equality with the Irish protestants, which cannot but excite sentiments of disgust and abhorrence in the liberal-minded reader.

Mr. Gray's eccentric, but good humoured "Strictures on the proposed Union, &c." and Mr. Farrell's sensible pamphlet, entitled "Union or Separation," are chief ly adapted to reconcile the lower classes of Irishmen to the measure intended, by impressing them with a conviction that the circumstances which will result from it cannot reduce them to a worse situation than they are in at present, but may, and, morally speaking, must be productive of great and essential advantages.

"No Union! but Unite and Fall, by Paddy Whack, of Dyottstreet, London, &c." is the title of a little pamphlet, written in the vulgar Irish style, with a due admixture of broad humour, which is well calculated to efface the prejudices of the lowest orders of the Irish against the union with this country, and in favour of French fraternity.

The publications against an union between Great Britain and Ireland have been less numerous than those in its favour, but not less creditable to the abilities of their authors.

The "Reply to a Pamphlet entitled' Arguments for and against an Union,' by Richard Jebb, Esq." is a very temperate and argumentative production, in which the author strongly contrasts the difficulties, disadvantages, and dangers, with which he considers the measure of union to be pregnant, with the benefits expected from it by its advocates, and speculates on its possible political effects, in a manner that is entitled to serious consideration.

"The Case of Ireland re-consi-` dered, in Answer to a Pamphlet entitled Arguments,' &c." appears to be written by a Roman-catholic gentleman, who contests, with much ingenuity, and with a commendable spirit of candour and moderation, many of the assertions and reasonings in the above-mentioned work, which apply to the state of the country at large. But his chief object is to point out the injustice and impolicy of the hardships and sufferings to which the Roman catholics are subjected, and to show the inefficacy, to the contentment and flourishing condition of Ireland, of an union, under which religious distinctions are suffered to exalt one and to degrade another class of the inhabitants, and threefourths of them are " shut out from the full and equal benefit of whatever constitution she is to have." What he has advanced on these subjects will have considerable weight with the unprejudiced reader.

"The Power of Parliament considered, by Henry Maddock, Jun. of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn," contains an able and animated discussion of the question, Whether the parliament be competent to transfer its delegated authority? which he decides in the negative: and, without maintaining that the creature is superior to its creator, he could not decide otherwise.

The "Considerations on National Independence, &c. by a Member of the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn," constitute a wellwritten and argumentative performance, in which the author vindicates the right of sovereignty in the people, and maintains the ability of Ireland to defend its sovereignty and independance. To

the

the measure of an union, therefore, and more particularly, if effectuated by what he considers to be incompetent authorities, he is decidedly hostile. His observations on the policy of such a measure are certainly deserving of serious attention.

The Letter," and "Second Letter to the Right Honourable William Pitt," from Dr. Drennan, are highly animated productions; in which the author, in a bold and nervous declamatory style, adorned with a profusion of rich and dazzling imagery, thunders out his execrations against the minister, for insulting his country by a proposition so disgraceful and ruinous as that of the projected union. That it is disgraceful, and must, if carried into effect, prove rainous, the indignant author takes for granted, but has not favoured us with any demonstrative arguments on those subjects. Notwithstanding that we prefer calm discussion to brilliant eloquence, when forming our judgment of such serious and important matters as are included in what the author calls "an insidious and impudent proposal," it is impossible not to be captivated by some of the beauties of composition and sentiment which are interspersed throughout his pages.

The Demonstration of the Necessity of a Legislative Union of Great Britain and Ireland, involving a Refutation of every Argument which has been or can be urged against that Measure, by a Philosopher," notwithstanding that the title might lead the reader to attribute it to a friend to the union, is the production of an eloquent advocate for the independence of Ireland. Arguing as a philosopher, however, he considers the fate of that country to be inevitably determined,

and that the moment is not far di stant when what he calls its " political death" is to take place. It is friendly in him, therefore, to endeavour to bend the minds of his countrymen to resignation and submission.

"Cease your Fanning," is the title of a pamphlet which contains a severe and lively satirical attack on the union, and on the Irish secretary's treatise, entitled "Arguments for and against the Union considered."

Among the publications which we have to announce under the head of Critical, Classical, and Polite Literature, is the first part of a laborious and valuable work, the design and plan of which were communicated to our readers in our Register for the year 1795. The specimen now before us, which comprehends the whole book of Genesis, is entitled "Vetus Testamentum Græcum, cum variis Lectionibus, edidit Robertus Holmes, S. T. P. R. S. S. Edis Christi Canonicus, Tomus Primus, Oxonii, è Typographeo Clarendoniano." After what we have already stated respecting the nature of our editor's undertaking, the aids of which be has availed himself, and the mechanical form and construction of his work, it is unnecessary for us to enter on those topics in this place. His text, as in the " specimen" already published, is taken from the Vatican copy, and is printed on a strong beautiful type. His collations are carried on according to the contracted method adopted in his Appendix to his "Specimen," but are, nevertheless, sufficiently entensive, embracing a great variety of manuscripts, of which seven are in uncial, or capital letters, and, therefore, most probably, of a very

early

early date. From these sources he bas collected a vast mass of various readings, which cannot fail to throw considerable light on the text of the Septuagint, and to assist greatly in restoring it to its pristine purity. Of the value of Dr. Holmes's quotations from the Greek and Latin fathers we do not entertain any high opinion. In a short appendix our editor has presented us with various fragments and scholia on the book of Genesis, chiefly taken from the margins of different manuscripts of the Septuagint version. From a review of the work before us, it would be unjust not to bestow a very high degree of praise to Dr. Holmes, for the learning, diligence, and care, which he has employed on it; and we hope, and doubt not, that the reception which it will meet with from the learned world will encourage him to proceed, with as much expedition as the nature of such an arduous task will permit, to the completion of his useful undertaking.

