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rational and important with thofe of the New Teftament. When this polite Oxford gentleman fpeaks of the modeft request, as he terms it, of the Affociation, he adds, that their feheme is nothing lefs than a direct attempt to introduce Popery; only they difguife Lord Peter in Jack's coat, thinking by this manoeuvre to gain him the favour of the rabble.' The Diffenters from our established church have likewife the honour of a few strictures from this Author's pen: for my own part, fays he, I must confefs that fomething of turbulence always goes to the making up my idea of a Diffenter. Our fagacious clergyman forgets that the church of Rome in fomewhat of the fame manner make up their idea of a Proteftant reformer.

Though this pamphlet is of no great weight in point of argument,'" and may, on fome accounts, deferve the retort courteous of ridicule, it is not wholly deftitute of ingenuity.

Art. 21. The Polite Preceptor; or, improving Moralift: Confifting of a choice Collection of Relations, Vifions, Allegories, and moral Effays, felected from the moft eminent English Authors. Compiled at the Request of a noble Lady, and defigned for the Ufe of Schools. 12mo. 3 s. Snagg. 1774.

Collections of this kind are become very common, and may have their ufes. The papers here chofen appear, on the whole, very well fitted for the entertainment and improvement of youth. They' confift of profe and poetry, and are felected from the Spectator, Guardian, Female Spectator, World, Prater; Oeconomy of Human Life, Cunningham's and Thomfon's Works, and feveral of the magazines. Art. 22. A Letter from a Father to his Daughter, at a BoardingSchool. 12mo. 2 s. Robinfon. 1774.

It is fo eafy a matter for old people to give advice to young ones, that we do not wonder to fee books of this kind continually multiplying; and if each fucceeding treatife were an improvement upon thofe which preceded it, the public would have no reafon to complain of the increafe. This, however, is not, in all refpects, the cafe, with regard to the Letter before us. Lord Halifax, Cambray, the Marquis de la Chetardie, the Marchionefs de Lambert, Oborn, Wettenhall Wilks, Mrs. Chapone, and others, have treated this fubject in a manner fuperior to that of the prefent writer; particularly with respect to the article of style. There are many good, and pious, and prudential maxims and precepts in this little volume, but the Author's language is not fufficiently engaging to recommend his counfels to young readers, and feduce them to become his willing difciples. Nor is his style merely defective becaufe it is uninviting; his dic

We do not rank in this lift Dr. Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women, because his plan is fo different from that of the other writers; but, in respect to utility, if we are not mistaken, his performance includes every thing that is material in all the others, unless we except Mrs. Chapone's Letters: our recommendation of which may be feen in the Review for July laft, p. 70.-We have not taken the liberty of introducing the famous Con. Phillips into the above mentioned good company; but there are very pretty things in her Letter to Lord Chefterfield, on Female Education.

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tion is, in some places, much debafed, partly through the prevalence of northern idioms, and partly through the want of power, or talle, to elevate his expreffion, fuitably to the dignity of his fubject. Thus, P. 7. A habit of confinement is the best mean of curing young people of that rambling, gadding difpofition which is fo natural to them.' P. 18, Reading, no doubt, is a good mean of acquiring knowledge; but living examples, &c. P. 32. A virtuous pride, or a due refpect for ourselves, is often a happy mean of preserving us from doing any thing that is unworthy.P. 43. Communication with the Deity has been ftrangely perplexed by fome, and misrepre fented, or totally denied by others. Though, from all the evidence of which it is capable, the thing appears to be abundantly clear, yet, &c.' P. 62. They complain, with a very bad grace, if the want of tru public virtue, and good order among us, who difcover, by their own practice, an habitual contempt of the most effectual means of promoting these. This laft is a provincial mode of expreffion from which only the moft elegant of the Scotch writers are free: an Eng lishman would have faid, " thefe virtues," or " thefe good ends," &c. He would never have fuffered the plural thefe, to terminate the period.

But it would be injuftice to this. Writer were we to take notice only of his defects in point of language. If we attend rather to his fentiments, his work will appear to greater advantage. The follow: ing paffage will give our Readers a favourable opinion of his underftanding:

It is good, in all cafes, to think foberly, but especially in religious matters; because our zeal here is apt to be intemperate. Your fex very often err in this point; and therefore ought never to indulge á zealous concern for inftitutions merely human; left they fhould come, at length, to fubftitute them in the place of religion itself, and make them of equal importance with it, Hence the rigid attachment of many to forms and ufages, and other ordinances of man; not aware that blind zeal begets keennefs, hatred, and an uncharitable difpofition; which, in a bigotted mind, may encrease into fierceness and cruelty. But how oppofite are all these to that mildness and forbearance which ought invariably to poffefs a female breast!

