and then wifely concludes his demonftration, after the manner of Euclid, with "therefore the Universe is God." Q. E. D.-Not that there can be the smallest objection to the feverest-method; only there is then rather room for complaint, when it is made the vehicle of artful fophiftry and fallacious reafoning.' Following the preface, we meet with this advertisement: Mr. Locke has obferved, that "Slavery is fo vile and miferable an estate of man, and fo oppofite to the generous temper and courage of our nation, that it is hardly to be conceived that an Englishman, much lefs a Gentleman, fhould plead for it;"-I hope I may add, much lefs a Clergyman of the Church of England. Many readers, living at a distance from Liverpool, may be led to imagine from the title of the Scriptural Refearches, that the author of them is a clergyman of the Church of England. In juftice therefore to the refpectable body of our clergy, and in honour of my countrymen, I muft obferve, that the Rev. R. Harris is a native of Spain, and of the order of Jefuits: -the laft information is perhaps unneceffary to those who are at all converfant in their writings.' 6 We have tranfcribed the above advertisement, not with any defire to convey to our Readers any reflection on the character of Mr. Harris, but merely as an answer to an inquiry that we have often known started in converfation, refpecting the religious profeffion of the Author of Scriptural Researches in defence of Slavery.-Mr. Dannet indeed, feems to confider the task in which Mr. H. has been engaged, as an unnatural employment. Fie, Mr. H.' fays he, in a note, p. 91. your unnatural love of flavery, contracted perhaps during your education in a country, and in a religious community, whose principles have been, at all times, at enmity with the liberties of mankind, is frequently too powerful for your love of truth!' Perhaps there may be fomething in this fuggeftion; and if fo, it may imply a very fair apology for the Rev. Vindicator of the Slave Trade: If hood-wink'd Churchmen go aftray, Art. 38. The mutual Obligations to the Exercife of the benevolent Affections, as they refpect the Conduct of all the Human Race to each other, proved, and applied to the State of the SUFFERING AFRICANS. By Philadelphos. 8vo. I S. Gardner. 1788. From the appearance of a text of Scripture at the head of this difcourse, as well as from the ftrain of piety and pathos which rans through the difcourse itself, we conclude that this production was originally compofed for, and perhaps delivered from, the Pulpit. The Author urges, with becoming earnestnefs, the ufual arguments that have lately been brought forward, for the abolition of our Weft Indian flave trade; and he enforces them by fome additional pleas, founded in philanthropy, generofity, and Chriftian benevolence. He dedicates his work to the Society inftituted for the purpose of abolishing Negroe Slavery; and he informs his readers, that the profits, if any, arifing from the fale of this pamphlet, will be appropriated to the difpofition of that Society, and thofe purpofes for which it was inftituted.' 6 · Bb 4 LAW. LAW. Art. 39. An Account of the Trial of William Brodie, and James Smith, before the High Court of Jufticiary on the 27th and 28th of Auguft 1788, for breaking into and robbing the General Excife Office of Scotland. Illuftrated with Notes, and Anecdotes, &c. &c. By a Juryman. 4to. 35. 6d. Printed at Edinburgh for Creech; and fold in London by Cadell. The particulars of this important trial feem to be, here, faithfully and fatisfactorily reported; and the value of the whole is enhanced by the Editor's Notes, &c. This is, indeed, a curious publication; and it will very much affift the English reader in forming a competent idea of the modes of proceeding in the Courts of Criminal Law in Scotland. Art. 40. The Trial of William Brodie, &c. before the High Court of Jufticiary, &c. Containing the Evidence at large, and the Opinions of the Judges: with the whole Proceedings. By Eneas Morifon, Writer, &c. 8vo. 3s fewed. Elliot and Co. In this edition of the trial of Brodie and Smith, the proceedings are ftated more in the manner of our English printed trials, i. e. rather in the colloquial than in the narrative form. It will not be expected that we fhould minutely defcend to a comparison of Mr. Creech's quarto with Mr. Morifon's octavo. We have peruted them both; they have mutually ferved the purpofe of elucidation; and we think the Public obliged to both the editors, for the pains they have taken to record, with accuracy, the occurrences of fo extraordinary a tranfaction. MEDICAL. Art. 41. The Generation of Animal Heat investigated. With an Introduction, in which is an Attempt to point out and ascertain the elementary Principles, and fundamental Laws of Nature; and apply them to the Explanation of fome of the most interesting Operations and ftriking Appearances of Chemistry. By E. Peart, M. D. