rience, and that of a few particular friends, it has been found to anfwer the purpofe of an initial book to the Latin language; for which reafon it is now offered for public and general ute. In this manner Mr. Swain speaks of his little performance. As far as we can judge, his account is probable and juft. It is a companion to the grammar, and feems fitted to affift and accelerate that part of education to which it relates.

Art. 44. May Day: or, Anecdotes of Mifs Lydia Lively. Intended to improve and amufe the rifing Generation. 12mo. Is. Mar.

fhall.

1787.

We have often complained of the number, fimilitude, and quality, of the prefent race of novels, and, in reviewing them, of the difficulty of varying our expreffions, on account of the fameness of opinion. Children's books are now almoft as numerous, and the fame difficulty oc.urs; though in thefe, indeed, we have only the multiplicity to object to; whereas, in the novels, we have not only their number, but often their tendency, to reprehend. Of the prefent little volume, we need only fay, that like the many others which have gone before, it contains amusing and inftructive incidents, conveyed in fuitable, eafy language.

Art. 45. Dialogues and Letters on Morality, Oeconomy, and Politeness. 12mo. 3 vols. 35. half bound. Marshall. 1787.

This little, ufeful, fet of books, calculated for young female readers, do not difcredit the many commendable publications of the kind, for which the world is obliged to Mr. Marfhall, and his literary afsociates, M. P. and Co.

IMPEACHMENT of Sir FLIJAH IMPEY.

Art. 46. Articles of Charge of high Crimes and Misdemeanors, against Sir Elijah Impey, Knight, late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Judicature, at Fort William, in Bengal. Prefented to the Houfe of Commons, upon the 12th Day of December 1787. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Stockdale. 1788.

Thefe Charges, fix in number, contain a relation of feveral tranlactions, according to which it appears, that Sir Elijah Impey has often deviated from the due difcharge of his office, as Chief Justice, and frequently committed acts of outrage, violence, and oppretñion.

The first Charge refpects the trial of Nunducomar. The fact, as here stated, is as follows:

The fupreme court at Fort William was erected for the purpose of affording a place of refuge for the inhabitants of the provinces of Bengal, Bahar and Oriffa, whether British or native, who might fuffer from the exactions, vexations, and injuries of the Eaft India Company, or their fervants in authority there. Soon after the eltablishment of this Court, Warren Haftings Efq; was publicly accused of various peculations and corrupt practices, in his office of Governor General, by Maha Rajah Nunducomar, a native of high rank and great eminence. Nunducomar's caufe was frequently put off, and on frivolous excufes, delayed. Mr. Haftings, in the mean time, indicted Nunducomar in the fame Court, for a forgery committed five years before; and the unfortunate Rajah was condemned and executed as here fet forth, contrary to law.

The

The fecond Charge relates to Nauderah Begum *. The cafe was briefly this: Shabbar Beg Khan died, leaving a fhare of his inheritance to his nephew (whom he had adopted as his fon) Bahader Beg Khan. The widow, Nauderah Begum, was in poffeffion of the effects of the deceased; and Bahader Beg commenced a fuit against the widow for the recovery of his fhare of the inheritance; alleging that fhe was fecreting and removing the effects. The fuit, the parties being Mahomedans, was referred to a Cawzee †, and two Mufties, officers belonging to the provincial court and learned in the Mahomedan law; and judgment was given that the effects of Shabbar Beg Khan fhould be divided into four equal parts, three of which were adjudged to Bahader Beg Khan, and the fourth to the widow Nauderah Begum.

After execution of the above fentence, Nauderah brought an action of trespass against Bahader Beg, the Cawzee, and the two Mufties: whereupon, Sir Elijah iffued a writ against the defendants, in which the fheriff was directed, not to admit the faid defendants, nor any of them, to bail, under the fum of 400,000 rupees t.' The writ being executed, the Cawzee was feized in the public ftreet, in the midst of his attendants, as he was returning home from the exercife of the duties of his office, in one of the courts of criminal justice. This difgraceful arreft ftruck the inhabitants of the city of Patna, where the act was committed, with univerfal confternation.-Several enormities, in the courfe of the trial, are alleged against Sir Elijah; which we fhall not enumerate. The refult was, that judgment was given in favour of the plaintiff, Nauderah Begum, with damages to the amount of 300,000 Sicca rupees (about 36,000l.) against all the defendants. Thus Sir Elijah Impey is charged with ufurping a power of controul over the Cawzee and Mufties, men verfed and learned in the laws and cuftoms of the Mahomedans, and acting officially in a court of justice, appointed to examine into the validity of deeds relative to matters of property, according to thofe laws. He is farther charged with bringing the character of a British Judge into difgrace, and the name and administration of British justice, into terror and abomination.

