The feventh piece contains, Reflections on the Ufe and Abufe of Philosophy in Matters that are properly relative to Taste. This piece hath been also published before, with Mr. Gerard's effay on the fame subject. The eighth and laft piece contains, Memoirs of Chriftina, Queen of Sweden, whofe extraordinary character is well known to most of our Readers: the anecdotes of this piece appear to be authentic, and the reafoning on them, fenfible and juft; but if we are to look upon this piece as a fpecimen of biogra phical writing, it is evident this kind of compofition is not our Author's forte. Indeed, with all his allowed folidity and good fenfe, the fuperficial fallies of the Frenchman frequently escape him; of which we have given one or two inftances. On the whole, however, this may be no defect; as the phlegm and caution of an Englishman, of Mr. D'Alembert's degree of underftanding, might have prevented his throwing out fome ingenious hints; which, however hazarded they feem at prefent, may poffibly lead to fomething more important than they appear to promife, and which are by no means the leaft valuable part of these miscellanies. K-n-k The Lives of all the Earls and Dukes of Devonshire, defcended from the renowned Sir William Cavendish, one of the Privy Counsellors to King Henry VIII. illuftrated with Reflections and Obfervations on the most friking Paffages in each Life: Interfperfed with fome Particulars of the Lives, Characters, and Genealogies of feveral great and eminent Men, their Cotemporaries; to which is added, a foort account of the Rife, Progress, and prefent State of the High Court of Chancery. By Mr. Grove, of Richmond. 8vo. 5s. Nourfe. W HEN first we took this curious piece of biography in hand, we were not a little puzzled to conceive how fo bulky a volume could be compofed from materials which, if our hiftorical recollection did not deceive us, were fo extremely thin and fcanty. But we had not gone through many pages, before our perplexity was at an end; and we found that thefe Lives of the Devonshire Family, might with almost equal propriety, have been intitled the Lives of any other noblemen, their cotemporaries. It too frequently happens that men of great reading, are men of little thought. They are induftrious in collecting materials, but injudicious in the ufe and application of them. They are unwilling unwilling to omit any thing which they deem curious and ftriking, however foreign it may be to the fubject before them. This appears to have been the cafe with the well meaning and elaborate Biographer now under review. He has been indefatigable in fcraping together whatever might contribute to fwell the bulk of his materials; but to the task of selection and rejection, he appears to have been wholly unequal. Had he known how to blot out difcreetly, he would have found that what remained, was too inconfiderable for biographical commemoration. A life worth recording, will be diftinguished by fome ftriking incidents, fome remarkable revolutions, or at least some entertaining peculiarities, which may render it interesting: where there is nothing of this kind, we may indeed draw a character, but it is abfurd to think of writing a life. We will endeavour, notwithstanding, from this digreffive and defultory work, to give fuch extracts as may make the Reader better acquainted with the noble family whofe lives are here tranfmitted to us, and which, without the help of the Review, would never, we apprehend, reach pofterity. Our Biographer, in his introduction, traces the genealogy of the Cavendish Family from the time of William, commonly called the Conqueror. Little more can be faid of them than that they lived and that they died; till we come to Sir John Cavendish, who was preferred to the high office of Lord Chief Juftice of England by Edward the third, and continued in that poft, when Richard the fecond fucceeded to the throne. It happened, we are told, that this worthy magiftrate was in the country, when Wat Tyler's rebellion broke out, and the vengeance of the rabble was rouzed against him on hearing that his gallant fon, John Cavendish, had lately, in Smithfield, killed Wat Tyler, whom they fo much idolized. They rushed into the House where the venerable judge lodged, dragged him from thence into the market place of Bury, where they had before dragged the prior of St. Edmunds out of his monastery, and there cruelly murdered both by striking off their heads. After reciting the particulars of the death of Tyler, and equitably fharing the merit of that event between the Lord Mayor of London and Mr. Cavendish, our author proceeds to the life of William, who was created Baron Cavendish of Hardwick, by King James the first, and afterwards by him promoted to the earldom of Devonshire. On the difcovery of the Bermudas Ilands, it seems a grant of them was made by king James to this Lord, and others; and this is the only anecdote which the life of this noble peer affords. The The mention of Bermudas however has given our author an opportunity of drawing breath from the laborious task of biography, and of wandering into an account of these