Another zealous, friendly, and fenfible Defence of General Conway. against the Author of the Addrefs; whom the prefent Writer charges, not only with having depreciated the fair character of an Officer, by the moft pitiful infinuations, and palpable mifreprefentations of his conduct, but also with having endeavoured to propagate the moft arbitrary principles, the most abject and flavish tenets: in defiance of the facred Liberties of this free country, and to the eternal fcandal of the Administration under whofe banner he is enlifted.

In refpect to the grand question concerning Mr. Conway's difmiffion, he has stated it in fuch a manner, as feems to fet the conduct and character of that Gentleman in a most unexceptionable light. His cenfure falls very heavy on the Miniftry; but in regard to an higher authority, he palliates the matter by fome general reflections on the hard lot of Princes, who are excluded from the general commerce of mankind, and who commonly hear, and fee, and know, and take their impreffions of men and things, through the falfe medium of the most depraved and interested opinions.' From hence, he adds, are the most excellent difpofitions of Monarchs often totally prevented, their favours fquandered upon the moft worthlefs minions of minions, and their indignation turned against their most faithful and affectionate subjects.'

In confidering how far the army have reafon to look upon themselves as concerned in this difmiffion, he takes notice, that General Conway is already the fourth Officer difmiffed for parliamentary behaviour, fince the beginning of the laft feffion: the Earl of Shelborne, Colonel Barré, both Officers of diftinction; General Acourt, after thirty years unexceptionable service; and General Conway at the end of twenty-feven And when he comes to confider what injury the public may be faid to have received by Mr. Conway's difmiffion, he mentions the affair of the bill prefented to the Houfe by the Duke of Marlborough in 1733, for Securing the Conftitution, by preventing Officers of the land forces, &c. from being deprived of their Commissions, otherwife than by a Courtmartial. The bill was rejected, and a Proteft, formed in the strongest terms; and from this Proteft our Author has given fome extracts, peculiarly applicable to the prefent occafion. He concludes with this alarming reflection: It is ridiculous to talk of Liberties and Conftitutionif the Parliament ever becomes enflaved or corrupted, fo as to be fubfervient to the will of a Mr, it is no longer a Parliament, it is no more the reprefentative of the people, than the Mr himself is, by whofe orders they act: it is he that makes laws, it is he that raises taxes; our liberties and properties are his, and at his fole difpofal; nor is England a whit freer in effe&t than France or Muscovy.'

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 8. A Survey of the Wisdom of God in the Creation: Or, a Compendium of Natural Philofophy. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Fuller.

The Author's Preface to this work, will give our Readers a competent view of his defign: it is as follows.

1. I have long defired to fee fuch a Compendium of Natural Phi lofophy, as was, 1. Not too diffuse, not expreffed in many words, but comprised in fo moderate a compafs, as not to require any large expence,

either

either of time or money: 2. Not maimed or imperfect, but containing the heads of whatever (after all our difcoveries) is known with any degree of certainty, either with regard to the earth or heavens. And this I wanted to fee; 3. in the plaineft drefs, fimply and nakedly expreffed, in the moft clear, eafy, and intelligible manner, that the nature of the things would allow particularly free from all the jargon of Mathematics, which is mere heathen Greek to common Readers. At the fame time I wished to fee this fhort, full, plain account of the vifible Creation, directed to its right end; not barely to entertain an idle, barren curiofity, but to display the invipble things of God, his power, wisdom and goodness.

2. But I cannot find fuch a treatise as this in any modern, any more than ancient language. And I am certain, that there is none fuch in the English tongue. What comes neareft to it of any thing I have feen, is Mr. Ray's Wisdom of God in the Creation, Derham's Phyfico and Aftro-theology, Niewentyt's Religious Philofopher, Mather's Chriftian Philofopher, and Nature Delineated. But none of thefe, fingle, anfwers the defign. And who will be at the pains to extract the substance of them all, and to add the latter difcoveries, of which they had little knowlege, and, therefore, could take but little notice? This is a Defideratum ftill; and one that a lover of mankind would rejoice to fee even tolerably fupplied.

3. I am thoroughly fenfible, there are many who have far more ability, as well as leifure, for fuch a work than me. But as none of them undertakes it, I have myself made fome little attempt in the enfuing volumes. Herein following Derham's plan, I divide the work into Text and Notes. The text is in great measure tranflated from the Latin work of John Francis Buddæus, the late celebrated Profeffor of Philofophy in the university of Jena, in Germany. But I have found occafion to retrench, enlarge, or alter every chapter, and almost every fection. So that it is now, I believe, not only pure, containing nothing falfe or uncertain, but as full as any tract can be expected to be, which is comprised in fo narrow a compafs; and likewife plain, clear, and intelligible, to one of a tolerable understanding. The notes contain the fum of what is most valuable in the above-mentioned Writers: to which are added, the choiceft discoveries both of our own, and of the foreign Societies; chiefly extracted from that great treafury of learning, Mr. Chambers's Dictionary. Thefe likewife, I truft, are as plain and clear as the nature of the things spoken will allow altho' fome of them, I know, will not be understood, by an unlearned or inattentive Reader.

