been accufed as acceffory to the perfecution of the celebrated citizen of Geneva; and, in revenge of that accufation, the latter is ridiculed and abused in the prefent performance: which is here printed both in French and English, to give it the greater air of originality and authenticity. We can, however, by no means look upon this production as the genuine offspring of Voltaire's pen; and therefore fhall enter into no far. ther particulars concerning it. Art. 17. An earnest Address to the People of England. Containing an Enquiry into the Caufe of the great Scarcity of Timber throughout the Dominions belonging to his Majefty. With fome Hints towards the more effectually fecuring and preferving the fame, particularly that Part of it used in Ship-building, which may prove of the laft Importance to thefe Kingdoms. 8vo. Is. 6d. Noble. There are fome particulars in this addrefs which deserve not only the notice of the people of England in general, but of the legislature efpecially. We have often heard of the great wafte and havock made of the hip-timber in the royal dock-yards; but this Author's account exceeds every thing we could have fuppofed. He computes, at the lowest, that it must have coft the government within thefe 50 years laft paft, between two and three millions of money to fupply the artificers of the feveral dock-yards with fuel-wood,'-out of which might have been faved, a quantity of timber fufficient to have built 50 men of war of the line.As this tract is infcribed to the Earl of Egmont, first lord commiffioner of the admiralty, it is to be hoped the endeavours of this public fpirited Writer towards a reformation of the dock-yards will not be in vain. Art. 18. A Narrative of what passed between General Sir Harry Erfine and Phillip Thickneffe Efq; in Confequence of a Letter written by the latter to the Earl of Bute, relative to the Publication of fome original Letters and Poetry of Lady Mary Wortley Montague's, then in Mr. Thickneffe's Poffeffion. 8vo. I S. Williams. About two years ago, Capt. Thickneffe had the misfortune to be engaged in a quarrel with Lord Orwell; the confequence of which was, a vigorous profecution of the former, in the court of king's bench. The defendant had in vain applied to his lordship, to accommodate their differences; and, at laft, he had recourse to the Earl of Bute, whose interpofition with Lord Orwell he requested; but without fuccefs. His hopes with refpect to Lord B. were founded on the circumstance of his being in poffeffion of fome original letters and poems written by the late very ingenious Lady Mary W. M. mother to the Countefs of B. His firit intention was to publish thefe papers; and he had actually begun to print them, when it occurred to his reflection, that poffibly it might be more agreeable to the family, that the letters, &c. fhould be withheld from the public eye. In purfuit of this idea, he politely wrote to Lord B. on the fubject; and his lordfhip employed Sir H. Erskine to fpeak As a fupplement to her other Letters: fee Review, Vol. 28 and 29. with Mr. T. and to intimate to him, how acceptable a prefent to his lordship those papers would be deemed. Mr. T. hereupon thought proper to mention, as a conditional circumftance, the great fervice that Lord B. could do him, by interpofing his good offices with Lord O. This propofal, on the part of Mr. T. however, feems to have been little relifhed; yet, it produced a fort of negociation and correspondence between him and Sir Harry; who, in the end, found means + to get the papers out of the Captain's hand, without his confent, and without procuring him the favour he had requested.-Refentment of this procedure, has produced this Narrative; in which Capt. T. complains of ill ufage: but informs us, however, that he had the precaution to copy the letters and poems of Lady Mary, before the originals were forced out of his hands; and he has here publifhed one of each fort, as a fpecimen. -Whether he will determine to let the world fee the remainder, it is impoffible for us to inform our Readers, †The particulars of which, are related in the Narrative. Art. 19. An Addrefs to the respective Bodies of Free and Accepted Mafons, as delivered at the Steward's Lodge, at the Horn Tavern, Fleet-fireet, November 16th, 1763, being Election and Inftallation Night. By Thomas Edmonds, Efq; one of the Grand-wardens, &c.To which is added, his Charge to Lord Blaney, prefent Grand-mafter, on his being appointed Master of the New Lodge, at the Horn Tavern, Westminfter, &c. &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Hooper. An incoherent rhapfody, in praife of mafonry -Amongst other quali fications of a good mason, we are told that he is fortuitous, and steady, cultivating his mind and behaviour with focial adepts, and brotherly benignity in all the duties of life;'-' confidering that amity and focial harmony ought to flourish and abound in all human focieties, but particularly among the fraternity, whofe names are enrolled in the books of everlasting Scientific records, to maintain and ever kindle that myfterious zeal, which enlightens us to fee, with feeling compaffion, the turbulent difquietudes, and vitiated principles of most of the unfelected and uncivilized part of mankind.' P. Art. 20. The Hiftory of Chriftina, Queen of Sweden. From the French of M. Lacombe. 