character of K. George the Ift, he concludes with the following flory. His Majelly,' fays he, was accosted at a mafquerade by fome infolent fellow in difguife, who having a glafs of wine in his hand, faid to him-Will you drink King James's health? His Majefty, inftead of calling his attendants to feize the offender, anfwered with great mildness I never refuse to drink the health of unfortunate • Princes. Upon the whole, the Writer appears to be a man of flippant parts. and might figure very well in a Romance; but till he is master of more folidity, we advise him not to meddle with statesmen, or flate affairs. R-d Art. 4. A Review of the Sixth Letter to the People of England. Wherein the principal Passages of that malignant Piece are quated at large, and refuted. 8vo. Is. 6d. No Publifher's Name. This Review traces the Letter-Writer through all his literary windings, and expofes a great deal of his fecret Hiftory. It appears to be written with a warin fpirit of indignation, and expreffes a juft abhorrence of Licentiounes. R-d Art. 5. A General Eftimate of the Corn Trade, illuftrated by authentic Precedents. Addreffed to the Lord-Mayor, &c. By the Author of the Compendium. 8vo, Is. Cooper. Had this Eftimate been included in the Compendium, that pamphlet had merited its title; but Book jobbing having no connection with Corn jobbing, the Author poffibly thought there was no abfordity in making ufe of the one to condemn the other. This fecond part is chiefly filled with a tranfcript of Queen Elizabeth's orders for remedying the dearth of Corn, 1587. To these are added by our Author, a method to prevent Ingroffing; Bishop Fleetwood's Table of the prices of Corn for two hundred years paft; a sketch of a plan for a regular Corn Market; and fome Maxims relative to the Corn Trade. Art. 6. The humble Addrefs of a True Briton, who has travelled Great Britain, France, Italy, and the Austrian Countries. Reprefenting fair Proposals to relieve the prefent Complaints of Scarcity. With his Thoughts on the Utility of public Regifter Granaries. For the Honour and Wealth of Old England. 8vo, 6d. Printed for the Author. This is a harmless, rambling, undigefted performance, of an unle tered Effayer at Scribbling; who, like Razor in the Upholsterer, cannot fleep for thinking of poor Old England. Art. 7. Reafons humbly offered against laying any further British Duties on Wrought Silks of the Manufacture of Italy, the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, or Holland: Shewing the probable ill Confequences of such a Measure in regard to the Landed Intereft, Woollen Woollen Manufacturies, Silk Manufacturies, Fisheries, Wealth, and Naval Power of Great Britain. 4to. 6d. T. Payne. We recommend this to the attention of the Concerned.-It feems to be the production of the elaborate Mr. Maffie. See Art 1, &c. Art. 8. Proposals to the Public, efpecially thofe in Power: IVhofe Spirits may be fincere enough, at all Events, by a brisk Militia, to fave Great Britain. Likewife to regain the important Ifland of Minorca, befides our late Poffeffions in America, and those famous Places that were lately loft, for Want of more difciplined Forces in Germany. Refpectively infcribed to their Royal Highneffes George Prince of Wales, and Prince Edward. By J. Railton, Veteran. 8vo. 6d. No Publisher's Name. We have here a ridiculous Propofal of a poor Enthufiaftic Veteran, for making all our School-boys foldiers. In his Dedication to the Prince of Wales, which he himfelf calls a peculiar Addrefs, he very folemnly expreffes himself in the following extraordinary terms. Notwithstanding the great age of our gracious Monarch, provided these Propofals befpeedily carried into exetion, his Majefty .nay yet live to fee the good effects of my labours, that will vaftly fatisfy my zealous ambition to oblige a benevolent Mafter Otherwife, I hope, your Royal Highness will quickly fee an expert young Militia, very well qualified, as they get proper ftrength, even to fight in your defence, with true British fortitude, against any perfidious oppofers: So that your most courageous Uncle, the brave heroic Duke of Cumberland (my native county) may far better defy the reftlefs power of France, or any imperious foe, that fhall be desperate enough to refift his arms.' From this fpecimen, the Reader will, probably, be of opinion, that our old Soldier was not altogether wrong, when he filed his Dedication, a peculiar Addrefs. Art. 9. Some Hints for the more effectually Regulating and Difciplining his Majesty's Navy, and for the more feedily Manning the fame in a future War. By a Sea-Officer. 8vo. 6d. Willock. This Writer propofes, at the expence of 288,400 1. yearly at most, and that too only in the time of peace, to have thirty thousand regular good feamen always ready for fervice. To this end, his fcheme fets forth, that any man who has served three years on board his Majefty's fhips, and could produce a certificate of his good behaviour, fhould be enrolled, and entitled to halfpay at 10s. per month. This project may look very well upon paper, but we apprehend that it would wear a different complexion fhould the execution of it be attempted. Befides that the public might not willingly fubmit to a tax for this purpose, we may be at a lofs to find thefe feamen at Ii 4 the the breaking out of a war, as we do not perceive that the Author has deviled any expedient to keep them together. Upon the whole, we recommend it to the Writer, to review his fcheme, and to think of what objections may be made to it; which is what few Projectors confider. R-d Art. 10. Confiderations on the Queftion, Whether Tenants by Copy of Court Roll, according to the Custom of the Manor, though not at the Will of the Lord, are Freeholders qualified to Vote in Elections for Knights of the Shire. 