ART. 17. An Epifle to the Right Honourable Spencer Perceval, firft Lord of the Treasury, &c. &c. By a Friend to Freedom, IS. Bickerftaff. 1812. Order, and Religion. 8vo. 15 pp. : Amidst much unmerited obloquy, which, however, he has fufficient magnanimity to defpife, the Minifter may find better recreation, in perufing fome very good lines, commencing thus: "Health to the ftatefman, whofe prefiding mind, Makes Britain's general weal its conftant care! P. 1. For us, whofe chief perfecution arifes from the neceffity of reading bad verfes, we have alfo a pleafing relief in perufing thefe. We must give another short fpecimen, and conclude. "Though now, through many a fubjugated realm, The Waves acknowledge, and the Winds obey." P. 11. We have never doubted that loyalty and love of order are good tafte; and these lines well illuftrate the connection. ART. NOVEL. ART. 18. I fays, Says I; a Novel. 2 vols. By Thinks-I-to-myself. 1812. 12mo. 10s. 6d. Johnston, This is a fhabby, difingenuous, and hardly honeft attempt to obtain the temporary circulation of a very indifferent performance. We accordingly take the immediate opportunity which prefents itfelf, of informing our readers, that it is not writ ten by the ingenious and facetious author of Thinks-I-to-myself, which the title-page impudently infinuates. The farce is not carried on with much dexterity, and the perufal of a few pages will fatisfy the reader of its great inferiority to its agreeable. prototype. Among other abfurdities, Mr. Tiffin, bug-destroyer to his Majefty, is reprefented as giving his card, by way of defiance, to the hero of the tale, who is prefumed to be the fon and heir of an old Northumberland Baronet. A genealogical table is also exhibited, in which the author makes himself out a coufin-german to the writer of Thinks-I-to-myfelf. That the real object was to confin him there can be no doubt; but no approach to real affinity can be allowed by the critic. MEDICAL. ART. 19. A Collection of Treatifes on the Effects of Sol. Lunar Influence in Fevers; with an improved Method of curing them. By Francis Balfour, M. D. Firft Member of the Medical Board in Bengal. Second Edition. 8vo. pp. 359. Longman and Co. 1811. The learned author of these treatifes is convinced that the fun and moon have great influence in determining and modifying fe vers, and feveral other difeafes. His deductions are chiefly drawn from extensive practice in the Eaft, where this influence is fupposed to be most prevalent and forcible. Since his return to his native country, prepoffeffed with this belief, he thinks he has obferved the fame kind of influence operate on the fevers of Britain. We certainly have witneffed nothing of the fort; the opinions too, which formerly were entertained refpecting the moon's influence on the catamenia, on mania, and on epilepfy, are abandoned by the moft accurate obfervers of nature. We would, however, recommend the prefent volume to our readers, as containing many curi ous facts, judicious obfervations, and ingenious reafoning, upon a fubject which fince the days of the accomplished Dr. Mead, has attracted very little attention in this country. LAW. LAW. ART. 20. A Letter refpe&fully addressed to the Right Hon. G. Rofe, in Anfwer to his Obfervations in the House of Commons on bis Bill concerning Regifters. By the Rev. C. Daubeny, LL. B. Archdeacon of Sarum. 8vo. IS. Rivingtons. 1812. This letter is indeed refpectful and conciliatory. It showse that the author's former remarks were applicable, wholly and folely to the clanfes of the bill in queftion;" and had no reference either to the character or difpofition of the unknown framer of it. The framer of the bill feems to be yet unknown; but whoever he was, the amenders of it doubtlefs far furpaffed him, in hoftility towards the minifters of the Church of England. The fecond amended bill (March 25, 1812,) being now before the Houfe we may be brief in our report of tracts relating to the first bill; that mass of injuftice and oppreffion. ; ART. 21. Curfory Remarks on a Bill as amended by a Committe of the Honfe of Commons, for the better regulating and preferving Parish Regifters. By the Rev. John Courteney, d. M. Rector of Sanderfted, c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Ridgway. 1812. The fubftance of thefe Remarks is ftrongly and well stated, in the three laft lines of a speech on the fame fubject, to the clergy affembled at Epfom: I affert this bill to be arbitrary in its enactments, inquifitorial in its requifitions, and deftructive of all the comforts and charities of life." ART. 22. An Addrefs to the Clergy and Laity of England on Parochial Regifters. By Anti-Rofa. 8vo. 2s. Sherwood and Co. 1812. This is rather an Addrefs (and a very keen one) to the mover of the Bill, on his notes of obfervations; who must be mortified (if he have patience to read it,) by fome of the expoftulations here directed to him. In fact, we acquit him of all the fhameful pro-" vifions contained in the bill; and conjecture, that his many other important avocations might compel him to leave the care of it to the framers and amenders; who probably had no feat in the House; and who certainly have not carned one by their fervices on this occafion. ART. 23. POLITICS. La Voix de la Nature fur l'Origine des Gouvernemens ; traité en deux Volumes, dans lequel on developpe l'Origine des St. cietés, des Inégalités, des Proprietés, des Autorites, det Souverainetés, des des corps civils, des loix des Conftitutions; les Variations des Corps civils; tout ce qui concerne les Souverains actuels, les Conquérans, les Ufurpateurs, &c. et généralement toutes les Questions de droits naturel, politique, et civil, qui intéreffent les Governemens. Second Edition. 