Regent of Portugal is by no means that "feeble and irrefolute character" which the author of the "Caufes and Confequences" has defcribed; that the emigration to the Brazils was prepared with forefight, and conducted with vigour; and that, fo far from its being favourable to the views and wishes of Bonaparte, it was the only step which could be taken to impede and (fo far as was practicable) disappoint them. In the courfe of this work the apparent vacillations in the conduct of the Portuguese government are clearly, and to us fatisfactorily, explained; and though the author (who appears upon the whole, rather a partizan of oppofition) unjustly, in our opinion, denies all merit to the prefent Minifters in countenancing and protecting the emigration, he does ample juftice to the character of our ally, and reprobates with becoming indignation, the party fpirit which would mif. reprefent his meafures, and calumniate his motives.

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AGRICULTURE.

ART. 22. The Experimental Farmer: Being Stridures on various Branches of Husbandry and Agriculture, drawn from a long Series of Practice in different Parts of Great Britain; containing Ob-. Jervations on planting and preserving young Trees, with an ap proved Method of thinning them, to become Timber. Likewije, Plans for laying-out Land, on a five and four Field Syftem. Aljo, a new Method to bring the mest barren Land into Cultivation, for Meadows and Sheep-walks: And a Variety of other useful In formation in every Branch of this Art; abfolutely neceffary for every Perfon, from the opulent Farmer, to the Proprietors of fmall Pieces of Land. By Thomas Tibbs, Farmer, late Land.Steward to Lord Grenville, and who has received the Sanction and a Premium from the Board of Agriculture. 8vo. 153 pp. 7s. 6d. Oftell. 1807.

The printer (we affure ourselves) and not the author framed this title-page, which is lefs bashful (if poffible) than any treatife, even agricultural, has yet held forth to us. Having given this hint, we proceed with pleasure to fay, that this is one of the plaineft, but most useful agricultural treatifes which have come within our notice. The rules for improving and managing dif ferent foils deferve attention from farmers of every defcription.

P. 16. The inftructions for bringing into tillage, chafes or commons by the five-field system, appear to be very good. But here we propofe to improve upon the plan of laying it down with feeds, by recommending rye-grafs inftead of bents, and not lefs than two bufhels per acre. We think alfo, that the propofed bardering and ditching for the quicks is too narrow; and that the border at the bafe between the ditches fhould be eight feet wide inftead of four; becaufe ditches, when too near toge ther, take the moisture from the upper part of the bank, not

8

leaving

leaving enough to fupport the quick-roots. We recommend a fingle row of quick on the top of the border.

Page 24. The rules for improvement by the four-field system (except burning) are good for poor, light, dry, fandy, old marshes, fuch as may often be seen in Lincolnshire. For fome parts of the fame county, the beax-husbandry is very proper, and the turnip ftem for thin foils. to prevent fmut among wheat," is a valuable page: P. 51. The early fowing of wheat is wifely recommended, innumerable crops being loft by too late fow. ing.

P. 50,

We have faid enough, perhaps, to attract notice to this work, which contains fo much matter in a little room, that a difplay of the particulars would occupy feveral of our pages. The introduction might have been omitted without much lofs to the reader; and probably (that we may conclude, as we began, with a hint) feven fhillings and fixpence would be thought a high price for 153 pages of any other than agricultural instruction.

MEDICAL.

ART. 23. Pratical Observations on Urinary Gravel and Stone; on Difeafe of the Bladder and Preftrate Glands; and or Strictures in the Urethra. By Henry Johnston, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. 12mo. 223 PP. 55. Murray. 1806.

This fpecies of work is the defpair of Reviewers; for though we have done our duty, and read the whole with attention, we have found nothing new to reward our exertion; nothing ufe. ful to quote for the inftruction of our readers, and nothing abfurd to expofe to their derifion.

