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Scarce were the copies told, when she
The quick destruction did decree,
With all their rich contents.
Forgot were fame and rage, I think,
She only hears the guineas chink,
Sees but the settlements.-

She begg'd they'd burn them in the Square*,
But heav'd a sigh as thus she spoke ;
Then dragging them to Salisbury Square*;
They set them blazing here and there,

Which fill'd the Barley-Mow with smoke.
Now run the mob !-they see the blaze,
And marvel much, I ween;

While at the bon-fire thus they gaze,
A title page is seen,

Which in large letters held to view,

"MEMOIRS OF MRS. M. A. CLARK;
INCLUDING FACTS AS STRANGE AS TRUE,
AND ANECDOTES OF MANY A SPARK,"
And thus these volumes were destroy'd;
Volumes of smoke they sent abroad,
While every one the agents blames
It should have publish'd been, they said,
And if condemn'd by those who read,
Then be committed to the flames.'

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The ingenuity which is displayed in adapting the style of Lord Marmion to the story of Pr-uce Fr-d-c might, we think, have been exerted on better objects.

EDUCATION.

Art. 28. A short Practical Grammar of the English Language, for the Use of Young Persons. By Edward Oliver, D.D. Rector of Swanscomb in Kent. 12mo. pp. 178. 2s. 6d. Boards. Faulder. The reasons assigned by Dr. Oliver, for making an addition to the number of English Grammers that are already before the public, are that most of them are so incumbered with critical and learned remarks, as to be very unfit for simply teaching the rudiments of the language and that others are either deficient or incorrect. His object therefore is to supply an elementary treatise, which shall contain a short and plain account of the several sorts of words, and their respective variations; together with a system of the rules of construction, sufficient for the practice of parsing. We think that the want of a new Grammar is rather problematical; yet, as a practical work for the use of schools, the compilement before us is well executed. The rules are given in concise and perspicuous language; and, although they are fewer than in many works of the kind, they are adequate to most purposes.

This repetition, instead of rhyme, is according to the original,

P. 363.'

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POLITICS.

Art. 29. Demonstration; or Financial Remarks: with occasional Observations on political Occurrences. By Francis Perceval Eliot, Esq. 8vo. pp. 128. 6s. Boards. Cawthorn.

This tract opens with rules for calculating the operations of the sinking fund in the reduction of loans; and after having exemplified these by tables, Mr. Eliot states his practical conclusions, which are too numerous and too diffusely expressed to admit of compression within our limits. One of his rules, namely, funding in the per cent. stock instead of the three per cents, he communicated to Lord Grenville before the loan of 1807; and it would, he thinks, have been adopted, had not the opposition of the monied interest been ap prehended. Another of Mr. E.'s rules is to regulate the sum set apart for the sinking fund at every new loan, by one sixtieth of the capital borrowed, instead of one hundredth of the capital created; a plan which gives the power without enforcing the putting of it in execution.' He next adverts to Lord Henry Petty's well known scheme of mortgaging the war-taxes, and considers that, during a period of five years, it would be attended with advantage, but that, on the expiration of that term, recurrence should be had to a different plan. The appendix contains a variety of useful tables: but we cannot help remarking that the political remarks hazarded by Mr. Eliot betray a portion of haste and invective, which ill accord with the sober-minded character of a calculator.

Art 3. The Speech of James Stephen, Esq. in the Debate in the House of Commons, 6th March 18c9, on Mr. Whitbread's Motion relative to the late Overtures of the American Government: with Supplementary Remarks on the recent Orders in Council. 8vo. PP 126. 4s. Butterworth.