The third Charge is for an extenfion of jurifdiction. The princi. pal part of this Charge ftates that he [Sir Elijah Impey] being himfelf employed in, or confulted relative to, the drawing of the charter under which he was to adminifter juftice in the faid kingdoms [Bengal, Bahar, and Oriffa], did infert or procure to be inferted therein, new power, authority, and jurisdiction over the faid natives, not warranted by the Act of Parliament on which the faid charter was founded, nor fuch as the crown of Great Britain could grant and confer by its own prerogative, agreeably to the law of nations, and

+ Judge.

Princefs. About 44,000l. fterling. Who, not being able to pay fo exorbitant a fine, were thrown into prifon; which produced the miferable death of the Cawzee, who, from age and infirmity, funk (as it is here expreffed) under the perfecution of the faid Elijah Impey. The other defendants remained upwards of two years in the common jail of Calcutta, till they were fet at liberty by the humane interpofition of the British Parliament.

the

the common law of this realm.' Cafes are produced to fubftantiate the charge.

The fourth is relative to a caufe concerning a difputed account, in which Sir Elijah Impey is charged with having, in the undue execution of his office, committed various outrages, indecencies, and profanations the most abominable to the feelings of the Gentoo natives of India, and the most scandalous to any civilized nation.

The fifth Article charges Sir Elijah with accepting the office of judge of one of the courts of the East India Company, and receiving, as fuch, a falary of 8000l. per annum; when by the Act for eltablishing the fupreme Court he was prohibited from accepting any place of office from the Company, and from receiving any falary in lieu of fervices done for the Company.

The fixth Charge concerns the affairs of the Princeffes of Oude; in which Sir Elijah neglecting the office of Chief Julice, travelled round the country in the character of a folicitor, collecting affidavits for fupporting Mr. Haftings in feizing the properties of these unfortunate Princeffes.

Such is the out-line of thefe Articles of impeachment: were we to enter into the particulars of each, we should much exceed our bounds, and probably even then our abridgment would not give that fufficient information concerning thefe intricate affairs, which may be obtained by the perufal of the publication before us.

IMPEACHMENT of Mr. HASTINGS. Art. 47. Minutes of Warren Haftings, and Philip Francis, Efquires. 8vo. Is.. 6d. Stockdale. 1788.

Thefe Minutes are selected from the reports of the Secret Committee, and contain the fubftance of the tranfactions in Council at Bengal, relative to the differences between Mr. Haftings and Mr. Francis; and, though not published with that intention, fome readers, no doubt, will infer, that they afford a fufficient juftification of the House of Commons, for not fuffering Mr. Francis to be a Member of the Committée for managing the impeachment of Mr. Haftings.

Art. 48. The Anfwer of Warren Haflings Efq; to the Articles exhibited by the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes in Parliament asfembled, in the Name of themselves and of all the Commons of Great Britain, in maintenance of their Impeachment against him for High Crimes and Mifdemeanors, fuppofed to have been by him committed. Delivered at the Bar of the Houfe of Peers, Wednefday, Nov. 28th, 1787. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Stockdale. 1788.

It is impoffible for us to give an abridgment of thefe Anfwers to the numerous articles of impeachment exhibited against Mr. H. We fhall therefore only inform our readers, that they appear to be drawn up with great judgment and caution. Mr. Haftings replies to each article feparately; and concludes with a general exculpation of himfelf from the charges which have been brought against him. As to the fufficiency of his defence, we prefume not to offer our opinion: the Members of the great tribunal, appointed to examine the facts,

* For an account of which fee Review for Auguft laft, page 155.

and

and determine the cause, are the only proper judges of the validity of the impeachment, or the veracity of the Governor's answers.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 49. Extrait de la Requête addrefée au Roi par M. de Calonne, Miniftre d'Etat. 8vo. 2 s. 6d. Robfon, &c. 1787. Abridgment of the Memorial addreffed to the King of France, by M. de Calonne, Minister of State. Tranflated from the French by W. Walter. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Robfon, &c. 1787.

In our Review for November laft, page 362, we made mention of M. de Calonne's Requete, or memorial at large, touching his unfortunate fituation in being profcribed by the King and Parliament on the charge of crimes which he declares to be imaginary; the fuggeftions of the enemies of his mafter and of himself. This however is a matter to which it is impoffible for Reviewers, or indeed for Englishmen of any defcription whatever, to fpeak with certainty and precifion. The bafinefs is complex and involved in an uncommon degree.

