impreffions that have been made on them. The author, therefore, advises government, by a bold and vigorous PROSECUTION, to extinguith, at once, this most extraordinary political fpark, (as he deems it,) before it kindles into a blaze that may bear down all before it. At the fame time, however, he appears to think the talents of Mr. Pitt unequal to the commanding energy of fuch measures: for which reason, our Palinurus is here exhorted to retire from the helm, and leave the state-bark to be guided by the more fkilful hand, the energetic mind, the majestic defign, and the bold spirit of a Fox that can effect it.'-This he feems to confider, on all accounts, as the only measure that will fave the nation from impending ruin. Here the hefitating reader, perhaps, will start, as we do; -and here we shall clofe the pages of a performance, on the real and whole defign of which we venture not to pronounce; apprehending as we do that "Tis but a part we fee, and not the whole."

Art. 46. Letter to N. B. Halhed, Efq. M. P. From an old. Woman. 8vo. 6d. Nicol.

Mr. Halhed, with a degree of pleasantry which we fuppofe he cannot wholly reprefs, on whatever fubject he is treating, having obferved that there are as many old women, in this town, out of petticoats as in them," he has thus furnished the cue to a writer of perhaps a fomewhat fimilar turn, who here affumes the character of an old lady in petticoats, and in this garb introduces herself (bimfelf) to the learned member for Lymington; in order to have a little difh of chat with him about prophecies, and vifions, and Daniel, and the beasts, and the horns—cum multis aliis. This writer is not unpolite to Mr. H. while he endeavours to explode his Teflimony,' &c. but he seriously confiders Brothers as infane*. Be it fo: but what a deluge of publications have the reveries of a maniac created, folemn, ferious, and comic! Strange, however, does it feem that any one can be merry on fuch unpleafant fubjects! For our part, we should as foon look for mirth in a charnel- houfe!

Art. 47. Look before you leap; or the Fate of the Jews a Warning to other Nations, in the Cafe of Richard Brothers, the Prophet. By one who readeth and revereth the Scriptures. 8vo. 6d. Symonds.

We are at fome lofs what to conclude with regard to the fincerity of this anonymous warning-giver,-who feems more than half dif posed to believe in the pretenfions of Mr. Brothers to a divine miflion: but warnings have also, long ago, been given to us, to beware of wolves in fheep's cloathing †. This writer exhorts us to be cautious of difre

By way of poftfcript, he gives an extract of a letter, dated 25th August 1791, from his (Mr. Brothers's) attorneys, addressed to the Navy Board; and ftating various remarkable inftances of their client's infanity.

He fays It fhould feem that God Almighty has frequently raised up prophets from very low conditions, and that it is by no means impoffible or improbable, that RICHARD BROTHERS is the very prophet that he calls himself;' and he enforces his opinion by an abundance of fcripture-paffages.

garding

garding the pretenfions of R. B. left we be found to have disregarded a true prophet; and we, on the other hand, exhort our readers to be cautious of liftening to the pretenfions of one who withholds from them the fanction of his name; for, under that concealment, a man may write any thing that will fuit his real or pretended purpose. He tells us that he readeth and revereth the fcriptures;'-that he reads them we have not the fmallest doubt, for he has plentifully sprinkled his pamphlet with quotations from them, in fupport of his fuggeftions with regard to the man whom he ftyles The Prophet:' but fuch quoting and be-fprinkling has been the common practice of the moft noted infidel writers; who only meant to ridicule what they often, to fave appearances, pretended to revere.

Art. 48. A Crumb of Comfort for the People: or a Pill for the Prophets, made palatable by Scrapings from Ovid, Shakspeare, and Hudibras. A Tract interfperfed with Remarks, Critical and Explanatory, of the Tragic-comedy of the Braffy Head. 8vo. is. Mason, &c.

The author, in his prefixed advertisement, obferves that a perufal of the other tracts on this fubject, which preceded his performance, led him to think that the serious way in which they treat the prophecies of R. Brothers adds to, rather than takes from their effect;' and that 'a wish to relieve the public mind from the oppreffion of fuch melancholy forebodings, induced him to publifh, &c.' He has accordingly given to us what he ftyles the effect of a few hours' amufement;' and we muft acknowlege, from our own experience, that his work is not ill calculated to produce the intended effect, if the amufement of his readers alfo was the object which he had in view. In his comments on Mr. Halhed's pamphlet, many fhrewd and fome entertaining remarks occur: but he defcended beneath the defert of his own abilities, when he flooped to quibble fo pitifully on the name of the gentleman whose work he has criticized.

