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Let man, through dangers, provinces fubdue,
He conquers others to fubmit to you:
Before the shaft of love ambition flies,

And glittering fwords give way to sparkling eyes.”.

This Effay is in general fentimental, and the verfification harmonious and we do not pay an unmerited compliment to the fair author when we give it as our opinion, that it justly intitles her to an honourable place among the ladies whom she celebrates as inftances of female genius.

15. Three Comedies: the Uneafy Man, the Financier, and the Sylph. Freely Tranflated from Meffrs. de St. Foix and Fagan. 8vo. 2s. 6d. ferved. Walter.

These comedies were chofen by the tranflator as examples of the three favourite fpecies of dramatic writing, the pathetic, the genteel, and the humorous. As compofitions, they are confiderably improved by the freedom he has ufed in the verfion; though the fable of the Sylph, without a total alteration, must still remain irreconcileable with the principles of dramatic probability.

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16. The Man of Family: a Sentimental Comedy. By the Author of the Placid Man, and Letters from Altamont in the Capital, to his Friends in the Country. 8vo. Is. Cadell.

The general idea of the fable of this comedy is taken from the Pere de Famille of M. Diderot; but the plan is fo much altered, that the prefent performance may be confidered as an original work, containing only fome of the nobleft fentiments of the other. This comedy is calculated rather for affording entertainment in the closet than the theatre. It presents but few incidents to rouze the attention, or fituations to excite expectation. We are not amufed with any flippancy of dialogue, nor interested by the ardour of intrigue: but the characers are well fupported, the converfation is animated, and the fentiments are moral.

NOVE L.

17. The Fault was all his own. A Novel, in a Series of Letters, by a Lady. 2 Vols. 12mo. 55. Riley.

This writer feems to have taken little pains either in planing or executing her work. The story is irregular, and productive of few interefting events. The characters are imperfectly delineated, and the bufinefs affigned them feldom has importance enough to excite the reader's curiofity or concern. Yet these letters are not deftitute of merit. They are interspersed with many sprightly fentiments and fenfible reflections, and bear the marks of a promifing genius. They are the production of a young lady, who is lately married, and now refides at Cronftadt in Ruffia.

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MEDICAL.

18. A Differtation on the Gout, and all Chronic Diseases, jointly confidered, as proceeding from the fame Causes; &c. By William Cadogan, Fellow of the College of Phyficians. 8vo. Dodsley.

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is. 6d.

This treatife is a detached part of a more extensive work, which the author propofes publishing hereafter. In the mean time he confiders the gout as the reprefentative of all chronic difeafes. Dr. Cadogan ridicules the opinion of there being a great variety of conftitutions, and diseases unavoidably peculiar to each; and he derives the origin of all chronic diseases in general from indolence, intemperance, or vexation He treats of these several caufes at great length, and affirms from his own experience, that the gout may be effectually cured by a total alteration of those habits. The author's rules of temperance approach to Lacedæmonian feverity, and are such as we despair of ever feeing reduced to a general practice. This treatise, however, contains many fenfible observations, and there is at the fame time an originality in the ftile and manner that peculiarly engages the attention.

19. A Candid and Impartial State of the Farther Progress of the Gout-medicine, of Doctor Le Fevre, being the Evidence of the Year 1770, and Part of the Year 1771. To which is added an Appendix. By Edmund Marshall, M. A. Vicar of Charing, in Kent. 8vo. 25. Dilly.

The evidence which is here collected in fupport of the efficacy of Le Fevre's medicine, appears to be premature. No inftance is produced of the gout's being radically cured by it; and even the teftimony of its palliative effects, is too weak and indeterminate to authorize any pofitive conclufion in its fa

vour.

POLITICS.

20. Freedom of the Prefs, and Privileges of the Commons, conJidered. 8vo. Is. 6d. Bell.

This writer, after reprefenting the common method of fabricating news papers as inconfiftent with the communication of authentic intelligence, enters upon the fubject of the pri vileges of the house of commons in punishing for a contempt of their authority. But in this he has been fully anticipated in a pamphlet of which we gave an account in our laft Number. 21. An Anglo-Lufitanic Difcourfe, concerning the Complaints of the British Factors, refident in the City of Lisbon. 8vo. Is. 6d.

Wilkie.

The defign of this difcourfe is to refute the pretended caufes of the complaints of the English factors at Lifbon, which have

been

been fo often repeated in our news papers; and to fhew that they have been originally invented and promoted by the domeftic enemies of his moft Faithful Majefty's perfon and government, and those who envy the alliance between the British and Portuguese nations.

22. Confiderations and Remarks on the Prefent State of the Trade to Africa, c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Robinson and Roberts.

