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queftion, indeed, as to the grounds of our quarrel with the Colonies, is totally avoided: the writer having wholly confined himself to the difcution of the fingle point which he had in view, viz. The fatal confequence [to Great Britain] of American independence, fhould that scheme be firmly established.

Art. 30. Obfervations on American Independency.

Edinburgh.

8vo. 6 d.

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This North British publication appears (and to fome it seems a phenomenon) in favour of American Independency; which the writer fuppofes, on commercial principles, to be the most advantageous ground on which we can fettle our differences with the revolted Colonies. The Author reafons like a man of fenfe, moderation, and humanity; and he appears to have formed juft notions of the value of that commercial intercourfe which hath fubfifted, or that may, hereafter, fubfift between Great Britain and North America,-fhould the latter become Independent.-We perfealy agree with him in his conclufive reflection, that if there be any truth in the arguments now offered [to prove] that the Independency of America, instead of being a lofs to the trade, manufactures, and marine of Britain, will rather enlarge and increase them,-what pity is it that this plan of reconciliation had not been agreed to fooner! He takes leave of his Readers in the following terms, after mentioning the neceffity of our taking care to prevent America's falling under the influence or dependence of other nations: If thefe obfervations,' fays he, fhall have any effect to promote that purpose' [of prevention], the Author will deferve the name of a TRUE BRITON; rather than those who, through mistaken principles, have loft the natural feelings of humanity, and can hear of burning and defolation without regret, and without properly confidering the confequences of fuch unpolitical barbarity.'

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Art. 31. Letters of Papinian; in which the Conduct, prefent State and Profpects of the American Congrefs are examined. 8vo. Is 6d. New York printed: London reprinted, for Wilkie,

1779

According to the account of this writer, the Conduct of the Congress has been altogether Machiavelian, tyrannical, and wickedtheir Prefent State' is defperate-and their Profpects' prefent them only with scenes of wretchedness and irretrievable ruin. He calculates the lofs already fustained by the Americans, including their public debt to France, at above 80 millions fterling; and concludes with warmly and pathetically exhorting the people to abandon the miferable and hopeless cause in which they have been fo unhappily engaged; to return to the protection of Great Britain, and thereby procure to themselves the restoration of peace, freedom, and fecurity: bleffings which (he is very certain) they can never hope to enjoy, while they remain under the deftructive power and mifgovernment of their prefent defpots.Such are the ideas of a very plaufible writer; but we must make allowances for the zeal and prejudices of party. And we must remember, too, that misreprefentation is fometimes deemed good policy though HONESTY is faid to be the BEST.

MEDICAL

MEDICA L.

Art. 32. Animadverfiones de Natura Hydropis, ejufque Curatione. Auctore Francifco Milman, M. D. Coll. Reg. Med. Lond. & Reg. Societ. Lond. Socio. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Dodsley. 1779. The principal view of this Writer appears to be, the answering a query propoled by Sir George Baker, in the fecond volume of the Medical Tranfactions, whether more cures of the dropfy might not be effected, if a greater indulgence, in refpect to drink, were allowed to the patients? Dr. Milman was firft led to incline towards the affirmative of this question, by the opportunity he had, while abroad, of obferving the fuccefs which attended the ufe of Bacher's tonic pills in France, and the practice of Dr. Collin at Vienna, in both which no restriction in diluent drinks was enjoined. He likewife obferved, that the directions given by Hippocrates, in the cure of this difeafe, correfponded in general with this idea; and he employs a confiderable part of his work in commenting on what the venerable father of phyfic has faid on this fubject, and endeavouring to reconcile fome apparent contradictions in his doctrine. Finally, our Author refers to his own practice, in the Middlesex Hofpital, for additional confirmation of the utility of diluting liquors in dropfical cafes, which he allows, with the Hippocratic intention of preparing the body for the operation of medicines; and particularly of promoting the efficacy of diuretics, on which he chiefly depends for the cure of the droply. The general method of treatment he lays down, is, to begin with fome finart hydragogue purgatives, and then to employ diuretics, fuch as the faline mixture, fquills, and decoction of feneka root, together with the following drink in a quart of barley water, half an ounce of Creme of Tartar is diffolved, and a little fugar and proof fpirit is added. Of this the patient is permitted to drink at pleafure. By this method, a copious difcharge of urine was usually procured in a fhort time; and where the cate was tolerably favourable, a cure was generally effected. The hiftories of fome cafes, treated in this manner, are fubjoined; and the ap pearances (on diffection) of those which terminated fatally, are added. On the whole, we cannot but think, that the learned author has done a great deal towards establishing his point, and has fuggefted a confiderable improvement in the treatment of a very obftinate and dangerous diforder.

