Art. 28. The genuine Review of the Political State of an unhappy Country, as originally written, before it was mutilated by a Right Rev. Prelate. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Ridgeway.

The celebrated Short Review" [See our number for January] is here hashed up again, and prefented to us as a new dish. The alterations, which feem very unfair, are fo managed, as to ferve the purposes of the most inveterate malignity: the leading objects of which are, his M, and the Prime Minifter. On the other hand, the Heir-apparent is highly favoured; and fome of his principal friends are diftinguished as the first characters of the age.

Art. 29. The new Syftem of Libelling illuftrated, in a critical Examination of a late Short Review, &c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Debrett. In this third answer to the "Short Review," that work is treated with great contempt. It is reprefented as an ill-written, and worseintended rhapsody; and the great attention that hath been paid to it, the prefent Anfwerer chiefly afcribes to the aftonishment with which the Public beheld a bardy familiarity, under pretence of "a fpeculative freedom," play with topics which difcretion avoids, or touches with timidity and awe; For, adds he,

"Fools rush in, where angels fear to tread."

Art. 30. The Monitor; or, an Addrefs to the People of Great Bricain, America, and Ireland, on the prefent Situation of Affairs. By M. Beaty, Teacher of the Claffics, &c. 8vo. 3s. Debrett, &c. 1786.

It were to be wifhed, that Mr. Beaty's attention were more closely engaged in teaching the claffics, than we may fuppofe to be the cafe; for had he not too much time upon his hands, he would, we imagine, fcarcely have fuffered his thoughts to wander fo much at large from their regular track, and have been fo induftrious to exhibit him felf to a difadvantage. His Monitor is a ftrange jumble of piety and politics; hints on education, popery, proflitution, war, the cultivation of waste lands, impreffing of feamen, imprisonment for debt, &c. Where a man ferioufly means well, circumftances may fometimes reftrain us from laughing at a publication of weakneffes; and we claim fome merit in refifting the prefent temptation.

N.

Art. 31. Confiderations on the annual Million Bill, and on the real and imaginary Properties of a Sinking Fund. 8vo. Is. Payne. 1787.

The fenfible Author of this pamphlet argues against part of the late bill for reducing the national debt. He thinks the fcheme a good one, provided the revenue of a peace eftablishment affords a furplus of a million per annum; but the borrowing money, in cafe of a deficiency, is a measure he cannot approve. He attacks Dr. Price, and other political arithmeticians, who maintain the practicability of borrowing money at fimple intereft, while, by means of a finking fund, they can pay at compound interest.

The refult of his arguments is, ift, To endeavour, by every means pot difcreditable, to preferve the continuance of peace. zdly, conomy. 3dly, A finking fund, fupported by a clear annual furplus, and not by loans. 4thly, To lower the interests of our debts, when

it can with propriety be done. 5thly, To avoid new loans, if poffible; but if they must be, to create new funds that shall be more than fufficient to pay the intereft. And lastly, To give efficacy to the whole, for a reasonable equivalent, RESTORE GIBRALTAR; which fortification has, according to the Author's opinion, increased the national debt at leaft feventy millions, and ftill requires a very large annuity for its fupport. R

AGRICULTURE.

m.

Art. 32. An Efay on Agriculture, with a view to inform Gentlemen of landed Property, whether their Eftates are managed to the greatest Advantage. By Thomas Stone. 8vo. 6s. Boards.

Robfon. 1785.

It would perhaps be happy for the republic of letters, if all didactic writers, were firft to ferve an apprenticeship as Reviewers; for in that cafe they would be obliged to read what had been previously written on a fubject, before they commenced authors themselves; and that they would then not only know what points required to be elucidated, but they would alfo be, in many cafes, fully inftructed on fome branches of knowledge, in which they might otherwife be little informed, and be thereby prevented from troubling the world with their own crude and indigefted notions. Mr. Stone, though he feems not to be deficient in natural talents, appears to have given himself very little trouble to enquire what has been faid by others on the fubjects he investigates. And though we admit, that lefs reading is neceffary to qualify a man to write on agriculture, than on most other fubjects, if he has a fufficient fund of practical knowledge; yet, without a moderate fhare of reading, his notions will be fo confined, and his expreffions will be fo local, that he will be understood only in the fmall circle where fuch words are current. These defects are so obvious in Mr. Stone's book, that we fear it never can be of much general utility.

It does not appear that this Author has had either much reading, or much practical experience in agriculture; though he feems to poffefs a talent for obfervation, which, if cultivated, might be of ufe. In his remarks on foils, we have fome pointing towards certain theories, that would have been better received a century ago. We were, in particular, greatly furprifed to find, at the prefent time, long after the nature of calcareous manures had been very minutely explained in feveral well-known publications on agriculture, that Mr. Stone fhould fo invariably make use of the terms marle, and clay, as entirely fynonymous.

