"It has been generally thought, that the great attention which has lately been paid to experimental philofophy in all its branches, and particularly to chemistry, must enable us in time to account for many geological phenomena, which have, hitherto been inexplicable; and that we are every day making advances towards a more correct knowledge of the ftructure of the globe, and the nature of the caufes that have operated in the production of both the ftratified and unftratified parts of the earth. It is undeniable, that many very important difcoveries have already been made, and that many more may reasonably be expected to follow, from the peculiar attention paid to chemistry; but whatever help we may receive from it, in judging of the prefent ope ration of natural caufes, or in prognofticating future effects, I think it fcarcely allows us to be very confident, as to any fatisfactory folution of paft operations. The very knowledge we have obtained of many fubftances hitherto entirely misunderstood, and whofe properties were formerly altogether mistaken, should certainly make us extremely cautious, not only of forming theories, but even of pronouncing any thing to be capable of being reduced to a certainty, concerning the action of any phyfical caufes in time past. "I have in the preceding note alluded to the opinion of many modern philofophers, that moft of our ftrata owe their origin to chemical precipitations: to mechanical precipitations from a liquid they must at least be referred; but this feems scarcely fuf. ficient in any manner to account for the order and diftinction of the feveral ftrata; they would furely in all inftances be more mixed' and confounded one with the other. And yet not only are they now found to be clearly feparable into ftrata of distinct fubftances and materials; but often the animal and vegetable reliquiæ, imbedded in the feveral ftrata, are found to be of dif tinet fpecies, and to vary confiderably. This led M. de Luc to conceive, that whatever had been the determining caufe of fuch precipitations, it had not only affected the menftruum at the mo ment, but fo changed its nature, and the nature alfo of the fu perincumbent atmosphere, as to have had an effect on animal life. And he thought he had difcovered fuch caufes, in the periodical developement and evolution of different elaftic fluids, from the bottom of the primitive ocean. It is not my business to verify this or any other hypothefis; but only to fuppofe it poffible, in order to fhew how little we must know of fuch operations, when every experiment in chemiftry tends to prove, that the whole fyftem of chemical folutions and precipitations must depend on fuch curious affinities, and fuch an infinite variety of poffible combinations of fubftances, as to elude all our enquiries. And if chemical precipitations are rejected, and the aqueous origin of things fet afide, can we promife ourselves more certainty from the adoption of the Vulcanic fyftem? Can we pretend to decide more clearly any thing concerning the poffible action and effects of of fire in time paft? I think not. I really apprehend, that to judge fairly of the matter, the determination of the fpecific caufes, that may have operated in time paft in the body of the earth, may be faid to become every day more difficult, from the very difcovery of the many different ways, in which the action of all phyfical caufes whatsoever may be modified and affected. For to refer at once both to the Neptunian and Vulcanic theories, what can we be faid to know, or what are we ever likely to know, for certain, concerning the power of water to become an univerfal folvent, in particular circumftances, or of the action and effects of fire, under different circumftances of compreffion?" P. 321. The notes to this difcourfe evince a very general and accurate knowledge of the modern theories of the earth, and much of extremely curious information will be found in them, by those who are defirous of entering into fuch enquiries. The quantity of interefting matter, on these subjects, which is compreffed into thefe notes is really extraordinary. Thus far the lecturer may be confidered as having noticed principally the attempts made by modern Reason againft Revelation, in the three great branches of metaphyfics, hiftory, and phyfics. It remains, in the feventh and eighth difcourfes, to treat of fuch attempts of the fame kind as may be referred to the heads of criticifm and ethics. Under thefe heads, therefore, we find introduced, the ftrange etymological fyftem of M. Volney; than which nothing more wildly abfurd and impudently prefumptuous was ever conceived; and the endeavours of the Socinians and others to explain. away the fcriptural texts, on which the great and diftinctive doctrines of our holy Religion are founded: namely, the doctrines of atonement, incarnation, and the Trinity. The fpeculations of thofe writers are alfo examined, who contend, that Revelation was not neceffary for the enforcement of the laws of morality, which, according to them, Reafon was competent to difcover, and to recommend to practice. The total want of all alequate fan&tion, to fyflems of morality merely human, is here very juftly infifted upon: and alfo the inconfiftencies and contradictions of the most celebrated fpeculative moralifts. "Nor is it faying too much to