-There is a great deal of fenfible judicious fpeculation in this pamphlet ; which, however, we are afraid is too speculative, too general, and perhaps too moderate, to be much attended to, in our present political heat and hurry. This tractate, nevertheless, deferves to be read, and attentively confidered, on account of the variety of useful obfervations with which it abounds,

Art. 22. A plain and feasonable Addrefs to the Freeholders of Great Britain, on the prefent pofture of Affairs in America. 8vo. 6d. Richardfon and Urquhart.

Ridicule of Mr. Pitt, and declamation against the Americans. Art. 23. Confiderations on the Propriety of impofing Taxes in the British Colonies, for the Purpose of raising a Revenue by Act of Parliament. By Mr. Dulaney of Maryland. Second Edition. 8vo. s. 6d. Almon,

Of this notable pamphlet, which was published last month, without the Author's name, we gave fome account in the Review for jan. p. 65. Art. 24. The Anfwer to a Colonel's Letter. By a Wooden-legged Soldier in Gloucefterfhire. Wherein fome American Matters are flightly touched upon. 8vo. I s. Main.

This wooden-legged foldier is by no means a wooden-headed one. Corporal Oaktree is really a very clever facetious fellow. The purport of his pamphlet is—But do-buy it, Reader, without farther recommendation. It will entertain you, to fay the leaft; and poffibly it may alfo afford you a good fhilling's-worth of information: although, by the ways there is not more than a common fixpenny-worth of paper and print. But whether the corporal or his bookfeller be to blame, in this respect, is best known to themselves.

MEDICAL.

Art. 25. A Letter from J. Keyfer, Surgeon and Chemist, of Paris, to Mr. Jonathan Wathen, Surgeon, of London, in Anfwer to his Pamphlet, entitled, Practical Obfervations on the Venereal Difeafe. 8vo. 6d. Nicoll.

If the Writer of this pamphlet expected that the publick fhould believe it to be bona fide a letter from Mr. Keyfer, the words tranflated from the French ought to have appeared in the title page, unless Mr. Keyfer be an Englishman. Mr. Wathen having, in his Pradical Obfervations* pronounced Keyfer's pills to be a weak mercurial, in many cases infufficient to cure the Venereal Disease, and by no means deferving the reputation they have acquired in France, this Author, in the name of Keyfer, fteps forth in vindication of the faid pills, fupported by the tefti mony of Guerin and Le Cat. But the part in which he bears hardest upon his antagonist, is where he reproaches him with having formerly entertained fo different an opinion of thefe pills as to offer a confiderable fum in order to become a joint purchaser of the fecret. This is undoubtedly a home charge upon Mr. Wathen. How that gentleman defends himself will appear in the following Article.

See Review, Vol. XXXIII. p. 371.

Art. 26.

Art. 26. An Anfwer to the Letter of Mr. Keyfer, in which the InSufficiency of his Medicine for the Cure of the Venereal Difeafe, is further confidered, &c. By Jonathan Wathen, Surgeon. 8vo. 6d. Rivington.

This Writer's principal intention, in his Practical Obfervations, mentioned in the laft article, was to prove that no noftrum whatsoever, or fecret, or known preparation of mercury, deferves to be exclufively confidered as a cure for the Venereal Disease. Away, says he, with ar canas, noftrums, and curious preparations, &c. they have no value, but as containing fomewhat of this only remedy (mercury) for their bafis nor have they any good effects but what are derived from thence, and as they are regulated in their operation.' In the course of that treatise, he animadverted on the particular mercurial preparations of which he had made trial in his own practice, equally condemning them all as ge neral medicines, Keyfer's pills among the reft. This produced the letter reviewed in our laft article, and that letter gave rife to this reply. In regard to the accufation of having formerly offered to purchase. the fecret, the Author ingenuously owns the fact, but tells us, at the fame time, that it happened feven years ago, when he really entertained a favourable opinion of Keyfer's pills; but that more experience hath fince obliged him to change his opinion, both in regard to thofe pills, and to every other specific for the Venereal Difeafe. Mr. Wathen has throughout the whole, acquitted himself with judgment and propriety, his pamphlet being, in our apprehenfion, a fufficient and fatisfactory reply to Mr. Keyfer's letter.

Art. 27. Some Hißories of Wounds of the Head, &c. with Obfens vations: to which are added a few Remarks on the Convulfive Cough of the Year 1764, in Cornwall. By John Williams of Redruth, Cornwall. 8vo. IS. Falmouth printed, and fold by Baldwin in London.

