uproar. What can we fay of the bleflings of art and science, thofe heavenly endowments of the mind, the alleviators of worldly care, the grateful fources of human tranquillity they are all funk in terrors, poverty, and diftraction: no more fenfe of holy joy at the return of the accustomed times and choice feafons of communing with God; they are all confounded in that ftrange numeration of days, which is fo new and alarming to the whole church of Chrift; cons trived, doubtless, that the hallowed feventh day, enforced by all legiflators, and obferved by all good men (worshippers of the true God) from the creation of the world until now, might be obliterated, left haply there might remain any thing that is called God, or worship, in their land.'

'Art. 60. Preached at the Tower of London, by the Rev. John Grofe, A. M. F. R. S. Minifter of the Tower; Lecturer of St. Olave's, Southwark; and Chaplain to the Right Hon. Countess Dowager of Mexborough. 8vo. 6d. Rivingtons, &c.

What we faid of Mr. Grofe's fermon on the faft, Feb. 28, 1794*, may be applied to the prefent difcourfe; which, like the former, is well fuited to the folemnity of the appointment, and to the peculiar circumftances of the times. Text, When thy judgments are in the earth, &c.' Ifaiah, xxvi. 9. Art. 61. Reafons for Peace, delivered in the UNION CHAPEL, Birmingham. By D. Jones +. 8vo. Is. Johnfon.

Mr. Jones's difcourfe differs, totally, both in argument and language, from the generality of thofe faft-day fermons in which fo many of our clergy have, within thefe few years, uniformly " fet up" (as a witty member of a certain great affembly expreffed himself,)

the ecclefiaftical war-whoop." The prefent highly-animated preacher totally condemns our conteft with France, as being neither wife nor juft;' he answers every reason that has been affigned in juftification of the war; and he ftrenuously exhorts his countrymen to cultivate, immediately, a proper difpofition for peace ;-left, by unfortunately protracting hoftile measures, their confequences, in every view fufficiently dreadful already, should grow worse, and, it may be, irremediably fatal! In a word, PRICE and PRIESTLEY, as earnest disapprovers of those principles which have hurried us into this calamitous difpute, were nothing, compared with Mr. Jones, in fpirit, in language, or in energy of argument. As to confequences to the preacher, he, in the moft manly terms, fets them at defiance. He cautions his audience, however, not to infer that he lightly holds his perfonal fafety, nor the good opinion of others, nor that he would willingly offend againft the general notion of the decorum to be at all times obferved in the pulpit. The flate of our public affairs,' he adds, cannot be deemed a topic unapt for the occafion which has this day brought us together. I mean to affert, what I conceive

*See Rev. vol xiii. N. S. p. 475.

+ Mr. Jones, we apprehend, is the author of The Welsh Freeholder's farewell Epifles to the Bishop of St. David's, and other fpirited tracts, in defence of civil and religious freedom.

to

to be the natural right of every man, the avowed and acknowleged right, as well as incumbent duty of a Briton, that of ftating what appears to me ufetu and important truths, fuch as, if acted up to, would tend to reflore to us that fecurity, profperity, and happiness which, of late, have been fo much on the decline.-i appeal to Heaven for the purity of my intentions, for the ardor of my wishes, to lay before you nought but what is fair, juft, and well-founded.'

Mr. Jones controverts, in his preface, the maxim that Politics fhould be kept out of the pulpit:' he allows it to be generally just, but fays, it does not follow that it fhould extend to fuch occafions as that on which this difcourfe was delivered.'

MOCK SERMON for the Faft.

1795.

Art. 62. The Shaver's new Sermon for the Fast-day. Refpe&tfully inscribed to the reverend and laborious Clergy of the Church of England, by their humble Servant, Pafquin Shaveblock, Efq. Shaver Extraordinary. 8vo. 8vo. 6d. Parfons. This title-page needs little comment. The dulleft reader will inftantly perceive that this barber lathers with irony, and means to shave off all public faft-days with the razor of ridicule. The war, the administration, the clergy,-all come in for a clofe-trimming; and the operation will be pronounced good-fun at the Goofe and Grid-iron in St. Paul's Church-yard, the Crown in Bow-lane, and the Bear in Bow-street.-The text is, "Take unto thee a Barber's razor." Ezek. v. I.

SINGLE SER MON, Jan., 30.

Art. 63. Preached before the Hon. Houfe of Commons, at St. Margaret's, Westminster, Jan. 30, 1795. By the Rev. Thomas Hay, A. M. Chaplain to the H. of C. 4to. IS. Walter.