Art. 49. Additional Teftimony of the Authenticity of the Prophecies of Richard Brothers, and of his Miffion to recall the Jews; as alfo of the Call of N. B. Halhed, M. P. By Earl of 8vo. 6d. No publisher's name.

This hard winter has been feverely felt by many induftrious manufacturers, both in town and country; efpecially by the poor though ingenious inhabitants of the garrets in Grub-treet. The late uncommon mortality in that neighbourhood, it is faid, has occafioned a remarkable increase in the parish bills of the northern fide of the city; -which may account for the fcarcity of a certain class of pamphlets, during the laft four or five months. Thofe active citizens, the authors of that district, to whom the public have been under continual obligation for much delectable entertainment and inftruction, are not, however, (we rejoice to fee it!) all defunct: witnefs the well-timed production before us, which is one of the right old catch-penny manufacture, originally invented by that fertile genius Edmund Curl, and fo laudably improved by the indefatigable fociety of hedge printers in the Old Bailey, and Stonecutter's-ftreet. We are really glad to see that the art is not totally abandoned, nor likely to be loft, for we had begun

to

to apprehend a scarcity of this valuable clafs of materials for our catalogues.

EDUCATION.

Art. 50. A Syftem of French Accidence and Syntax, intended as an Illuftration, Correction, and Improvement, of the Principles laid down by Chambaud, on thofe Subjects, in his Grammar. By the Rev. Mr. Holder of Barbadoes. Fourth Edition. With Notes by G. Satis. 8vo. pp. 414. 4s. Bound. Dilly. 1794.

Art. 51. Thèmes François et Anglois; or French and English Exercifes upon the Rules laid down in Holder's Chambaud's French Grammar. By G. Satis. 8vo. PP. 274. 35. Bound. Dilly.

1794.

1794

Art. 52. Claffical Exercifes upon the Rules of the French Syntax; with References to Holder's Chambaud's Grammar. By G. Satis. 8vo. pp. 166. 2s. 6d. Bound. Dilly. 1794. Art. 53. The Guide to Satis's Claffical Exercifes upon the Rules of the French Syntax; with References to Holder's Chambaud's Grammar. By G. Satis. 8vo. pp. 488. 10s. 6d. Dilly. Of this let of books for teaching the French language our readers will find an account in our Review for July 1792. The approbation of them, which we then expreffed, we now fee much reafon to confirm. Some of the parts, then left unfinished, are now completed; the exercifes being continued through all the parts of fpeech omitted in the former edition.-The Syftem' is an improved edition of Mr. Holder's Grammar recemmended in our Review for March 1783. The French and English Exercifes' are Chambaud's improved. In the Claffical Exercifes,' the rules in the Grammar are exemplified fentences from the best French writers. The Guide' gives the fame exercifes on a new plan, particularly adapted to the ufe of thofe teachers of the French language who have not perfected themfelves in English, and of thofe who ftudy the language without a mafter. The whole appears to form a very complete introduction to the knowlege of the French language.

POETRY.

Art. 54. The Prophecies of the Times: a Satire. By Malachy Mofes, Efq. 4to. 15. Bell, Oxford-street. 1795.

Imbecility at war with Infanity.

Art. 55. The Garden of Ifleworth, a Sketch, (attempted with a Pen,) of a House and Grounds, on the Banks of the Thames, by one formerly poffeffed of the Place. Infcribed to R. B. Sheridan, Esq. M. P. 4to. 1s. 6d. Chapman. 1794.

It may appear cruel to cenfure a writer who humbly confeffes that no mufe will deign to fimile on his tafk, and who appears to be "tremblingly alive all o'er" at the apprehenfion that his verfes may be broken on the wheel of criticifm.' Yet, when an author undertakes to give a sketch with a pen of a beautiful garden, and raifes an expectation of a piece of defcriptive poetry, while, in truth, his pamphlet fcarcely contains twenty lines of any thing like picturesque defcription,

defcription, it is neceffary that the public fhould be informed that the promife of the title page is not fulfilled. Some atonement, however, is made for the want of poetical imagery and harmony, by the amiable fpirit of filial affection which breathes through the poem, and by the juft moral reflections and fentiments which it contains. It appears to have been the genuine effufion of a good heart."

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 56. Some Particulars of the Life of the late George Colman, Efq. written by HIMSELF, and delivered by HIM to Richard Jackson, Efq. (one of his Executors) for Publication after his Decease. Svo. 25. Cadell jun. and Davies.

Those who may expect, from the title of this publication, a general biographical account of the late Mr. Colman, will be disappointed. The few particulars which it contains are dated Dec. 4, 1787; a short time before the laft fatal derangement of the writer's health,—which terminated in his deceafe, after about five or fix years of the most dreadful affliction !

