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Difcuffions of this kind, pursued with attention and ability, may be very useful. This author informs us, that he intends hereafter to offer to the reader a volume of critical remarks on the English verfion of the whole book of Genefis. We perfuade ourselves that they will be of fuch a nature as fhall be well worthy of regard; nor can we doubt that Mr. Hurdis will be properly mindful of the motto which he has chofen for his prefent publication: Meya Bichior, usya xax: which, in many cafes, certainly is an axiom that will hold good. H.

Art. 37. Thoughts on Mortality. 8vo. pp. 40. Newcastle, printed. Thefe thoughts appear to have been fuggefted by the death of a friend, and, probably, conftituted a fermon delivered on that occafion. The author fhews a warm zeal to advance the prefent comfort and final welfare of mankind; and, for that purpofe, he laudably urges them to the practice of piety, benevolence, and every virtue. Such a defire, and no pecuniary motive, he tells us in the preface, has brought thefe pages from the clofet to the public eye. We give him full credit for the declaration; and will only add that thefe thoughts, though not new nor uncommon, which can scarcely be expected on fo beaten a tract, are ftriking and important. In one or two inftances, they are expreffed, perhaps, in rather an unufual way: but, on the whole, they are adapted to excite, in those who perufe them, a ferious and diligent care to make that improvement of life which may best prepare them for its end.

MISCELLANEOUS.

1790.

H.

Art. 38. The Hiftory and Antiquities of Tewkesbury, from the earlieft Periods to the prefent Time. Collected from antient Records and other authentic Materials. To which is added, fome Account of the Medicinal Water near Tewkesbury. Small 8vo. pp. 180. 35. Boards. Wilkie, &c. This is a neat little hiftorical account, fuch as we wish to fee of every confiderable town in the ifland; as publications of this kind muft not only prove highly fatisfactory to the inhabitants, and to inquifitive travellers, but would furnish many curious particulars for a Britannia: their being collected by natives, intimately acquainted with local circumstances, would enrich them with particulars that cannot be traced by the general collector. This volume is embellished with views of the church, town-hall, and market-houfe, to which a plan of the town would have proved a good addition. We believe this work is compiled by Mr. Dyde, the printer, of Tewkesbury. The dedication is fubfcribed by him. Art. 39. Defcriptions and Sketches of fome remarkable Oaks in the Park at Welbeck, in the County of Nottingham, a Seat of his Grace the Duke of Portland. To which are added, Obfervations on the Age and Durability of that Tree. With Remarks on the annual Growth of the Acorn. By Hayman Rocke, Efq. F. S. A. 4to. pp. 23, with ten Plates. 7s. 6d. Boards.

White. 1790.

Every acceffion to the number of obfervations on progreffes which exceed the duration of human life, is adding materially to the flock

of

N.

of human knowlege; and these descriptions of remarkable trees of unknown antiquity, (which, by various accidents, may fink from notice under the events of time,) are good materials for fome more extensive work on forest trees, to which the meer experience of any individual is inadequate. The portraitures of the trees appear to be well executed. N.

Art. 40. Inftructions for the Conduct of Females, from Infancy to
Old Age, collected from Speculation, Obfervation, and Practice:
By way of Letters to a Friend.
12mo. pp. 112. 38. fewed.
Lowndes and Chriftie.

Thefe inftructions are conveyed in a goffipping kind of ftyle, which agrees with the confeflion of their being produced by an old woman. She is, however, a notable motherly dame, only a little opinionated in confequence of her late preceptive exercifes; for, in the very title page, fhe fets all correction at defiance, by the following manifefto:

Critics the author does not fear; the work being beneath their notice, is only the child of nature, produced by an old woman, and offered, just as it is, to a generous public.'

Blefs this good lady, he has no occafion to be afraid of us; we have always been fond admirers of natural productions! Indeed, were we frolicfome youths, we might fmile, and retort that, when an old woman has the rare good fortune to produce a natural child, fhe has more reafon to be proud of the event, than_pettishly to drop the little innocent, and abandon it to ftrangers: ut, at our advanced stage of life, it is enough to declare that he has acquitted herself with credit, and has no occafion to be ashamed of offering the refult of her experience; as many good precepts and cautions may be collected from it, by female readers of all ages. N. Art. 41. Some Account of the Shrewsbury Houfe of Industry, its Establishment and Regulations; with Hints to those who may have fimilar Institutions in View. By J. Wood. To which is added, the Bye Laws and Ordinances of the faid Houfe. 8vo. pp. 92. 1s. 6d. Longman, &c. 1791.

