known to you, that I might perfuade you myfelf of the defire I have that you should be one of my friends. MARIE." Dr. Fitzwilliam, at the revolution, could not take the oath of allegiance to King William and Queen Mary. Part of his letter to Lady Ruffel upon that fubject will display the integrity of his mind, and will afford, at the fame time, a good picture of the difficulties into which fome worthy men were thrown, by the narrow principles of their ecclefiaftical education. It was a concern to her Ladyfhip that the Doctor was not capable of entertaining more enlarged views of things. "It may be, fays he, I have as fad thoughts for the divifions of the church, and as ardent defires for its peace as any; and let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerufalem before my chief joy. But I cannot efteem it a good way to seek the attainment of this, by any act which shall disturb my own peace and yet this I muft of neceffity do, if I make use of such means as may be conducive to that end, when I am not first convinced of the juftice of them. I did not doubt but the Deans of fome of the greatest name in the city would take the oaths, nor do I fufpect but they will proceed to the doing fo upon grounds which feem in their own judgment very folid. And yet I ought not to act or defend what I do by the example of others. This is like clearing one's felf by reckoning up the faults of others, as St. Hierome writing to Celantia obferves: but however, as he proceeds, it argues a lightness and vanity of mind, for a man to leave his own conscience to follow the opinion of others. It may be their judgment, that at least, in fuch a cafe as ours was, the people have power to alter the fucceffion; and that the convention was a full reprefentative of them. I fuckt in other more monarchical principles with the first knowledge I had, from the breafts of my mother the university, and then, and ever fince, took them, as far as I could underftand, to be more agreeable to our frame of conftitution of government; or they may look upon this revolution as a tacit and virtual conqueft. I wish it had been owned to be fuch; for then I had known from the refolutions of Civilians and Cafuifts and my own reafon, what to have done without difficulty. In the mean time I intreat you, very good Madam, not to call boggling at an oath, clashing against another, as far as I can difcern, which I formerly took, an unneceffary fcruple. I believe, were you under fuch an engagement, your tenderpefs and circumfpection would be rather greater than mine. "The former oath of allegiance runs thus: "I will bear "faith and true allegiance to his Majefty King Charles, or King "James, and his heirs and fucceffor, and Him and Them will de"fend." Of fupremacy, "I will bear faith and true allegiance 6 to * "to the King's Highness (Charles or James) his heirs and lawful fucceffors, and to my power fhall affift and defend all jurif"dictions, privileges, pre-eminences and authorities granted or belonging to the King's Highnefs, his heirs and fucceffors, or "united and annext to the Imperial Crown of this realm:" "Now. I am informed by the ftatute 1 Jac. c. 1. that lineal fucceffion is a privilege belonging to the Imperial Crown, and by 12 Car. 2. c. 30. 17. That the undoubted and fundamental Jaws of this kingdom, neither the Peers of this realm, nor the Commons, nor both together, in parliament, or out of parliament, nor the people collectively, nor reprefentatively, nor any perfons whatsoever, hath, or ought to have any coercive power over the Kings of this realm. "The prefent oath runs thus, "I will bear true allegiance to "their Majefties King William and Queen Mary." Now let any impartial perfon refolve me, whether one of thefe, King James having abdicated, be his heir, or lawful fucceffor, or could be made fo, had the people met either collectively or reprefentatively, which they did neither. In the mean time I proteft to your Ladyship, upon the truth of a chriftian and a priest, that divefting myfelf of alt prejudices, and, as far as it's possible, of all paffions which darken the light of the judgment, I will examine the matter to the bottom, and if I find I can take the oath, I will. But if I find I cannot, without declaring, or an admiffion of fuch a declaration, that I never intend, nor will be thought by conftruction or implication by fuch fwearing, to recognize the legal title of King William and Queen Mary, I then beg of your bonour thefe three things. 66 1. That you would have the fame good opinion of my integrity, and of my zealous addiction to you, or to any thing relating to your fervice, as ever you had heretofore. 2. That you would permit me, in entire truft and confidence, to make over all my worldly goods to you: for I fear that fome mens heats may drive things fo far, as to bring all recufants of it into a præmunire. if, 66 3. That I may have fome room in your houfe, if any can be fpared, to fet up my books in, and have recourfe to them, on refufal, we may be permitted to ftay in the town." The introduction to this collection contains fome valu.ble remarks in vindication of Lord Ruffel; but it is defective in point of compofition, and is loaded with needlefs quotations. The Editor hath fubjoined notes, which give a fhort account of the perfons mentioned in the courfe of the letters. These notes add to the entertainment and utility of the Work, and would have fet it off to ftill greater advantage, if the Author of them had taken pains to render them more accurate and perfpicuous. He He is either not used to hiftorical writing, or he was in too great hafte, from the defire of availing himfelf of the profitable feafon for publication. K. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For JULY, 1773. NATURAL HISTORY. Art. 12. Genera of Birds. J2mo. 2 s. Edinburgh printed, and fold by White in London. 