The defign of this memoir appears to have been to fet the public right, with regard to a few of the principal circumstances refpecting the family and fortunes of the writer :

I. It had been a prevailing opinion that Mr. C. was a fon of the celebrated William Pulteney, afterward Earl of Bath. The phyfical impoffibility of the fact is here irrefragably evinced. Mr. C.'s mother was a fifter of the Lady of Mr. P. and he had refided with her husband, at Florence, where he was fituated as British Minifter Plenipotentiary, for four or five years before the existence of Mr. C. who was born at Florence; during which time, Mr. P. and his family were conftantly in England.

II. It had been generally faid, and groundlessly believed, that, by his literary pursuits and dramatic compofitions, Mr. C. had loft the favour and affection of the Earl of Bath; and that, by his purchase of a fourth of the patent of Govent Garden Theatre, he knowingly and voluntarily forfeited Lord B.'s intended bequest of the Newport eftate, under the will of General Pulteney. The contrary of all this is here ftrongly affirmed, and (we believe) with unquestionable truth, fo far as refpects the lafting affection, even to fondnefs, of Lord Bath. Certain it is that the immenfe eftate formerly belonging to Lord Newport, and repeatedly given in feveral wills, by Lord B., to Mr. C. was left fubject to the difcretion of his Lordship's brother and heir, General Pulteney; who continued, as the Earl had done, to behave with the greatest appearance of the moft cordial regard for this ingenious, witty, pleafant, we had almoft said fafcinating little man :-for we knew him, and loved him, well!

When Mr. C. was in treaty for the purchase of the above-mentioned fhare in the property of Covent Garden Theatre, Gen. P. according to this account, manifefted fome degree of difapprobation

The dedication is figned Willoughby Lacy; and from circumstances in the Sketch it appears that (if we miftake not) the writer is fun of James Lacy, Efq. the late owner of a well-known pleasant feat on the Bank of the Thames; the place here described.

of

of Mr. C.'s engagement; on which the latter, rather than offend the General, proposed to relinquifh his contract, at the expence of 3000l. forfeit: in which measure General P. did not feem much inclined to acquiefce, on account of the heavy penalty; and fo the business, as the public well know, was allowed to take its full effect.

The General continued to give Mr. C. affurances of his friendly intentions towards him, as fully appears from the letters inferted in thofe pages; though there feems to be a little abatement in the warmth of his expreffion, after the play-house connection took place. In fine, at the General's decease, a few years afterward, it was found that Mr. C. was deprived of the fplendid provifion which Lord Bath had made for him, and which General P. had thought it proper to commute for an annuity of only four hundred pounds. What a mortifying reduction from the many thousands per ann, which he expected! for great was the value of the Newport estate. Mr. Colman was certainly very ill treated.

This little tract, of 33 pages, is well written; as was every thing that came from the elegant pen of the accomplished narrator. A print of Mr. C., not a bad resemblance, is given as a frontifpiece; engraved by Hall, from a painting by Gainsborough.

Art. 57. An Appeal to the prefent Parliament of England, on the Subject of the late Mr. John Hunter's Museum. 8vo. IS. Kearsley.

According to this well-drawn and very interefting representation, the valuable, or, rather, invaluable Museum of the late Mr. Hunter has been, in pursuance of his will, offered to the Governors of this country, at the moderate fum of 20,000l. A fum very fmall, indeed,' fays the appellant, compared with the money and labour which it has coft, and infinitely below its abfolute value.' He adds, the cold reception which the proposals to Government have already met with, and the danger there is of its being entirely neglected, are the only motives which have induced the author of this Appeal to make his thoughts public.'

It is farther obferved that this collection is unparalleled in every refpect throughout Europe, I may fafely fay, throughout the world. It is almost wholly made by the hands of Mr. Hunter himself; but all of it was planned and arranged according to his own peculiar genius. It was not haftily formed in a fit of caprice or vanity, as many heterogeneous collections have been; but was the refult of a well digefted, truly fcientific fcheme, which had for its object the improvement of every branch of the medical art; upon an unerring bafis, upon the basis of demonstrative truths, and genuine philofophy. It comprehends a comparative view of almost all the productions of animated nature; exhibiting the peculiarities of their mechanifm, both external and internal: and, in this refpect, forming a perfect school for natural history as far as it extends.'

We are here told that Mr. Hunter, in forming this unparalleled collection, ufually laboured in it four hours every day and often much more; he received prefents of curious animals for his examination from every civilized part of the globe; and he spent, in the purchase of objects for his inveftigation, thirty thousand pounds, the produce of thirty years of hard labour of body and mind, in the practice of a REV. MARCH, 1795< profeffion

B b