a book which we have already noticed, and in fome refpects praised. In the work before us, the author confiders the means of internal improvement in our power; by which we may counterbalance, in a great degree, the advantages which France derives from her continental acquifitions. These means of improvement he confiders as arifing from our agriculture and our fisheries. To facilitate the explo ration (as he terms it) of our common and waste lands, and indeed agricultural improvements in general, he recommends a national Board of Agriculture to be established, under the patronage of the King, and divided into two Colleges, the Prince of Wales to be Prefident of the firft, fome peer of the realm Vice-Prefident, and the reft of the nobility Members. The Prefident of the fecond College to be elective, and the Members to confift of the hereditary proprietors of lands poffeffing a certain rental. He propofes a fub-department to be formed in every county, and that it fh uld be invested with very extenfive powers;-powers, in our opinion, interfering too much with the controul which individuals ought to have over their own property, and likely to render the whole fyftem unpopular, if not oppreflive. Many of his faggeftions in this part of the work are, however, worthy of attention, and his propofal, in the fubfequent part (which relates to the fisheries) highly fo. We have long been of opinion, that a very abundant fource of wealth, and a valuable nursery of feamen, would arife from a more general and fyftematic cultivation of this branch of commerce. For this purpofe, the author fuggefts the eftablishment of a grand national corporation, under the immediate protection of Parliament." This corporation, he propofes, fhould, by its charter, be authorized to raife a capital flock of a certain number of millions fterling, and every fea-port, trading, and other corporation, hold a thare proportionate to its locality, the tonnage of its hipping, and the average amount of its trade. The project is detailed at great length, and fems to us to hold out a profpect of great national advantage; though, in fome of its details, it might perhaps admit of improvement. It is preceded by a history of the Scandinavian and Dutch Fisheries, interfperfed with many important remarks. One of his opinions, in particular, claims, we think, (if it has not already excited) the attention of thofe focieties which have already ex rted themselves in promoting the Herring Fisheries; namely, that fih taken in creeks and inlers (and particularly in the Firth of Forth) are much inferior to thofe taken in the deep fea and on the coafts of Scotland. He afferts, indeed, that "the former give no found nourishment"; and are as different from thofe taken in the deep fea, as is the meat of a cow that dies of a confumption, from that of a fat bullock killed in his prime."

We cannot allow fpace for entering any further into the particulars of this work, than to mention, that "Bonaparte's plan of invafion" is, according to this author, to attack Ireland with about 40,000 men, making at the fame time feveral feints of invading England; as he deems the polletion of that country the shortelt and most certain fteps towards the conqueft of this.

See Brit. Crit. for July, 1804, p. 89. That work appeared to have been printed at Hamburgh, this at Brunswick.

Q q 2

AGRI

AGRICULTURE.

ART. 36. Minutes in Agriculture and Planting. 1. On the Structure and component Principles of Vegetables. 2. On the Culture and Ufe of Nine of the beft Artificial, and of Eight of the beft Natural Graffes; fhewing the great Advantages that would arise from a more general Ufe of them; by enabling the Grazier to keep one fourth more Stock, and the Farmer to produce one fourth more Corn, upon the fame Land, than they did before. 3. On the Conftruction and Ufe of a SwardDreffer. 4. On the Conftruction and Ufe of a Thiftle-Cutter. 5. On the Conftruction and Ufe of a Compound-Roller; containing a Spike and Plain Roller in one Frame. 6. On the Conftruction and Use of a Tree-Transplanter, for removing and planting large Trees. 7. Ол the Conftruction and Uje of a Scuffle. 8. On the Conftruction and Ufe of a Couch-Grafs Drag. 9. On the Conftruction and Ufe of a Couch Grafs Rake.-Illuftrated with Specimens of Eight Sorts of the beft, and Two Sorts of the worst Natural Graffes, and with accurate Drawings and Defcriptions of the above practical Machines, on Seven Copper-Plates; whereby every Farmer will be made perfectly acquainted with the best Natural and Artificial Graffes; and not only be made acquainted with the Ufe of, but also be enabled to conftruct the above Machines. By William Amos, of Brothertoft, near Bofton, Lincolnhire, Author of the Theory and Practice of the Drill Husbandry, &c. &c. 4to. 92 pp. 11. 1s. Lackington, &c. 1804.

