heroes though Etheldred was contemptible, Guiderius fhould not have been the only refpectable Englishman.

Alvarez; or, Irresistible Seduction, a Spanish Tale. Dedicated to bis Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. 12mo. 35. Richard-,

fon.

1791.

• He'

The feduction was irrefiftible; for the proverb tells usmust needs go when the devil drives.'-In fhort the devil put on the appearance of a beautiful woman, and it is not for the credit of Spanish gallantry to have refifted fo long. The tale is humourous and interefting: it is the production of no common author, and the moral is a good one-Shun the first temptations to vice, however trifling they may appear.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Familiar Guide to the Hebrew Language, in a Series of Letters addreffed to a Lady. By Henry Evans Holder. 8vo. 15. Dilly. 1791.

A plain and perfpicuous Hebrew grammar, compiled chiefly from Parkhurst, Robertson, and Gray, well adapted by its fimplicity and concifenefs to affift any one in obtaining a competent knowledge of this language, which, when the few difficulties that first occur are overcome, may be eafily attained without the affiftance of a mafter.

Genuine Memoirs of the late celebrated Edward W-ly M-gue, Efq. with Remarks on the Manners and Customs of the Oriental World, published from original pofthumous Papers. Second Edition. 2 Vols. 12mo. 6s. No Bookfeller's Name. 1791.

The first edition efcaped our notice, and our Journal would not probably have been lefs valuable if these volumes had not fallen in the way of our collector. It is a patch-work of European and Oriental adventures, to which the name of Mr. Montague is affixed, with the old story of lady Mary, W. M's adventure in the feraglio. Mr. Montague was fingularly attached to Oriental customs, and a man of equal fpirit, abilities, and eccentricity. He might have met with adventures like thefe; but there is no evidence that they ever happened to him.

ge

Obfervations on the Propagation and Management of Oak Trees in neral, but more immediately applying to his Majefty's New Foreft in Hampshire. In a Letter addressed to the Right Hon John Earl of Chatham, firft Lord Commiffioner of the Admiralty. By T. Nichols, Purveyor of the Navy for Portsmouth Dock-Yard. 8vo. 15. Baker, Southampton. 1791.

We must refer this pamphlet, which really contains many very valuable and judicious remarks, to the Reviewers of his majesty's foreft lands; to which may be added, the Reviewers of his navy.

Reflections

Reflections on the laft Scene of the late Dr. Johnfon's Life, as exbibited by his Biographer, Sir John Hawkins. 8vo. 9d. Dilly. 1791.

The title page is a fufficient indication of the fubftance of this pamphlet, and fhows that it is the cant of a fect. The milennium, in our author's opinion, is not an external, temporal reign; nór is it confined to any limited number of years.

T

Fragment of a Prophecy lately difcovered in the Cell of a French Hermit; containing divers Matters relating to the prefent Difturbances in Europe. Faithfully translated from the Original. 8vo. 15. 6d. Shepperfon and Reynolds. 1791.

This Prophecy is founded on the plan of Voltaire's Prophecy, respecting Rouffeau, which is tranflated in one of the early volumes of the Annual Regifter. It is pointed, farcaftic, and humourous-Ecce fignum!

123. And they fhall form focieties, to destroy the principles upon which all Society, is established: ard they shall call themfelves good fubjects, and they fhall teach all good subjects to rebel.

125. And they hall speak in praise of order; and they shall encourage tumult and they fhall blame national diffentions; and they hall foment national diffentions, and they fall get their bread by them.

:

128. And they shall speak loudly concerning rights, that that they may do wrong with impunity and they fhall endeavour to confound every idea both of right and wrong.

" 129. And they fhall grast unto nations the right of choice; and then they shall abuse them for the choice that they have made. 132. And they fhall affert, that when men give up their rights, they still retain them; and that by the very act of settling a form of government they acquire a right to fubvert it.

133. And they fhall maintain that power is right, and that right is power; and that all have equally a right to power: and the vulgar shall stand amazed at the profundity of their reasoning. 139. And they fhall teach the farving peajant that he is equal in property to the man who poffeffes thousands and the peafant fhall marvel that he knew it not.'

.

All thefe articles are not, as may be expected, of equal merit. The commentary is not very fuitable to the text: it is too formally grave, and too warmly controverfial. It is a weight which finks the pleasant humour of the prophecy, and will prevent it, perhaps, from being the favourite of both parties.

The great and important Discovery of the Eighteenth Century, and the Means of Jetting right the National Affairs, &c. By G. Edwards, Efq. M. D. 8vo. 5s. Ridgway. 1791.

In the Appendix to the LXV111th volume of our Review wa gave an account of this author's treatife on The Aggrandife

ment

ment and National Perfection of Great Britain;' and in the Lxxth volume (p. 174), we took notice of his Royal and Conftitutional Regeneration of Great Britain.' These works bear fo great an affinity to each other, both in defign and execution, that it is chiefly their titles which difcriminate them. The fame remark may be made with respect to the production now before us, where we trace the author purfuing his idea of national aggrandisement and regeneration, with all the ardour of patriotifm; but, at the fame time, with the zeal, if not of a political visionary, at least of an enthusiastic projector. To make any obfervations on this treatise, would only be to repeat what we have faid of the two former works above mentioned. Dr. Edwards endeavours to enforce his fentiments, by particular addreffes to his countrymen in general, to the cultivators of patriotifm, to the gentry, to the two houfes of parliament, and to his majefty; exhorting them, in the strongest terms, to co-operate in the important work of national regeneration. The doctor, we hope, has at length exhaufted the fubject; for, however agreeable it may be to himself, we greatly fufpect that it is very infipid to the public.

