EAST INDIA AFFAIRS.

Art. 22. An Inquiry into the Nature of Zemindary Tenures in the Landed Property of Bengal, &c. In two Parts. With an Appendix, including a Difcuffion of the great National Queftion, Whether, by the Grant and Condition of fuch Tenures, the Zemindar, or the Sovereign-Reprefentative-Government is to be confidered the legal real Proprietor of the Soil, as Landlord, according to the Laws and Conftitution of the Mogul Empire in India, which are referred to, as proper to afcertain the Rule of Right, in an Act of the British Legislature, paffed in 1784. By J. G. late Serrifhtehdhar of Bengal, &c. 4to. pp. 101. Not Jold Printed for Debrett.

The word Zemindar, ftrictly speaking, fignifies a poffeffor, or holder of land, without afcertaining the particular mode of tenure, or the interest in the lands holden. Whether this word, which is of Perfian origin, existed in Hindoftan before the Muffulman conqueft, is difputed. Mr. Grant, the author of this ingenious and elaborate inquiry, is of opinion that it was not. What are the particular rights and jurifdictions belonging to the prefent Zemindars in Bengal, is a much more important queftion. As this clafs of men are the farmers-general of the rents belonging to the government, and are refponfible for them within their jurisdiction, 1ome of the Eaft India Company's fervants are inclined to confider them merely as officers or collectors of the revenue, removeable at pleasure, and having no independent rights. It appears, however, from Mr. Grant's investigation, that the lands holden by them are hereditary property, and tranfmiffible to females as well as to males; which, he obferves, are rather extraordinary features in the character of officers of revenue; that most of the Zemindars are Hindoos, and their rights and privileges are grounded on regular grants, and long family fucceffion; and that while the Mogul government was in its vigour, the property of the Zemindars was uniformly held facred. A claufe in Mr. Pitt's celebrated Act of 1784, refers to the laws and conftitution of the Mogul empire, in order to regulate the proceedings of the Governor and Council. The fubject of the prefent inquiry is therefore of much greater magnitude than it may at first appear to be. The high fituation filled by Mr. Grant, in the revenue department, intitles his fentiments to great attention; and our readers will not eafily find more authentic and valuable information on the subject, than is contained in these sheets.

LAW.

T.

Art. 23. A Diget of the Statute Law, being an Abridgment of all the public Acts of Parliament now in Force, and of general Ufe, from Magna Charta, in the 9th Year of King Henry III. 10 the 30th Year of his prefent Majefty King Geo. III. inclufive. By Thomas Walter Williams, of the Inner Temple, Barrister at Law. 4to. 2 Vols. 31. 3 s. bound. Robin fons, &c. 1791. ! This Work appears to us to be compiled with confiderable care and labour. The increased and increafing bulk of our ftatute

law

law renders abridgments extremely useful, and almoft neceffary, to perfons who cannot fuftain the expence of purchafing the Statutes at Large, and who yet are willing to know the laws by which they are bound :- but we have feldom found abridgments of this kind to be of much estimation among gentlemen of the profeffion. In questions of difficulty, they must have recourfe to the acts of parliament at full length; in which the ftudied prolixity of phrafe and multiplicity of claufes are fcarcely fufficient to prevent mifconftruction. T.

Art. 24. Trial for Adultery, between Anthony Hodges, Efq. and the Hon. Charles Wyndham; before Lord Kenyon and a Special Jury, in Weftminfter Hall, Feb. 24, 1791. Taken in Short-hand, by an eminent Barrister. 8vo. 28. Holland.

This copy of the trial appears to be authentic, though the eminent barrister has not thought proper to put his name to it. The jury gave their verdict for the defendant, on the full evidence of the plaintiff's having been notoriously privy to the various proftitutions of his wife on which occafion Mr. Bearcroft quoted these two famous lines-

6

'Twas, "Si, Signor," twas " yaw, Mynheer"

'Twas, "Si'l vous plait, Monfieur."

The pamphlet is embellished by a print of Mrs. H., which is not ill done; and feems perfectly characteristic.

NOVELS.

Art. 25. The Labyrinths of Life. By the Author of exceffive Senfibility, and Fatal Follies. 12mo. 4 Vols. 12 s. fewed.

Robinfons. 1791.

