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no data to proceed upon, the Peerages can give but little infight, and the fearch will probably create a great deal of unsuccessful trouble. It is therefore hoped, that the ufe of this little compendium will evince itself on various occafions.' This appendage is in the fize of Collins's Peerage, to be occasionally bound up with that work.

L'A W.

Art. 20. The Trials of Jofeph Fowke, Francis Fowke, Maha Rajab Nundocomar, and Roy Rada Churn, for a Confpiracy against Warren Haflings, and Richard Barwell, Efqrs; alfo the Trial of Maha Rajah Nundocomar for Forgery. Published by Authority of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Bengal. 4to. 10s. 6d. Boards. Cadell. 1775.

Some curious particulars relative to the customs of the inhabitants, natives and others, of Bengal, &c. incidentally occur in these trials; together with many circumstances, not generally known, refpecting the trade, riches, and power of the English who are fettled in that part of the eastern world. And it must be allowed, that the manner in which thefe judicial proceedings were conducted, and their feveral iffues, reflect honour on the European magiftrates, eftablished in that country. We are particularly pleafed with the candour, humanity, and judgment manifested by Sir Elijah Impey, the chief justice, not only through every part of each trial, but especially, in his fummary of the evidence, &c. at the conclusion of Nundocomar's trial for forgery. We must not omit to obferve, that the just condemnation, and execution of a criminal, fo diftinguifhed by his rank and wealth, as well as by his evil deeds, appears to have given the utmost satisfaction, to all who were acquainted with the life and character of this great wicked man. Art. 21. Arguments and Decifios, in remarkable Cafes before the High Court of Justiciary, and other Supreme Courts, in Scotland. Collected by Mr. Maclaurin. 4to. 11. 5 s. bound. Edinburgh printed, and fold by Dilly, &c. in London. 1774.

5s.

The cafes here collected relate to criminal law only. Mr. Maclaurin's original defign was, as his title page feems to import, to give the public a work of a more miscellaneous kind; but, for reafons that afterwards occurred, he deemed it expedient to alter his intention, (o far, at least, as regards the prefent volume, which he has, accordingly, confined to one clafs of cafés: intimating, however, in his preface, the poffibility that his work may hereafter be rendered more corre fpondent to its title, by a continuation, fhould this volume meet with fuch a reception, as may afford encouragement for a fecond.

The method of arrangement obferved by the Author is fimply that of the order of time in which the cafes occurred; beginning with

Among other extraordinary queftions wich arofe in the course of thefe very peculiar trials, the right of the Eaft India Company to receive ambaffadors, was ably difcuffed by the court. This was occafioned by the claim of Roy Rada Churn, to the privilege of exemption from profecution; being, as he pretended, the public minister of Mabaric ul Dowla, nabob of the provinces of Bengal, &c. But his claim was difallowed.

that of Major Weir and his fifter.-Venus nefanda, inceft, adultery, fornication, and forcery, in 1670; and ending with the king against Macgregor,' in 1773, for a murder committed in 1747.

·

To this collection of cafes, is prefixed an Introductory Difcourfe; in which Mr. M. hath manifefted his industry and abilities, both as an Editor, and as a lawyer. The work, on the whole, may be confidered as an ufeful addition to the stock of public knowledge, legal and hiftorical; nor will its utility be confined to local investigations, or refearches in jurifprudence north of the Tweed. The English lawftudent will also find in it much matter of inftru&ion, and not a little to gratify his curiofity, and promote his entertainment: for, we apprehend, few will diffent from our opinion, that there is great amufement, as well as information, to be found in the perufal of works of this kind, in which the lawyer, the hiftorian, the antiquary, and the general reader, are all greatly if not equally interested.

Art. 22. The Statutes at Large, from the 13th Year of the Reign of Geo. III. to the 16th Year of Geo. III. inclufive. To which is prefixed, a Table of the Titles of all the public and private Statutes during that Time. With a copious Index. 4to. l. 1 s. bound. Strahan, &c. 1776.

This is the twelfth volume of the much approved edition of our parliamentary Statutes in quarto, begun by the late ingenious and accurate Mr. Ruffhead; and which, from the fucceffive publications of the feveral volumes, we have had various occafions of commending to our readers. See Rev. vols. xxviii. p. 61. xxxii. p. 55. xlv, p. 328. and xlix. p. 506.

NOVELS and MEMOIRS. Art. 23. Memoirs of Mifs Sophy Sternheim, from the German of Mr. Weiland. By E. Harwood, D. D. z Vols. 6s. Becket. 1776.