delightful islands. But left a profe description fhould not fatisfy the Reader, he has added a poetical one from Waller, who (on mere hearfay teftimony) fings the beauties of thefe happy islands, whofe fruit, if we believe him, exceeds that of the Hefperian Gardens, and where, With candied plantaines, and the juicy pine, On choiceft melons, and fweet grapes they dine, It is a great pity that the ingenious poem called the Sugar Cane, was not published before Mr. Grove finished this account of Bermudas, as it would no doubt have afforded him many choice extracts. The life of the Second earl of Devonshire is as interefting as that of the first. All that we learn of him is that, in his youth, Mr. Thomas Hobbes was his tutor, that "When he had finished his ftudies at home, he made a tour to feveral parts of Europe, and having feen every thing worthy of observation," (What did he then, think you Reader? Why, he)" returned to his native country." amazing! We must not forget however to add, that On his first appearance at court, King James was fo pleafed with his graceful mein,' (we all know that King James loved handsome men) 'that he conferred on him the honour of knighthood.' What is more, he attended Charles the firft, to Canterbury, and affisted at the nuptials of that Prince with Henrietta, where he appeared with that fplendor which does honour to a court on fuch folemnities. Nothing more remains, but that he married, died, and was buried; and then in due biographical form and order, comes a lift of his children. Now for William the third Earl of Devonshire, who was likewife a pupil under Mr. Hobbes, and who made the tour of Europe,' as his father had done before him and having treasured up obfervations in the different countries he paffed through,' he, like his Father, very wifely returned to England.' What use he made of this treafure of obfervations, does not appear from this account of his life. All we find is, that On the meeting of the parliament in 1640, he was one of the first. who ftood up for the prerogative,' (much to his honour no doubt!)... And when he faw a party in both houses too ftrong for the King to contend with, he fupplied the diftreffes Rev. July, 1764, D of of that unfortunate Prince with money, and even fent his own brother to fight in the royal caufe, wherein he loft his life.' (More to his honour ftill.) We hope this cautious and affectionate conduct was the fruit of his foreign obfervations. We are next prefented with the life of Chriftian Countess Dowager of Devonshire, wife of the fecond and mother of the third Earl. As to her, fhe was of a fweet difpofition, and a good oeconomift; fhe was left involved in many law fuits, which she put an end to by fuch prudent management, as gained her great refpect and efteem from the judges; which occafioned his Majefty one day to fay to her in jeft, Madam, you have all my judges at your difpofal. In fhort fhe was a zealous royalist: and- As fhe had been a Chriftian indeed, during the whole course of her life,' it will eafily be believed that he died like one. So reft her foul! we pafs on to Charles Cavendish Efquire, brother to the third Earl of Devonshire, and the favourite fon of the Countefs his mother. This indeed appears to have been a high mettled fpark. His fift tour was to Paris, where hearing of the French army at Luxemburgh, and impatient for such a view, which was fo well fuited to one of his martial temper, he ftole away to the camp, unknown to his governor, but was foon brought back to his ftudies. The next year he spent in feveral parts of Italy, and in the following spring, having embarked for Conftantinople, there dropped his governor again, and, prompted by curiofity and an ardent defire of seeing on the spot the customs and manners' of different nations, leaving his English fervants behind him, took a circuit by land, through Natolia; from thence went by fea to Alexandria and Cairo; and came, by way of Malta, to Spain; and after some stay at that court, returned to England in 1641. After having paid his duty to the Countefs, his mother, he was prefented to the King and Queen, and moft graciously received by them. As his inclination determined him to arms, and the Countefs, in compliance therewith, intending to purchafe for him Colonel Goring's regiment of foot, then in Holland, he went thither to be trained up in the Prince of Orange's army, and when he had made one campaign returned to England, about the end of November 1641, where there was too much occafion to exercife his martial ardour, the King having been forced by popular tumults and diftractions in the two houfes, to retire to York, to which place both himself and brother haftened to offer their fervice to their diftreffed Sovereign. Here our young hero inlifted among thofe noble volunteers, who defired to be put under command, to fight in the royal cause ! taufe. He made it his choice to ride in the King's own troop, After this, the King, on his offer to go into the North, and • In this command, he beat the rebels from Grantham, gained This brave officer waited on the Queen with a noble guard D 2 dered |