The contents of this volume, as amply exhibited in the title-page, will doubtless attract the attention of agricultural readers. The first chapter (or Differtation, as the author ftyles it) is moftly borrowed; and is rather calculated for the philofophical, than the more practical farmer. To the latter, indeed, it will be nearly unintelligible. The fecond Differtation is the most original and important in the book." It is a juft matter of wonder", the author truly fays, " in this age of improvement, that fo little attention fhould be paid to the laying down of land with proper grafs feeds." But, even with this attention," the farmer is liable to the impofition of the feedfman." We apprehend that this impofition is practifed very extensively; and we do not at all wonder that men fhould be found, ready to play all the tricks of trade with that multitude of ignorant improvers of husbandry, which fashion has lately produced. "But, I have endeavoured to remove this in- convenience; by giving specimens of eight of the best, and two of the worst forts of natural graffes, with defcriptions of each; by which the farmer will be enabled, not only to collect his own feeds; but also, to determine on the quality of the feeds he may want to buy."

The fpecimens of the natural graffes are prefented to us in a form remarkably neat; and the defcriptions of them (tranflated from Latin) feem to come from the hand of a master in botany, p. 43, &c.

"The mechanical part of this work", fays the author, " is principally directed to the conftruction and ufe of fuch implements, as I have employed in facilitating the deftruction of weeds, both on arable and pafture lands." We find feveral well-executed drawings of agricultural

improve

improvements. The thiftle-cutter is the moft novel among thofe implements; and is certainly of great importance. We with that its complexity may not stand in the way of its adoption and full fuccefs. Labourers in bufbandry are lefs equal to the management of complex machines, than manufacturers. Simplicity must be the motto of their working-tools, as it is of their education and habits. The Differtation on tree-transplanting, is curious and interesting.

The work, in general, is very creditable to the author; and fo it is to the printer, Mr. Hellaby, of Bolton, by the neatness and accuracy with which it is executed.

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 37. Gems felected from the Antique, with Illuftrations. 4to. 11. is. Murray.

1804.

The object of this pleafing and very elegant performance, is to introduce a more familiar acquaintance with engraved gems. The artift of the prefent work truly and judiciously obferves, that the private collections which have been engraved are coftly and fcarce, and that illuftrations are fubjoined to none. This laft affertion is not quite correct, as illuftrations will be found both to the Marlborough Gems, and to the Cabinet of the late Duke of Orleans. Thofe which are here given, are felected with much tafte, and engraved with particular elegance. They confift principally of the famous Jupiter giochus, now in the National Museum at Paris; of various impreffions of Cupid and Pfyche, from the Gems of Mr. Townly, Mr. Dutens, the Florentine Mufeum, Taffie, &c. The head of Priam is remarkably fine, from a Gem belonging to the Duke of Devonshire. All indeed are deferving of commendation, and we are well pleafed to hear that the work is intended to be continued. The introduction to the study of engraved Gems is neatly and claffically drawn up, and the illuftrations which accompany the engravings are fufficient and fatisfactory.

ART. 38. A Tour through fome of the Southern Counties of England. By Peregrine Project, and Timothy Type. 12mo. 240 pp. 35. 6d. Vernor and Hood. 1804.

This publication is not devoid of humour, and contains fome very fair farcafms at the rage for publishing " Voyages to Gravefend”, and Travels to Richmond".

ART. 39. Journals of Travels in Parts of the late Auftrian Low Countries, France, the Pays de Vaud, and Tufcany, in 1787 and 1789. By Lockhart Muirhead, M. A. Librarian to the University of Glasgow. 8vo. 7s. Longman and Co. 1803.

This ground has been fo repeatedly travelled over, that nothing new, concerning the places vifited and the people defcribed, can either be expected or communicated. A few local anecdotes may occafionally enliven the narrative; but Bruffels is juft what it was, and fo is

Laufanne,

Laufanne, and lo is Avignon, &c. &c. The Journal is, however, entertaining, and must be useful to thofe who follow the fame route for the fame purpofe. A flight map would have made it more convenient and acceptable to the travelier. Among the moft fingular anecdotes we ever remember to have feen, is that of the Abbe de Vatterville, at p. 87; nor much lefs fo is that of Marivaux and the mysterious old man, at p. 163; but this we have feen elsewhere. The story of Jacques Cœur, at p. 337, and the fubfequent account of Marseilles, are among the more interefting parts of the volume.

ART. 40. The Life of C. G. Lameignen Malherbes, formerly Fift Prefident of the Court of Aids, and Minister of State, Member of the Academy, &c. Tranflated from the French. By Edward Mangin. 12mo. 2s. 6d. Conftable, Edinburgh; Lorgman and Co. London. 1804.

