t Editor, who is the Author's fon, tells us, that it was only in confequence To attempt a tranflation of those poems, whofe merit in no fmall degree depends upon a felicity of expreffion, is a very dangerous thing; for happiness and elegance of diction are feldom transferable from one language to another. This is a diffuse translation, 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 nourriffon, De la belle invention, Que lui dicte la nature. บ Art. 34. Lachrymæ Elegiaca, five Querela Epiftolares. Auctore 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 genuine fpirit of the claffic mufe; and, indeed, we have hardly ever seen any thing of the kind more ingenious. There is a delicacy, a tenderness and a chastity in the expreffion, the fentiments are juft and interefting, and the numbers happily modulated: Occurrit Catharinæ, et cara et dulcis imago, Sæpe hortos æger vernos, agrofque pererro s Thefe epiftles are three in number, and are addressed to different friends. Art. 35. Elegiac Tears, or Plaintive Epiftles; being a poetical This performance, which, following the Latin, is uncouthly called Elegiac Tears, is a tranflation of the foregoing article, and is executed with different merit, being in fome places agreeable enough, and in others very indifferent. The verfion of the Latin paffages we have quoted will ferve as a specimen: My Cath'rine's dear idea I survey, Dear, but ah! doom'd to bear my peace away! Oft vernal lawns and fields forlorn I tread, Oft to these ftreams, in filence, have we stole, RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 36. A fhort Essay on Man's original State, and Fall in the firft An excellent Narcotic! Art. 37. A Letter to the fociety of Proteftant Diffenters, at the A republication of fome controverfial letters that have lately appeared in the News-papers, relating to the Chriftian rite of baptism; and which were occafioned by a late difcourfe of Dr. Gill's. They are introduced, by the prefent Editor, with a very refpectful addrefs to the proteftant fociety instituted a few years ago at Liverpool, by fome filed The Gentle men of the Octagon, from the figure of the building in which they statedly affemble, for divine worship. Art. 38. Sermons and other practical Works of the late reverend and learned Mr. Ralph Erskine, Minifter of the Gospel in Dumferling. Folio. 2 Vols. 21. 2s. Glasgow, printed for Urie, and fold in London by Knox. When we have mentioned that the Author of thefe two folios is the identical unequal identical Mr. Ralph Erskine, who wrote the famous Gospel-fonnets, (which She, with a hell-deferving confcious breast, She spreads before his throne her filthy fore, Notwithstanding this unfavourable picture of the fpouse, we find it was a match, at laft; and thus the fonnet on the nuptials begins: Thus doth the Hufband, by his father's will, Both for and in his Bride the law fulfil; For her, as 'tis a covenant; and then In her, as 'tis a rule of life to men. The Italics, in this laft extract, are printed exactly from the book. We offer no comment on thefe verfes, as it would fcarce be decent to fuppofe our Readers would require any. MISCELLANEOUS. Art. 39. The Life and Opinions of Triftram Shandy, Gentleman. Vol. IX. Small 8vo. 2s. 6d. Durham, &c. Not genuine; but not fo ill counterfeited, as were fome of the former imitations of Mr. Sterne's truly original manner. On the whole, it fhould feem that Triftram's hobby-horfe will carry nobody fo freely and eafily as he carries his master. Art. 40. The Doctrine of Gold and Silver Computations; in which is included, that of the Par of Money; the Proportion in Value between Gold and Silver; and the Valuation of Gold, Silver, Parting, Affays: With ufeful Tables and Copper-plates. By Thomas Snelling. 8vo. 4s. few'd. Snelling. The curious and useful fubjects above-mentioned feem to be treated with great accuracy, by Mr. Snelling; who is allowed to be very converfant in them: fee alfo his Hiftory of the Silver Coinage, mentioned in the Review for March, 1762; and his View of the Gold Coinage, Rev, Vol. XXVIII. p. 402. SERMON S. -On I. The Neceffity of immediate Attention to the CALLS of GOD.New-year's-day, 1766, at Wareham in Dorfetfhire. By S. Reader. Dilly. II. The Blefjedness of thefe who die in the Lord.-At Hammersmith, on the Death of Richard Coope, Efq; By George Turnbull. Dilly. N. B. Some other Sermons have been published this month; for which we must refer to a future lift: one or two of them will deferve peculiar notice. THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For MARCH, 1766. Commercium Philofophico-Technicum; or the Philofophical Commerce of Arts: defigned as an Attempt to improve Arts, Trades, and Manufactures. By W. Lewis, M. B. and F. R. S. Parts 2, 3, and 4*. 