12mo. 3s. Kearfly. We have here an account of this capricious, crazy queen*, different from that given by M. Lacombe of Avignon, formerly mentioned in our Review. The prefent ingenious Writer, though a Roman catholic, preferves at least the appearance of impartiality; and, while he pays high compliments to the genius and learning of his heroine, does not feem to boaft much of the honour done to his church, by her renunciation of the proteftant religion: which he fometimes fpeaks of as a mere freak of Chriftina's, or, rather, as a political farce, calculated to procure for herfelf the protection of the popish princes, particularly the holy pontiff, She was daughter and fucceffor to Guftavus Adolphus, the great protector of proteftantifma in the north. Dd3 он on whom fhe chiefly relied for fupport, after fhe had foolishly abdicated the throne of Sweden. This is an entertaining piece of biography; and affords in Chriftina's dear-bought repentance for having thrown away her crown, a ftriking proof how fatally people may err, who rafhly take any step which cannot be recalled: efpecially they who, according to a plain English phrafe, part with the staff out of their own hands, and truft to the gratitude of thofe whom they have obliged. On this occafion, the affecting old ftory of King Lear will naturally occur; and in later times, Europe has feen other inftances of regal abdica tion, which were feverely repented of,-particularly that of Victor Amadeus, King of Sardinia; not to mention the lefs voluntary one, of our James the Second.-But it was a fort of fashion in the feventeenth century, for princes to relinquish their thrones. In that age, a king of Poland alfo took it into his head to grow weary of the diadem that encircled it; viz. John Cafimir; who, in imitation of the emperor Charles the Fifth, preferred a monaftic life to the fplendors of a court, and the charms of fovereignty.-Strange, that fo many of the fons of ambition fhould take fuch infinite pains, and even commit fuch horrid crimes, to obtain what others have caft away, as not worth poffeffing! Art. 21. The firft Chapter of the Prophecies of the Prophet Homer, With a Letter to the B. of G. 4to. 1s. 6d. Wilkie. If in the number of frivolous addreffes, fays this Letter-writer, that are hourly prefented to your lordship, this fhould appear to be one, you will, I know, receive and dismiss it, with your usual candour and humanity.. In the mean time, permit me to obferve, not without fome degree of astonishment,- -that your lordship, with the acuteness of a lynx, could trace out, in the fixth book of Virgil, the foolish myfteries of a falfe and fantastic religion, and yet want the penetration to discover, in Homer, the great mystery of our own true belief,-our redemption from fin, by the birth of a Saviour:-a mystery, clearly pointed out by the fpirit of prophecy that breathes through thofe divine pfalms, commonly called the Hymns of Homer. How can we account for fuch mental blindness, but by acknowledging the righteous difpenfations of heaven? whofe will it is,-to confound and mortify the men of wisdom;-to suffer them to perplex themselves in the labyrinths of fcience ;-and finally, to leave the ways of truth and fimplicity for the difcovery of babes and fucklings. I freely confefs that I am much more indebted to accident for this difcovery than to any effort of my own abilities. A confused kind of fentiment, a fufpicion, at firft, perhaps, not entirely commendable, put me upon making a literal translation of fome paffages that appeared the moft ftriking. How was I furprifed, upon trial, to find fuch important and ferious truths growing in fo neglected a foil! Your lordship need only caft your eye upon the tranflation of part of the firft pfalm, to be convinced with me, that Homer was as much infpired as Ifaiah or any of the prophets. By comparing it with the original, you will presently obferve, that I have taken fewer liberties than are usually taken on fuch occafions: indeed I have no fyftem either to erect or to defend, though the the invitation to be dabbling in fyftematic mortar is in the prefent cafe almoft irrefiftible. What think you of a demonstration of the miffion of the Meffiah from the omiffion of the Greeks that is, from their ignorance of the neceffity of a Mediator, and their mifapplication of the prophecies concerning the Founder of Chriftianity to their own idle fancies: but this requires the execution of a master.