This houfe of induftry was opened for the reception of the poor of the fix parishes in Shrewsbury, in the year 1784; fo that the account here given is the refult of experience, and the judicious reporter fpeaks very warmly of its fuccefs. We are of opinion, with him, that fuch affociations of parishes for the joint maintenance of their poor, are more practical and convenient for large populous towns, where all the objects of attention lie within a narrow compaís, than for open parishes that are widely exended in the country taking into the account a circumftance that we think ought not to be wholly difregarded; which is, that in contiguous parishes in towns, lefs violence is offered to the feelings of the unfortunate, than by removing them to a poor-houfe many miles from their native fpots, and from all friendly connexions. The regulations of this houfe appear to warrant what is affirmed of them; and may certainly be confulted to advantage, in the formation of fimilar plans.

N.

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Art. 42. Efays on Modern Manners, addressed to Perfons of every Denomination, particularly to Parents. By G. Neale, Curate of St. Margaret Pattens, Rood-Lane, and Lecturer of St. Bennet, Gracechurch. 12mo. pp. 144. 28. Kearsley. 1790. This author's defign is commendable, and the fentiments which he offers are well worthy of attention. He divides his work into four effays. The first confifts of obfervations on ancient and modern manners, and the apparent neceffity of a reformation. His account of our prefent ftate is, briefly, as follows:

In truth, we have, I fear, almost all the evils of a great and extenfive empire. Luxury, diffipation, profligacy and pride are apparent; adultery, feduction, gaming, promifcuous cohabitation, fcarcely ftamp any dishonour on their agents; intemperance both of meats and drink, particularly the use of spirituous liquors, at all times hoftile to the conftitution, is among the middle and lower claffes of the people become nearly general.' This is a heavy charge, and, which is worfe, it is True.

The fecond effay contains a comparison between the Jewish and Chriftian modes of opinion and practice, and treats of unity of faith and worship, enthufiafm, and the marriage inftitution. This writer's remarks, concerning Jews and Christians, are rather fingular: he tells us, that the crime of fuicide, with its near relation and prompter, infanity, (both of which, he obferves, are fo frequently in the new papers as common articles of intelligence, that they no longer affect us with furprife,) are feldom found among the former: whence is it, he afks, that the Chriftian is poffeffed of a weaker faith in the promises and protection of his God, than the now outcast and difperfed Ifraelites ?-He anfwers this question by fuppofing that their unity of faith is a circumstance which in a great degree contributes to their peace, and preferves to them a fanity of mind: whereas, he thinks, that among Chriftians many have been the victims of injudicious zeal refpecting religious fpeculations. Numbers, it is added, quitting the fimple and fafe paths of the gospel, attend only to the inculcation of what is novel, marvellous, myfterious, or perfonal, which if enthufiafm fail in her office, almost invariably, inftead of affifting, shakes the rational power to its foundation, and produces the moft fatal and unhappy fpecies of infanity-the mania of fcriptural melancholy, and the anticipated certainty of everlasting rejection and torment.'

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This dreadful difeafe, we know, is not unfrequently attributed to what may be called a religious caufe, and in fome cafes, probably, with truth; though, we should apprehend, not unless there has been fome pre-difpofition in the patient to the malady.

We are rather at a lofs for the author's meaning when he speaks of unity of faith: if he intends by it a thoughtless inattention and ftupidity, or an abject fubmiffion to whatever the crafty or the arbitrary may think fit to impofe on the mind and understanding, this is only fit for ideots and flaves: but if nothing more is defigned by what he fuggefts, than, that perpetual fluctuation, perplexity, and doubts, on fome fubjects of a religious nature, have a Lendency to unbinge the mind, and drive it gradually to defpair and REV. MAY 1791. diftraction,

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diftraction, we fuppofe his obfervations may, in the general, be admitted.