It is a fact no lefs atrocious than true, that the principal accufation against this eftimable character, was his being the defender of Louis, although he had been exprefsly nan ed for that purpose, by the autho. rity of the National Convention. Such was the justice of the pretended pron oters of freedom and univerfal philanthropy!

The prefent is an elegant tranflation, and contains many affecting anecdotes of the late unfortunate French Monarch, as well as of the individual, whofe life is more immediately recorded.

Thornhill, Efq. 4tc. 1804.

To

ART. 41. The Shooting Directory. By R. B. 11. 119. 6d. Longman and Co. Provifion must be made for various taftes and propensities. lovers of rural pleafures, and fportimen of every defcription, this will prove a very ufetul and interefting publication. Mr. Thornhill enters widely on the fubject, and expatiates with much judgment, on dogs, game of every defcription, the choice of the gun, the utility of the patent breech, the game-laws, receipts for the difeafes to which dogs are more immediately fubje&t, and concludes with general obfervations on fporting in all its various branches.

Mr. Thornhill has interfperfed many enter aining anecdotes; and we infert the following wonderful inftance of the fagacity of a dog, which would appear incredible, did not Mr. T. affert it on the strong it authority.

A young gentleman being in Paris, in the year 1800, was ging to a place of public entertainment, and his dog with him, but the guard at the door objected to the dog's being admitted, but faid he could take care of it for the gentleman until he thould return. The young man had not been long in this place when he mitled his watch; and going to the guard, and informing him of the circumstance, requested the dog might be allowed to return with him into the rooms, as through his means he could certainly recover his warch; the requeil was granted, and the young gentleman returning, intimated to his dog that he had loft fomething. The dog inftantly fet out in fearch of the watch; and faftened on a perfon who, on being fearched, proved to be the thief, as not lefs than fix watches were found on him, and amongst the relt, that of the gentleman. On the watches being laid

down,

down, the dog picked out his master's watch, and bore it to him by the chain."

་

The plates which are introduced are by no means well executed; and, as the heroes of the field are represented, thy teem rather calculated for the gay circles of a drawing room, than for rambling through cutting heaths, or toiling over almolt cold and dreary mountains.

ART. 42. A General Hiftory of Inland Navigation, Foreign and Domeftic: containing a complete Account of the Canals already excited in England; with Confiderations on thofe proj cted. Abridged from the Quarto Edition, and continued to the prefent Time. By J. Phillips. The Fourth Edition. 8vo. 598 pp. 10s. 6d. Taylor, Holborn. 1803. The author ftates, that the large volume in quarto, from which this is abridged by himfelf, has met with much fuccefs and approbation; and we agree with him, that," as every perfon, whether engaged in agriculture or commerce, is more or lets interested in the in and navi. gation of the country, an abridged edition, at a price within the reach of almost every reader, could not fail to be highly useful and acceptable."

He further flates that," in this edition, though much of the more unimportant part of the larger work has been omitted, yet many confiderable additions and improvements have been made, and fome errors have been corrected"; to that, upon the whole, he thinks" it will be found as ufeful, and in fome relpects even fuperior to the original pub lication." As thefe improvements are but the natural effect of continued attention to the fubject, the purcha ers of the larger work will not, we conceive, be difpleafed at them.

The work is divided into fections, of which the fix first give an hiftorical account of ancient an 1 foreign canals. The feventh fection takes up the fubject in England; beginning with the Canal of Caerdyke, as the moit ancient; and proceeding from that to the Canal of Sandown-cattle, Kent, thote in the Levels and Fens, and the New River. The Duke of Bridgewater's Canal begins the fubject of modern works of that kind in Engla d. This feventh fection, thus begun, at the 84th page, is continued to the end of the book; being fubdivided by the names of the feveral works, which are introduced in chronological order. An alphabetical Index profixed, makes it perfectly eaty to refer to the account of any particular Canal without los of time.

Mr. Phillips, it appears, was originally employed by the great Brindley, whom he justly ftyles the Father of English Cands: ne palled fome years in America, as a prifoner on parole; and be tas travelled through the principal countries of Europe, where fuch objects could be found, with a particular view to the exam nation of their internal navigations. There can be to doubt, therefore, that he is well qualified to turnish that knoie gewrich fh uld he expected-in a work of this kind. In Roffia he was employed by the government. It feems unneceffary to fay more of a work which cannot but intereft curiofity, and carries its own recommendations fo ftrongly with it.

ART.