An Impartial Inquiry into the present State of Parochial Registers; Charitable Funds; Taxation, and Parish Rates. By James Lucas, Surgeon. 8vo. 35. Johnfon. 1791.

The feveral articles of parochia! œconomy, examined in this Inquiry, have long been the fubject of much obfervation and complaint; and Mr. Lucas very clearly fhews the expediency of correcting the different abufes by a general reform. He makes many judicious remarks refpecting not only the prefent ftate of parochial regulations, but the means of improving them. That he has been at pains in collecting information, is evident from his Inquiry, and there can be no doubt that great advantage would accrue to the public, from adopting fuch improvements as he fuggefts.

An Impartial Account of the Conduct of the Excife towards the Breweries in Scotland, particularly in Edinburgh.

1791. No Publisher's Name.

25

It has been found, that both by the frauds of brewers with regard to the excife, on one hand, and the arbitrary conduct of the excifemen on the other, great obftructions have arifen to the manufacture of malt-liquors in Scotland. At Edinburgh, this inconvenience has lately been remedied, to the vast increase of the revenue; but the new regulation extends little farther than the suburbs of that city. The author of the pamphlet proposes that it should be rendered general over Scotland; and he supports his opinion by fuch forcible arguments as cannot but have great weight in recommending fuch an idea to the inhabitants at least in that part of Great Britain.

*

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For

OCTOBER, 1791.

An Hiftorical Difquifition concerning the Knowledge which the Ancients had of India; and the Progress of Trade with that Country, prior to the Discovery of the Paffage to it by the Cape of Good Hope. With an Appendix containing Obfervations on the Civil Policy, the Laws and judicial Proceedings, the Arts, the Sciences, and religious Infiitutions, of the Indians. By William Robertson, Ď. D. F. R. S. Edin. Principal of the Univerfity, and Hiftoriographer to his Majesty for Scotland. 4to. 15s. Boards. Cadell. 1791.

DR

R. Robertfon has acquired a reputation fo defervedly high. in the hiftorical department, that any new work of his production is fecure of confiderable attention. But in our examination of, the prefent compofition, we fhall lay afide any preconceptions arifing from his fame, and weigh his book in the even fcale of intrinfic merit.

In the preface we are informed that the perufal of major Rennell's Memoir for illuftrating his Map of Indoftan, one of. the most valuable geographical treatifes that has appeared in any age or country, gave rife to this work, by fuggesting to the doctor the idea of examining more fully than he had done in the introductory book to his Hiftory of America, into the knowledge which the ancients had of India. The enquiry was at firft defigned only for the author's own amusement and inftruction, but in its progrefs he began to conceive the idea of publication. As to local knowledge he has had the affiftance of feveral friends who had visited India; and in the mathematical departments of the ancient navigation and manner of eftimating longitude and latitude, Mr. Playfair, profeffor of mathematics at Edinburgh, has lent his aid. The preface concludes thus:

I have adhered, in this work, to an arrangement I followed in my former compofitions, and to which the public has been long accustomed. I have kept hiftorical narrative as much feparate as poffible from fcientific and critical difcuffions, by referving the latter for notes, and illuftrations. I flatter myself that I may claim, without prefumption, the merit of having examined with diligence CRIT. REV. N. AR. (III). O. 1791.

K

what

what I fubmit to public inspection, and of having referred, with fcrupulous accuracy, to the authors from whom I have derived information.'

The work is conftructed on the plan of the introductory volume to the Hiftory of Charles V. and the text contains 176 pages; the notes and illustrations 76, exclufive of the Ap-pendix and its notes. The plan is not fo objectionable, however, as that of the volume above mentioned, or the imitation of it by Dr. Stuart in his View of Society, a work in which the text is not above one third of the volume. If our ingenious author conceives that this new mode of arrangement is pleafing either to good judges, or to the popular eye, we believe that he is mified. It ferves no purpofe but that of confusion and embaraffment, by fupplying a defective and defultory view, both in the text and in the notes. In reading the text one is distracted by conftant references to long notes; in perufing the notes one is difgufted and fatigued with the neceffary attention to the text; and one rifes with crude and im-` perfect ideas from both, inftead of attaining a clear and uniform view of the fubject and its parts. Even in hiftory the best ancient writers admit fcientific and critical difcuffions and digreffions, as affording an agreeable variety, and a relief from uniform narration, which foon palls, however full of incident. But in a difquifition, or differtation, fuch matters form an effential part of the fubject; and no purpose of utility or decoration can be ferved by their feparation from the, body of the work. Some it may ftrike as an improvement in the art of book-making, by fwelling a volume with notes at the end, printed in as large a character as the text, inftead of fprinkling them in fmall letter at the bottom of the page. But young writers cannot be too much cautioned against following this new and abfurd mode of compofition, fo eafy for the author, and fo difficult for the reader.

This work is divided into four fections: the first treats of the intercourfe with India from the earliest times until the conqueft of Egypt by the Romans; the fecond, from the establishment of the Roman dominion in Egypt to the conqueft of that kingdom by the Mahometans; the third, from the conqueft of Egypt to the difcovery of the Cape of Good Hope, and the establishment of the Portuguese dominion in the Eaft; and the fourth contains general obfervations. This arrangement is fufficiently clear and well chofen.

After mentioning the-commerce of the early Egyptians, which our author juftly regards as dubious, he paffes to that of the Phoenicians, whofe Indian traffic was remarkable.

The