The Debate on a Motion for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, in the 8vo. 25. We have much reason to believe that this debate is ably and accurately reported; though in fome parts it is easy to perceive the bias of the reporter. Declaration of the Rights of Men in civil Society. By the Abbe Sieyes; prefented to the National Assembly, August 13th, 1789. Tranflated into English with the Addition of a Preface. By the Author of King or no King. Evo, 1s. 6d. Ridgway. 1791. In the early period of the French Revolution, every patriotic politician contended for the palm of pourtraying with the greateft fuccefs the Rights of Men. The different declarations, among which that of abbe Sieyes now lies before us, were prefented to the national affembly, who adopts thofe articles which have been often the subject of our difcuffion. On the propriety of their conduct, while we have not feen all the different works, we cannot de. termine; but we are at least certain, that the Declaration of the abbe Sieyes deferved not the preference. It is not comprehenfive,' as the tranflator contends, who feems to have mistaken the term for extensive. To be comprehenfive, it is necessary that the articles fhould be general and concife, including the numerous particulars, while the abbe is minute, particular, and often pu erile. The tranflator, whose version has all the deformities of the ori ginal idiom, and we fufpect, in more than one paffage, mifreprefents the abbe's meaning, has loft none of the furious democratical principles which were fo confpicuous in King and no King." He is ang y with the affembly, and in this he is by no means wrong, for delaying the period of the revision of the conftitution ten years. He is difpleafed that an hereditary monarch fhould be called a reprefentative; that he should have annually 30 millions of livres, a guard of 18,000 men, &c. &c. When we met with the elegant and profound books of the Macintosh's, the Paine's, and the Priestley's,' we started, and began to fufpect the quill of the Excifeman had written this paragraph-Is it fo? we cannot decide; but the fame ignorance, fimilar grammatical errors, equal violence and confidence, are to be found in this preface and in the Rights of Man. The Hiftory of the Royal Circus, introductory to the Cafe of Mr. Read, late Stage-Manager of that Theatre. In a Letter to a Friend. 8vo. 25. Ridgway. 1791. Though we fometimes depart from the principles of a literary review to attend to the fall of states and the revolution of kingdoms, we cannot pay the fame compliment to the eventful history of the Royal Circus. Indeed it is not easy to form any opinion from an ex parte evidence. Mr. Read has been unfortunate, and we pity him relief is not in our power. : A Collection of interefting Biography. Containing, 1. The Life of S. Johnson, LL. D. abridged principally from Bofwell's celebrated Memoirs of the Doctor. 2. The Life of Mr. Elwes, abridged by Capt. Topham. 3. The Life of Capt. Cook, abridged by Dr. Kippis. The Whole revifed and abridged by Sir Andrew Anecdote. 55. Sewed. Brewman. 1791. 12mo. A careful chemift can alter the form of every body which comes under his hands. He can expand it in air or condense it to an extract. A meaner artist can fubdivide and choose select portions: of the last clafs is our prefent editor. From the ponderous volumes of Bofwell he has culled a few feathers, and decks himself, like the original. Of Mr. Elwes' life he gives nearly the whole; and, from Dr. Kippis, has felected enough to fill only feventy-two meagre page: never was biographer fo cruelly mutilated. A Lift of Books intended for the Ufe of the Younger Clergy, and other Students in Divinity, within the Diocese of Chefter. Svo. 25. Fletcher, Oxford. 1791. The very refpectable author of this Catalogue has felected thofe books which are moft ufeful for the younger clergy. The two first claffes, in which the bishop proceeds from the works more effentially neceffary, to thofe which are lefs fo, contains only the tracts in defence of the church; his reasons are so judicious, that we are tempted to tranfcribe them. I am not, it will be remembered, giving my directions or advice upon the means and mode of acquiring this conviction, nor am I laying down the first principles and institutes of Divinity. They, who have been educated in an university, have neither wanted the means of information, nor the affiftance requifite; and literate perfons, who have not had these advantages, yet if they have any degree of attention to their duty, and any ability for the profeffion they are to undertake, cannot fail to have studied and compared with the doctrines of our creeds and articles, the Scriptures themfelves. If in this examination they find nothing repugnant in one to the others, nothing in the Scriptures repugnant to their general apprehenfions of the Deity and his attributes, nothing in our ar ticles and liturgy contradictory to the general tenor of those Scriptures, their conviction is, I conceive, fairly and honestly founded. If there are who think, this principle not broad enough, they will do well to look to the neceffary confequences, to which an extenfion of it will lead, before they conclude that nothing lefs than 3 than an accurate and a comparative view of every religious perfuafion and opinion will justify a preference to any one. For, upon this fuppofition, with the unlearned there is an end of all and every religion; and, indeed, with the learned themfelves, till they are fure, that they can learn no more. Upon this fuppofition, neither he that should teach, nor he that should be taught, must venture upon practice of any kind, till it is clear, that he is beyond the reach of further information. Knowledge itself will thus become ufelefs, because it is progreffive; and the bufinefs of this as well as of the future life muft ftand still, left in either cafe it fhould not be conducted with perfect accuracy; a confequence as little confiftent with the avowed imperfection of human knowledge, as with the known intereits of mankind.' The last argument, in a more proper place, might be usefully expanded and inforced. To it may also be added the pernicious influence of thefe frequent changes on the mind, as it gives a verfality, a mobility to the judgment, which increases the power of new arguments, beyond what their real force may merit, while thefe frequent variations may sometimes occur, when the mind is weakened by disease, or the judgment clouded by adventitious circumftances.