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P. 555 We recommend fentiments like the following to the confideration of all the preachers, diffenting brethren, and of fome churchmen: "Far be it from the preacher, indifcriminately, and in an unqualified manner, to reprobate all national contests, in all circumstances, as unlawful: this would be an extravagant affertion, approaching to enthufiafm: this would tend to paralyze all our endeavours to reprefs a foe, to check our prayers for our foldiers and failors, and to filence all thanksgivings for fuccefs." "In the prefent difordered and depraved ftate of human nature, defenfive war is neceffary; and its juftice may be vindicated on the fame principles that it can be proved juft to defend, with arms, our properties, our houses, our wives, and our children, from the depredation of the midnight robber, the ftab of the murderer, or the violence of the brutal ravisher." P. 11.

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ART. 32. The Deftruction of the Combined Fleets of France and Spain. A Sermon, preached at Worship-street, on Thursday, December 5, 1805. By John Evans, A. M. Published by Requeft. ed edit. 8vo. 32 pp. Is. 6d. Symonds, &c,

1805.

The preacher confiders the words of the text, " and the third part of the fhips were deftroyed," not indeed as prophetically defcriptive of the late victory, but as holding up to view a mighty maritime deftru&tion; in which refpect, he maintains that they are fingularly applicable to the late dreadful conteft on the ocean. The difcourfe is concluded by fome practical reflections, fuggefted by the late victory, and is creditable to the author's judgment, patriotism, and piety.

ART. 33. A Sermon, preached at the Great Synagogue, Duke's Place, on the 14th Kislav (A. M.) 5565, anfrvering to Thursday, 5th December, 1805, being the Day appointed for a General Thanksgiving for the Success of his Majesty's Fleet under Lord Nelfon, off Trafalgar. By the Rev. Solomon Hirfchel, prefiding Rabbi (erroneously ftyled the High Prieft) of the German Jews in London, Arranged and rendered into English by a Friend. 4to. 16 pp. 1s. 6d. Richardfon. 1805.

The preacher does not afpire, as moft preachers on this occafion have done, to be an orator, but only to fet before us pious and wholesome instructions, in which defign he has well fucceeded, many very commendable fentiments being presented to us in this difcourfe. One fhort extract will gratify (we are affured) every chriftian reader. "The deftruction of our fellow-creatures ought not to be the final cause of war. According to the precepts of our rabbies, we are directed, in the fiege or blockade of a town, always to leave a part open for the flight of any of the inhabitants who would fave themselves." P. . 9.

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ART. 34.

MISCELLANIES.

The Miferies of Human Life; or the Groans of Timothy Tefty and Samuel Senfitive. With a few fupplementary Sighs from Mrs. Tfty. In twelve Dialogues. 12mo. 361 pp. Miller. 1806.

Among the minor miferies of human life, for fuch only are the fubject of this tragi-comic book, fome are enumerated which have reference to reading and writing, as for inftance;

"Reading over a paffage in an author, for the hundredth time, without coming an inch nearer to the meaning of it at the last reading than at the first-then paffing over it in defpair,-but without being able to enjoy the reft of the book, from the painful confcioufnefs of your own real or fuppofed ftupidity." P. 182.

This can never happen to reviewers; who if they were once to fufpect themselves of stupidity, muft in confcience throw up their employment. No; if we do not underftand a paffage at the firft, or at most the second reading, we, without hefitation, condemn the author as ftupid, or puzzle-headed, or unable to exprefs himfelf clearly, or involving himself in affected obfcurity, or fomething which totally removes the blame from us. This, therefore, is not one of our miferies. Yet we have many. What, for inftance, would Mr. Tefty or Mr. Senfitive think of being obliged to read the fame bad arguments for the thousandth time, hashed up in a new form, and being expected to find new terms of refutation for what never deferved any anfwer?-What of being obliged to read multitudes of books not at all worth reading?— What of being obliged to read one book juft when curiofity and inclination are earnest to read another? What of receiving a book from an esteemed friend, under strong expectations of praise on his part, and finding on perufal that you cannot with honefty commend a fingle paffage in it ?-What, of abufing a bad book that is anonymous, and finding afterwards that it was written by a perfon you particularly refpect? If it be natural in fome fituations to fay "Oh that mine enemy would write a book," how much more urgent is it often upon a reviewer to cry, "Oh that my friend would not write a book!" Or what would thefe complainers think of fending a book to the revifion of a very skilful and able friend, in hopes of receiving a fpeedy and excellent account of it, and finding, after several months, that this friend has put it afide for other occupations, or has been ill, or travelling, fo that the bufinefs has not advanced a step in all the interval. The au hor in the mean time clamourous for notice, or the publie accufing you of remiffnefs, when you wifhed to give it a particular gratification?