We do not meet with any thing new in this treatife; but his obfervations on the advantages of a stock of cattle fuitable to the farm are more out of the beaten track than the other parts of it. The practical directions are, in general, liable to no great exception, and may be of ufe to fome farmers, whofe ideas have never yet been enlarged. The Author's chief aim, however, in this performance, is to imprefs landed gentlemen with an idea of the great importance of employing a steward, who understands the proper management of an eftate. To this theme he frequently returns, and infifts upon it with great zeal, ab ovo ufque ad mala. Whence

we conclude, that Mr. Stone would have no objection to be himself employed in that capacity; and we doubt not but he is fufficiently qualified for difcharging the duties of that office.

Though the style of this effay is rather too low for criticism; yet we cannot help expreffing the difguft that we felt at meeting, so very often, with the intolerable vulgarifm which we have fo frequently had occafion to reprehend, viz. that of the verb to lay, instead of to lie. This occurs in almost every page; and we do not recollect to have met with thefe words in the proper fenfe, even once, in this performance. For the ufe of fuch authors as are unacquainted with the common principles of Grammar, we beg leave to repeat, what we have often before mentioned, that to lay, preterite laid, always means to put fome object down, so as that it may remain where we have placed it ;-to lie-preterite, lay-means to place one's felf in a cumbent posture. A—n.

MEDICA L.

Art. 33. An Experimental Enquiry into the Properties of Opium, and its Effects on living Subjects: being the Difputation which gained the Harveian Prize for the Year 1785. By John Leigh, M. D. 8vo. 2s. 6d. fewed. Edinburgh, Elliot; London, Robinsons. 1786. After defcribing the plant whence opium is extracted, and the manner in which it is prepared, our Author examines its conftiquent parts, and inftitutes a number of experiments to determine its effects on living animals. We do not find that he has made any new obfervations: his experiments indeed are numerous; but the conclufions drawn from them only ferve to confirm the opinions concerning the properties and effects of this powerful medicine, which moft writers on the materia medica have formerly delivered. Dr. Leigh wery prudently declines giving any opinion about the operation of opium: it is a fubject which, he says, has been much darkened by the fhades of controversy. Art. 34. Phyfiological Conjectures concerning certain Functions of the R human Economy in the Foetus and the Adult. By James Rymer. 8vo. IS. Evans. 1787.

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The Author acknowledges, that what he advances on this dark and intricate fubject, is all conjecture; and, as fuch, he trufts it can be productive of no evil. His thoughts are ingenious; and, however, at prefent, unfupported by argument, they may deferve the attention of practical anatomifts.

Art. 35. A Philofophical and Medical Sketch of the Natural Hiftory of the Human Body and Mind. To which is fubjoined, an Effay on the Difficulties of attaining medical Knowledge. By James Makittrick Adair, M. D. Fellow of the College of Physicians at Edinburgh. 8vo. 4s. Boards. Dilly. 1787.

The defign of this publication is to fhew, that a fuperficial knowledge of the medical art muft render the practice of it unfafe and dangerous, and to warn the reader against the evils refulting from the prefent prevailing propenfity to empiricifm. There are few nations in Europe where the practice of medicine is in fo bad a state as in England. The experienced phyfician is feldom fent for, until the difeafe is confirmed and established, and feveral quack medicines

have failed to relieve the complaint. This delay in the beginning of acute difeafes is, in our Author's opinion, productive of the worst confequences. If Dr. Adair, by the prefent performance, fhould be happy enough to remove any of the difficulties under which the medical art at prefent labours, he will certainly merit the thanks of the whole country, especially thofe of the profeffion, who, although poffeffed of genius and abilities, highly cultivated by an expenfive and liberal education, have the mortification of seeing ignorant pretending coxcombs enriched by the exercise of an art to which they are a difgrace.

After briefly explaining the ftructure of the human body, and the nature of its functions, Dr. Adair points out the disadvantages under which we labour, in attaining medical knowledge in general, but efpecially fuch as is neceffary for the foundation of a rational practice. In the attempt of writing a popular book, our Author has happily fucceeded; for, excepting that useful body of men the apothecaries, on whom he hath paffed fome ftrictures, every class of readers will receive entertainment, as well as information, from the perufal of it; and the anecdotes, &c. which are frequently introduced, will serve to relieve the attentive reader, while they explain and illustrate the fubject.