Mr. Stephen informs the public that his object, in printing this speech, was to correct the misrepresentations which are current in regard to the complicated question of the Orders in Council. We shall concisely state the principal topics on which he dilates. Bonaparte's decree for the blockade of the British Isles (as he had the folly and presumption to term it) was issued in November 1806, but remained unexecuted till the succeeding August. The opponents of our Orders in Council consequently argued that, had we desisted from provocation, it would not have been carried into effect: but Mr. Stephen maintains that it began to be put in a train of execution in Autumn 107, and was then operating to our exclusion from the continent; therefore,' he says, it was not our Orders in Council, but the previous decree of the enemy that took away our continental trade.' He argues, in like manner, that the suspension of our American trade was not produced by these Orders, but by the Non-Importation Act previously existing in the United States. In regard to the American embargo imposed two years ago, he takes great pains to shew that it was adopted before the Americans knew of our Orders in Council, and could not consequently be founded on them. The American go. vernment having complained of the rejection by England of their Overtures of accommodation, he maintains that the spirit of these

Overtures

vertures was not equitable; that the tone of America towards France was too low; that, in acknowleging the right of France to impose whatever regulations she chose on foreign vessels when in her ports, America permitted too great latitude to what she termed the right of municipal legislation; and that all which she claimed from France was to abstain from seizing her ships when at sea, and under the protection of the law of nations. A supplement is added for the purpose of explaining the Order of 26th April 1809; which was considered by the public as a repeal of the former Orders, but which Mr. Stephen says was only a partial abrogation, since they remained in force in regard to France, Holland, and part of Italy.

It would be no difficult matter to shew, in opposition to Mr. Stephen, that the Orders in Council have been the source of heavy loss to this country: but the subject has been already discussed in our pages, and it is not our wish to dwell on the mismanagement of our rulers. Mr. Stephen's style gives evident marks of that verbosity which seems inseparable from the habit of frequent speaking but it possesses, notwithstanding, considerable energy. His manner of treating his adversaries is liberal and gentlemanlike; and his philanthropy is appa rent even under an exaggerated impression of the hostility of other governments. Yet much is wanting to render such men proper counsellors of our ministers, in regard to regulations of trade. In the whole of this speech, carefully composed as it is, and occupied with the discussion of our commercial interests, we have not been so fortunate as to perceive a vestige of that knowlege which constitutes the foundation of mercantile policy. The author discovers no acquaintance with the mode in which the capital of an industrious community is distributed and increased; no sense of the degree in which this increase never fails to be retarded when the hand of power interferes; and no consciousness of the great addition that might be made to our political strength, by the adoption of the plain rule of giving free scope to our national industry. Such are the consequences of these subjects being left, as they often are, to men who, from the urgency of other avocations, are unable to apply to these abstruse topics that portion of time and thought which is indispensible to the formation of accurate conclusions; and whose opinions are consequently formed on the narrow basis of local circumstances and particular facts.

Art. 31. Observations on the National Debt; with a Plan for discharging it, so as to do complete Justice to the equitable Claims of the Stockholder, and be at the same Time highly advantageous to the Nation at large; with Hints towards a financial Measure, calculated to yield a net Revenue of more than Five Millions annually, without the smallest additional Charge to the Public. 8vo. PP 90. 8s. Mawman.

Though the author of this tract admits his deficiency in knowlege of finance, he is so strongly impressed with the policy, or rather the necessity of extinguishing the national debt, that he cannot refrain from going to press with the happy thought which has struck him. This thought, however, is neither more nor less than that, if we will all pay a sum to government in proportion to our property, so as to make

make an amount equal to the national debt, that burden may be taken off our shoulders. If, for argument's sake, the whole national property be two thousand millions, and the debt four hundred millions, a payment of one fifth of our property to government will supply the means of the desired extinction.-This is telling us nothing more than we knew before: but the author lays his chief stress on the argument that such payment would, in fact, be no loss to the contributors, that the taxes appropriated to the payment of the interest of 'the debt would be taken off, and that (which is by no means so clear) the remaining four fifths of our property would be improved by the effect of this arrangement, to an equal value with our whole property before the adoption of the plan.

The financial measure, announced in the conclusion of the title, as likely to produce a revenue of five millions, is the erection of a national bank for the purpose of issuing a government paper-currency, to the exclusion of all others; the profit to go wholly into the public treasury.-Much good intention and some information are discernible in this pamphlet, but the author belongs to the numerous class of those who should study before they write.