When a manufacture has been carried on long enough for the workmen to attain a general proficiency, the uniformity of the ftuffs will render it difficult to decide on the preference of one piece beyond another; and this must be our apology for not entering into a difcuffion of the merits of the novel now before us, which, at the fame time that it exhibits nothing to fhock our feelings, affords nothing to attract particular attention, either as to materials or workmanship. Two of the earlieft fabricators of this fpecies of goods, the modern novel, in our country, were Daniel Defoe, and Mrs. Haywood; the fuccefs of Pamela may be faid to have brought it into fashion; and the progrefs has not been lefs rapid than the extenfion of the ufe of tea, to which a novel is almoft as general an attendant, as the bread and butter, efpecially in a morning. While we are on this fubject, it is also to be noted, that nothing is more common than to find hair-powder lodged between the leaves of a novel; which evinces the correfponding attention paid to the infide as well as to the outfide of a modern

We cannot avoid remarking the dull uniformity of conclufion which this writer has given to the letters of his perfonages. From whomfoever, and to whomfoever, the epiftles are written, the fingle word Your's,' fuffices, nearly throughout all the volumes.

REV. JULY 1791.

A a

head.

head. Richardfon, Fielding, Smollet, and Sterne, were the Wedgwoods of their days; and the imitators that have fince started up in the fame line, exceed all power of calculation! When an art becomes general, then is the time for the invention of engines to facilitate the operations, as in the cotton manufacture. Swift's machine for the compofition of books, defcribed in his Gulliver, like most other first attempts, has not been found to answer. It was referved for us to publish a fcheme for the eafy multiplication of novels, cheap in its execution, and certain in its operation, fo long as not only our preffes, but thofe of Germany and France, will furnish raw materials to work up; and before they can fail, we may hope to import ample fupplies from America. Here then we difinterestedly offer it pro bono publico; and expect the thanks of the whole body of frizeurs, for our affiftance toward relieving them from a multitude of impatient exclamations, and profane oaths.

RECIPE FOR DRESSING UP NOVELS ad libitum.

Go to Middle Row, Holborn ; where, fince mankind have difcovered that their own hair is fufficiently capable of diftortion, the fellers of old caft-off wigs have given place to the dealers in caft-off books; there, on the bulks, from among the claffes of a groat or fixpence per volume, buy any old forgotten novel, the older the better; give new names to the perfonages and places, reform the dates, modernize fuch circumftances as may happen to be antiquated, and, if neceffary, touch up the ftyle a little with a few of thofe polite cant words and phrafes that may be in fashion at the time. All this may be done with a pen, in the margin of the printed book, without the trouble of tranfcribing the whole, unless it is to be carried to a bookfeller for fale; for then you must fhew a manufcript. In either cafe, it may be boldly fent to the printer; for printers, like furgeons and lawyers, are bound to keep the fecrets of their employers.

To a publifher, there are many advantages attending this mode of proceeding; and the faving of copy-money is to be reckoned as the chief. A novel of two or three volumes, that could not be purchased under four or five guineas, may be thus new vamped from an old one, by a compofitor who dabbles a little with his pen, for perhaps half a guinea; and if the alterations be fkilfully performed, they will confound the judgment, fo that, neither author nor bookfeller knowing his own book again, a profecution for copy-right need not be apprehended. The moft that even a reader with a good memory could fay, would be, that there is nothing new in it; and though we have fo expreffed ourselves a hundred times, novels are pouring forth as fast as ever! We are therefore not without fufpicions that this our fcheme has been anticipated, and is already in practice; for, as far as recollection can reach, the characters, fituations, plots, and catastrophes, are, with very few exceptions, ftill the fame.

N.

Art. 26. The Siege of Belgrade: an hiftorical Novel. Tranflated from a German Manufcript. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. fewed. Symonds. 1741, for 1791.

The

The Siege of Belgrade is a recent event; the words tranflated From a German manufcript infinuate fecret hiftory; and under thefe fpecious outlines, we apprehend that we have been reading as mere a circulating-library-ftory as ever was fabricated. Grea: liberties are taken with Imperial majefty: but who, in the full poffeffion of their faculties, and with a common knowlege of the world, will take up private characters from fuch unknown hands?

N. Art. 27. Memoirs of Julia de M*, a reclaimed Courtezan. From the French of Le Chevalier Rutledge, Author of La Quinzaine Anglaife. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5s. fewed. 5s. fewed. Bentley, &c.

1741, for 1791.