4. Meantime I muft apprize the Reader, that I have sometimes a Little digreffed, by reciting both uncommon appearances of Nature, and uncommon inftances of art: and yet this is not properly a digreffion from the main defign I have in view. For furely in these appearances alfo, the wisdom of God is difplayed; even that manifold wifdom which is able to answer the fame ends by fo various means. And those farprizing inftances of art, do likewife reflect glory upon him, whofe fpirit in man giveth that wisdom, whofe infpiration teacheth understanding.

5. It will be eafily obferved, that I endeavour throughout, not to account for things, but only to defcribe them. I undertake barely to fet down what appears in Nature, not the caufe of thofe appearances.

The

The facts lie within the reach of our fenfes and understanding, the caufes are more remote. That things are fo, we know with certainty; but why they are fo, we know not. In many cafes we cannot know; and the more we enquire, the more we are perplexed and entangled. God hath fo done his works, that we may admire and adore; but we cannot fearch them out to perfection.

⚫ 6. And does not this open to us another profpect? Altho' one we do not care to dwell upon. Does not the fame furvey of the Creation, which fhews us the wifdom of God, fhew the aftonishing ignorance and fhort-fightedness of man? For when we have finished our furvey, what do we know? How inconceivably little? Is not every thinking man constrained to cry out, and is this all? Do all the boasted difcoveries of fo enlightened an age, amount to no more than this? Vain man would be wife! would know all things! But with how little fuccefs does he attempt it? How fmall a part do we know even of the things that encompass us on every fide? I mean, as to the very fat; for as to the reafons of almoft every thing which we fee, hear, or feel, after all our refearches and difquifitions, they are hid in impenetrable darkness.

7. I truft, therefore, the following tract may, in fome degree, anfwer both thefe important purpofes. It may be a means, on the one hand, of humbling the pride of man, by fhewing that he is furrounded on every fide, with things which he can no more account for, than for immenfity or eternity; and it may ferve, on the other, to display the amazing power, wisdom, and goodness of the great Creator, to warm our hearts, and to fill our mouths with wonder, love and praise !'

Such is the account Mr. Welley gives of his defign, and the manner in which he has executed it. The defign is certainly useful; and in regard to the merit of the work, we fhall only fay, that fuch Readers as can be contented with a fuperficial knowlege of the several subjects that are treated of, may find their account in reading it.

A Compendium of Natural Philofophy, drawn up on Mr. Wesley's plan, by a fociety of Gentlemen, well verfed in the feveral parts of it, and a view of the difcoveries in each branch, given by fuch as had applied themselves particularly to the ftudy of it; fuch a work would be extremely ufeful, and might be comprized within a moderate compafs. But where one perfon engages in fuch a defign, tho' his abilities may be very confiderable, the execution must be attended with many imperfections.

Art. 9. Proceedings of a General Court-Martial, held at the Judge-Advocate's Office, in the Horfe-Guards, April 14, &c. 1764. For the Trial of a Charge preferred by Colin Campbell, Efq; against the Honourable Major General Monckton. 8vo, 1 S. Robfon.

General Monckton was charged, upon the complaint of Colin Campbell, Efq; heretofore Major Commandant of the 100th regiment of foot, with many wongs and deliberate acts of oppreffion towards the faid Colin Campbell, when under his command in the island of Martinique, in the year 1762, particularly by feveral marks of affront and indignity, both to the perfon of the faid Colin Cainpbell and to the

corps

corps then under his command; and also whilst a trial of the faid Colin Campbell was depending before a general Court-martial, by difcouraging his friends, intimidating his witneffes, and depriving him of the lawful means of defence, as well as by fuppreffing the proceedings of the faid general Court-martial from the Earl of Albemarle, Leutenant-General of his Majefty's forces, (who is alleged, by the faid Colin Campbell, to have had at that time cognizance of the fentences of Courtsmartial held in the faid island of Martinique) under a pretence of the faid proceedings being tranfmitted to Great Britain, when in truth they were till in his own cuftody: and furthermore, by a cruel confinement of the faid Colin Campbell, who was then ill, in a noifome and unhealthy prifon, even though it was at that time known to the faid Major General Monckton, that the fentence against the said Colin Campbell was not capital.'