From the Clarendon press, likewise, and at the expence of the university of Oxford, another valuable work has been presented to the públic, during the present year, entitled, "Fragmenta Novi Testamenti, è Versione Ægyptiacâ Dialecti Thebaida, Sahidicæ, seu superioris Ægypti." This work, which comprehends all the fragments known to exist of the Sahidic version of the New Testament, was originally undertaken by the learned Dr. Woide, editor of the Fac Simile of the Codex Alexandrinus. On the death of that gentleman, who lived to print so much of the work as contains the fragments of the Gospel of St. Matthew, St. Mark, and St. Luke, and to prepare for the press the anuscript of St. John's Gospel,

the superintendance of the work was confided by the delegates of the Clarendon press to Dr. Ford, under whose care it is now offered to the learned world. It commences with a preface, by Dr. Ford, giving an account of the undertaking; of corrections which, in his opinion, should be made in the three gospels edited by Dr. Woide; of various readings observed by himself; of corrections of the Latin versions of such parts as were translated by Dr. Woide and himself; and of short annotations. To the preface are subjoined fac-simile engravings of the Sahidic manuscripts. We are afterwards presented with a learned and laborious dissertation, by Dr. Woide, in three sections, divided into subordinate chapters, on the Coptic version of the Old Testament, on the Sahidic version of the Old Testament, and on the original texts from which these versions were made. To this dissertation succeed the fragments, and a Latin version of them; which are followed by Dr. Bentley's collation of the Vatican manuscripts. This' work we look upon to be not only an object of literary curiosity, but an useful acquisition to those stores of biblical learning, by the accumulation of which the scripture student may be enabled to detect interpolated or defective passages in the sacred writings: on which account we consider the world to be much indebted to the university which patronized it, and to the editors, who bestowed upon it their learning and industry.

From the same press, also, we have received an elegantly-printed little work, the utility and value of which to the biblical scholar, when the well-known learning and abilities of the editor are considered, will be sufficiently understood from

its title. It is," Diatessaron, sive integra Historia Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Græcè. Ex IV. Evange. liis inter se collatis, ipsisque Evangelistarum verbis apte et ordinate dispositis confecta. Subjungitur Evangeliorum Harmonia brevis. Edidit J. White, S. T. P. Ling. Arab. Prof. &c." This work is a summary of an harmony of the evangelists. From the preface we learn, that two similar works, which are now lost, but of which Eusebius has preserved an account, were produced in the third century, one by Tatian, and the other by Ammonius of Alexandria. The author might have added, had he been acquainted with the fact, that a German divine, of the name of Stephan, in the year 1779, published a work of the same nature, founded on the harmony of Bengelius. Dr. White's Diatessaron is founded on the excellent harmony of the late much-lamented archbishop of Armagh; and relates, in seven different parts, the events of our Lord's life, in chronological order, and in the words in which they are de-. scribed by the evangelists. Each part is divided into paragraphs, and is preceded by a short account, in Latin, of its contents; and in the margins the time and place in which every event happened is recorded. At the end is added a concise and useful harmonic index. Such a work merits the attention of tutors in our universities, from its adaptation to lead students to examine and compare the separate narratives of the evangelical writers, and to convince them that their trifling discrepancies do not affect the credit, due to the consistent whole of their his

tory.

In our Register for the year 1797, we announced the appearance of the first and second numbers of a periodical work, entitled "Ori

ental Collections," published under the superintendance of major, now Sir William, Ouseley. We have now to apprise our readers of the publication of the third and fourth numbers, which complete the first volume of that curious and interesting work. The subjects of the pieces which compose these numbers are very various, as are like wise their merit and importance. Among other articles which will afford desirable information or entertainment to the reader, are, a short paper by the editor, describing some remarkable remains of ancient sculpture in the province of Curdistan, which many supposed to be the same that, according to Diodorus Siculus, were hewn in the mountains of Baghistan, by order of queen Semiramis; the Loves of Khosru and Shireen, from the Shah Namah Nesr, by the same gentleman; Remarks on a Phoenician Inscription in Wales, by Mr. Henley; a tale from the original manuscript of the Arabian Nights; and another from the Bahardanish, by captain Scott; and other pleasing translations, particularly of some of the odes of Hafiz, by the editor.

"The Wreath, composed of Selections from Sappho, Theocritus, Bion, and Moschus, accompanied by a Prose Translation, with Notes, &c. by Edward du Bois," is an elegant little work, in which the Greek text, taken from the best editions of those remains, is printed with great correctness, and the whole possesses the recommendations of beautiful typography. We cannot, however, speak in high terms of Mr. du Bois's version of those exquisite pieces of ancient poetry. It is, in general, faithful to the sense, but conveys a very inadequate idea of the spirit of the originals. Indeed we never expect to find that spirit transfused into the best-executed

prose