When it is found that an infolvency has been brought about, by either extravagance of living, or keeping bad accounts, they then take his affairs into their own hands, trip him of every thing, and turn him out into the world with fuch difgrace and infainy, as effectually prevents him from ever impofing on mankind again by obtaining future credit. And lastly, if they find a man a fraudulent bankrupt, an immediate death on the wheel is the just reward of his villainy • and I wish they were fo punished here, and every where, who are guilty of fuch a heinous ungrateful offence, as defignedly to cheat those who have had confidence in them to give them credit; for it is the honeft-unfortunate debtors only, that I wish to fee relieved and redreffed. But it is worth imitation to prevent the hungry ravenous wolves (the lawyers) from having one penny advantage out of the wreck of the creditor or debtor's property, as the cafe is in Holland, and not fuffer them by arrefts, bails to the fheriff, bail above, declarations, pleas, rejoinders, demurrers, trials, writs of error, injunctions, bill in chancery, writs of error to parliament, &c. &c. &c. to fwallow up the eftate, which should be divided amongst the creditors; and afterwards deftroy the infolvent for ever by perpetual imprifonment.' As to the Sermon itself, it is indeed a very poor performance, and does not make a third of the pamphlet on which it bestows a title. General invectives on particular profeflions very ill become the pulpit; and private abuse, which is obliquely levelled at lord M. as often as an opportunity offers to force it in, appears with equal impropriety there. A note, however, which is diftributed between the ninth and tenth pages of this difcourfe, deferves the perufal of every reader; and, if the fubftance of it be true, cannot fail to enfure univerfal pity to Mr. Stephen, even though his literary merit fould afcertain his right to but an inconfiderable share of fame. It is here neceffary, for the reader's fake, to fubjoin a note. The perfon alluded to is Mr. Stephen, author of a pamphlet, intituled, Confiderations on Imprisonment for Debt. A worthy Roman Catholic baronet, engaged this gentlemen in feveral valuable contracts, relative to the improvement of his eftate. Plans were projected by Mr. Stephen, and approved of by the baronet; which, when carried into execution, would enhance confiderably the value of the faid eftate, fituated in Dorfetfhire. The baronet at length fo far changed his fentiments, as to demand of Mr. Stephen a delivery of the contracts, wishing to reap the advantages refulting from his advice, without conferring upon him the reward his fervices justly merited; Mr. Stephen pofitively refusing to comply with their requeft, fo much enraged. this pious fon of an infallible church, that he inftantly became his most inveterate, and implacable enemy, leaving no method untried to complete his deftruction ;-fuits at law were commenced against him for debts he never owed; his reputation was fullied by the foul breath of the baronet's hungry dependents; and an impartial and diligent ftudy of the Scriptures, differs from the public fyftem, muft bear with reluctance and regret. In our prefent circumstances, the only attempt we can make to be relieved from this real grievance, is to apply by a decent and dutiful petition to the legislature, to have it removed.' To obviate any inconveniencies which may feem, on a fuperficial view, to attend an application of this nature, it is humbly proposed, 1. That a few worthy and refpectable clergymen, refiding in or near the metropolis, who are difpofed to forward a petition to parliament for the purpofe aforementioned, fhall meet toge ther (on the 17th of July) and confider of a proper time and place for a general meeting of their like-minded brethren, within the faid metropolis. 2. That previously to the public notice for fuch general meeting fome eminent counfellor shall be confulted, and requested to give his advice in what manner such general meeting may be procured and conducted, without offence or without infringing the laws of this country, and particularly to give his opinion, whether the established clergy (under the degree of bishops) are folely and fingly, of all his majesty's fubjects, precluded from the right of petitioning parliament with refpect to hardships and grievances attending their particular calling. 3. That the plan of a general meeting being thus fettled, public notice fhall be given of the time and place of affembling, &c. It is farther propofed, that the affociated members fhall fubfcribe their names; that a committee fhall be appointed; that a petition to parliament fhall be prepared; that a draught of it fhall be laid before the fecond general meeting; that copies of it fhall be fent to the country clergy, and their opinions received; that all proceedings fhall be entered in a book provided for that purpofe; and laftly, that fix of the affociated members, &c. fhall attend the honourable House of Commons with the faid petition. Thefe Propofals feem to be drawn up by an able hand, and are recommended in a very fair, modeft, and fenfible manner in the following pamphlet, viz. 16. Thoughts on our Articles of Religion with respect to their supposed Utility to the Sate. 4to. 6d. White. What we have faid on the foregoing article will render it unneceffary for us to make any remarks on the prefent. CHIRURGICA L. 17. Pott's Account of the Method of obtaining a perfect or radical Cure of the Rupture, by means of a Seton. 8vo. 15. Hawes. In a Treatife which Mr. Pott formerly published on the hydrocele, he mentioned the use of the feton as what appeared to him, from the trials he had then made in that disorder, to be preferable to the other methods of cure. The experiments he has fince made, have uniformly anfwered his expectation; and he Ii3 now now informs us that his opinion concerning it is determined. Other reafons, however, have concurred to induce him to the prefent publication. His former treatife had not been fo fully understood as he could have wifhed; and he has not only confiderably improved the operation, but rendered it both less painful and more certain. The inftruments he now makes ufe of, are, A trochar, the diameter of whofe cannula is very nearly, but not quite, one fourth of an inch. Another cannula, which I call the feton-canula, which is made of filver, and is of fuch diameter as juft easily to pass through the cannula of the trochar, its length five inches; and a probe of fix inches one-half long, having at one extremity a fine fteel trochar point, and at the other an eye which carries the feton; which feton confifts of just so much ftrong, coarfe, white, fewing filk as will without difficulty pafs through the latter cannula, but at the fame time will fill it. With the trochar the inferior