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Art. 52. The Reports of the Commissioners appointed to examine, take, and state, the Public Accounts of the Kingdom; presented to his Majesty, and to both Houses of Parliament: with the Appendixes complete. By William Mollefon, Secretary to the Commiffioners. Vol. I. 410. 11. Is. Cadell. 1783.

When affairs appear to go wrong, either in regard to a political flate, or a private individual, prudence dictates an examination into circumstances with a view to economy, wherever there may be opportunity for favings. Our respectable brother Reviewers have paid great attention to this important work, and have acquitted themselves to general fatisfaction. Their Reports, seven in number, have been fufficiently retailed in the public papers; and are employed on the following subjects:

I. Balances in the Hands of the Receivers General of the Land-tax. II. Accountants who receive Public Money from the Subject, to be paid into the Exchequer.

III. Balances in the Hands of the Treasurers of the Navy.

IV. Balances in the Hands of Paymasters General of the Forces, out of Office.

V. Balances in the Hands of Paymasters General of the Forces, in Office.

VI. Salaries, Fees, and Gratuities, received by Officers and Clerks in the Pay-Offices of the Navy and Army, and in the Receipt of the Exchequer.

VII. Accounts of the Extraordinary Services of the Army, incurred, and not provided for by Parliament.

The publication of the Reports made during the present session, is to follow, with a general Index to the whole.

Art. 53. The Chronicle of the Kingdom of Caffiterides, under the Reign of the House of Lunen. A Fragment. Translated from an ancient Manuscript, 8vo. IS. Wilkie. 1783.

It is easy to conceive, on reading this title, that some present temporary event may be couched under the guise of an ancient chronicle; but as the only end of attempting the story of the American war in the stile of Jewish history must have been humour, we have only to with the Author had laboured for a better purpose: he might then, probably, if fuccessful, have reaped some advantage; at present, he has laboured in vain.

Art. 54. Sequel to an Effay on the Origin and Progress of Govern

ment *. ১০০. 6 d. Cadell. 1783.

Confists of desultory thoughts (but not without a confiderable share of vivacity and good sense) on the pernicious tendency of a Tory-Administration, and its unsuitableness, in every point of effential consequence, to the constitution of England. The Writer not only reasons speculatively on the principles of that conftitution, but supports and confirms his argument by an appeal to clear and indifputable facts. Some of his allufions are happy enough; but there are others that are far-fetched and inapplicable, not to say low and vulgar. 'The city of Troas was overthrown by mice; and England and its conftitution (says he) have been undermined, and more than

See Review for November last, p. 385.

once

once nearly shaken to ruin by Tories. There is no wit in this com parifon-at least in plain prose; though it might be admitted very properly in a burlesque poem, where objects, the most heterogeneous in quality, and the most distant in fituation, may be associated; and where the affociation is always thought the happiest, when those that are the farthest afunder are united by fome unexpected tie of fimilitude.

The Writer traces out the origin of representation, confiders its defects, and offers fome hints for improvement. He calls on men of all ranks to attempt the great work of reformation; and flatters himself, that this important object will not be neglected by those who have the greatest influence in the government. • One folid foundation of hope is formed (fays he) by the concurrence of perfons in high rank, even in Administration, who have pledged themselves to the people for that purpose.'

When this pamphlet was published, Lord North was not in the Ministry. We shall foon fee whether coalition and converfion befynonimous terms.

Art. 55. Free Parliaments: or, A Vindication of the Parliamentary Conftitution of England. In Anfwer to certain Visionary Plans of modern Reformers. 8vo. Is. 6d. Debrett. 1783. The Writer informs us, that he is not an author by profeffion.Whether this declaration proceeds from pride or modesty, we profess to be ignorant. The pamphlet, however, appears to be the production of no common pen. We have in it much accurate information, and much plaufible reasoning. The Author treats, first, of the DURATION of parliament-annual-and triennial; and, secondly, of REPRESENTATION-of counties and of cities and boroughs. With respect to the former, he obferves, that originally there existed no law to limit the duration of parliament; and that, consequently, an appeal to the early periods of the constitution can avail nothing in the present argument. The utmost that can be urged is, the obligation that the King was under to order parliament to meet every year. But what parliamenti a new one? No. It was the old parliament that was to be fummoned-unless the King diffolved it by virtue of his prerogative. If, fays this Writer, the freeholders and free. men have a right to an annual election, the King has no right to difsolve the parliament, because the diffolution would take place, at the end of the annual feffion, as a thing of course. If the claim to such right is juft, the prerogative to diffolve whenever the crown fees fit, is an ufurpation. If the prerogative is just, the claim to such right is an attempt at ufurpation."