The African trade is undoubtedly of great utility and advantage to the commercial and manufacturing people of this nation it does not, as this author obferves, deprive us of any thing but what we can very well fpare, and returns through the channel of the colonies an inexhauftible fource of wealth to Great Britain, makes up a very confiderable part of the revenue, and furnishes the European markets with many useful articles; as, ivory, bees-wax, gum, dye-woods, &c. Our author next proceeds to fhew that the method used in purchafing flaves is disadvantageous to the British merchants, as it now ftands, upon the following plan. A contracts with B, for (we will fuppofe) 1500 negroes, deliverable in twelve months, at four different periods, and at the ftipulated price of 221. fterling for every merchantable negroe; two-thirds of thefe to be males, the other third females. On the delivery of 350 negroes, the affortment will run 120 prime men, not to exceed twenty-feven years of age, as near as can be judged, eighty boys, four feet four inches and upwards; thirty four boys, from three feet ten inches to four feet three inches; feventy women, not to exceed twenty-four years of age, according to the judgment of the parties; twenty-five women-girls, that is, between women and girls; twenty-one girls, from four feet to four feet three inches high. In cafe A cannot implement this agreement, he obliges himself to pay and account to B, 91. fterling for every flave he falls fhort in the ftipu lated number. The fhip which B fends to receive thefe 350 negroes, is, by agreement, to remain two calendar months on that part of the coaft, where the parties agree to fend her, during which time,, should not B be able to furnish the ftipulated quantity of negroes, before the expiration of the two months after the fhip's arrival, the fhip muft lie at the rate of 30l. fterling per diem demurrage: and for the ratification of the general terms and conditions of the agreement, the parties become bound in the penalty of 5000l. fterling.

From this it is obvious, that the English contractor muft furnish the flaves at any advanced price, rather than incur the penalties ftipulated. To defcend to a particular circumstance, which may ferve to illuftrate the matter; in the year 1763, ne

groes

groes could be purchased from 60 to 70 bars, on an average, one cargo in particular was laid in at 54 bars, confifting of 280 to 340 flaves: whereas, from the before specified causes, they have fince that period, rofe to the amazing price of 120 bars, which is almost 100 per cent. in the space of seven years. The remaining parts of this pamphlet contain an enumeration of feveral other defects in regard to the present method of conducting the African trade, and points out likewise the most obvious methods of removing them. As the author (who by this work appears to be a fenfible person) has drawn his obfervations from a series of upwards of fifteen years experience in that quarter of the globe, we are of opinion that what he has here advanced cannot be unworthy the attention of those merchants and traders who are engaged in any commercial branch of the trade to Africa.

DIVINITY.

23. The New Teflament or New Covenant of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Tranflated from the Greek according to the Prefent Idiom of the English Tongue. With Notes and References, &c. By the late Mr. John Worfley, of Hertford. 8vo. 10s. 6d. Cadell.

Mr. Worfley informs us, that the principal attempt of this translation is both to bring it nearer to the original, either in the text or notes, and to make the form of expreffion more fuitable to our prefent language.' His qualifications for a work of this kind do not appear to have been extraordinary. He feems indeed to have had a competent fhare of learning, 'to have been induftrious, and moderate in his principles; but to have wanted taste and judgment, and a greater command of language. He has indeed rendered many paffages very properly; he has rejected the obfolete phrases which appear in former verfions; and avoided that pomp and affectation, which is unfuitable to the character of the facred writers; but at the fame time he has used a great number of mean and indelicate expreffions. This, we apprehend, is a capital defect in a tranflation of the fcriptures, which, above all other writings, require a venerable fimplicity, and a dignity of expreffion. In this view the following paffages feem to be exceptionable. Whosoever looketh on a woman, so as to luft after her, hath already debauched her in his heart.—The ten virgins were all drowy and fell asleep. Then will the king fay to them on his right hand, I was famifhing, and ye gave me food.—This ointment might have been fold for a great deal of money.-Peter ftriking at the high priest's fervant took off his ear. As they were going along they met with a man of

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THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of December, 1770.

ARTICLE I.

The Life of Edward Lord Herbert, of Cherbury. Written by Himfelf. 4to. 81. fewed. Dodiley.

OF

F this work, which is at prefent offered to public fale, a few copies were printed eight or nine years ago, and distributed among the friends of the noble editor.-While it remained in a state which the severity of law alone could term publication, we had no right to review it; and even now shall content ourselves with laying a few extracts before the reader, together with fuch previous remarks as may ferve to characterize the genius of this diftinguished author.

In Vol. XXVI. of our Review, p. 51, &c. we have already paffed our judgment on a celebrated work of lord Herbert, of Cherbury, entitled, A Dialogue between a Tutor and his Pupil, The character of this nobleman was, perhaps, the most heterogeneous of any ever formed by nature. Though a man of genius, he was a laborious, accurate, and faithful writer. Though a philofopher, he was credulous even to weakness and though a freethinker, fuperftitious even to contempt. In martial exercises he was unrivalled. His valour was equal to that of Charles XII. and to crown this ftrange affemblage of qualities, he had a political, as well as perfonal, courage, which did honour to his country.

The work before us may be fafely permitted to speak for it. felf. The lover of romance will find his wildest wishes gratified in the perufal of it; and we have no doubt but the friends of truth may firmly rely on the veracity of our illuftrious bio grapher-We shall select the editor's Introduction, for the inVOL. XXX. December, 1770. formation

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