8vo. 2 vols. 249 and 214 PP. Dulau et Co. : 1809. We fee with pleasure, from this work, that fome of the French have at length attained thofe found opinions on the nature of government, which we had before their dreadful revolution. This work is written with clearness and precifion; ftrongly fupported by hiftorical proofs, and, in general, well reafoned. ART. 24. The Prince; tranflated from the original Italian of Nicolo Machiavelli. To which is prefixed, an Introduction, fhewing the clofe Analogy between the Principles of Machiavelli and the Ations of Buonaparte. By J. Scott Byerly. 8vo. 306 pp. gs. Sherwood and Co. 1810. The Prince of Machiavelli is ufually reprobated, as a fyftem of iniquitous politics, the prefent tranflator of it boldly maintains. that this opinion is unjuft; that the odium thrown upon the author was excited by the influence of the Popes, whofe iniquities he had detected; fo that he was in truth a real and enlightened patriot who drew his maxims from the beft fources, and published them for the benefit of his country. In this opinion, it must be owned, he is strongly fupported by the French tranflator of the fame work, Guiraudet. In a long introduction, the English tranflator undertakes to fhow that Buonaparte regulates his conduct by the principles of Machiavelli, and owes his fuperiority to that circumftance. But he writes with too much impetuofity to purfue his proofs in a clear manner; and to a common understanding it must seem an odd way of proving the goodness of a fyftem to prove that it is the fyf. tem of Buonaparte. The fyftem of Machiavel has ufually been confidered as a fyftem of profperous iniquity, and fo is Buonaparte's. This agreement we grant: but hefitate about the reft. The book, however, is worthy of confideration. ART. 25. An Addrefs to the People of England, in Defence of our Religion established by Law. Svo. 11 pp. 6d. Bell, Ox ford.freet. 1812. This is a brief but energetic statement of the just apprehenfions of a confiftent Proteftant on the fubject of the Catholic claims. The author, however, does not advance much in his own perfon, but fills the chief part of his very fhort pamphlet with an appofite quotation from Lord Clarendon's pofthumous work, entitled, "Religion and Policy." In all that he fays, we doubt not that he fpeaks the fentiments of nine-tenths of the Protestant population of 8 England England and Ireland; who would not have been fo quiet as they have been, had they entertained any real apprehenfion that the queftion could poffibly be carried in favour of the Roman Catho lics. ART. 26. Subftance of the Speech of the Right Honourable William Wellesley Pole, in the Houfe of Commons, on the 3d of February, 1812, upon a Motion of the Right Honourable Viscount Morpeth, to take into Confideration the prefent State of Ireland. 8vo. 80 pp. 2s. 6d. Hatchard. 1812. The importance of this fpeech, towards the explanation of every thing that has taken place in Ireland, and the illuftration of every thing now happening in that country, is greater than can eafily be expreffed. The Right Hon. Speaker begins by a complete juftification of the proceedings of the Irish Government refpecting the enforcing of the Convention Act. He shows the forbearance of that Government while there was a hope that the Catholic Committee might abftain from mifchievous measures. How they did proceed, when they met in Dublin in 1810, is thus explained: "It will be fufficient to fay, that the Catholic Committee debated every topic that could irritate, inflame, or mislead the public mind; that the columns of the newfpapers were filled with their factious harangues and proceedings; that they aped all the forms of Parliament; that they had their Committees and their Sub-committees; their Committee of Grievances; in a word, that they affected to be, and affumed the tone of, a Convention, reprefenting the whole Catholic population of Ireland. They had even carried their proceedings to fuch an extent, that they themfelves were fenfible of the dangerous lengths to which they were going. I will mention an anecdote, to show the fenfe they themfelves entertained of their own proceedings. During one of the violent debates which took place in the Committee, after fome language of a peculiarly inflammatory and feditious nature had been used, one of the Members called out to a person who was taking notes, and faid, "We are going too far, you had better not take that down." The note-taker replied, "I thonght so myself, and had already shut my book." P. 15. In confequence of their violent proceedings, two Lords very high in the estimation of the Catholics, Lord French and Lord Fingall, feceded from them. Having detailed all the circum. ftances which gave occafion to the circular letter iffued by the Government, the Right Hon. Speaker adds an intimation, in which every good fubject, not prejudiced by party, will furely join him. "This was the plain and fimple ftate of the cafe; and I cannot avoid faying, that it is a pity, when gentlemen take so much pains Ff BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXXIX. APRIL, 1812. |