The appearances exhibited in the operation of the trepan, convince me that the remark of a very ingenious modern author (P. Pott) concerning the dura mater, is premature, and carries in it a false idea. He afferts that the dura mater performs the office of periosteum within the craneum, in the fame manner as the pericraneum doth externally; now I think the fact is otherwife, and that the dura mater (unless at the futures) is connected with the skull by fmall ligamentous veffels (if the expreffion is allowed) at uncertain distances; whereas the pericraneum, and all perioftea, appear to be in every point fo clofely attached to their refpective bones, while healthy, that nothing fhort of much violence can divide them. In fome points thefe ligamentous veffels connect the skull and dura mater very tightly, fo as to occafion a difficulty in detaching them, and frequently the laceration produces a flight hemorrhage; but, generally speaking, they adhere flightly, as if ftuck together with a kind of gummy novia, whofe tenacity gives way to the leaft force imagin able. So beginneth the notable production of Mr. John Williams of Redruth in Cornwall, who, if we may judge from his pamphlet, feem's to be a very facetious kind of a gentleman. Nothing but his total ig norance of Mr. Pott's flation, character and abilities, can excufe the familiarity of his attack upon that ingeniaus modern author, as he is kindly pleafed to call him. But if he had been properly mafter of his fubject,

he

he would not have ufed the word premature, as Mr. Pott, in confidering the dura mater as the internal periosteum of the cranium, does no more than follow the opinion of the best anatomifts. Left Mr. Williams fhould 'difpute our affertion, we will tranfcribe a few paffages from fome of the moft celebrated, upon this fubject.

Ufus dura matris: loco perioftir cranio intus infervire. Heifteri Compend, Anat.

The dura mater lines the infide of the cranium, and supplies the place of an internal periosteum. Winflow's Anatomy.

篇

Now let us hear what the great Haller fays concerning the adhesion of the dura mater, which our Author afferts to be so flight.

Speaking of the cranium, he fays, huic fphæræ undique interius adnafcitur membrana firmiffima, ex duabus laminis futis diftinctis compofita, toti offeæ, fuperficiei infinitis vafculis, tanquam pedunculis pertinaciter adnata, & in fano homine nullibi feperabilis, paulo levius offibus tenuiffimis, tenaciffime vero adhærens in offium commiffuris. In junioribus corporibus ita cranio adhæret, ut una adnexas fibras avellas.' Prim. Lin.

⚫ Caufa adhæfionis eft in arteriis venulifque a dura membrana ad os tranfeuntibus, & a cellulofo pariter textu, qui & alias inter periosteum & os, & inter duram membranam atque calvarium reperitur, &c.-Sed pufquam, unquam liberam reperi, aut abfque violentia craniam a dura matre avelli.' Elementa Phyfiol.

We have quoted thefe paffages in the original language, as the learned Author for whofe information they are intended, might have taken just offence if we had prefumed to tranflate them. As to the rest of his pamphlet, we fhall continue our review of it from the next edition, which, we prefume, he will begin with a proper apology to Mr. Pott. We cannot help obferving, however, before we take our leave of Mr. Williams, that it was a little unlucky thus to ftumble at the threshold, as he might otherwife have paffed on without much animadverfion. Those who happen not to have had the advantage of a dancing-fchool education, would do beft, when they enter a room upon bufinefs, to begin their narration without the ufual ceremony of a fine bow.

POETICAL.

Art. 28. Political Epiftles, on various Subjects of the prefent Times. 4to. I S. Nicoll.

This pamphlet contains only the first part, or opening, of the Author's defign; which, however, is not yet very clearly revealed. He is an obfcure writer; a very aukward verfifier; and the frequency of his no-rhimes is intolerable.This first part is addreffed, by this political Poet, To his Country; and in it he propofes to explain the natural rise and courfe of GOVERNMENT and its THREE ESTATES, the perfection of the British CONSTITUTION, LIBERTY, PREROGATIVE both home and foreign, KINGS.'Such is the form of his Argument, as

prefixed to the Epiftle. Do you underfland it, Reader? We do not,
who have perufed the whole pamphlet! The following lines, extracted
from what he fays of Prerogative, and applies to our prefent monarch,
may serve as a fpecimen of his poetry:

Britain do not thou mifguide
Thy reafon, by ill-manner'd pride.

The

There is something very like fentiment, in fome parts of this work; and pity it is, that every reader will not eafily find out what the Author would be at. Perhaps he will more clearly unfold his meaning in his next epistle.

Art. 29. Political Epifles, on various Subjects of the prefent Times. Epiftle the Second. 4to. Is. Nicoll.

