Dornford's Addrefs to the Livery and Citizens of London, ibid. ibid. Letter from a distinguished English Commoner to a Peer of Ireland, Dr. Rollo's Obfervations on the Acute Dyfentery, Translation of Buffon's Natural History. Second Edition, 364 Earl Stanhope's Obfervations on Mr. Pitt's Plan for the Reduction Bell's Syftem of Surgery, Vol. IV. Samwell's Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook, Hunter's Treatise on the Venereal Disease, Dr. Moore's Medical Sketches, Jodrell's Perfian Heroine, a Tragedy, 407 410 413 421 425 Smith's Tranflation of Linnæus's Diflertation on the Sexes of Plants, 433 De l'Enconomie Politique Moderne, 436 Whitehurst's Enquiry into the original State and Formation of the Earth, 438 Baretti's Tolondron. Speeches to John Bowle, about his Edition of Don Quixote, 441 Address from. Sir John Dalrymple, Bart. to the Landholders of England, on the Distillery Laws, 443 Howlett's Effay on the Population of Ireland, 449 Hutchinfon's History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham, 451 Robinson's Sixteen Difcourfes on several Texts of Scripture, 455 Mrs. Cowley's Scottish Village, Anticipation of the Review of the Horfe Guards, &c. Poetical Epistle from the Ghost of Dr. Johnson to his Four Friends, Effay on the Pre-eminence of Comic Genius, Brocq's Defcription of certain Methods of Planting, Training, and Managing all Kinds of Fruit-Trees, Vines, &c. Rafpe's Account of the prefent Arrangement of Mr. Taffie's Collection of Pastes and Impreffions from Gems, 479 Ludlam's Effays on Scripture Metaphors, Divine Juftice, &c. ibid. Cadogan's Addrefs from a Clergyman to his Parishioners, ibid. Memoirs of a Social Monster; or the Hiftory of Charles Price, 480 Doubts concerning the Navigation of the Scheld, ibid. THE THE CRITICAL REVIEW. REVIEW. For JANUARY, 1786. Bhagvět-Geeta: or, Dialogues of Kreefhnă and Arjoon; in Eighteen Lectures. With Notes. Tranflated from the Original in the Sanfkreet, or ancient Language of the Brahmāns, by Charles Wilkins. 4to. s. 6d. Nourse. ΤΗ HIS work is published by the authority of the court of directors of the Eaft India company, as well as at the particular defire and recommendation of the late governorgeneral of India: Mr. Haftings's letter is prefixed. Its antiquity, for it is an extract from a poem affirmed to have been written upwards of four thousand years ago (not much more than a century from the deluge), the anxious jealousy with which all the facred writings of the Bramins are concealed, and the great veneration in which it has been held for many fucceffive ages, render it an object of the highest curiofity. It is the production of the fame Bramin who compiled the four books of the Vêdes or Bêdes, though it appears, from some circumstances mentioned by the very able tranflator, that the fourth is of a later date than the three former; and very probably later than the prefent performance, fince this is mentioned in it. as The letter from Mr. Haftings, with which this work is introduced, abounds with juft obfervations, not only on the fub❤ ject immediately before him, but on fome others connected with it. He wishes, however, to prefcribe bounds to criti cism, and would exclude, in eftimating the merit of this work, all rules drawn from the ancient or modern literature of Europe;' all references to fuch fentiments or manners, are become the ftandards of propriety for opinion and action, in our own modes of life;' and appeals to our revealed tenets of religion and moral duty. They are not applicable, he thinks, to a state of society so different, with which we have been fo long unconnected, and of an antiquity fo far fuperior to the first steps towards civilization in Europe. If this be allowed, Vol. LXI. Jan. 1786. B we we must look on this facred relic with the veneration of an Hindo, and be afraid to put forward the unhallowed finger of criticism; for by what rules muft we judge? The refpectable writer of this letter fhould confider, that the work is offered to European readers; that it is European learning which has enabled them to form any judgment at all; and that it is not in their power, even if they were fo inclined, to discard it. Mr. Haftings tacitly acknowleges this, for he proceeds to decide on it in the manner, and with the opinions of an Eu ropean. Many paffages will be found obfcure, many will feem redundant; others will be found cloathed with ornaments of fancy unfuited to our taste, and fome elevated to a track of fublimity into which our habits of judgment will find it difficult to pursue them; but few which will fhock either our religious faith or moral fentiments. Something too must be allowed to the subject itself, which is highly metaphyfical, to the extreme difficulty of rendering abftract terms by others exactly correfponding with them in another language, to the arbitrary combination of ideas, in words expreffing unfubftantial qualities, and more, to the errors of interpretation.' Yet, with these deductions, which are fomewhat more fully infifted on, Mr. Haftings hesitates not to pronounce • The Gēētā a performance of great originality; of a sublimity of conception, reafoning, and diction, almost unequalled; and a fingic exception, among all the known religions of mankind, of a theology accurately correfponding with that of the Christian difpenfation, and most powerfully illuftrating its fundamental doctrines. It will not be fair to try its relative worth by a comparison with the original text of the first standards of European compofition; but let these be taken even in the most efteemed of their profe tranflations; and in that equal fcale let their merits be weighed. I should not fear to place, in oppofition to the best French verfions of the most admired paffages of the Iliad or Odyffey, or of the first or fixth books of our own Milton, highly as I venerate the latter, the English translation of the Mahabharat.' Let us add a circumftance in vindication of Mr. Haftings, fince he feels the imputation mentioned fo keenly: his fenfibility, in this refpect, does great credit to his delicacy and humanity. • A mind rendered fufceptible by the daily experience of unmerited reproach, may be excufed if it anticipates even unreasonable or improbable objections. This must be my plea for any apparent futility in the following obfervation. I have feen an extract from a foreign work of great literary credit, in |