has not been the theatre of many memorable events; that it is not adorned with the fineft productions of nature; that it has not been honoured by many able generals, wife counfellors, or virtuous kings. Perfpicuity and impartiality might therefore be fufficient in the Afiatic hiftorians; but they have a higher merit: they are ele. gant and fublime. Narrations naturally dry and infipid, by their glowing pens, are heightened to fplendor and beauty. We are not to judge of this from the hiftory of Nader Chah, which was published at London *. Drynefs and identity of style were inevitable in a work written on the plan of a military journal. It affords, however, excellent materials for compofing the hiftory of the most extraordinary man the prefent age has produced, Charles XII. and Peter the Great not excepted.

But what objection can be made to the hiftory of Tamerlane, written by Ebn Abi Arabchah, which is in the hands of every scholar, and of which the public must have fome idea from the tranflation of Vattier ?

To form a right eftimate of Oriental hiftory, we must readthe works of Aboulfeda, the Xenophon, and of Isfahani, the

By this Author. See Review, vol. xlii. p. 5-8, Appendix..

VOL. XLIV.

Ff.:

Thu