There are those who drop the claim of right, and only argue on the ground of expedience Such are many of the great advocates for triennial parliaments. The Author meets them on their own ground; and thews the impolicy and danger of frequent elections. He confiders them as a fource of popular confufion and licentiousness, and ought to be discountenanced by all who with for the peace and order of fociety. At present, he obferves, we experience the great inconveniencies of popular elections; that the evil would certainly be increased with its frequency; and that members, especially, who are follicitous to introduce a change as to the duration of parliament, neither confalt their own interest and quiet, nor the peace and prosperity of the community at large.

fult

The present state of reprefentation, like every human fystem, muft be imperfect and defective. But that which hath been rendered venerable by time, should be touched with a very delicate hand. The rath removal of one imaginary grievance may open a way for the introduction of numberless real ones. The Author thinks it more fafe to permit the former than run the hazard of the latter. He strengthens his opinion on this subject by a declaration of Lord Chatham's, in his celebrated speech in the House of Lords [January 22, 1770], on the Marquis of Rockingham's motion, for appoint ing a day to take into confideration the state of the nation. One expression is very remarkable. Speaking of the Cornish boroughs (so generally supposed to be the rotten parts of the constitution, as being mere faleable things to the best bidder), that great statefmen confeffed, that, like fome natural infirmities in the body, they must be borne with patience, because they cannot be removed without danger. • The limb, fays he, is mortified, but amputation might be death.' Junius (who is alfo appealed to by this writer), appeared to have entertained the fame fufpicions of the hazard that we should run, by any attempts to produce a change in the flate of representation, either by additions or diminutions.

But however shrewdly and ingeniously this writer reafons, yet from his own conceffions we gather, that matters are bad; and all we learn is, that an attempt to mend will probably make them worse.

LAW.

Art. 56. The Trial of Mrs. Elizabeth Williams, Wife of John
Williams, Esq; of the City of Exeter, at the Arches Court of Can-
terbury, Dolors Commons, for committing Adultery with John
Peyton, Efq; Capt. of the Bever Sloop. 400. 2s. 6d. Bladon.
Art. 57. Another Edition of the above Trial. 8vo. 1s. Peate.
Art. 58. The Trial of Mrs. Hankey, (formerly Eliz. Thomson)
Wife of John Hankcy, Efq; Son of Sir Thomas Hankey, Knight,
for Adultery. 8vo. Is. Axtell, &c. 1783.
The less said, the better:-on fuch fubje&s.
RELIGIOUS.

Art. 59. The great Duty and Delight of Contentment. By E.

Harwood, D.D. 12m0. 18. Robinton.

172.

The Author's deplorable situation under a late fevere stroke of the palsy, hath very naturally directed his thoughts to this subject. We wish his reflections may promote his own comfort, and administer to the fup port of others under afliction. But for Christians-we say for Chriftianis fome better examples were needed than those which are brought from the schools of Paganism. We would not depreciate the virtues of heathens; nor speak scornfully of the maxims of the philofophers; but on a subject, such as that of contentment, where the Gospel proposes the beit, and indeed only proper motives to give it stability, and illuftrates it by the most powerful and recommending examples; we should naturally, from a Christian, divine have expected something

Said very confidently by the Author to be at present in India. t

more

more edifying and more evangelical than the trite saws of ethnic fages and pedantic and hacknied quotations from Cicero, and Juvenal, and Horace, and Seneca, and Euripides, and Marcus Antoninus, and Epictetus. We think a text of Scripture hath as much elegance in a discourse on contentment, as a school-boy's mottto to his Saturday's theme. We do not say that the Author hath wholly neglected the motives of Chriftianity: but they are but flightly touched on; and the GREAT EXAMPLE of the virtue he recommends is not once hinted at. O Socrates! O Aristippus! what were ye, in contentment and refignation, to the man of forrows, who repressed the fervor of the impatient disciple by this gentle expostulation, "The cup which my father hath given me to drink, shall I not drink it?"-" Father! not my will, but thine be done."