When the clergy preach on political occafions by the appointment of our governors, they are not unlike advocates at the bar with their briefs. They have not only a given fubject, but they are expected to treat it in a particular manner. On different preachers this point of honour will operate more or lefs forcibly: but on all it will produce fome effect, and will give to their compofitions a fimilar complexion. Hence we can generally anticipate the doctrine inculcated in fermons on the 30th of January; and all the difference between them consists in the degree of ability which the religious advocate evinces in fpeaking to his political brief. Mr. Hay's fermon poffeffes that kind of. merit which commonly attaches itself to difcourfes preached on that anniversary. As far as it refpects the occafion, it confifts of that unqualified admiration of Charles, and of that equally unqualified condemnation of his opponents, which as little agree with the truth of history as they fuit the commemoration of the unfortunate monarch in the facred character of a martyr. In paffing from the tragic tales of - other times to recent tranfactions, it reprobates certain modern opinions as leading to irreligion and anarchy, and cautions its readers against being carried about (Heb. xiii. 9. the text) with diverse and ftrange doctrines."

Mr. H.'s difcourfe commences with a juft account of Christianity as propitious to human happinefs, and it concludes with the truly

Christian

Chriftian with that the fatal experience of past times, and the ob. fervation of what is now paffing in the world, may "work together for our good." We fay, Amen.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Moo⋅y.

Mr. Halbed's compliments to the Editor of the Monthly Review; requests him to infert the following in his next publication:

Mr. Halhed has endeavoured to perufe, without prejudice, every thing that has been written in answer to, or rather against his book: and if he had in any of the publications met with a fingle paragraph worthy of an answer, it fhould have been anfwered. The felf-fufficient and abufive Dr. Horne of Oxford, has not one word of truth, or argument, or common sense, in his whole pamphlet; nor would it have mifbecome a Doctor of Divinity who, by his own pen, confeffes he can neither understand Greek, nor read the Gospel in English-to have endeavoured at least to give his jargon fomething, if poffible, of the Gentleman. That he does not understand Greek, is clear from his doubting whether the Holy Ghoft appeared in shape of a dove, when St. Luke exprefsly fays, coμating sides wol meggy: and that he cannot read, or has not read, even the firft chapter of St. Matthew, must be evident to those who perceive him denying that Chrift had Brothers; and who shall, at the fame time, have obferved that the Evangelift, writing after Chrift's death and refurrection, calls him, in the laft verfe of his first chapter, his mother's first born son, ergo, he must have had a fecond at least. If the old miferable expofition of Daniel's four beafts, which Mr. Halhed knew before he took up his pen about as well as Dr. Horne, can by any reasonable perfon (after mature deliberation) be deemed better than that furnished by Mr. Brothers,-be-it fo-opinion is free-but Mr. Halhed declines being of the party. And as for the phrafe of felling his foul, which feems to have given fuch alarm, and furnished fo much matter for false wit, Mr. Halhed or thinks that every man who enters into Parliament with any perfonal view whatever, and not wholly and exclufively for the fervice of his country, must be deemed bona fide to have fold his foul-let him be of what party he will; and alfo that every man who joins any party to vote on all occafions for the purpose of promoting or support. ing that party at all events, is perpetually guilty of the fame act of felling his foul. Mr. Halhed denies having ever fold his foul in any other manner than this:-and if any one think or fay otherwife, on him be the onus probandi.

Mr. Halhed takes this opportunity of renewing his expreffions of perfect conviction in the prophecies and miffion of Mr. Brothers, and bis increafing reliance (founded on hourly experience) on the completion of every one of his predictions.' Pall Mall, March 11, 1795.'

tt Our intelligent Correfpondent O. P. fears that, from our account of Dr. Priestley's Experiments on the Generation of Air from Water, (fee Rev. for Dec. p. 380,) fome people will farmife that pages 32-5 have efcaped our notice, as they appear to contain complete evidence of the truth of the author's conclufions. It is true that we did not particularly mention the paffage to which O. P. refers,-but not because it escaped our notice; we conceived it to be of fmall importance, or comprehended under our general remarks. In this, perhaps, we might judge wrong; and to fupply the defect, and, at the fame time, to justify our pofitions, we shall return to the fubject.

After having employed heat alone for the converfion of water into air, Dr. Priestley called in aid the removal of atmospheric preffure. He filled long