-Your lordship has succeeded too well in a fimilar proof to fail in this, if you can be perfuaded to undertake it. Both the old miffion and the new commiffion may be united into one fubftantial demonftration, fpringing out of two omiffions, like an affirmative begotten by the conjunction of two negatives,-or like a true, but an unexpected conclufion from two flat contradictions. A plain verbal tranflation is what I offer to your lordship, and through that medium you will fee what has hitherto escaped you, that Homer was a great and a mighty prophet. The immenfe pains you have taken in that abftrufe ftudy, for which you have invented a name; in that science, which you call double doctrine, and ignorant people call double dealing, makes fuch an overfight ftill more furprising, and juftifies my manner of accounting for it, as the only one that can folve the difficulty.' The remaining part of the letter is written in the fame strain ::-the extract we have given from it is fufficient to fhew the Author's fpirit and defign. We cannot help faying, however, that his wit and humour, were he even poffeffed of a much larger fhare of them than he is, cannot atone for the mean and illiberal allufion to a scrap of domeftic fcandal with which he concludes his letter. This is, indeed, so much below the character of a gentleman or a man of letters, that it must necessarily render the Author an object of deteftation and abhorrence to every generous reader, as it evidently fhews him to be void of every delicate feeing, and an utter ftranger to the first principles of decency and goodbreeding- -We need make no apology, we hope, for expreffing ourselves warmly on this occafion; our Readers will not impute it to any partiality for the B. of Glr; but to a regard for the common in terefts of humanity. R. Art. 22. Morning Amusements of the K- of P. Or, the Modern Syftem of Regal Policy, Religion, Justice, &c. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Robinfon, &c. Another tranflation of Matinées Royales: fee cur laft month's Catalogue. The title of this work is very oddly rendered in both tranflations. Art. 23. Thoughts upon fome late Pieces, particularly The Death of Abel, and The Meffiah. 4to. Is. Hinton. Among other fhrewd remarks in this pamphlet, one is, that the Death of Abel, and the new Meffiah, may be read alternately before the Eucharift, and the latter always in Paffion-week!The Author obferves at the fame time, that these poems are attributed to Germans with hard names; and Pamela, Clariffa, and Sir Charles Grandifon, he fays, are generally fuppofed to be the works of a printer. So important is the intelligence we have from this profound and curious Critic! L. Art. 24. A View of the Copper Coin and Coinage of England, including the Leaden, Tin, and Laton Tokens made by Tradesmen during the Reigns of Elizabeth and James I. the Farthing Tokens of Fames I. and Charles I.; thofe of Towns and Corporations under the Commonwealth and Charles II. James II. and William and Mary. With Copper-plates. By Thomas Snelling. Royal 4to. 10s. 6d. Boards. Snelling. We have already taken notice of the fkill and accuracy of this induftricus Metallick Compiler, in mentioning his Views of the Gold and Silver Coinage of England, and his Doctrine of Gold and Silver Com;u tations. Art. 25. A new Method of eafily attaining the Italian Tongue, according to the Infructions of Signor Veneroni, with a French and English Translation, enlarged with many Rules necessary to be known, and corrected according to the modern Orthography. By David Francesco Lates, Teacher of Languages in Oxford. 8vo. 5s. Vaillant. Thofe to whom the principles of Veneroni's Italian grammar were inacceffible, from their want of skill in the French language, will here find the difficulty removed; and in that refpect this new grammar is a defirable publication; for Veneroni has laid down the beit method of inftruction for the acquifition of the Italian tongue. Those who have no knowledge of grammar will here find the terms explained in an easy manner; and the rules of pronunciation are as explicit and fatisfactory as any conveyance that is not oral can render them. The regular verbs are reduced to one conjugation, which is exhibited by a new table; and the Author has endeavoured, more induftriously indeed than fuccefsfully, to comprife the irregular verbs under a general rule. The fecond part (for this work is divided into three parts) contains obfervations on the orthography, accent, concordance, and poetical licences, &c. of the Italian tongue, felected from the belt writers on those fubjects; and the third part confifts of a vocabulary, familiar dialogues, fpecimens of addrefs, Italian proverbs, elegant modes of expreffion, tales, forms of Italian letters and paffages from the belt poets in that language, all which may ferve to initiate and improve the learner. L Art. 26. The Oeconomical Table,-an Attempt towards afcertaining and exhibiting the Source, Progress, and Employment of Riches,— with Explanations. By the Friend of Mankind, the celebrated Marquis de Mirabeau. Tranflated from the French. 8vo. 45. Owen. To the Farmers of England, this tranflation, undertaken with a view of fetting the advantages of agriculture As the original was to prove the abfolute neceffity of it to France, But how far the farmers of England may, in general, be qualified to profit by the perufal of fuch a work, we fhall not pretend to determine, any otherwife, than by declaring ourselves entirely of opinion, with the Author, that fuch as do not chute to beflow a little close and patient |