In order to encourage a moderate temper, confider that there is no fuch thing as a perfect church in this world; that, while men are men, an uniformity in opinion is impoffible; that there are valuable perfons, perfons of great understanding and integrity, of every Chrif tian denomination; and that, as to the matter in hand, you yourself may be wrong; for one time or other all of us are wrong in fome things. Befides, is it not repugnant to common fenfe, as well as to good manners, to judge harthly of others, and reprobate whole fo cieties, nay whole itates and kingdoms, on account of fome trifling differences merely about the adjuncts, as they are called, of religion; feeing, in thefe, they have as good a title to differ from you, as you bave to differ from them; and perhaps an equal chance of being in the right? And pray what is it that makes fome people of one perfuafion, and fome of another? Mere accident, juft their having been born and bred in the communion of this or the other church; for very few are of any perfuafion from deliberate choice only. For my

own

own part, I think myfelf very fafe where I am; though I could wish to fee a reformation in fome things; and what church does not stand in need of it? When we indulge ourselves in hot and uncharitable difputes, about doubtful and uneffential points, we are no better than children fighting in great wrath for toys and trifles,'

In the prefatory advertisement to this Letter we are affured, that it is really what the title-page declares it to be; that it was written about feven or eight years ago, in feparate letters from the Author to one of his daughters at a boarding-fchool; and that her mother defiring tohavethefe methodized, and properly arranged for the ufe of the reft of their children, they were accordingly thrown into their prefent form. Since that, we are farther informed, feveral of the Author's friends, particularly fome of his female acquaintance, having feen the performance, induced the Author to fend it to the prefs, in the laudable perfuafion that the publication would produce the fame good effects upon other readers, as they had, themfelves, experienced on, perufing the manufcript,

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Art. 23. The Way to the Temple of True Honour and Fame, by the Paths of Heroic Virtue, exemplified in the Lives of the most emi-, nent Perfons, of both Sexes; on the Plan laid down by Sir William Temple, in his Effay of Heroic Virtue. By W. Cooke, A. B. Fellow of New College Oxford, and Chaplain to the Marquis of Tweedale. 12mo. 4 vols. 12 s. bound. Devizes printed; and .fold by Davis in London. 1773.

The lives of the ancient gods, heroes, and legislators, are here given, in chronological fucceffion, from Jupiter, Hercules, Nimrod, &c. down to Marcus Antoninus, and Queen Zenobia. The real hiftory. of these illuftrious perfonages is ftripped, as much as poffible, of the fabulous circumitances in which they have been enveloped and dif guifed by the poets and priests of antiquity, and their characters and conduct are held up, for our emulation and imitation.

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The knowledge of paft tranfactions, fays the Compiler, is not a mere amusement, but a neceffary and inftructive study. In general, the real fentiments and defigns of thofe we live among, and con verfe with, are induftriously concealed; but in the accounts of former ages, the facts themselves difclofe to us the real views and genuine difpofitions of the actors: and the fame caufes will commonly produce the like effects. By weighing well thefe truths, a fure refource may be obtained in every dangerous conjuncture; and the road which leads to fuccefs and happiness discovered.'

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In order to please the generality of readers, the Compiler profeffes that he has made it his bufinefs to mingle profit with delight, and that he has given the least common and moft entertaining lives that could be felected from history. Should thefe," fays he, meet with a favourable reception from the public, they will pave the way to others, which though of later date, are yet lefs known. And when the plan on which we profefs to proceed is once completed, we fhould hope, that truth and virtue, difengaged from fournefs and aufterity, which are not their natural attendants, may once more gain poffeffion of the breaths of the humane and lovely; and fhame the vicious talle for lying and corruptive memoirs in general.',

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Art. 24. Letters, by John Hughes, Efq; and several other eminent Perfons deceased. Publifhed from the Original; by John Duncombe, M. A. one of the fix Preachers in Christ Church, Canterbury. Vol. iii. 3 s. fewed. Johnson.

We have already given fo ample an account of the two former volumes of this collection of Letters, that a very short article will fuffice for the prefent publication.

The Editor has prefixed to this volume an account of the life and writings of Mr. Hughes. To these memoirs is fubjoined the Theatre, No. 15. By Sir Richard Steele; in which paper Sir Richard took occafion to write a very warm encomium on his deceased friend, the author of the Siege of Damafcus; who died the night before the publication of the paper, and but a few hours after that celebrated play was acted, for the first time.