With refpect to the abridgment of this memorial-a memorial which, from its extraordinary fpirit, the Briton or American might be proud to own-the publisher obferves, I thought that many perfons who either cannot or will not fpare the time to read publications of fuch confiderable length (the memorial being a quarto volume of 212 pages), would be happy to have extracts of the most interefting parts, properly connected, and feparated from the calculations, &c. the more fo as the extracts offered to the public have the advantage of being literally felected from the most striking paffages of the Author. In this opinion we readily concur.

Art. 50. Authentic Adventures of the celebrated Countefs Valois de la Motte, from her Birth to her Escape from Prifon : including the whole Tranfaction with Cardinal de Rohan, relative to the Diamond Necklace. Tranflated from the French. 12mo. 2s. Kearsley. 1787.

The Countess de la Motte, who may be placed with the honourable Mrs. Greeve as a fwindler, but who certainly furpaffes the Englishwoman in cunning and addrefs, has excited the attention of the public in an uncommon degree. This lady has endeavoured to enforce a belief that she is defcended from a natural fon of Henry II. of France, of the race of Valois, and fhe has therefore added Valois to her family name. This claim to a royal though illegitimate original, our Author labours to invalidate, and from his arguments we conclude him to be right, if it was worth while to be right in fuch a point of inquiry, In thefe adventures, in which, by the way, there is much of extravagance and feeming romance, the intriguing spirit of Madame de la Motte is particularly fhewn. No new light, however, is thrown on the affair of the necklace, and, perhaps, till the Countess has published her narrative of that transaction, and which

* A woman who pretended to be related to a noble family, and who, for divers capital frauds by her committed, was, if we remember right, fentenced to tranfportation for life.

the

fhe has promifed to do, no decifion can properly be made. The truth, and nothing but the truth, is now, with fome impatience, expected from her. She has escaped the 'power and malice of her enemies, and has therefore no longer occafion to prevaricate. In the work before us, the Count de Caglioftro, who has been charged by our heroine as a principal in this inimitable juggle, is reprefented as perfectly pure and immaculate.

Art. 51. The Contraft: or the oppofite Confequences of good and evil Habits, exhibited in the lowest Ranks of rural Life, for the Benefit of intelligent Servants, and the best Proficients in Sunday Schools. 12mo. 3s. 6d. Boards. Cadell, &c. 1787.

Many very important moral inftructions are here conveyed through the medium of a natural and interefting ftory, in a manner well adapted to the understandings of thofe for whofe benefit it is defigned. We heartily recommend it, as worthy of a place in the catalogue of useful books.

;

Art. 52. A Short Account of the late Dr. John Parfons, Profeffor of Anatomy at Oxford; Dr. Richard Huck Saunders, of London Dr. Charles Collignon, Profeffor of Anatomy at Cambridge; and Sir Alexander Dick, of Preftonfield. From the Edinburgh Medical Commentaries, Vol. X. p. 322, &c. 8vo. Is. Murray. 1787. This pamphlet contains a fhort biographical account of each of thefe four Phyficians: we pretend not to determine on the authenticity of the particulars here given; nor have we the least reason to doubt the fidelity with which they are executed.

Art. 53. Political Mifcellanies. Part I. By the Authors of the Rolliad and Probationary Odes. 8vo. 3 s. 6d. fewed. Ridgway. 1787.

We must credit the title-page, for the authenticity of the pieces. here collected, as we fee at the bottom of it, the name of the bookfeller through whofe hands the celebrated Rolliad, and the Probationary Odes, were prefented to the public. Some of the articles are anti-ministerial election fquibs, thrown out during the late conteft for Westminster; others are kindred jeux d'efprits, which appeared, at different times, within a few years paft; but the chief, and the beft pieces, in our opinion, are the " Probationary Ode extraordinary. by the Rev. W. Mafon*, M. A." and "the Statefmen, an Eclogue;" in which the Marquis of Lanfdowne and Mr. Pitt are the characters introduced. The whole of this affemblage of fugitive wit, is still capable of affording entertainment, notwithstanding the lapfe of time fince the jefts here repeated firft fet the tables at the Shakespeare and the King's Arms in a roar.

Art. 54. A Reply to Philip Thickneffe's Letter. Published by the Author of the Medical Cautions +. 8vo. No Price nor Bookfeller. 1787. Some private quarrels have given rife to this production, the greatest part of which can only be intelligible to perfons acquainted with the parties, and the particulars of their difputes. The pamphlet contains much fevere perfonal abuse, whether defervedly or unde

* After all, this freedom with the names of refpectable characters, ought not to be deemed allowable.

↑ Dr. Mackittrick Adair; fee Review for Aug. 1787. p. 171. fervedly