favour-not provided they would lay down their arms, and return to a fenfe of their duty-but provided they would come and roll, and lean, and tumble on his Son. The rest of the fermons are in the fame ftrain. We are informed in the preface, that the peculiar modes of Mr. Webb prevented him publishing any thing during his life.' We wish that he had bequeathed a imall portion of that peculiar modefy to his friends.

POETRY.

ART. 38. Picturesque Poetry, confifling of Poems, Odes, and Elegies, on various Subjects. By the Rev. J. Teasdale, Minifler of the Englif Chapel at Dundee. 2s. 6d. Robinson, 1784.

The merit of these poems is much above the common. In many of them the author difcovers a fertility of genius, rarely to be met with among the poets of the prefent day; and we will venture to fay the whole will afford entertainment to the reader of tafte and feeling. In our opinion, the elegiac poems are by far the best in the collection.

ART. 39. The pious Incendiaries, or Fanaticism displayed; a Poem. By a Lady. 8vo. 25. 6s. Hooper, 1785.

The riots in June 1780, and the fuppofed author of them, are the fubjects of this mock heroic poem ; in which there is a pleasant vein of fatire, and many good lines. We wish to fee the fame pen employed on a better fubject, for it certainly is not by hudibrastics that the madness of the noted incendiary is to be cured. Amidst four or five hundred lines, it may be expected there are fome very indifferent; but, confidering this poem as a first attempt, which we understand it is, the authoreis is intitled to much indulgence.

ART. 40. A Narrative of Facts, supposed to throw Light on the Hiftor of the Bristol Stranger, known by the Name of the Maid of the Hayfack. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. Is. 6d. Gardener, 1785. We must leave this myfterious affair to the determination of fome future period. There are fome reasons, it is true, for fuppofing the Brifol ftranger to be the foreign lady defcribed, but there are equally convincing negative proofs that he is not. In the mean time, this pamphlet may be read with pleafure; and we are fure it will draw the tear of pity for the fufferings of the fair mourner, known by the name of the Maid of the Haystack.

MEDICA L.

ART. 41. An Account of the Epidemical Catarrhal Fever, commonly called the Influenza; as it appeared in the City and Environs of Durbam, in the Month of June, 1782. To which is prefixed, a Difcofs on the Improvement of Medical Knowledge. By P. D. Leslie, M.D. F. R. S. &c. Crowder, 8vo. 25.

In the preliminary difcourfe we discover nothing that is particu larly worthy of obfervation. The account of the influenza is accu rate, and may be useful. Added to it is a Letter, addreffed to the author, on the influenza, as it appeared at Newcastle-upon-Tyne,

by

by John Clark, M. D. by which it appears that the varieties of the diforder were dependent on circumftances of fituation fo difcrepant, that it is only from the united reports of phyficians a proper know. ledge of the diforder is to be obtained.

ART. 42. An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Fervers; with a Review of the feveral Opinions concerning its proximate Caufe, as advanced by feveral Authors; and particularly as delivered from the Pradical Chair in the University of Edinburgh. Including fome obfervations on the Exiflence of Putrefaction in the living Body, and the proper Method of Cure to be pursued in Fevers. By Caleb Dickinson, M. D. Elliot, Edinburgh; Robinson, London. 1785.

Our author has collected the best opinions on the nature of fevers, and has digefted them into a regular fyftem, for the ufe of ftudents; and to fuch this work may prove of great utility, previous to their entering on a course of inquiry for themselves. The doctrines of the Edinburgh school are principally adhered to, although, in fome inftances, Dr. Dickinson widely differs from Dr. Cullen, and points out feveral inaccuracies in the writings of the latter. On the whole, this Inquiry is purfued with spirit and judgment: and if not the best it is at least one of the beft views of the prevailing fyftem of Pathology in fevers.

For the ENGLISH REVIEW.

NATIONAL

AFFAIRS.

For JANUARY, 1786.

POLITICAL STATE OF EUROPE EOR THE YEAR 1785.

THE year 1785 is, perhaps, the most peaceable year the world has

feen fince the age of Auguftus. The temple of Janus was shut; actual war had ceafed among all civilized and great nations; warlike preparations were interrupted by negociations for peace; ambition of conqueft feemed loft in a thirst for pecuniary gain; and the ardour of mens minds have been diverted from military to commercial enterprize.