affirm of modern theories, as has been faid of the ancient ones, that there has been nothing adduced by one modern philofopher that has not been contradicted Two of the most popular writers of and oppofed by another. the continent, Rouffeau and Helvetius, differed totally and effentially in regard to the principles of their refpective fyftems. Rouffeau Rouffeau infifted continually on the original purity and goodnefs of man: Helvetius fpeaks of man as radical. According to the former, every virtue under heaven is to be and among the favage tribe; according to Helvetius, favages have so notion of juftice or humanity, or even natural affection. According to Rouffeau, education and example are for ever the corruptors of primitive purity and native innocence; according to Helvetius, only education and example can render men feeling and humane +. According to Rouffeau, men are the best law to themfelves: according to Helvetius, before the existence of fettled compacts and inftituted laws, there can be neither peace nor juftice among men. Helvetius differs as widely from our own countrymen, Shaftesbu ry and Hutcheson; declaring, in terms of ridicule and contempt, that he could no more form an idea of a moral fenfe, than of a moral caftle, or a moral elephant !" P. 459. To the eight Bamptonian Lectures a ninth fermon is here fubjoined, having been preached before the University of Oxford immediately after them, and being upon a fubject nearly connected. Its chief object is to prove the neceffity of public inftructors, under every fyftem of religion and morality, and thereby to explain, even to unbelievers, the im portance of the Chriftian Priesthood. Nor In concluding our account of thefe Lectures, it is but juf tice for us to fay, that we have never yet feen, within the fame compafs, fo much argument brought to bear against the various enemies of our Religion from without; or against the betrayers of it from within, who believe no more of Chriftianity than they can reconcile to their own fancies. can we point out any other work in which fo much important information is brought together, on all the great fubjects in which modern wifdoni has attempted to affail a Revelation, as will be found in the copious and very interesting notes, fubjoined to the eight firft difcourfes. "Helvetius pretends indeed to deny this; and afferts, that he differs from Rouffeau only in this; that as the latter pretends that man is born without vice, fo he would maintain that he is equally born without virtue. But though Helvetius has admirably detected some of Rouffeau's contradictions, he could not fee his own; for the following is his account of the state of nature. "Quel feroit dans toute fociété l'homme le plus déteftable? l'homme de la NATURF, qui n'ayant point fait de convention avec fes femblables, n'obéiroit qu'à fon caprice et au fentiment actuel qui l'infpire." "La nature en avoit fait des fangliers," BRITISH ART. II. BRITISH CATALOGUE. Poems. POETRY. By the Rev. Richard Mant, M.A. and late 12mo. Longman and Rees. Price Fellow of Oriel College. 3s. 6d. 1806. Thefe are compofitions of a higher order;" and it is very confolatory to meet with fuch amidit a mixed multitude of dull effufions, called Poetry, with nothing to entitle them to the name but a given number of fyllables in each line, with a cerThis volume is the tain jingle of words, called rhymes. production of a scholar and a man of tafte; of one who has read much, and not read in vain. Little more. recommendation feems neceflary than to add the following specimen : A WINTER SCENE. Written on Christmas Day. " 'Tis fad to gaze when winter shrouds The fun's reluctant ray, And veils in deep embitter'd clouds When fighing to the gale the wood His wither'd honour yields, "For who that has an eye to view, To feel the charms that round him glow, Not all the fcene can now impart A charm to glad his drooping heart, "O then 'tis fweet to think, the hour Of gloom fall pafs away, And dark December's ftormy power Soon on the torpid foreft gleam, 2 E'en "E'en fo it is with them who trace Some of the poems in this collection have been published bel fore, but we are well pleafed to have the opportunity of seeing them again. The whole are characterized by much fimple ele gance, and by a fpirit of piety and patriotifm in the highest degree honourable to the author. The verfes addreffed to the poet's Father are exceedingly impreffive, nor are thofe lefs fo of which his wife is the fubject. We could fpecify many others which juftify the warmeft praife. ART. 12. Simonidea. 12mo. Price 2s. 6d. Robinfon. 1806. The author in a quaint and fomewhat affected ftyle tells us, in his preface, that he gave the name of Simonidea to his poems, becaufe the first of them commemorate the dead. He proceeds to fay, that the Book of Ruth will convey to the English reader the best idea of the manner of Simonides; he adds that the Paradife Regained is the heaviest and dulleft poem that ever outlived its century, with other comical things. Nevertheless his poems, thofe in English we mean, are neither inelegant nor uninte refting. The reader will probably not altogether disapprove of the following. WRITTEN AT MALVERN. "Come back ye fmiles that late forfook To love the vacant eafy mind, Sweet children of celestial breed, Though much invoked, reprefs your speed; |