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Boards. Gainfborough printed; and fold by Edwards, London. 1788. C After reciting the modern theories of chemistry, and pointing out the difficulties with which each of them is attended, Dr. Peart gives a sketch of his own, which is confiderably and fundamentally different from all others. He thinks that former chemists have entirely overlooked one grand principle of nature, viz. the great principle of clafticity and fluidity; that wonderful, fuotil, active, univerfally diffusive æther, hinted at by the great Sir Ifaac Newton; and by that name I fall diftinguish it. By adopting this principle, and adding to it three others, I think it poffible to folve the phenomena of nature, and confequently of chemiry, in a more easy, natural, fimple, and fatisfactory manner than any other hypothefis, hitherto offered to the world, hath done, or can do.' He therefore places Ether as the first principle, or element of nature; Phlogiston, or the principle of Fixity and Solidity, as the fecond; an Acid the third; and Earth the fourth. " 3 Ether 377 Ether and phlogifton, united in different proportions, and under different circumftances, form Light, Fire, and the Electric fluid Ether combined with the acid principle forms pure Air: bat it will not unite with earth, unless the earth be previously combined with an acid or phlogifton.-Phlogiston unites intimately with earth, forming Metals, &c.'*; but to the acid principle it has no affinity, except through the mediation of æther or earth. The acid principle and earth ftrongly attract, and unite with, each other-He does not enter into a full explanation and account of the principles above mentioned referving a complete inveftigation of his hypothefis to another opportunity, the particular object of his prefent enquiry being Animal Heat. Dr. Peart's philofophy of Animal Heat, however, is fo inveloped in his new fyftem of chemistry, that it is difficult to be understood fo perfectly as to be able to give an account of it, before we have seen the full explanation' of his theory. We must therefore referve our account of the prefent doctrine to a future opportunity. C Art. 42. A Syftem of Anatomy and Phyfiology; from the latest and The first edition of this compilation, in two volumes, was noticed and defcribed in our Rev. vol. lxxvi. p. 159. The additional third volume contains part of the Splanchnology of the contents of the pelvis-The whole of Angiology, with the lymphatic fyftem-The Neurology from the elder Profeffor Monro-And his comparative anatomy, as improved by the prefent Profeffor. **This edition is advertised with the name of the Editor, viz. "Andrew Fyfe, Affiftant to Dr. Monro, Profeffor of Anatomy and Medicine in the University of Edinburgh." Art. 43. Thoughts on the Cancer of the Breaft. By George Bell, After fome short obfervations on cancers, Mr. Bell recommends bathing or frequently washing the cancer with warm water, as a palliative. For the more convenient application of the warm bath to the breaft, for a length of time, Mr. Bell defcribes a well-contrived apparatus of his own invention; of which an engraving is alfo given. With respect to the advantage which the patient may receive from the bath, we have no proof, except the Author's affertion; it seems probable, however, that the warm water, wathing off the corroding ichor, and at the fame time acting as an emollient, may mitigate, in a confiderable degree, the exquifite pain ufually fuffered by cancerous patients. It seems that the benevolent Author has not published this pamphlet with a view of acquiring practice, or indeed of increafing what We lament the want of a dictionary to explain the precife and full meaning of cf. he he already has; his fole motive being to make the public acquainted with his method of treating a difeafe, which, with the ordinary mode of practice, is almoft infufferable to the diftreffed patient. We farther understand, that being anxious to improve the practical part, in his treatment of this difeafe, Mr. Bell has lately applied to the ulcers, in the intervals of bathing, a soft substance made of the raw leaves of lettuce or hemlock. Sometimes the firft, and fometimes the other, is ufed: both are found to be very useful, and more agreeable to the patient than poultices made of the powder of flax feed. In a word, the importance of the fubject, and the probability of the efficacy of the methods here recommended, will fully juftify us in advifing our Readers to give this pamphlet an attentive perufal. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 44. A Letter to the Right Hon. Lord Rodney, K. B. on the St. Euftatius Prize-money. By a Navy Officer. 8vo. I s. 6d. No Bookfeller's Name. 1788. We have, at various times, heard much concerning the fubject of this letter; and grievous have been the complaints of the captors of St. Euftatius, when that island fell into the hands of the English, during the late war. They have never, it seems, received any part of the prize-money to which they were entitled on that occafion; and it is to be feared they never will recover what appears to be fo honeftly due to them: notwithstanding our Author's Plan for a Speedy and final divifion, &c."