The letters here printed are thirty-one in number; and were written by Mr. Hughes, Mr. Say t, Dr. Bentley, Mr. W. Duncombe, Mr. Needler, Sir Richard Steele, Earl Cowper, Archbishop Herring, Mr. Welfted, Mr. Straight, (a very witty divine) Bishop Benfon, Mr. Samuel Richardfon, Lord Corke, Mr. Dyer, and Mr. Hirst ‡; whose laft letter is dated from the Cape of Good Hope, and contains (we believe) the laft account that ever came to Europe, of the unfortunate AURORA, on board of which the ingenious writer perished. To the Letters are added feveral fmall pieces by Mr. Hughes, which were omitted in the collection of his works; and a farther account of Mrs. Bendy, grand daughter to Oliver Cromwell. Of this extraordinaty woman, many entertaining particulars are here given, befide those which were contained in the appendix to the second volume of this collection, and copied into our Review for January 1773, p. 29. Art. 25. An Appeal to the Public, from the Judgment of a certain Manager, with original Letters: and the Drama of one Act, which was refused Reprefentation. 8vo. I S. Bew. 1774.

A Mr. T. R. as we learn from this publication, having written a farce of one act, entitled The Politician Reformed,' offered it to Mr. Garrick; who civilly expreffed his apprehenfion that it would not fucceed in the reprefentation, as the fubject had been already moft fuccefsfully treated by the author of the Upholsterer. This refufal irritated the difappointed Author; between whom and the manager two or three letters paffed, on this important occafion. Thefe letters are here printed; with fome additions, which only serve to evince the arrogance, peevithness, and weakness of the appellant: who thus takes his revenge on Mr. Garrick.-It remains now to be feen what he will do with the Public.'

Art. 26. The Canterbury Patriot: Or the late Mayor's new Mode of defending Liberty, Property, and the Privilege of the Prefs In a Narrative of a Law Suit commenced against Mr. William Francis, for the Recovery of Money obtained at Gaming. By Thomas Roch. Svo. 1 S. Richardfon and Urquhart. Compaffion for a man who has had the vexation of a law fuit, and who appears, from his own account, to have been otherwise unjustly

See Review for January 1773. + See Rev. above referred to, p. 27.

+ Ibid. p. 36.

haraffed

haraffed and oppreffed, prevents us from treating this publication, merely as a Canterbury Tale; for we do not fee how the Author can expect that the Public in general fhould enter into the merits of fuch a piece of private hiftory. We fuppofe Mr. Roch has been ill treated; but we know not what Mr. F. and his friends, on the other fide, may have to offer. This Pamphlet, however, though not generally interefting to the Public, will have a very good effect, fhould it deter any, or even but one perfon, from the pernicious and abfurd practice of gaming, which is now become fo prevalent among us. Hi. Art. 27. The improved French Grammar, in which, I. the Pro nunciation is treated in a clear and concife Manner, the Difficulties which ufually strike Terror into the French Scholar, from the Prolixity and Ambiguity of former Methods, are removed, and the eafy and expeditious Attainment of this effential Article is infured. II. The Principles are laid down in a plain and intelligible Method, free from that infinite Number of ufelefs Obfervations, and Exceptions with which other French Grammars abound, and by .Nhich the Learner's Progress is impeded. To the whole are added familiar Phrafes, Stories, Dialogues, and Letters; with Exercifes for the Pronunciation, and on the Parts of Speech. On a new Plan. By John Caffelle, Teacher of the French in London. I S. Harris. 1773•.

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For a fhort book this title-page is very long, and, what is more extraordinary, it is very true. Art. 28. A Defcription of England and Wales. Containing a particular Account of each County, with its Antiquities, Curiofities, Situation, Extent, Climate, Rivers, Lakes, Mineral Waters, Soils, Plants and Minerals, Agriculture, Civil and Ecclefiaftical Divifions, Cities, Towns, Seats, Manufactures, Trade, Sieges, Battles; and the Lives of the illuftrious men each County has produced. Embellished with 240 Copper-plates, of Palaces, Caftles, Cathedrals; the Ruins of Roman and Saxon Buildings; and of Abbeys, Monafteries, and other Religious Houfes. Befide a Variety of Cuts of Urns, Infcriptions, and other Antiquities, 12mo. 10 vols. 11. 10 s. fewed. Newberry and Carnan.

As the Authors, who profeffedly treat of the antiquities and natural hiftory of particular counties, have commonly fwelled their works to fuch an enormous fize and price, as to place them quite out of the reach of all, but opulent, readers; a judicious compendium of whatever tends to give a clear view of the ancient and prefent ftate of our own country, muft doubtless be an acceptable prefent to every man who wishes not to be totally ignorant of the remarkable perfons and things, which even his own neighbourhood may, probably, have contributed to produce. The Work before us promifes to do this; and it appears to be executed with a greater degree of accuracy and precifion, than is ufually to be met with in compilations of this nature. The copper-plates in general, are alfo, to fay the leaft of them, as good as they could be expected to be, in a work fo contracted in respect to fize, and fo limited in point of expence to the purchaser.

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