Many fuch miferies have we, not known to authors in general, yet we bear them with fortitude: and agree with the writer be

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fore us, that all fuch evils are to be borne not only with patience, but with complacency; and complaints to be indulged, if at all, only under real misfortunes. This is the final and good moral of the prefent whimfical book, in which more petty difafters are enumerated, than could cafily be imagined; yet with fuch accuracy, that every reader will find many adventures of his own life repeated under every head.

ART. 35. Commercial Phrafeology, in French and English; felected from "Le Negociant Univerfel." Defigned not only to fimplify, and render familiar the Technical Terms ujed in Commerce, but alfo to facilitate the Understanding that Work, so peculiarly cal culated to enable the more advanced Students, intended for the Counting-house, Clerks, and private Learners, to vrite French Commercial Letters with Precifion and Accuracy. By William Keegan, Author of "Le Negociant Univerfel," and Master of Manor-boufe, Kennington Lane. 12mo. 216. PP. 3s. 6d. Vernor and Hood. 1805.

There can be no doubt of the utility of a work of this kind, but the question is, How is it executed? The principal object on, and which must strike every person who opens the book is, that that we have here fome hundreds of examples of French phrafe. ology put together without order or connection, and without any index or table of reference, by which the phrafe in queftion may be found.. The scholar muft read the whole, and have the whole by heart, in order to profit by the author's labours. But this is not all. It has been often faid, that he who would teach English. men to understand French, muft himself understand English, but we have here fuch English as is neither fpoken nor written in any counting-houfe or other houfe in Great Britain. Ex. gr. "You. have had the goodness to remit us an account nulé of the purchafe of a lot of alum;", " Your commodities equally enjoy here a very advantageous fale;" "A merchant who at all times feeks his own utility," in French "qui cherche toujour fon utilité," but the meaning is, "who ftudies his own intercft." "We will defer replying to his anfwer, to an occafion of fome moment, to fave him the fuperfluous expences of poftage." "When the damages will be afcertained, we will balance the account, &c." "You will be pleafed to remit us our account current, to balance it, when you will fend us your latt remittance, which, as we by no means doubt, will make us enjoy the greatest advantage." "It is an increafe of tofs, which I think you might have made me avo.d.” "Which makes a very confiderable increase of expences, and which thefe gender en might have made you avoid." "He has only, perhaps, rfufed them, becaufe you have at first obliged him to pay heir amount, before he examined their quality." "He has been introduced to me, as deferving a difcreet confidence, which it

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would be in your power to verify, were he to afk goods of me.'' "Befides, the trifling advance that you required, was not calculated to excite, not only the leaft fufpicion, but alfo lefs to injure a reputation established by a long correfpondence." "Which complete the fum, you have prefcribed in their favour; refpecting the remainder,, the holder having protefted it, we replied that having honoured the other bill, we had fulfilled you; and confequently should fall on Mr. B." This is ftrange nonfenfe, but the French is correct and intelligible; however, with all our refpect for French phrafeology, we cannot suffer good English to be mangled in this barbarous manner.

ART. 36. A World without Souls.

Hatchard. 1805.

I 2mo. 135 PP. 2s. 6d.