1773. THE ingenious and affiduous Mr. Pennant, in his preface to this publication, enters into a minute account of the external parts of birds, their feathers, flight, nuptials, nidification, and eggs; and then proceeds to SYSTEM. He hopes that, confidering the many fyftems which have been offered to the public of late years, he fhall not be accused of national partiality, in giving the preference to that compofed by Ray, in 1667, and published in 1578. It would be unfair, fays he, to conceal the writer from whom our great countryman took the original hint of forming that fyftem, which has fince proved the foundation of all that has been compofed fince that period. This was a Frenchman, Belo of Mans, whole book was published in 1555. Mr. Ray confidered, altered, and amended the former arrangement, and his plan appears to Mr. Pennant to be fo judicious, that it is fcarce poffible to make any change in it for the better yet, he obferves, notwithflanding he was in a manner the founder of fyftematic zoology, later difcoveries have made a few improvements on his labours.' My candid friend Linnæus,' it is added, will not take it amifs, that I, in part, neglect his example, for I permit the land fowl to follow one another, undivided by the water forul, the Gralle and Anferes of his fyftem: but in my generical arrangement, I most punctually attend to the order he has given in his feveral divifions, except in thofe of his Anjeres, and a few of his Graile. For, after the manner of Mr. Brifon, I make a distinct order of water foul with pinnated feet, placing them between the waders or cloven-foored water-fowl, and the web footed. The Ofrich, and land-birds with wings ufclefs for flight, I place as a diftinét order. The Trumpeter (Pjophia Linnæi) and the Buflaras, place at the end of the Gallinaceous tribe. All are land-birds. The first multiparous, like the generality of the Gal. linaceous tribe; the laft granivorous, fwift runners, avoiders of wet places; and both have bills fomewhat arched. It must be confeffed, that both have legs naked above the knees, and the laft, like the waders, lay but few eggs. They feem ambiguous birds that have affinity with each order; and it is hoped, that each naturalift may be indulged the toleration of placing them as fuits his own opinion.' To the above extract, which will afford the curious in natural history a notion of Mr. Pennant's defign, we will add the following outlines of his plan. It is called, Table of Arrangement, with the corre pondent Orders and Genera in the Syftema Natura of Linnæus. - Divifion The fubdivifions of thefe orders, and the particulars concerning them, conftitute this little volume; which will, no doubt, be acceptable to those who love to enquire into this part of the works of nature. CULINARY. Art. 13. The Lady's Affiftant for regulating and supplying her Table; containing One Hundred and Fifty felect Bills of Fare, properly difpofed for Family Dinners of Five Difhes, to Two Courses of Eleven and Fifteen; with upwards of Fifty Bills of Fare for Suppers, from Five Dishes to Nineteen; and several Deferts: Including a confiderable Number of choice Receipts of various Kinds, with full Directions for preparing them in the most approved Manner. Now first published from the Manufcript Collection of a Profeffed Housekeeper; who had upwards of Thirty Years Experience in Families of the first Fashion. 8vo. 6s. bound. Walter. 1773. The late Mr. Bonnel Thornton, of humourous and feftive memory, ufed, with great pleafantry, to affert the ferious confequence of the Science of eating and drinking. "Do we not all agree," he would fay," that our health chiefly depends on our food? and are not our bodies, therefore, liable to be more or lefs, and well or ill, affected, every time we eat or drink; and which, too, we repeat above a thousand times in a year, every year of our lives? Can we, then, be too attentive to an affair in which we are fo greatly interefied i befide all the pleasure that we receive in the company of our friends, joyously affembled round a well provided table?" This was certainly good reasoning; and therefore we hold him not to be a wife man who deems too lightly, or irreverently, of a welldreffed joint, a nice pudding, a good orthodox bowl,- or-an Author who has had 30 years experience' in a science fo highly effential to the welfare of man, woman, and child! For our part, we cannot refufe our tribute of grateful praise to the writer of a treatise which we have read with more appetite than hath been excited by any other volume, ancient or modern, that we have perufed fince Les Dons de Comus *, written by a learned noble * Ou l' Art de la Cuifine, reduit en pratique. This illustrious cook of quality, pablished his ingenious and applauded work, at Paris, in three handfonae duodecimos. man man of France, and publifhed about a dozen years ago.-After this declaration, what can we add, in favour of the Lady's Affiftant, but an hearty recommendation of the book to all young wives, and inexperienced housekeepers; many of whom may profit by an attentive obfervance of the good inftruction with which it is fraught,-fo as, perhaps, in time, to merit the honour of entertaining even a Reviewer, at their tables. POETICA L. Art. 14. The Dying Negro, a poetical Epiftle, fupposed to be written by a Black (who lately hot himself on board a Vessel in the River Thames) to his intended Wife. 4to. I s. Flexney. 1773. This poem took its rife from an article of news which lately appeared in the London papers, importing that "a black, who, a few days before, ran away from his master, and got himself chriftened, with intent to marry his fellow-fervant, a white woman, being taken, and sent on board the captain's fhip in the Thames, took an opportunity of fhooting himself through the head." On this foundation, a generous fon of Apollo, has paid the tribute of humanity,' and feelingly lamented the mifery of a fellowcreature, in ftrains which are truly pathetic and harmonious. He expreffes the higheft fenfe of human liberty, and vigorously afferts the natural and univerfal rights of mankind; in vindicating which, he, of course, condemns and execrates our Weft-Indian planters, &c. whofe tyranny over their unhappy flaves will, we are afraid, in many inftances, but too amply justify the feverity of his mufe; and of which the following lines may be given as a specimen : And thou*, whose impious avarice and pride Where e're the thirsty hell-hounds take their way, The fiery paffion, and defperate refolution, which fo firongly mark the negro's general character, are well expreffed in this epiftle; the fpirit and the numbers of which equally manifeft the philanthropy, and the poetical abilities, of the Writer. * The master of the unhappy negro. + By Nome: Day, Ery Art. |