-The third class contains those books which will be useful in more extended enquiries. The French Conftitutional Code, as revised, amended, and finally completed, by the National Affembly. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Kay. 1791. This differs only from the works with the fame title already examined in the place of its publication. The Game Laws, carefully collected and abridged from the numerous Statutes concerning Game, and arranged in such Order as to comprife the Sportsman and Game-Keeper's complete Affiftant and Com panion. By a Gentleman of the Law. Broadfide. Is. Kearfley. 1791. A fingle fheet, drawn up with accuracy, and adapted, we fuppofe, for the hall of a sportsman. A Letter to the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, on the Situation of the Eaft India Company. 410. 15. Debrett. 1791. Our author endeavours to prove, by a long series of accounts, of the accuracy of which we cannot judge, the following pofi tions: That the revenues of India have produced in the last four years a furplus of 3,196,5541. that fuch part of this furplus as has been fent home in Indian goods, has diminished, instead of increafed, by coming through the medium of trade; and that, in the very fame period, during which the company have received thefe thefe three millions with one hand, they have been obliged to accept bills to the amount of three millions with the other. That in four years of profound peace, with the affiftance of parliament, and every public fupport, the company has only been able to leffen by 150,000l. a debt which at this moment amounis to twenty-four millions fterling. And, that upon a general review of all their affairs for four years paft, ending the ift of March laft, it appears that fetting apart 50,000l. per annum for contingencies, and prefuming all future years to be as good as the former, the East India company cannot pay, as intereft for any loans they may have occafion for, more than 100,000l. per annum.' The object of the author is to fhow the impropriety and impolicy of government taking the India debt on themselves, under the idea of the nation being compenfated by the territorial revenues. The bias appears fo ftrong, that we must be permitted to demur a little refpecting either the accuracy of the premises or the juftness of the conclufion. From the a reclaimed Courtezan. Memoirs of Julia de M The heroine of this narrative draws a parallel between herself and Ninon de L'Enclos, of whom, in her own opinion, the feems to have a decided advantage. Whatever may be her rank, in point of character, fhe writes with fpirit and vivacity. Letter to the Right Hon. William Pitt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, c. By T. G. Simpson. 8vo. The author of this Letter reprobates the design of our late armament in favour of the Ottoman power. In his opinion, to affift the Turk upon any occafion, is equally impious and impolitic; and this he endeavours to prove by fome arguments, which, though urged without much elegance of ftyle, carry with them fuch a degree of force as may 'feem to justify his own conviction. Terraquéa: or, a New System of Geography and Modern Hiftory. By the Rev. James Gordon. Vol. I. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Dilly. 1791. This geographical fyftem, we are informed, is to be comprifed in three volumes; but, though extended to fuch a bulk, it feems not to differ effentially, in any particular, from the celebrated fyftem of Guthrie. In the prefent work, the longitudes and latitudes of places are not expreffed in the narrative, but are left to be discovered in the maps by the obfervation of the student. Lettere Lettere di diverfi celebri Auctori Italiani,&c. i. e. Letters on variaus interefting Subjects, by celebrated Italian Authors, collected by A. Vergani, for the Use of Students in that Language. 12mo. 3s. bound. Baldwin. 1791. The compiler of thefe Letters has felected them with judgment, and modernifed the orthography of the more ancient. They afford proper examples of an elegant epiftolary ftyle; towards the forming of which, they will doubtless be useful to the ftudents in the Italian language. Report from the Select Committee appointed to examine and state the feveral Accounts, and other Papers, prefented to the Iloufe of Commons in this Seffion of Parliament, relating to the Public Income and Expenditure, &c. &c. 800! 55. Sewed. Debrett. 1791. According to this Report, the furplus of the public revenue, above the expenditure, is 61,1081. a fmall fum indeed: but, what is fome confolation, the public revenue appears to be in a progreffive ftate of advancement. A Letter to the Earl of Chatham, on the Subject of Naval Promotions. 8vo. Is. Egerton. 1791. The author of this Letter states some abuses, under former boards of admiralty, in the promotion of flag-officers, and suggests hints for establishing a regularity in all future naval promotions. The plan he proposes is equitable as well as liberal, and feems to merit attention. A fhort but ferious Addrefs to the Manufacturers, Yeomanry, and Tradesmen of Great Britain and Ireland. 8vo. Stockdale. 1791. IS. A fatirical pamphlet, in which the author pourtrays, perhaps with fome exaggeration, the character of political reformers. The Life and frange furprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York, Mariner. 2 Vols. 8vo. l. 1s. Boards. 1791. Stockdale. In the prefent edition, this well-known work appears in a dress fuitable to its celebrity. It is well printed, and ornamented with copper-plates. Subjoined is a life of Daniel de Foe, the real author, accompanied with his portrait. In the Critical Review for September, p. 86, 1. 32, for poetry, x, orthograpby. * |