8vo. Is. Baldwin. This is a well-written piece on a very interefting fubject. The Au hor difplays an intimate knowlege of the nature of our Tenures; and the Reader who is defirous of being acquainted with them, may gain a more clear and diftinct idea of them, from this little pamphlet, than by turning over numbers of huge folios. The ingenious Writer feems to have evidently proved, that the prefent eftates held by Copy of Court Roll, to the owner and his heirs for ever (but not faid to be at the will of the Lord') are of the nature of the ancient Tenures in Villain Socage; and that the Tenants of fuch eftates cannot be deemed Freeholders within the meaning of the laws now in being, which direct the qualifications of Electors. It would be inconfiftent with our plan to analyze his arguments" It will be fufficient to obferve, that they are clearly conceived, and judiciously arranged. He has in particular marked the diftinction between pure Villenage, and Villain Socage, with more accuracy than is to be met with in many voluminous Writers. They who are curious to confult my Lord Coke, will, perhaps, be opinion, that though his Lordship has quoted the fame authorities with our Author, and added others which he has omitted, yet that learned Lawyer and Commentator has not treated the subject with the fame precifion. For, in his chapter of Villenage, which is one of the longest in his Commentary, he has often perplexed the Reader, and led him away from the fubject, by an unneceffary display of learning. But this pedantry was the more excufable, as it was rather the vice of those times, than of the Writer; and we would not be thought to cast any reflection on the memory of that able Lawyer: though, at the fame time, our refpect for the dead, must not make us blind to the merits of the living. R-d Art. 11. An Efay on the Office of Conflable. With Rules and Cautions for the more fafe and effectual Difcharge of that Duty. By Saunders Welch, late High-Conftable of Holborn Divifion; now one of his Majefty's Juftices of the Peace for the County of Middlefex, and for the City and Liberty of Weftminfter. A new Edition corrected, and enlarged with an Introduction containing, fome Conjectures for fixing the Original of that Office in England; and certain Hiftorical Anecdotes concerning the Rije and Progress of the Society of Thief-Takers, and and the evil Confequences naturally refulting from an Inftitution of that Kind. 8vo. 1 s. Henderfon. This is, upon the whole, a very fenfible and judicious treatife which ought to be read by every man before he enters upon the office of Conftable. Nevertheless, we cannot approve the following paragraph. Be cautious, fays he, of taking into cuftody in the night, and imprifoning, men of credit upon street-fquabbles. If neither yourfelves nor your Watcth, faw the peace broke, nor any violence, or apparent figns of it, upon the parties complaining, it is best not to be too officious. You fhould charge your watchmen, not to be impertinent, nor fquabble with thofe they ought to protect, name⚫ly, people of credit heated by liquor. I have feen watchmen mighty zealous in taking prifoner the fimple breaker of a lantern, with no other defign but to raise a contribution in the morning, whilst ⚫ whores and rogues, the true objects of their attention, have paffed by unnoticed and unapprehended. Nay, Members of Parliament ⚫have been expofed to their infolence; and through the Constable's want of difcernment, or from a worse motive, fuffered a whole night's confinement, whereby thofe Officers have fubjected them⚫ felves to grievous cenfure for their foolish and inconfiderate beha 'viour.' This advice, in general, is good; but the Writer has made diftinctions which are neither founded in law or justice. Certainly the breaker of a lantern, let him be a man of ever fo much credit, is a more proper object of imprisonment than a peaceable whore. It is the breaking of the peace, which alone makes people legally liable to confinement, and no moral or wordly diftinctions should make one perfon more fubject than another; for this would give Petty-officers a difcretionary power, which our law has not thought proper to entruft even with the highest and fuch is the excellent equality of our laws, that, in cafe of a breach of the peace, no man has any privilege. Perhaps it may proved, that the taking whores into cuftody, if they are not found breaking the peace, is not altogether warranted by law. Though, we must confefs, that fome of the Lycifcas of the town, carry the marks of impudicity very frong in their counte nance, yet if women are to be punished as whores, only from theis looks, what would become of many chafte Belles, fhould they chance to walk out in an evening, unattended. But we may venture to add that if Courtezans are ever so notorious, nay, if they are even fur prized in the act of illicit pleasure, yet we do not know, that the Magiftrates have any power to commit them for such offence; it being, by our law, of fpiritual, not civil cognizance. R-d POETICA L. Art. 12. An Ode to the King of Pruffia. Occafioned by his late Victories in Germany. By the Author of a poetical Version of Mr. Hervey's Contemplations. Folio, 6d. Baldwin, Of Of the many poems lately addreffed, by the English, to this wonderful Warriour, Lawgiver, Philofopher, Poet, and Prince, this Ode deferves the preference. There is fomething of the Spirit of Mat. Prior in the following ftanzas. In his proud throne pale Bourbon faints; Tho' long conceal'd, now owns his fears; Can combat Pruffia's Grenadiers. A diff'rent scheme to merit fame Each Monarch in the war pursues ; Whofe grateful thanks to Heaven are paid, And warm the tranfports of his foul, When half his army was destroy'd, That Pruffia had not beat the Whole. W G-r Art. 13. An Ode on his auguft Majefty Frederic King of Pruffia. Humbly dedicated to the Right Honourable W— P—, Esq; Folio. 1s. Woodgate and Co. The Dedication to this poem being very coneife, we would not omit presenting our Readers with fuch an extraordinary curiosity. To the Right Honourable WP-, Efq; Accept the Lay Thou radiant Day, Whofe patriot-care revives a land: Smile on the lyre, That would infpire To listen to thy wife command. We are almost at a lofs which to pity moft, fuch unhappy Rhymers as the Author of the foregoing lines, or the great man who is unfortunate enough to become the fubject of fuch Rhymes: and who may well cry out with Mr. Pope, Shut, fhut the door, good John! Tye up Fire in each eye, and papers in each hand, Epift. to AR BUTHNOT. Art. |