We obferve that this work, as well as the Author's Medical Cautions for the Confideration of Invalids, is benevolently intended for the benefit of the Bath Hofpital.

LAW.

Art. 36. A Difcourfe on the Ufe and Doctrine of Attachments, with a Report, &c. By T. A. Pickering. 8vo. Is. 6d. Fielding. 1786.

The Author of this pamphlet is by profeffion an attorney. It appears in the cafe, which he reports, that his client was arrested for 1627. 10s. on a bill of exchange; and in Nov. 1783, Mr. Pickering gave an undertaking in writing to put in good bail, if required. In the month of June 1784, a motion was made in the court of Common Pleas against Mr. Pickering, upon an affidavit that application had been often made to him to put in good bail, pursuant to his undertaking, but that no bail was juftified. The court granted a rule to fhew caufe why he fhould not pay the debt and cofts, for not putting in bail pursuant to his undertaking: but this rule was on the next day enlarged to Michaelmas term, when no bail having juftified, the rule was made abfolute against Mr. Pickering, and he was thereby ordered to pay the debt and cofts: but the court added, that if he had any doubt of the legality of the plaintiff's demand, the fame might be tried by a jury. Nothing could be more fair or just : Mr. Pickering did not accept the offer. On the 27th January 1785, the court was again applied to; and on 7th February following, it was referred to the prothonotary to fettle the debt and cofts, which was done at the fum of 1951. 65. 7d. Mr. Pickering was, and, it feems, is ftill of opinion that the damages fhould be affeffed by a jury, but the court thought otherwife: Diis aliter vifum. An attachment iffued against Mr. Pickering, who paid the money to the fheriffs of London, and they, by order of the court, paid the fame to the plaintiff's attorney. This is the fhort ftate of the proceedings, by which this Author

7

Author thinks him felf aggrieved. He thinks it hard the judgment of the court should be definitive, and propofes an act of parliament, giving an appeal by writ of error, the appellant in the mean time to be held to bail. But in the preamble of his act, he recites, that writs of attachment from courts of record for contempt of the law of the land, and thofe in the administration thereof, have, by long ufage and custom, been approved, and are part of the law of the realm. Mr. Pickering is, therefore, at variance with himself, when he fays that perfonal attachments are repugnant to the fpirit of Magna Charta. Now Magna Charta is faid to protect every individual in the free enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, unlefs forfeited by the judgment of his peers, or the law of the land. He who does not perform an order of court is liable to an attachment, which is admitted to be part of the law of the realm: and attornies, as they are officers of the court, feem, with good reason, to be fubject to the authority complained of. When an attorney undertakes to put in good bail, and for a year and a half has not done it, juftice feems to require that he fhould pay the debt and costs, for the plaintiff ought not to fuffer by his delay or contumacy. What good can accrue from an appeal by writ of error is not obvious, but it is evident that Jitigation, great delays, and expence would follow. Mr. Pickering has ftruggled hard, as he conceives, for the right of the fubject: but, in their own cafe, are not men apt to be partial? If we must rejudge the court of Common Pleas, it appears to us that what they did was M—y.

SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE.

Art. 37. Every Farmer his own Lawyer; or the Country Gentleman's complete Guide, containing all the Acts now in force; together with adjudged Cafes that particularly concern those who refide principally in the Country, &c. By W. Scott, of the Middle Temple, Efquire. 8vo. 3s. fewed. Lifter.

This performance is written in the ftyle and manner of Burn's Juftice, and is moftly copied from that ufeful work. As it contains but few fubjects, it can only be useful to a few readers: thofe for whom it is intended will however find in it all the neweft laws, and feveral determined cafes, on particular fubjects, which were either difficult or doubtful. We find, in this work, the laws relative to Tithes, Game, Horfes, and Carriages; regulations concerning Carriers and Watermen; the laws concerning Turnpikes, Bridges, Rivers, Mills, Corn, &c. &c. and almost every other fubject which belongs to the country gentleman or farmer, to whom this publication may in fome degree fupply the place of Burn's Juftice. R-m

PHILOSOPHY,

C.

Art. 38. An Oration delivered before the American Philofophical Society, held at Philadelphia, on the 27th Feb. 1786; containing an Enquiry into the Influence of Phyfical Caufes upon the Moral Faculty. By Benjamin Rush, M.D. Profeffor of Chemistry at Pennfylvania. 8vo. Is. 6d. Dilly. 1786.

We have here a curious paper on the various effects which are produced on the powers of the human mind, and efpecially on the moral faculty, by material, external caufes. Dr. Rufh enumerates the feveral circumftances which have an evident effect on the memory, the imagination, and the judgment, and through their medium on

the