The Author is ftill in the clouds; from whence he has let fall fome myftic lines, which, according to the argument prefixed, relate to party, faction, the merits of general warrants, the liberty of the prefs, and the late peace, confidered. A just fenfe and understanding of rule and government, and the fureft means of not offending against them.' But, notwithstanding the affiftance we expected from this key, we have not been able to unlock this politico-poetical cabinet; so that the treafures of fenfe and wit which it may poffibly contain, are, as yet, concealed from our view.

Art. 30. A poetical Sermon on the Benefit of Affliction, and the Rea-“ fonableness of an entire Refignation to the Will of the Supreme Being. In Two Parts. By the Reverend Christopher Atkinfon, of Yelden in Bedfordfhire. 4to. Is. 6d. Payne. Mr. Atkinson may be a very worthy man, and his poetical fermon might be published with the best intention in the world; but we are forry that we can fay nothing more in its favour.

Art. 31. The Powers of the Pen, a Poem. Addreffed to J. Curre, Efq; 4to. 2s. Richardfon and Co.

The Author of this poem is one of thofe numerous maggots that have bred in the remains of Churchill; who, from the vain hope of acquiring fome confequence by it, have entered into his quarrels without his provocations, and inherited his spirit of abufe without his capacity. The verfification of this poem is in fome places tolerable, and in others utterly despicable; the title, however, is a mere gratis dictum, and the pamphlet ought properly to have been called The Poifon of the Pen.

Art. 32. The Birth of Chrift, an irregular Ode. By Thomas Gibfon, M. A. late Prebendary of Peterborough, and Rector of Paftor and Polebrook in Northamptonshire. 4to. IS. Wilfon and Fell.

It appears that this poem was written in the year 1715, when the Author was at Queen's-College in Oxford, and that it met with the approbation of the ingenious Mr. Tickell, who was then at Queen's. The

Editor,

i

Editor, who is the Author's fon, tells us, that it was only in confequence of the repeated folicitations of fome judicious friends that it is now made public; but the judgment of friends in this, as in a thousand fimilar cafes, was but ill-informed. The improvements made in Lyric poetry, fince the year 1715, would have rendered the publication of a better performance than this, utterly fuperfluous.

Art. 33. L'Allegro et Le Penfierofo de Milton, traduits en Vers François. 4to. 25. Becket.

To attempt a tranflation of thofe poems, whose merit in no small de gree depends upon a felicity of expreffion, is a very dangerous thing; for happiness and elegance of diétion are feldom transferable from one language to another. This is a diffufe tranflation, and the Allegro is better executed than the Penfierofo, as, indeed, the genius of the language was better adapted to it. But, after all the Tranflator's pains, how very inadequate, nay, how very inexpreffive of the original is his copy! How much fuperior are the two following lines,

Sweeteft Shakespeare, Fancy's child,
Warbles his native wood-notes wild,

to the laboured tranflation!

Où le plus doux nourrisson,

De la belle invention,

Shakespear, baiffant la mefure
De fes fublimes concerts,

Sans art redonnant les airs

Que lui dice la nature.

Art. 34, Lachrymæ Elegiacæ, five Querela Epiftolares. Auctore
Reverendo J. D. Cotton, de Eftra Bona, in Agro Effexienfi,
Vicario. 4to.
4to. Is. 6d. Caflon.

Thefe Elegiac Epiftles, written by Mr. Cotton, Vicar of Good Eafter in Effex, on the death of his wife, are replete with the pure and ge nuine fpirit of the claffic mufe; and, indeed, we have hardly ever feen any thing of the kind more ingenious. There is a delicacy, a tenderness and a chastity in the expreffion, the fentiments are just and interesting, and the numbers happily modulated:

Occurrit Catharina, et cara et dulcis imago,

Paci animæ noftræ, væ mihi! cara nimis
Occurrunt veneres, et pulchræ gratia formæ,
Quique erat in læto plurimus ore decor.
Occurrunt animi dotes mihi, amorque fidesque,
Quicquid et in fidâ conjuge dulce fuit.

*

Sæpe hortos æger vernos, agrofque pererro;
Sæpe peto fontes prætereuntis aquæ.
At curis agri, et fontes alimenta miniftrant,
Agramque in mentem gaudia prifca ruunt.
Sæpius hic tecum, Catharina, errare folebam,
Dum manui fidæ fida revineta manus.
Sæpè fub hâc olim feffi requievimus umbrâ,
Dum blando amplexu colla tenenda dabasa
Sæpius has præter taciti confedimus undas,
Lætitiâ trepidi dum micuerc finus.

epiftles are three in number, and are addreffed to different