-The account here given of this dark and intricate business, is, indeed, fufficient to roufe the refentment of every honest and generous-minded reader; for it is, impoffible not to feel for our brave and injured countrymen, who appear to have been cruelly as well as bafely treated, by the agents, &c. whom they entrufted with their valuable interests and property: a property committed,' fays this fenfible and animated author, in friendly confidence to their honour, faithfully to care for, till we are at leifure to demand an account of it.' He adds, can any doom be too rigid for those men who would dare to defraud us, in fuch a facred depofit? But if it is proved, my Lord, when the whole arcana of our agents' management fhall be fully inveftigated and expofed, that they have not only been guilty of felling off our property at St. Euftatius," for one-tenth part of its value," to their own creatures, and to the French flags of truce, &c. but that they have ever fince been pilfering and plotting, fcheming and cancelling, fubtracting, deftroying, dividing, and doing a thousand fordid felfifh tricks with the faid property; is there a penal law, in all the inquifitorial codes of popery, too cruel for them?'-If the wickedness and knavery here charged on the agents, fecretaries, &c. concerned in this very questionable bufinefs, can be fairly proved against them, there is, certainly, no penalty too heavy for them, that any court of justice hath power to inflict.-Why do not the captors of St. Euftatius unite, and vigorously profecute their claims? The writer of this Letter appears to be a proper perfon for them to affociate with, on this -important occafion; and he makes a tender of his fervices, accom 379 panied by a hint, that perfons of greater confequence will be ready to lend their affistance. Art. 45. The Abbey of Kilkhampton. An improved Edition. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Kearsley. 1788. In our Review for November 1780, p. 392, we mentioned the first edition of this new fpecies of fatire, which, fince that time, hath, if we are rightly informed, gone through eight impreffions; an undoubted proof of the general approbation of the public. It is, however, that kind of approbation which fatirical writings, and anecdotes, of every fort, are fure to receive, and ever have received. We can now only repeat what we faid before, in regard to the nature and plan of this work, that it glances with the utmost freedom, at the characters and conduct of our great or eminent people, male and female; and that the ftrictures and allufions are thrown into the form of monumental infcriptions, ready made against death's arrival, and conceived (for the moft part) in the fpirit and ftyle of the celebrated epitaph on Colonel Chartres. Some of the likeneffes are well hit off, by this diftributor of praife and infamy: many of whofe drawings are caricatures; though fome of the pictures are exhibited in a favourable light, in juftice to characters of indifputable worth. In our Review for March 1781, p. 232, we noticed the Second Part of these pre-fuppofed, or predictive Monumental Records; but we are informed, in the preface to this new edition, that the whole is here given to the Public, with additions, in continuation. Art. 46. The Shipwreck of the Antelope East India Packet, H. Wilfon, Efq. Commander, on the Pelew Iflands, &c. in August 1783. Containing the fubfequent Adventures of the Crew, with a fingular Race of People hitherto unknown to Europeans. With interefting Particulars of Lee Boo, fecond Son of the Pelew King, to the Time of his, Death. By one of the unfortunate Officers. 8vo. 3 s. Randall. 1788. This publication, which made its appearance fince Mr. Keate's History of the Pelew Islands, does not feem to us fingle fact which is not to be met with in that book: the facts follow to contain a one another exactly in the fame order as in the genuine work, and often in the fame words; yet the Compiler entertains fo high an opinion of his own dexterity, and fo mean a one of the difcernment of every other perfon, as to offer the following paragraph by way of excufe for with-holding his account till this time. Should it be asked, why this narrative was fo long with-held, I have to answer, that it was not my original intention ever to make it public. The great entertainment which my friends used to derive from my converfation on the fubject of the wreck, and the uncommon circumstances which ensued, firft infpired me with an idea of putting it into regular form; and as I was unaccustomed to fuch a talk, the difficulties I met with, and other concerns in which I was unavoidably engaged, prolonged its completion to this diftant period.' We |
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