An Appendix to the work contains an account of the manner of preparing and compofing Bacher's pills. The principal remedy is an extract of black hellebore, prepared in a more troublesome and elaborate manner than is probably neceffary. It is formed into pills by the addition of Myrrh, and powder of Carduus Benedi&us.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 33. Пlanyía, five Tragediarum Græcarum Delectus: Cum Adnotatione Johannis Burton. Editio altera, cui Observationes, Indicemque Græcum longe auctiorem et emendatiorem, adjecit Thomas Burgefs, A. B. e C, C. C. 8vo. 2 Vols. 10s. 6d. Oxford, at the Clarendon Prefs.

The established reputation and known character of Dr. Burton's Pentalogia make any comment that can now be passed upon it unne

ceffary.

ceffary. Nothing can bear greater teftimony to its merit than the attention which has been bestowed upon the prefent edition. Mr. Burgefs feems to have fpared no pains in rendering it, in every refpect, as complete as poffible. The erudition, fidelity, and diligence which are confpicuous in his Obfervationes, entitle him to a confiderable share of praife. Though he expreffes himself, on every occafion, with diffidence and modefty, yet, when he thinks it neceffary to combat the opinions of others, he delivers his fentiments with that manly kind of confidence, which is, at once, both liberal and becoming.

To accommodate the purchasers of the first edition, that part of the work which more properly belongs to Mr. B. namely, the Obfervationes, &c. may be had separately.

Art. 34. A Marine Propofal for the Advancement of private Intereft upon the honorary Basis of public Utility; or, A Plan for the Equipment and Employment of a powerful Fleet of private Ships of War, on a more patriotic, extensive, fecure, and profitable Scale, than ever hitherto attempted: in the Benefit of which, every opulent Individual is invited to participate. 8v0. Millan. 1779.

IS.

To change the Spirit of adventure, which fo ftrongly characterifes the prefent age, from a private vice to a public benefit, is a good thought; but whether the application of it to the fcheme here propofed, be practicable or not, TIME, which reveals most things, will perhaps thew.

Our Projector's general idea, is to raife, by fubfcription, among the great and the opulent, an affociated fleet, confiting of fifty privateers, to cruife in concert, in ten divifions, of five fhips each, in various parts of Europe and America. He fettles the difpofition, or ftations, of the feveral divifions of this fleet, in fuch a manner, that he pronounces it hardly poffible for the trade of our enemies to escape, as fuch of their fhips as miffed one divifion, would, almost at a certainty, be intercepted by fome or other of them.'

We have not room for the particulars of this plan, nor for the Author's reafoning on any of them. We fhall, therefore, only add, that fomething of the kind here projected, might poffibly be accomplished, were a few active people, of confequence and influence, earnestly to fet about carrying the propofal into execution. We may fee, as this Writer justly obferves, a striking inttance of the efficacy of well-appointed fmall fquadrons, in the fuccefs of that commanded. by our inveterate enemy Paul Jones' and he adds, the capture and lofs of at least half the privateers that have hitherto been fitted out, and thereby of some thousands of our abiest feamen, is a fatal demonftration of the grofs error of the ordinary fyftem of privateering, that is, by fingle fhips, without any restriction in point of force." Art. 35. Memoirs of the Life and Death of the Right Honourable the Lord Deputy Wandesforde. Collected from authentic Records and MS. By his great great Grandfon Thomas Comber, LL.D. Rector of Buckworth and Morborne, Huntingdonshire, and ChapJain to the Countefs Dowager of Balcarras. Vol. II. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Cambridge printed. London, fold by Becket, &c. 1778. This book is to be confidered as the fecond volume of a work, the firft of which was published in 1777. The title of that volume is, • A Book

A Book of Inftructions, written by Sir Chriftopher Wandesforde, &c. to his Son, &c.' For fome account of which, we refer our readers to the Monthly Catalogue of our Review for June (in the year above mentioned), p. 483. Dr. Comber has here added to the Book of Inftructions, feveral particulars concerning the life of the Author, which are chiefly compiled from memorandums, written by Mrs. Thornton, his daughter, a woman of excellent understanding. and exemplary piety. We apprehend, we cannot give a better view of the nature of the performance, than by extracting the following paffage from the dedication of the work to the Marquis of Caermarthen,

In thefe memoirs, your Lordship and the public have the faithful portrait of a great man, a great flateiman, and (which is far the greatest and nobicft character) a great chrillian. Your Lordship fees him delineated through all the flages of lite and fortune.