Though the intention of this little book is apparently good, which, we hope, is always a primary title to our commendation, yet we cannot approve either the ftyle of it, or, in all respects, the tendency.

The ftyle is what we cannot term otherwife than ambitious. An affectation of the epigrammatic ftyle of Voltaire or Sterne; with a perpetual recurrence to one or two ideas, meant at each repetition to have the effect of an epigram. We do not think the writer generally fuccefstul in thefe attempts, and the praife of originality in them will hardly be thought valid; though in the lat chapter he withes to convince the reader, that he is "not winged with plumes from any vulgar flock," p. 132:—winged Hacks are indeed not quite creditable for a writer to belong to: they may fupply him with pens, but ought not to lend him wings.

But the tendency is, in fome points, more faulty than the style. Instead of a world without fouls, it is, in fact, a city; and that city, which is called O, evidently means London. Now in this city the author does not allow any perfons to have a due fenfe of religion, but thofe who are regarded as enthufiafts or madmen. To a congregation of thofe enthufiafts he introduces his hero, and puts an admirable difccurfe into the mouth of their preacher: fuch a one as he muft well know is feldom or never heard in fuch a congregation. Among other fentiments this preacher fays, "We speak not to cher th the fancies of the enthufiaft, who talks of immediate communion, or direct revelation from God. Of fuch intercourfe our religion dreams not," p. 48. Very true; but do not thofe fo dream, who in his city of O are accounted enthufiafts do not they rant, nay even write about their experiences, by which they mean actual, inward revelations? This then is not fair dealing. Nor is the contrafted reprefentation of a fashionable preacher in chapter 3. True it is, that too many fuch there are; and that they are perfectly fit objects of fatire. But the idea conveyed in this paffage and the other, is, that

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all who are not confidered as enthufiafts in the city of O, are like this wretched animal; and that they who are fo termed, are the only teachers worthy of attention. This notion is per haps more than the author meant to convey, but it is conveyed by many other parts of the book; and is, in our opinion, extremely pernicious. Let thofe be fatirized who live as if they had no fouls, as feverely as you pleafe, the cafe requires it. But do not give to a clafs of men who have zeal without know. ledge, and are thereby doing no lefs mifchief, colours which be long not to them, and credit which they have never yet been found to justify.

We really took up this book with a wish to praise it, thinking the leading ideas of the fatire a good one. Praife indeed in feveral parts it deferves, but we cannot on the whole recom mend it.

ART. 37. Eays on various Subjects. By J. Bigland. 2 Vols. 8vo. 257 and 259 PP. 12s. Longman.

1805.

To the merit of Mr. Bigland, as a writer on more than one fubject, we have borne teftimony on * former occafions: nor will thefe mifcellaneous Effays detract from his well-earned reputation; Since they contain much good fenfe, expreffed (generally speaking) in neat and perfpicuous language.

On fuch a variety of topics as this book contains, it cannot be expected that we fhould examine every fentiment which the author has thrown out. His reflections, in general, appear to be the refult of juft obfervation; though, relating to fubjects which have exercised the ingenuity of many other writers, they have not always the grace and attraction of novelty.

In the first Effay (which is "On the Univerfal Pursuit of Happiness") are many just remarks on the infufficiency of greatnefs or of wealth to fecure happinefs, although the latter undoubt edly affords the means of procuring many real advantages and comforts; and it is alfo truly obferved, that "the man who is fully fatisfied with his homely cottage, his mean furniture, and his fcanty table, decorated with fewer difhes than that of his opulent neighbour, is richer than he, who, poffeffing a magnificent palace, a fplendid equipage, and a richly garnifhed table, yet has the mortification of feeing himfeif furpaffed in all these parti.

culars."

The chief object of the fecond Effay is, to correct the fuppofed fallacious reprefentations of poets, and even philofophers; who write (the author afferts) panegyrics on the happinefs of poverty." This, he thinks, tends to extinguish benevolence in

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* See Vol, xx11. p. 324. Vol. xxiv. p. 95, and Vol. xxv. P. 572.

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