This work appears to be, according to its profeffion, a tranflation; it is full of bufinefs and intrigue; and like many other novels of French manufacture, reprefents depravity of manners in that country, as being reduced to fyftem. This is the hiftory of a courtezan of family and fentiment, who commences her narrative by drawing a parallel between herself and the celebrated Ninon de L'Enclos; not, as may very fafely be predicted, to her own disadvantage. The story is told with fpirit, and with honour to our country; as the most exalted character in the drama is reprefented to be an Englishman.

We are at a lofs to guefs at a fimilarity of defign or mistake, in the dates of this and the preceding publication; we may however collect from the common circumftance, that they were both ftruck in the fame typographical mint.

N.

GEOGRAPHY, VOYAGES and TRAVELS. Art. 28. A bort Compendium of ancient and modern Hiftorical Geography. Tranflated from the French, by M. De Lanségüe. 8vo. pp. 480. 5s. Boards. Cadell. 1791.

This fhort compendium of geography is written in the form of questions and anfwers, like Mr. Hubner's "New Introduction :" but it is even more fuperficial than that performance, in feveral refpects; and it is alfo, in fome particulars, lefs correct. Not to wander far from home for an example, the author divides England into five large provinces, as he calls them, but affigns no boundaries to them; and, having asked what cities, befide London, are in the eaftern province, anfwers, Cambridge and Colchester,' which are not cities, and omits Weftininfter and Norwich, which are ". He is almost as unfortunate in every one of his five provinces, which he denominates the east, welt, north, fouth, and middle provinces: a divifion that, we believe, was never made before.

We have frequently expreffed our dislike of this dialogue-mode of communicating information; in which every question ferves only to wafte the space and the paper which it occupies, and to miffpend the time of the reader. W.

He also puts down the towns of Portfmouth, Dover, Ply. mouth, and Newcastle, as cities. Of the real cities, only fix are mentioned.

MECHANICS.

Illuftrated with

Art. 29. Remarks on the comparative Advantages of Wheel Car riages, of different Structure and Draught. By Robert Anftice. 8vo. pp. 68.

2s. 6d. fewed.

Plates. Baldwin. 1790. The principles on which wheel-carriages are, or ought to be, Conftructed, are here investigated with neatnefs and perfpicuity; and the advantages and disadvantages, which arife from different modes of construction, are pointed out with great clearness, and also with truth,-unless it be in one inftance. We were going to have made a remark on the reasoning contained in the ninth fection: but finding that we cannot exprefs our meaning clearly in a few words, we fhall only hint that the reafoning is true, if the line of draught remain always parallel to the plane of afcent: but it is exceedingly obvious, that if the heights of the wheels vary, the pofition of that line muft vary alfo; and then, it is equally obvious that the opinion, (faid by our author to be the common one, but which we never heard before,) namely, that the higher the wheels of a two-wheeled carriage are, the more the load is thrown behind them, in afcending hills, is falfe, and that the contrary of it is abfolutely the cafe: that is, the lefs the wheels are, the more the load is thrown behind them, in afcending hills. W.

MEDICA L.

Art. 30. De Morbis quibufdam Commentarii. Auctore Clifton Wintringham, Baronetto, M. D. Colleg. Medico. Londinenf. et Parifienf. Socio, Societatis regia Sodali, et Exercitus Britannici Medics Primario, et Medico Regio. Tom. ii. 8vo. pp. 127. 3s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1791.

We noticed the former volume of thefe Commentaries in our 67th vol. p. 156. In the part which is now before us, the learned and refpectable author continues to note thofe opinions, which have been established in his mind from long and attentive obfervations. He endeavours to point out fuch diagnoftic marks as he has traced between difeafes refembling each other in their fymptoms; and he lays down rules (which, though they muft neceffarily be frequently fallacious, evince the accuracy of the writer,) by which the event of diforders may be conjectured. In his practical remarks, he is, in general, (which, we believe, men of fenfe and experience generally are,) fimple and plain; and though we fometimes meet with obfervations too evident to be a matter of inftruction even to the ignorant, and are occafionally reminded of theories now almoft forgotten, we are on the whole prefented with much useful information, delivered in elegant language.

on Art. 31. Annual Oration, delivered March 8th, 1790, before the Medical Society, Bolt Court, Fleet Street, London, by George Wallis, M. D. one of the Fellows, and Lecturer on the Theory and Practice of Phyfic. 4to. PP. 58. 2s. 6d. Robinfons.

1790.

In this Oration, in which the florid ftyle of popular declamation is not forgotten, the fpeaker first generally urges the difadvantages