4to. Willock. T is particularly effential to the health, well-being, and vi nufactures flourish, that the various springs and movements of our internal traffic be eafy and commodious, and that the great circulation of our foreign commerce be free, full, and uninterrupted, even in its remote branches.-Every fcheme therefore which is judiciously defigned and happily executed, fo as to accomplish any of thefe important ends, will at the fame time enrich the individual, and add ftrength and power to the state. The Commercium Philofophico-Technicum of Dr. Lewis is a very valuable work; calculated to afcertain the principles and elements of the several arts; to make them more compleatly, univerfally, and practically understood; and to open a wide field, for the entertainment and improvement both of the philofopher. and the artift.-It is evident, that many arts are naturally and ftrongly connected: the properties of one fet of materials, or the production of one effect, frequently influences a number of arts a colour, which may eafily be fixed in animal and vegetable fibres, is equally advantageous to the woollen-dyer, the filk-dyer, the dyer of linnen and cotton thread, and the callico printer; and a colour which will bear fire, and unite with vitreous bodies in fufion, equally interefts the glafs-maker, the enameller, and the painter on porcelain.-To examine therefore the chemical properties of any one fubject; to confider its many ufes and applications; experimentally to inquire into the different means of producing one effect; and to trace fuch effect through the feveral arts in which it is required; is to profecute the most useful and rational plan for establishing the folid prin* See our account of the first part, Review, Vol. XXIX. VOL. XXXIV. N ciples ciples of arts.-The artist is hence enabled to fupply his de fects, to multiply his refources, to fimplify and forward many complex proceffes, to enrich one branch with the practices, materials, and fometimes even the refufe matters of another, and thus to form a happy intercourfe, and Philofophical Commerce of Arts. The French Academy, with the advantage of experienced artifts in the different departments, and honoured with the encouragement of the fovereign, have long been engaged in compiling materials for a history of arts: fome of these materials have lately been digefted, and published in the following mannereach hiftory forms a feparate and independent work, containing a minute detail of the whole feries of operations relative to one art, with defcriptions and plates of all the inftruments made use of in fuch art. A work executed upon this plan, is very obviously different from that of Dr. Lewis; and the hiftorian of the academy, in giving notice of their publication, bears a fenfible and honourable teftimony to the advantages which are peculiar to the Plan of the Commercium PhilofophicoTechnicum. An inconvenience to be feared, fays he, is the want of that knowlege, and of thofe general principles, which bind arts as it were together, and establish between them a reciprocal communication of light. All the arts, for example, that employ iron, have common principles, but it would be in vain to expect the knowlege thereof from thofe who exercise thefe arts, each of whom knows only the application of those principles to his own art. The farrier, the lock fmith, the cutler, know how to work iron; but each of them knows only the manner of working which he has learnt, and is perfectly ignorant that the art of working iron has general principles, which would be infinitely ufeful to him in a great number of unfo:efeen cafes, to which his common practice cannot be applied.-It is only by bringing the arts as it were to approach one another, that we can make advances towards their perfection: we shall thus put them in a condition of mutually illuftrating each other, and perhaps of producing a great number of useful difcoveries it is only by this means that we can know effectually their true principles, and enable them to receive affiftance from theory.' In profecution of this excellent defign, Dr. Lewis now enters upon the History of Colours.-Black is the fubject of his prefent inquiries; and, after fome general obfervations on black colours, he proceeds to the chemical hiftory of thofe fubjects, which are fitted to produce this effect in the different arts.-The order is as follows: 1. Native black colours :-thefe are, black chalk, pitcoal, black fands, black vegetable juices, cuttle-fifh ink. 2. Blacks |