How this charge was fupported by the Complainant, in the courfe of the trial, will fully appear from the judgment expreffed by the Court, on this occafion :

The Court is of opinion, that the charge and complaint of Colin Campbell, Efq; against Major General Robert Monckton, is altogether unfupported by evidence, and in fome points exprefsly contradicted by the Complainant's own Witneffes: and doth therefore most honourably acquit the faid Major General Monckton of the fame and every part thereof. And the Court is farther of opinion, that the faid charge and complaint is groundlefs, malicious, and fcandalous in the highest degree, and tending not only to injure the faid Major General Monckton in his character, but to hurt the fervice in general, as it muft greatly affect every Officer, who may have the honour of commanding a body of his Majefty's troops, when he reflects that his character and reputation are liable to be thus publicly attacked by a perfon who has been difmiffed his Majefty's fervice with ignominy.

It is likewife the opinion of this Court, that the Complainant Colin Campbell, Efq; has, by many falfities, impofed upon his Majefty's Secretary at War, in order to obtain a Court martial.'

* See Review, Vol. XXVIII. page 495.

Art. 10. A Treatise on Hemp. In two Parts. Containing, 1. Its History, with the Preparations and Ufes made of it by the Antients. 2. The Methods of cultivating, dressing, manufacturing it, as improved by the Experience of modern Times. Tranflated from the French of M. Marcandier, Magiftrate of Bourges, 8vo. Is. 6d. Becket.

This fenfible treatise contains feveral particulars to gratify the curiofity of the learned Reader, and many remarks and obfervations that may be useful to the Merchant and the Manufacturer.

NOVEL S.

Art. 11. Cleanthes and Semanthe. A dramatic Hiftory. By the Author of Leonora. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Davies.

As this is the production of a female pen, and the Author hath profeffedly taken leave of the public, we shall not trouble our Readers with

V

any critical reflections on this performance; which we fhould otherwife have judged fo far above the common run of novels, as to merit fome animadverfions, by which the Writer might have profited in any future work.

Art. 12. Oriental Anecdotes; or the Hiftory of Haroun Alrachid. 12mo. 2 Vols. 6s. Nicol.

Haroun Alrachid, to whom thefe anecdotes are faid to relate, lived about the time of Charlemagne, who governed in the Weft, whilft Alrachid and the Emprefs Irene gave laws to the Eaft. The Writer hath not, indeed, introduced the enchantments and genii of the Arabian Tales, but hath made no fcruple of adopting relations equally abfurd and unnatural. There is fome degree of originality, however, in this production, which diftinguishes it from the vulgar trash of modern eaftern romances. It appears to have been written originally in French, by a Lady, whofe own history is fomething fingular. Madam de Fauguês de la Cepedes, we are told, was born at Avignon, where in her early years, he was forced, by a cruel parent, into a convent: but on the death of this unnatural relation, the had the courage to appeal to the Court of Rome against the violence which had been done her, and obtained fo authentic a sentence in her favour, that her vows were annulled, and the procured her liberty, with a due fhare of fortune from her Coheirs. She is faid to have become foon afterwards acquainted with the young Chevalier, by whom she had a fon lately dead. On her coming over to England, in order to avoid fome difagreeable circumftances attending her fituation in France, fhe entered into very intimate connections with Mr. Celefia, late Minister from Genoa, of whofe fubfequent marriage with an English Lady, the complained, as an act of injuftice to her. Of her literary character, we are told, that the King of Pruffia himself, in the midst of all the occupations of a war, in which he was making head fingly against an union of the greatest powers in Europe, vouchfafed to exprefs, by letter to her, his fenfe of her merit ; that the astonished the Beaux efprits on her first appearance in Paris,' and that M. Fontenelle, and many other great Judges, admired her genius.'

On the fuppofition, however, that these refpectable fuffrages were not merely complimentary, Madam Cepedes muft certainly have appeared to greater advantage in her converfation and other writings, than fhe does in the hiftory of Haroun Alrachid.

1. THE Divine Glories difplayed in Babes and Sucklings,-at Haberdashers Hall, June 10th, on the death of Nathanial Gibbons, who departed this life in the eleventh year of his age. By Thomas Gibbons, A. M. Buckland, &c.

2. The Operations of the Holy Ghoft confidered, before the Archbishop of York, at his primary vifitation, held at New-Malton, June 25, 1764. By Richard Conyers, M. A. Rector of Kirby-Mifperton, Vicar of Helmfley, and Chaplain to the Bishop of London. Dilly.

3. The Usefulness and Abufe of Philofophy in Motters of Religion,-at the vifitation of the Bishop of Glocefter, at Stroud Water, May 30, 1764. By John White, D. D. late Fellow of All-Souls, Oxford. Rivington.