long glass tubes, clofed at one end partly with mercury and partly with water purged of its air by boiling, and immerfed the open ends in bafins of mercury. On heating the upper portion of the tube, fo that the water was kept in a state of vapour, a bubble of air collected to the top, which continued permanent after the apparatus was removed from the fire. Plunging the tube into a long trough of mercury, he threw out this bubble, and, repeating the experiment often after intervals of days or weeks, he always obtained a new portion of air. Such is nearly the fubftance of Dr. Prieftley's statement, which, at firft view, might appear to confirm his deductions: but, on examination, we apprehend, it will be found inconclufive. That, under the preffure of the atmosphere, water is never, by the most obftinate boiling, completely freed of the air combined with it, will hardly require demonftration. Not to wafte time in adducing arguments, we fhall only mention a fimple fact which feems to be entirely conclufive. If boiled water be expofed in a glass to freeze, the ice will appear full of little air-bubbles, efpecially in the central mass; although it be more folid and diaphanous than the ice of common water formed in fimilar circumstances. No perfon can doubt that these air-bubbles are discharged from the water previoufly to its congelation.We remark, by the way, that the true reafon is hence afforded why boiled water freezes moft readily, the process of cryftallization being in that cafe lefs retarded by the feparation of inherent air.-The air lurking in water was, therefore, fully fufficient, we prefume, to account for the refults which Dr. Prieftley obtained. He has not ftated what quantity was collected of aërial fluid, nor can we infer from his expreffions that it was very confiderable. The application of heat, together with the abfence of preffure, would occafion air gradually to feparate from the water, till the quantity difengaged would, by exerting its elafticity, refift any farther extrication. This portion of air being expelled, the water, relieved from its preffure, is again brought into a condition for yielding more; and thus the fucceffive difcharges of gas will form a de fcending geometrical progreffion, the terms of which are numerous or almoft unlimited.-Why did not Dr. Priestley make his experiments on a larger scale? A jar filled with hot water, and placed under the receiver of an air-pump, was likely, for inftance, to afford better profpects of fuccefs. If the Doctor's pofitions were just, a copious production of air would enfue on a certain degree of rarefaction, and would cause the mercury to mount rapidly in the gage. It would require continued exhauftion to keep the mercury of the fame height. From our recollection of analogous obfervations, we are convinced that, with water carefully purged of its air, no fuch effects would take place :but, in reality, though Dr. Priestley's experiments were more direct and precife than we judge them to be, we should ftill hesitate to acquiefce in conclufions which are irreconcileable with every hypothefis, and repugnant to thofe general principles which refult from an extenfive train of indifputable facts.

O. P. fays that our account of the Doctor's experiments is extremely incomplete; and that it is great injuftice to state all the author's conclufions, and not half of the facts adduced in their fupport. We are not confcious of unfairnefs in any part of our conduct. We are constrained to obferve as much brevity as poffible, and our principal object was to exhibit the chain of argument. We are ever difpofed to fet a due value on experimental facts: but we can efteem thofe only to be of effential importance which lead to general principles. Nothing is more difgufting than a circumftantial detail of the unfuccefsful or inconclufive operations of the laboratory. It is deGrable that authors should moderate their vanity, and spare the patience

of their readers, by restricting their relation of experiments to the accurate defcription of fuch as are complete and decifive. When dubious or imperfect experiments are made public, they should be ranged under the comprehenfive head of hints and conjectures.

We cannot afford R. P. any farther elucidation of the calculations refpecting the population of Petersburg, which came from a correspondent on the Continent, with whom we have now no communication.

R. P. obferves that Mr. Edwards, in his Hiftory of the Weft Indies, (fee our Rev. for September, p. 68.) fpeaks of the high duties impofed on Indigo; whereas, by an act of the 7th Geo. II. c. 18. the powers of which have been conftantly renovated ever fince, the importation of that article is permitted, free of duty.-With respect to R. P.'s remark on the paffage relative to the almond and the cocoa, it appears to us that he entirely mifconceives Mr. E.'s meaning, which is fufficiently obvious. This correfpondent alfo remarks that Mr. Buchanan's calculations relative to the deftruction of herrings by the Solan geefe, (See Rev. for January, p. 46.) are erroneous in the refult. 100,000 Solan geefe, each devouring five herrings daily for feven months or 210 days, will in the end have eaten 105,000,000, not one hundred thousand millions.

T. G., the tranflator of the Tour to the Pennine Alps, (fee Rev, for January, p. 62.) informs us, in juftification of his having omitted the name of the original author, that he purchased that work and the Defcription of Nice, of Mr. Beaumont, four years ago. Surely that is no reafon for withholding from the public the circumftance which must give authenticity and value to an expenfive work. We shall correct in the errata the two miftakes juftly pointed out by T. G.

tt We would gladly oblige Y. Z., but we find that applications for advice in the choice of books intrude too much on our time, and are wholly foreign from our duty.

St If S. C. bea conftant reader,' he fhould know that we have often stated it to be our rule not to infert criticisms on publications, which come from anonymous and unknown correfpondents. If, however, a perusal of the book in queftion juftifies S. C.'s account of it, we fhall attend to the local hints which he has given.

SS We regret that S. T.'s very polite letter came too late for acknowlegement in our last number, as he favoured us with no other mode of addreffing him. We shall be happy if he will enable us to give a perfonal-at least a private-answer.

+*+ A correfpondent, figning E. 5. controverts the account lately given of the fource of the Thames: but can we publish a contradiction of it, afferting another ftatement of this dubious matter to be the true one, on the authority of a letter figned E. 5.?

In the Review for January, p. 63 and 4. for Glacier de Bois, read Glacier des Bois. P. 64. 1. 9 from bottom, dele (l'Arve.)

Review for February, p.171. 1. 27. read, of that fenfe. P. 225. 1. 19. dele the comma after yet.

Les....