Art. 32. The Principles and Conduct of the War. 8vo. 28. Hat

chard.

This politician should have looked into his Bible, and have takea from it for his motto," Against hope believing in hope." He sees prosperity in adversity, success in defeat, and security in ruin. Peace is deprecated, and perpetual war recommended; our allies are to be assisted nolentes volentes; victories followed by retreats are considered as splendid; acquisitions not worth retaining are termed important; and the enormous expence of vast armaments employed in obtaining them is pronounced to be trifling. Lord Castlereagh, Mr. Canning, and Lord Chatham, are the objects of the author's political idolatry; while the talents of the gallant and judicious Sir John Moore are indirectly attacked, by this silly remark: It is much to be deprecated that he did not, upon the dispersion of the Spanish armies, endeavour to secure the permanent maintenance of a British force in the peninsula.' We call this remark silly; because the dispersion of the Spanish force rendered this permanent maintenance' next to impossible, How was Sir John Moore, without aid from the Spaniards, to resist a French force greatly superior to his own?-The panegyrist of Lord Chatham's Walcheren-expedition cannot hurt the fame of Sir John Moore.

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Art. 33. Short Remarks on the State of Parties at the Close of the Year 1809. dvo. IS. Hatchard.

A writer, who takes up the pen for the purpose of offering remarks on the state of parties, has generally some party-end to serve. Thus it is with the author of this pamphlet, whose aim is to keep Lord Grenville out and Mr. Percival in; and being apprehensive that the expedition to the Scheldt, if made an object of inquiry, would shake the present ministry from their seats, he recommends oblivion of the past. Mr. Percival's power is identified with the existence of the Constitution; and we are advised to say nothing of the misfortunes

at Walcheren, lest greater evils befall us! Thus foot-pads, when they have plundered the unfortunate traveller, and run off, threaten that, if he stirs or makes a noise, they will return and blow out his brains.

HISTORY.

Art. 34. An Historical and Descriptive Account of the Town of Lancaster: collected from the best Authorities. 8vo. pp. 118. 5s. Boards. Ostell

This work is of the same nature as those useful publications which are inti led "Guides," and contains a concise account of Lancaster. The author seems to have been diligent in searching for his materials: but his arrangement is far from being good; and he has given no table of contents nor index to compensate for that deficiency. The work contains two plans of the town, one in its present state, and the other in that of the reign of Elizabeth, copied from Speed; and also a plan of the Castle. The curious visitor will derive some information from the volume which is not otherwise to be gained without much trouble, and will therefore be thankful for the publication, notwithstanding its faults.

Art. 35. A Sketch of the History and Present State of the Island of Jersey. By Thomas Lyte, Captain in the late first Garrison Battalion. 8vo. pp. 109. 38. sewed. Egerton.

It is probable that many readers are but little acquainted with the history of that remote and insulated portion of our dominions, to which this tract relates. To such persons, then, if they laudably desire to remedy this deficiency, Capt. Lyte's sketch will be accept able and instructive. The account, which is arranged under separate heads, is given with perspicuity; the author's remarks evince discrimination and research; and his manner is pleasing. Although professedly a sketch, yet his book contains several exemplifications with respect to method, that deserve the notice of more extensive topographers.

Art. 36. The History of Market Harborough in Leicestershire, and its Vicinity. By W. Harrod, Author of Stamford, Mansfield, &c. 8vo. pp. 102. 6s. Boards. Wilkie and Robinson.

To all persons who are fond of topographical information, such works as this are very desirable; since the particulars of which they may be in search are here to be obtained without much labour of investigation. In the present volume, the reader will meet with a minute account of the town of Harborough; in collecting the documents for which the author seems to have taken considerable pains. Though, however, we feel disposed to give him credit in this respect, we cannot speak in terms equally favourable of his manner. His intention was evidently to render his account as entertaining as the subject would admit, which was certainly commendable: but, in compilements of this nature, entertainment is sufficiently afforded by giv ing interesting information; and we are seldom pleased with our guide when he becomes a jester. The reason assigned by the author for his manner is, that as mere antiquarian matter might to some

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