Dr. Harwood judged very properly in making choice of an agreeable Novel for his Exercife book, when he undertook the tedious task of learning German; and is doubtless to be commended for having fo happily provided for his own amufement and improvement during the long evenings in January and February: but we are furprised to find that he has ventured to publifh his Exercifes, as Mils Sophy Sternheim has already appeared in an English drefs, and therefore could not be expected to gain much additional notice from any embellishments which Dr. Harwood could give her. We muft, however, allow the new Tranflator the merit of exhibiting this lady before his countrymen in a more pleafing form than that in which the first appeared; and to fuch of our Readers as are fond of German beauties, we beg leave to introduce her as an agreeable fentimental companion.

Art. 24. Liberal Opinions; in which is continued the Hiftory. of Benignus, written by himself; and published by Courtney Melmoth. 12mo. Vols. 3 and 4. 6s. Robinson, &c.

Having had repeated occafion to exprefs our difapprobation of the productions of this Writer, either on account of the principles they inculcated, and the moral effect they were adapted to produce, or on account of the manifeft violations we obferved of the laws of good

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writing; it is with pleasure we inform our Readers that we find little in the prefent volumes either to offend our moral feelings, or call for our critical cenfure. Though we cannot think it a fufficient apology for the former part of this work, to fay, as the Author does in his preface to thefe volumes, that it was his intention, in exhibiting the character of Benignus, rather to point out the inconveniences attending an ill-directed and indifcreet generosity, than to caft a general cenfure on the benevolent character; we are glad to find that the Author has fo far availed himself of our former remarks, as to direct his invention into a lefs offenfive channel; and has learned to furnish his readers with amufement, without undermining their virtuous principles. In this part of his work, the Author has indulged that vein of writing which feems most natural to him, dwelling principally on the delineation of characters in the middle or lower walks of life, feveral of which he has drawn with real strokes of hu mour, and in a manner which shews him to be no ftranger to the world.

** Mr. Melmoth intimates his intention of continuing this work ; but to what length he means to protract it we are not informed. R MATHEMATIC s.

Art. 25. The Diarian Mifcellany; confifting of all the useful and entertaining Parts, both Mathematical and Poetical, extracted from the Ladies Diary: From the Beginning of that Work, in the Year 1704, down to the End of the Year 1773. With many additional Solutions and Improvements. In 5 Vols. 12mo. By Cha. Hutton, F. R. S. Profeffor of Mathematics, in the Royal Military Academy. 11. 9s. Robinson.

The Ladies' Diary was originally projected by Mr. John Tipper, in 1704; and continued under his management to the year 1713 inclufive; it was conducted for the most part by Mr. Henry Brighton, from 1714 to 1744, with the affiftance of his wife, and of his friend Mr. Ant. Thacker, as being a better mathematician than himself: Cap. Rob. Heath, fuperintended the publication of it from 1745 to 7753: Mr. Tho. Simpson had the care of it from 1754 to 1760; and it was under the direction of Mr. Edw. Rollinfon, from 1761, till his death in 1773.

As many numbers of this periodical publication were become extremely scarce, and the whole of it contained a variety of very cusious particulars, the Editor has made an entire collection of them, and republished the most useful and entertaining articles. The whole is comprised in five volumes; three of which contain all the mathematical parts, including queftions, folutions, tracts, and eclipses. The Editor has fupplied folutions, where they were wanted; corrected thofe that were erroneous, and explained such as were obfcure: he has likewife added to the annual calculations of eclipfes, accounts of the observations made of the fame eclipfes, collected from various publications, which it was thought might be of ufe in fhewing the degree of nearness in the tables from which the calculations had been made, when the computers were fuch as might be depended on." The other two volumes include the poetical or enigmatical articles, a few things of lefs importance being omitted. The utility of

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waiting and preserving thefe periodical papers, and of arranging them into a regular order, will be univerfally acknowledged: more efpecially, when it is confidered how highly Mr. Tho. Simpson, who was one of the compilers, and whofe judgment in matters of this kind is unquestionable, estimates the merit of the original publica tion. He fays, "that for upwards of half a century, this fmall pere formance, fent abroad in the poor drefs of an almanac (and that under a title, not calculated to raise the highest expectations) has contributed more to the ftudy and improvement of the mathematics, than half the books profeffedly written on the fubject. The most celebrated authors now among us have contributed to promote the reputation of the Ladies' Diary; and the compiler thinks he may, without any offence to truth, venture to pronounce, that the ma thematical part (at least) is, at this time, greatly fuperior to every attempt to imitate it, and not below the notice of the best judges."