All is good common place, and what is already to be found in every Surgeon's library. Nor is there even a pretence to novelty, for the author with great candour, but little difcrimina tion, cites an authority for every opinion. The theories of John Hunter, the ribaldry of Jeffe Foot, the practice of Home and Whateley, are promifcuously quoted.

We believe it to be a useful exercife for a furgeon to write down what he has learnt from different authors, and what ap pears to him beft founded; but before he fends fuch a manufcript to the printer, we advife him to afk himfelf, what good can fuch a work do. We are perfuaded that this fingle question would on this occafion have ftopt the prefs; for the author is unquestionably a man of fenfe, his practice is judicious, there is far more good than bad in the work, and the ftyle is neither good nor bad.

EDUCATION.

EDUCATION.

ART. 24. The Bock of Montfyllables; or, An Introduction to the Child's Monitor; adapted to the Capacities of young Children. In two Parts; calculated to inftruct them by familiar Gradations, in the first Principles of Education and Morality. By John Hornfey, Author of A Short Grammar of the English Language," An Introduction to Arithmetic," and "The Child's Monitor, or Parental Inftruction." Small 8vo. 192 pp. 18. 6d. Longman and Co. London; Wilfon and Spence, York. 1807.

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"This fmall Manual is calculated, by eafy and natural gradations, to initiate young children in the first principles of read. ing and fpelling; and to make them acquainted with the founds of the vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs; with fingle and double confonants, which in certain words are mute; and with fingle, double, and triple confonants, which in fome words have different founds, and in others, change their own founds for those of other letters." p. vi.

We commended the author's former publications, mentioned in the title-page; and we may now justly repeat our commendation. Perhaps the beft (though at first fight not the pleasanteft} proof we can give of our approbation may be, the pointing out mall imperfections, to be removed in another edition. P. 41, 1. 23,"for all," read [though]. P. 67, 1. 10, " When you rife from your bed, wash your hands and face, comb your hair," infert [kneel down, and pray]" take what is fet for you to eat, and make hatte to school." 1439 1. 22; and p. 144, 1. 10: Thefe pailages are not confiftent; the former ("where the fouls," &c.) fhould be omitted.

DIVINITY.

ART. 25. The young Chriftian's Guide; or, Suitable Directions, Cautions, and Encouragement, to the Believer, on his first Entrance into the Divine Life. By Charles Buck. 8vo. 187 PP. 35. Williams and Smith, &c. 1807.

In our 22d vol. p. 203, we fpoke very favourably of a Theological Dictionary by this author, only lamenting his Calvinistical perfuafion. Of that work, however, we faid, and fo we fay of this, that it is in general free from bigotry, and may be used advantageously by all Chriftians. To fanatics in particular, who abound more perhaps in the prefent than in any former days, we recommend fuch inftructions as the following: "If by experience be meant, fomething of which we can give no rational account; an impreffion on the mind or an agitation of the paflions which leads us to extravagant actions; a wildnefs of imagination that excites us to go beyond the boundaries of reafon and cominon sense; a hearing

hearing of fome voice, having fome vifion, or feeling fome im pulfe of the mind that makes us imagine that we alone are the objects of divine favour; then we deny the charge, and confefs that we have no experience of this nature. We grant that fome people of difordered imaginations have been affected with reli. gious truths, and perhaps, from the weaknefs of their intellect, a morbid temperament, or fome other caufe, have faid and profeffed ftrange things; but they probably would have been affected in the fame way, whatever fubject had impreffed their minds." P. 16. Not that we commend every thing which the anthor fays on the fubject of Experience, particularly concerning Bunyan and Hart, nor his notes at pp. 6, 9, 36.

Very commendable extracts might be made from many parts, as p. 23, 39, 40, 44, &c.

ART. 26. Religious Union Perfective, and the Support of Civil Union. By the Author. 8vo. pp. 72. Mawman. 1807.