Ye little stars, bide your diminish'd rays.

Art. 60. Le Ciel ouvert à tout l'Univers: et l'Enfer aneanli. Par Adr. Louis. (i. e.) Heaven opened to all, and Hell annihilated. By Adr. Louis. 8vo. Dodsley, &c. 1782.

A string of vehement exclamations, against imposture and priestcraft, fuperftition and enthusiafm, nonfenfe and absurdity. All, unquestionably, bad things, and proofs, sufficiently humiliating, of human folly and depravity. But can philofophy devise no better way of driving them out of the world, than hooting and spurning at them? Is it not possible to find out fome more likely method of making men wife, than by calling them fools ?

***"A Correspondent," who dates his letter "Holborne, March 29th." and who complains of our long delay, with respect to a late tract on "the Lord's Supper," not yet mentioned in our Review, -is referred to the Note relative to Lindsay's Catechift, &c. in answer to the inquiry of " A conftant Reader." The same answer must be given to our present Correspondent; as our feeming negligence has been really. owing to the very fame caufe:-which we hope will speedily and entirely cease.

IF X. Y. P. Q. will favour us with a fight of the publications mentioned in his letter, they shall be duly noticed. Our Collector professes that he cannot meet with them; but we suspect that he is rather thy of extending his north-eaft walk fo far as Upper Morefielda and the Foundery.

"

§§§ In answer to Φιλόμηνος, we can only say, that we do not recollect any other publication by the learned Lady who made the poetical translation of the Song of Solomon, from the original Hebrew," which was noticed in the 66th volume of our Review; nor have we yet heard that the ad volume of Lavater's Effai fur la Pbyfiognomie has made its appearance. We believe it is yet unpublithed.

+++ An account of MUIRHEAD'S "Differtations on the Federal Transactions between God and his Church," will appear in due time.

Erratum in our Review for January laft, viz. p.6, 1. 11. for organization, r, origination.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For MAY, 1783.

ART. I. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS of the Royal Society of London. Vol. LXXI. For the Year 1782. Part 1. 4to. 85. fewed. Davis.

PAPERS relating to CHEMISTRY.

Article 15. Continuation of the Experiments and Obfervations on the specific Gravities, and attractive Powers, of various faline Substances: By Richard Kirwan, Efq; F. R. S.

I

N this Article Mr. Kirwan profecutes his curious and profound investigations with fingular address and ingenuity. After ascertaining, in a very ingenious manner, the quantity of pure acids requifite to faturate the mineral and volatile alcali, calcareous earth, magnesia or muriatic earth, and that of alum; he discusses one of the most profound and interesting subjects of chemistry: we mean the nature of phlogiston, and even the quantity or weight of this principle, that is contained in several compounds; particularly in nitrous air, fixed air, vitriolic air, fulphur, and marine acid air. We do not add, infiammable air; for the capital result of the Author's researches into this fubject is-that perfectly pure inflammable air and phlogiston are one and the same fubftance.

Phlogiston, the Author observes, exists in metals and various' other substances, in a concrete or fixed state, in the fame manner as fixed air, or the aerial acid, exifts in marble; where, he obferves, that this last fluid is nearly of equal density with gold: but neither can phlogiston, nor fixed air, be exhibited in a concrete state, fingle or uncombined with another substance; for the instant that they are by any means disengaged from the bodies with which they had been combined, and by which they had been fixed, they affume a fluid and elastic ftate, and respectively

appear under the forms of inflammable air and fixed air.

REV. May, 1783.

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