The Editor has added a fixth volume, intitled "Mifcellanea Ma thematica: confifting of a large collection of curious mathematical problems, and their folutions; together with many other important difquifitions in various branches of the mathematics: being the lite rary correspondence of feveral eminent mathematicians." Art. 26. Riley's Arithmetical Tables, for multiplying and di viding Sums, to the utmost extent of Numbers, with mecha nical Eafe, and mathematical Certainty: defigned for the Ufe of practical Accomptants, Surveyors, Navigators, Merchants, and Men of Bufinefs in general. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. Riley.

In important concerns, it is apprehended few perfons will trust to the correctness of printed tables, without going through the operations themselves to prove them; and hence calculated tables are not of that great ufe which the publishers ufually promife: the operations of multiplication and divifion will be very nearly as readily performed, as the products and quotients can be collected from the tables here formed; all additions and fubtractions remaining ftill to be executed by the fearcher, in every step.

MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 27. A concife Account of all the British Colonies in North America, comprehending their Rife, Progress, and modern State, particularly of Maffachusets Bay, &c. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Bew. .1775.

Those who are not poffeffed of any of the larger histories or defcriptions of North America, will here find a very tolerable account of the provinces of New England; but that of the other colonies is very brief indeed: New York is defcribed in less than five pages New Jersey, in lefs than three; Penfylvania, in three and a half; and Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Floridas, are difpatched in the fame compendious manner. There is added a deferiptive table of the feveral countries, on a folding fheet, exhibiting, at one view, their respective boundaries, divifions, towns, capes, harbours, rivers, productions, &c. which is well drawn up, and may Serve, as the Author fays, for a very proper companion for a map.

Where is the utmost extent of numbers to be found? Not in, or by, these tables.

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Art. 28. Advice from a Father to his Son, just entered into the Army. In Seven Letters. 8vo. 15. Johnson.

Fraught with excellent admonition refpecting the duties of tempe rance, fobriety, and religion ;-in a word, recommending the prac tice of every virtue requifite to complete the character of a foldier, a gentleman and a Chriftian: parents, or guardians, cannot make a more proper present to a young officer.

We imagine that the worthy Author miftakes the (English) meaning of the word Pannel, in his advice relative to the conduct of gentlemen affifting at a court martial. He uses it, as they do in Scotland, for the perfon accused; but, in England, it refers to the Jury.

Art. 29. The Life of Petrarch, collected from Memoires pour

la Vie de Petrarch. The Second Edition. 8vo. 2 Vols. 12s. Boards. Dodfley, &c.

Of this very entertaining work we gave an account in our Number for September, 1775. We are glad to find that the fuccefs of the first impreffion hath fo fpeedily occafioned a fecond, and that we have now the advantage of an index, which was wanting in the firft edition. We have a great veneration for indexes, and we feldom fail to express our difapprobation of every work of any confequence, that appears without one. By this omiffion, many (otherwife valuable) books, are rendered, in a great measure, ufelefs, after the fir perufal as there is no means of occafionally confulting them, without a lofs of time, intolerable to thofe who know how to estimate it. Art. 30. Quin's Rudiments of Book-keeping; comprised in fix plain Cafes, and attainable in as many Days, without the help of a Teacher; calculated for Perfons of either Sex grown to Matuvity. With an Effay on the fit Manner of initiating Youth to Temperance and moral Rectitude, by an easy arithmetical Scale. Small 8vo. 2 s. 6 d. Bew, &c.

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The first fentence in this work is conceived in the following terms: The greatest moral rectitude neceffary for adult perfons, muft proceed from a right knowledge and practice of keeping orderly accounts.'

Now though it is by no means our intention to depreciate the merit of keeping regular accounts, it must nevertheless be noted, that many adult perfons have kept very orderly accounts of their private affairs; and yet have had the misfortune to be hanged at Tyburn for a total difregard of moral rectitude! e. g. where regular entries are made of houses to be broke open, or accounts kept of clipping and coining. Mr. Quin however understands book keeping, and teaches in Prujean-fquare, oppofite Surgeon's-hall, in the Old Bailey. Art. 31. Obfervations on the Art of Brewing Malt Liquors ; in a Series of Strictures on a fecret Syftem, inculcated in a private Courfe of Lectures on Brewing, lately delivered to several eminent Initiates in that mystic Mode of Practice; to whofe Perafal they are particularly dedicated. By a Practical Brewer. 8vo. 2 S.

Wilkie.

This is a fneering attack on we do not know who, and we scarcely, even after perufal, know for what, farther than we are informed by the title. It is indeed very obfcure; but as it refers to fome private matters, which we may fuppofe the Writer understands, and as he

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