The title-page to this work fupplies us with a piece of infor mation not very ufual upon fuch occafions, viz. that it was written by the author. Who the author is it does not state; neither does it tell us where he was when he wrote it; but we muft acknowledge it excited a fmile, (a good-humoured one) when we discovered in the book itself, that it was in Ireland that the work was written by the author, and nobody else! but a truce to fuch preliminaries. The title itself ftates a propofition which, we apprehend, none will be difpofed to difpute. Reli. gious and civil union will ever, no doubt, be reciprocally per. ective of, and affiftant to, each other. The question is, how either of them is ever to be brought to that point of perfection which is fo often thought poffible and attainable, by contem. plative and benevolent perfons. Who could difpute the propofition, that peace is above all things defirable, and war the most deftructive of all human follies? Yet turn to the world and fee how little it is to be expected, that the turbulent paffions of mankind will ever fubmit to be governed by this felf-evident truth. Perfect religious union, we muft confefs, feems at prefent inattainable by any measures of policy or accommodation; and hence it becomes an important duty in the ftatefman to take the best care he can that religious diffentions do not endanger the civil government. And this has generally appeared to be the fole object with thofe legiflators who firft had recourse to the difqualifying ftatutes-a measure which this writer, if we mistake him not, does not altogether difapprove; for in one place he exprefsly afferts, that for the very purposes of conciliation, or to ufe his own words, "in order to preferve to religion that conciliatory fpirit of which it is capable, and which it ought to poffefs, it is requifite that fome general form of profeffion should be publicly established, and the authorized teachers of it should

be

be under fome obligation to obferve it; and from thence is in Ferrible the neceffity of fubfcription to certain articles authoritatively ordained." P. 50. Here the great question recurs, how are fuch articles to be framed as may produce the most extenfive religious union. The author infits that they fhould be fundainental, plain, and few, and we perfectly agree with him; but where a previous difagreement prevails as to the number of fun. damental articles; where what appears fundamental and plain to one party, is not fo to others; how is this difference to be ad. jufted? only, we fear, by the fyftem of exclufion and omission which if adopted upon the mere principle of conciliating all parties, mult plainly be carried to fuch a length, as to leave nothing fundamental, nothing worth preferving. The author thinks a revifal of our Liturgy and Articles in a conference of delegates, might bring about an union between the members of the Efta blished Church, and Catholic and Prefbyterian Diffenters. We must confefs we should totally defpair of any fuch effect, but if ever fuch a meafure fhould be brought into difcuffion, we shall patiently await the decifion of thofe who can alone legalize the attempt. We are moft fincere friends both to religious and civil union; but in fetting the door wider open for the admiffion of diffentients, we think extreme caution fhould be used, leaft in the attempts of the excluded to enter, it gets thrown off its hinges, or fhut against ourfelves. The latter we conceive to be the moft probable, because we are confident that the fpirit of toleration is in no manner more predominant among any fpecies of diffenters than among the members of the establishment, though it is always affuined to be fo; and experience only could effectually prove the contrary, when perhaps it would be too late. The work is very difpaffionately written, and appears to have been published through the beft of motives. It is dedi cated to Lord Grenville, then at the head of administration.

ART. 27. Second Thoughts on the Trinity recommended to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Gloucester. In a Letter addreffed to his Lordship, by Edward Evanton. 8vo. 60 pp. 1s. td. Gloucester, printed; Johnfon, London. 1805.

Whether his Lordship of Gloucefter will be difpofed to adopt thefe fecond thoughts which Mr. Evanfon fuggeits, we prefume not to fay; but we will venture to fay, that none who know his Lordship, will think, as Mr. E. does more than infinuate, that if they are fo well grounded as Mr. Evanson supposes them to be, they are likely to be rejected either out of knavery or folly. We have been too long ufed to fuch fout infinuations, from the enemies of the established faith, to be much furprised at them; and as Mr. E.'s Letter was written in 1805, and has not, that we know, received any public notice, we conclude it has not excited much furprife in other quarters. Mr. E. complaius of his Letters Q q

BRIT, CRIT, VOL. XXXI. MAY, 18.8.

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