You fee him from a private school repairing to the university, early leaving that feminary of learning, not to fink among dogs and hofes, nor the fcarce lefs brutal pack of drunkards and electioneers, but commencing country gentleman, improver of his lands and of his mind, commencing patriot and orator in the fcene, which you, my Lord, adorn, the Houfe of Commons; becoming patriot in oppolition to a mod flagitious favourite, and obtaining by dint of natural eloquence the public blefings of the Petition of Right; you fee him, my Lord, becoming a courtier at a memorable period, when to have continued in opposition, must have been little better than to have commenced rebel.

Then your Lordship will furvey him difcharging the part of a miniller, facceffively the offices of Matter of the Rolls, of Lord Juftice, and finally, of Lord Deputy in Ireland, and going thence happily to heaven; not like. Lord Strafford, from a scaffold, but from his bed, whofe pillows are fluffed with rejolution and patience, the down of content, and the blelings and congratulations of all who wished the profperity of their country, and apparently like a faint affifted with the foretaste of his Britain's fufferings, from the unnatural union of popery and puritanism. In fhort, my good Lord, as defervedly happy, as any true Englishman in thofe critically fad times could be!

The union of puritanism and popery does indeed feem very unnatural; it is probable, the Author, lately deceased, would have found himself reduced to a perplexing dilemma, if he had been required to prove his affertion concerning it; though it is poffible, that parties, in very different fentiments, may fairly and honourably concur in promoting a particular purpose: But on this fubject we fhall not contend.

The Lord Deputy Wandesforde appears to have been a man of piety and integrity;, and properly recommended as an example, worthy of regard. One inftance of his probity deferves particular notice: He was engaged in the management of a chancery fuit, for fome near relations, in which an eilate of above 2000l. per annum, was depending from the account here given, there could be no doubt of his gaining the caufe before any impartial judges. On the day of trial, he was told by an intimate friend, "I know certainly, that a coach with a bribe of icec? is gone this very morning

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to the Lord Chancellor's. The weight of this will certainly bear down the equity of your caufe, if you do not throw an heavier purse into the other fcale." Mr. Wandesforde anfwered, "I will omit no lawful means of recovering my own and my relation's rights. But fince God has declared to the judge, Thou foalt not take a gift, I think it unlawful to give one; and therefore, it this great eltate could be redeemed with a bribe of 5. I would not give it. If I cannot recover our rights by fair means, I fhall conclude, that God fees it not good that we should recover them. If we lofe this estate, God can give much greater. Therefore the Lord's will be done!"

Mr. Wandesforde was conflantly connected with Sir Thomas Wentworth, afterwards Lord Strafford, and acted in conjunction with him in Ireland, before he was Lord Deputy himself. Some perfons will think it difficult to reconcile this with other parts of his characver and conduct.

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The materials of this work are not put together in the most orderly and agreeable manner; but the piety and virtue which are fo laudably exhibited in it, call for attention and imitation.

Art. 36. Itineraria Symonis Simeonis, et Willelmi de Worcestre. Quibus accedit, Tractatus de Metro, in quo traduntur regula a Scriptoribus medii ævi in Verfibus Leoninis obfervata, &c. The Itineraries of Symon, Son of Simeon, and William of Worcester. To which is added, A Tract, exhibiting the Rules obferved by the Writers of the middle Age, in their Leonine Verfes. Now first published from the Manufcripts in the Library of Corpus Chrifti College, Cambridge. By James Natmith, A. M. S. A. S. and lately Fellow of the fame College. 8vo. 10s. 6d. fewed. Cambridge, printed. Sold by T. Payne, &c. in London.

Thefe journals are curious, as ancient monuments, though not very inftructive or entertaining. That of Symon was written A. D. 1322. It gives an account of his journey to the Holy Land, in company with his brother Hugo. Some few places in England are taken notice of, as well as foreign parts. He fpeaks much of the Mahometans, and of the treatment he met with among them; of Egypt, and of many places in Canaan, which they vifited in a devotional view. The thread of the narration is interrupted for a time, while Symon laments, which he does very pathetically indeed, the death of his brother Hugo, which happened at Cairo in Egypt.

This Latin manufcript is imperfect but it is not without fome pleafure that we read this old, though fhort, account of the late of places, &c. in those days. Symon was a Doctor in divinity, and feems to have been a native of Ireland.

William of Worcester appears to lefs advantage, in his itinerary, than Symon; who writes much better, and more to the purpose. He was the author of many writings. This, which is the greatest part of the volume before us, might rather have been called, as the Editor obferves, Collectanta, or Adverfaria, as things are not placed in any proper order, and fome are altogether foreign from his immediate purpofe. It was written in 1478; and confits of obfervations made in a journey from Bristol to St. Michael's, Cornwall. He was a native of Bristol, a man of great industry; and several matters are related by him, efpecially regarding the English topography and antiquities, which may be fearched for in other works in vain; but,

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