We proceed to the marriage inftitution, for which he is a warm advocate on principles of nature, philofophy, policy, and religion. He firmly, but decently, cenfures the reftraints under which it is laid, particularly the famous marriage act; and he pleads for early marriage, as the prefervative of virtue, and a fource of peace, enjoyment and usefulness, if the parties are equally disposed to be induftrious, frugal, and contented. Among the mifchiefs arifing from promifcuous co-habitation, he especially notices the inveterate disease which it often occafions, and which, he thinks, may be a phyfical caufe of infanity, entailing it on pofterity.-Extravagance, diffipation, gaming, and fpirituous liquors, are other fources of madnefs and fuicide, here brought under review. The author's addreffes to those who practice the arts of feduction and adultery-his lamentation over the lofs of female virtue and tranquillity,-his defcription of virtuous love, &c. are lively and affecting-his obfervations are, in general, fenfible: but his flyle is not always pleafant it has a fiffness, and fometimes a perplexity, which muft rather offend the word unhallowed is repeated fo often as to prove difgufting; and there is another expreffion which we obferve with fur. prize and hardly understand; it is the word illicit. To illicit a regal proclamation to illicit a felf-condemning confcience-illicitted more pleature than pain, &c.-we fuppole the writer muft mean elicit from the Latin verb elicio, to ftrike cut, produce, &c. or, perhaps, he had the verb illicio (to allure, to entice) in his mind. It feems, however, but an awkward and affected phrafe.

H. Art. 43. The Hiftorical Preceptor; or a Collection of entertaining and inftructive Paffages, elected from the Works of the best Hiflorians: for the Ufe of Schools. By the Editor of the Polite and Poetical Preceptors. 8vo. pp. 432. 3s. fewed. Crowder.

This collection ought rather to be called the Hiftorical Medley. We have never met with a compilation, in which, materials, in themselves good, were more promifcuously thrown together. If the editor had determined to have confounded, in the minds of young perfons, all ideas of time and place, that is, to put out what have not improperly been called the eyes of hiftory, namely chronology and geography, he could not have done it more ef fectually, than by the confufed maís of facts, which are collected in this volume. Without fome regard to order, it is impoffible that hiftory, or any other fcience, should be taught, to any good purpose.

E. Art. 44. The Secret Hiftory of the Green Rooms Containing Authentic and Entertaining Memoirs of the Actors and Actreffes in the Three Theatres Royal. 12mo. 2 Vols. About 310 Pages in each Vol. 75. fewed. Ridgway, &c. 1790.

Those who have a tafte for theatrical anecdotes, and who think that the biography of the heroes and heroines who firut and fret their hour on the ftage, is of importance enough to engage their attention, will here meet with all the entertainment which can be

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expected

expected from fuch fubjects. The work, though its language is not perfectly correct, is not ill executed.

Art. 45. An Effay concerning Tithes, as appertaining to the Clergy of the Church of England: recommended to the Confideration of the People called Quakers. By Robert Applegarth. 8vo. PP. 79. 2s. fewed. Richardfon. 1791.

The working of the human mind under different circumftances is a curious fpeculation. A convert, when he turns his back on old connexions, generally recommends himself to his new friends, by a zealous oppofition to the principles which he has deferted. Accordingly, Mr. Applegarth, heretofore a Quaker, but who, feduced by female blandifhments among the vain ones, found his inward light too dim to guide him, and fo groped his way to the fteeple-houfe; has thence fent his primitive friends the bitterest pill that he could prepare, by administering a dofe of tithes to them. While friend Robert continued among the Quakers, he was probably what they term a wet brother; and chufing to reverse his character, in all respects, on his converfion, he is now become a dry farcaftic writer, and is very arch on his quondam brethren; of which the following is a fpecimen :

Formerly their affirmation in our courts of justice, began with, IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD; but this, after fome time, was objected to; and they got it altered: and now it runs thus: IA B.

DO SOLEMNLY, SINCERELY, AND TRULY AFFIRM AND DE

CLARE, &C.-So that formerly the Quakers gave their evidence before the magiftrate, in the Prefence of God; but that Form not pleafing them, on account of its proximity to an oath; it should feem as if they thought they now gave it behind his back; or where he did not fee them.'

In oppofition to the Antinomians, who are, fome how or other, dragged in, he offers fome whimsical reafoning to prove the Mofaic commandments not a law of works:

The ten commandments, excepting one, are all of them negative precepts; confequently not a law of works.-They do not tell men what they should do, but what they should not do.-The fifth commandment is indeed affirmative; but to honour one's father and mother, is fo far from being a work, that it must afford pleasure to an ingenuous mind; efpecially as a particular promife is annexed to it. And as to the other nine commandments; they are so far from enjoining any work to be done, that they really cut off a great deal. As for example:

I.

Thou shalt have none other Gods but me.

Now it must be much less work to worship one God, than four or five hundred, after the manner of the ancient Greeks and Romans.

2.

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, &c. Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them.

See his apology, Rev. New Series, vol. II. p. 240.
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