and anterior part of the tumor is to be pierced, as in common palliative tapping as foon as the water is difcharged, and the perforator withdrawn, the feton-cannula is to be paffed through that of the trochar, until it reaches the upper part of the tunica vaginalis, and is to be felt in the very upper part of the fcrotum, This done, the probe armed with its feton is to be conveyed through the latter cannula, the vaginal coat and integuments to be pierced by its point, and the feton to be drawn through the cannula, until a fufficient quantity is brought out by the upper orifice. The two cannula are then to be withdrawn, and the operation is finished. It is executed in two or three feconds of time, and with little more pain than is felt in common tapping. By this method, every advantage which attended the former operation is obtained, and every inconvenience which it was liable to, is obviated and provided against.' Mr. Pott affirms that he has practifed this method on a great number of fubjects of all ages, from fix years old, to fixty and upwards; and that he has never seen any bad symptoms or any degree of hazard from it, nor has once, fince the present improvement, known it fail of perfect fuccefs. POLITICA L. 18. Trvo Stercbes of an Honourable Gentleman, on the late Negotia fign and Convention with Spain. 8vo. Is. 6d. Almon. The fubftance of thefe fpeeches is, that the convention was dictated by French arbitration, that the difavowal on the part of the king of Spain is an additional injury to Britain, and that the reftitution of Falkland's iflands is a fnare, which lays a train for a future war. To determine with candour of the force of thefe feveral affertions, we apprehend that it is of no material confequence, whether the refolution of the court of Spain to accede to the terms of accommodation, was originally fuggefted by his catholic A paffage in the IVth of this medical poetafter's eructations Man Ode, inscribed to the ingenious and celebrated Dr. Moyfey of Bath) may be confidered as an advertisement; and though we are willing enough to difcourage Sir William's poetry, we would by no means injure his extenfive practice in his profeffion, by omitting this opportunity to infert it. In Schola alma Democriti ac Horati, Nay, reader, take tranflation and all. • Democritus and Horace rule The pleasant and inftructive school, Where Knight Browne wrote this Ode: who now, 28. The Squire and the Parfon, with the Interlude of the Poulterer. 8v0. 1. Wheble. A more This is merely a collection of letters from the Public Advertiser, relative to a late quarrel among the patriots. impudent catchpenny was never offered to the public. 27. Memoirs, Anecdotes and Characters of the Court of Lewis XIV. Tranflated from Les Souvenirs, or Recollections of Madame Caylus, niece to Madame de Maintenon, by the Tranflator of the Life and Writings of Ninon de l'Enclos. Two Vols. 12mo. 65. Dodfley. We do not mean to withold our approbation from the manner in which thefe Memoirs are rendered into English; the queftion to be debated is, whether they were worth tranflating. The volubility of a Frenchwoman's pen is proportionable to that of her tongue. One of the females of that nation, well educated, and at all hackneyed in the world, will collect a greater number of thofe fugitive pieces of hiftory, called anecdotes, concerning the age fhe lives in, than a dozen of our countrywomen, let them be as old and as malicious as the veteran leaders of any card-playing fet of harridans in all London or its environs. To this accomplishment we must add the power of relating them with a degree of elegance not to be taught at English boarding-fchools, or adopted from the general turn of what is called polite converfation in our metropolis. Performances like this before us, however uncommon to our nation, are frequently produced among our neighbours on the other fide the water; and rarely comprize a more important fpecies of biography than this, viz. the lives of royal ftrumpets, together with fuch particulars relative to courts as are beneath the dignity of history to relate, or are very properly excluded from the limits of ferious or useful parrative. If If hiftory affords us a faithful reprefentation of facts; if it informs us that fuch causes, produced fuch and such effe&is; that fuch measures were advised or prevented through the influence of the mistress of this or t'other prince, it relates to us all that is neceffary to be known on the fubject of female politics. How Madame de Maintenon or Madam de Montef pan were first introduced to an amorous monarch, and through what accidents they yielded up their places in a king's affections to others, are truths which hardly deferve much toil of investigation. Such events of their lives were probably scarce worth committing to paper, while they were yet recent ; but to us at prefent they feem alike immaterial with what past between Antony and Cleopatra at Alexandria, or Thais and the fon of Philip at Perfepolis. We wish to wean our readers from the love of such tranfla. tions as merely exhibit captivating pictures of licentious manners, and intrigues among diftinguished characters. The lady who tranflated thefe volumes, we have reafon to fuppofe might more profitably, both for herself and the public, have been employed in the execution of fome original work; and we really believe, had it not been in compliance with the prefent appetite for what is called fummer reading, would rather have chofen to fhine in the task of recording virtuous actions, whether real or fictitious, than in rendering the annals of profligacy acceffible to English readers. At the conclufion of this work we meet with a Preface faid to be written by Voltaire, and prefixed to a new edition of it lately published at Geneva. It is true that Voltaire has been lavish of his commendations on thefe Memoirs; but he is al ways ready to praise those whofe literary reputation he does not envy, provided they have given no particular offence to him: neither would the dangerous tendency of the piece, however immoral, intercept his flattery to the author or authorefs for whom he happened to entertain a partial kindness. -4 We would recommend to the tranflator a less frequent ufe of the word inquifitous, which occurs more than once in the tranflation of Voltaire's Preface. We do not indeed remember ever to have met with it before it in any writer, good, bad, or indifferent. 29. The Nunnery for Coquettes. 1210. 35. Lowndes. The defign of the following sheets (fays the editor, or ra ther, the compiler) is to point out to the ladies the danger and folly of persevering in the prefent polite but fatal plan of conduct, fo generally followed by the most beautiful of their fex. Indeed, Mr. Editor or Compiler, we do not believe a word of all this. The true defign of the work is to collect a |