At what period of time, fince the world was reduced under one monarchy by Cæfar, do we find fuch general tranquillity? Internal convulfions, occafioned by struggles for the purple, and the revolt of provinces; the attacks of barbarians on the Roman frontiers; and, beyond thefe, the fierce conflicts of barbarous nations with one another, agitated the world, in fome quarter or other, with never-ceafing hoftilities and alarms. Then followed inundations of unknown tribes inhabiting the vaft, and, at that time, unknown regions beyond the Danube and the Rhine; thofe deftroyers of nations; thofe Scourges of God! To these fucceeded all the barbarities and defolations of the middle

middle ages, in which, the common animofities that divide nations were embittered by religious zeal, and increafed by religious preten hons. Not only were hoftilities, carried on between Chriftians and Mahommedans, on the score of religion, but, on the fame score, between Chriftians with one another. The Greek church was animated with mortal hatred against the Latin, and the Latin church acted with equal fury against the Greek. The popes and the emperors divided the. weltein empire under their hoftile banners; while the fucceffors of Constantine, in the eat, were endeavouring to protract the final diffolution of their government, by stirring up the Saracens against the Turks. But, about the middle of the fifteenth century, the race of Othman obtained poffeffion of the throne of Conítantinople, and retaining, for many years, the fpirit and the vigour of con querors, harraffed and alarmed the Chriftian princes with confiant invafions, both by fea and land. And now the Chriftians were reduced, fometimes, to the neceffity of laying afide animofities among themselves, and uniting in a confederacy against their common enemy.

In the mean time, a new cause of quarrel and contention sprang up among the Chriftian ftates and princes, in the envy with which they beheld the wealth and the profperity of the republic of Venice. The league of Cambray was no fooner diffolved, than the policy, the good fortune, and the ambition of one of the principal confederates, laid a foundation for a new feries of wars, which disturbed and afflicted Europe for the fpace of one hundred and thirty years. Ferdinand of Arragon acquired, by arms, the kingdom of Naples and Grenada, and, by marriage, Caftile, and vaft treafures and immenfe dominions in the new world. To all thefe acquifitions his fucceffor, Charles V. added Auftria and the Netherlands. The ambition of this prince was inflamed, not fatiated, by fo great an inheritance. His ambition and his quarrels were tranfmitted to his fon Philip II. and from him to the minifters and generals, rather than to the mind of Philip III. In the mean time, the reformation fpread the zeal of religious controverfy over the face of Europe. The houfe of Auftria patronized the ancient faith. The reformers threw themselves, from antipathy as well as for protection, into the arms of its opponents. And thus, from religious controverfy, and from Auftrian ambition, few nations, from the Euxine to the Baltic, were free from the calamities or alarms of war from the year 1520 to the conclufion of the peace of Munter in 1648. Other caufes, befides thefe, provoked war between neighbouring princes, which furnished fhelter and encou ragement to all who chose to take up arms under their respective ftandards.

From the firft Cefars, to, the famous æra juft mentioned, it will be difficult to find any fingle year fo generally pacific as the one just elapsed; or the one on which we have entered promifes to be. The year that one would fix on, who fhould be difpofed to controvert this pofition, and to difprove it by an example, would probably be the year 1516, when an univerfal peace prevailed throughout Europe, on the clofe of that war which was excited and carried on by pofe, Julius II. against France, immediately after the humiliation of

the

the Venetian republic by the league of Cambray. But, not to mention the progrefs of the Spanish arms and maffacres then in America, the Turks were, at that period, extending their conquefts in Afia; and, in the year juft mentioned, they accomplished, by their invincible arms, the reduction of Egypt.

The war between the Spaniards and the Seven United Provinces, previous to the general pacification of Munfler, was, indeed, interrupted by a truce of twelve years, from 1609 to 1021. But ftil hotilities were carried on between thefe two nations beyond the Line. War alfo continued, during that interval, by the Austrians and Spaniards on the one fide, and the Duke of Savoy, affilted by Venice and France, on the other. The Ufcocchi too, a race of men that had been driven weftward by the incumbent arms of the Turks, to the coafts of Iftria, and who enjoyed the countenance and protection of the Auftrians, carried on a predatory war against the Venetians. A famous war too, of thirty years, was kindled in Germany, by the pretenfions of Frederic, Elector Palatine, fupported by the proteftant princes of the union, to the crown of Bohemia.

The peace of Munfter did not compofe martial ardour; for the inquietude and turbulency of the Poles continued to harrafs all their neighbours, until they were humbledat laft, in 1657, when they were forced to cede Ducal Pruffia to the Elector of Brandenburg, and to make other conceflions to other princes. In 1652 a naval war commenced betwixt Cromwell and Holland. Cromwell alfo attacked the Spaniards, from whom he wrefted the island of Jamaica. In 1654 war alfo broke out between Denmark and Sweden, which was continued to the death of Charles Guftavus in 1660. This was fucceeded by a war between the Emperor Leopold on the one part, and France and the Turks on the other; which was fcarcely begun, when a rupture took place between the Dutch and Charles II. of England: nor was this concluded, before the ambition of Lewis XIV. of France, for univerfal monarchy, plunged him, in 1672, in a war with almost all the princes of Europe, which laited till the peace of Utrecht in 1713.

The emperor was glad to accede to this peace in 1714, that he might be at leifure to watch, and to oppofe the progrefs of the Turks; in which bufinefs he was employed till the pacification of Paffarowitz, in 1618. This peace was difgraceful to the Othmans; but it was neceffary; that they might make refiftance, it poffible, to the prevailing power of Nadir-Shah, who, under the name of Thamas Kouli-Khan, had ufurped, in 1732, the throne of Perfia. Kouli Khan, having humbled the Turks, carried his victorious arms into India, where he made many conquefts, and from whence he carried off, in 1739, iamente treasures. Returning from Indoftan, he tonquered the Vibec Tartars; renewed hottilities against the Turks; nor was his fury against his neighbours, and even his own fubjects, allayed, but by his death, which happened in 1747. Meanwhile, war had again commenced, after the death of Kouli Khan, between the Turks on one fide, and the Imperials and Ruffians on the other, which terminated in a peace very difadvantageous to the former. ENG. REV. Vol. VI. Jan. 1786.

E

In 1739 war broke out between Great Britain and Spain. In 1740, on the death of the Emperor Charles VI. the prefent King of Pruffia conquered, with an irrefiftible army, various territories, which, he faid, had been injuriously wrefted from his family. At the fame time the Elector of Bavaria and the King of Spain, fupported by France, fet up claims in oppofition to the pragmatic fanction, by which the undivided fovereignty of the Auftrian dominions was vefted in the Queen of Hungary. This heroic Princefs, mother to the reigning Emperor, was fuftained in this unequal conteft by the arms of George II. of England; and hoftilities were at last concluded by the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. By that treaty Silefia was guarantied to the King of Pruffia. But that penetrating prince, quickly difcovered that the Emprefs Queen, the Empress of Ruffia, and the King of Poland, as Elector of Saxony, had formed a concert for dividing among themfelves his dominions. A fresh war was kindled in Germany, which extended itfelf over the greatest part of Europe and America, and was continued until the peace of Verfailles, 1763.

This peace was fcarcely ratified when the eyes of the world were attracted by a new conflict, not fo glaring as it was important; the brave Corficans contending for liberty, under their general Paoli, first against their Genoefe tyrants, and afterwards against the power of France. Great Britain, in the deep flumber of her first repofe after a long and expenfive war, beheld without emotion, at least without refiftance, this gallant people, fold by a profligate republic, and brought under fubjection by an ambitious monarchy. Rapacious princes were taught by this example that the great guardian of the liberties of Europe was afleep, and that they might commit injuries against weak ftates with impunity. Accordingly the reduction of Corfica by the French was followed, within a few years, by the partition of Poland among three royal robbers; and the fubverfion, in the fame year, by an armed force, of the civil conftitution of Sweden.

The unequal contest between the French and the Corficans was not brought to a final iffue, and the friends of liberty ftill entertained fond hopes that relief would be afforded to the latter from fome quarter, when mutual inroads and depredations on the frontiers of Ruflia and Turkey, announced the approach of war between thefe empires. And this was, at laft, very formally and emphatically declared by the imprifonment of the Ruffian ambaffador at Conftantinople in 1767: and hoftilities were continued until the year 1774.

At this precife period, as if Providence had determined that the chain of fucceffive wars fhould not yet be broken, the British colonists in America refufe to pay taxes, reject the authority of the British legiflature, fend deputies to Philadelphia, who affùme the title of the Congress of the Thirteen United Provinces, with all the powers of government. The war that was thence kindled, was prolonged by Great Britain on the one fide, against the Americans, France, Spain, and Holland, to the year 1783 in America and Europe; and in Afia till 1784.

Looking around us over fo wide a range of vifion, and turning our eyes to the scene of the prefent moment, we are ftruck with the ob

fervation