fore humbly afk, whether, instead of dispatching malefactors as ufual, the end of punishment might not be better anfwered by making them living, ftanding, vifible examples, as the wisdom of the legiflature fhall judge proper? Not putting them out of fight by fending them abroad, or hiding them in gaols or Bridewells at home; but expofing them to public view, confining them to hard labour, in mending the roads, clearing wood, heath, or furze-lands for tillage, making navigable canals, &c. &c. all under fuch inspection and management, as on due confideration fhall be judged requifite and neceffary. And whereas the difficulty of keeping them to their work, and preventing their doing further mifchief may be objected:fuppofe a finger were cut off, not only as a part of their punishment, but a mark to facilitate their difcovery in cafe of defertion.-Suppofe too they were informed, that they are, on their good behaviour; that if they conduct themselves as they ought-are quiet, obedient, diligent; they may expect favour, and in time their liberty may be granted them. And may not the hope of this have a happy influence, and make fome good impreffion upon them? or their prefent difagreeable fituation difpofe them to bethink themselves, and make penitent reflections on their past condu&t?' One part of the pamphlet fpeaks of a certain writer who tells us, that he was much affected with the execution of a youth of fifteen years of age, for robbery, which, he fays, is an age that our laws do not confider as of maturity in acting in other affairs for ourselves; he thinks fuch an offender might have reformed in the plantations fo as to have become a useful member of fociety, and therefore withes, that at fuch an age, they were confidered accordingly,-- and indeed the Church of England feems in general not to think perfons arrived to years of difcretion 'till they are of the age of fixteen years.' There must doubtless have been fome very extraordinary circumftances attending the cafe, which occafioned the paffing and executing fo fevere a fentence at that tender age; yet it may be queftioned whether tranfportation at that time of life is likely to reform the criminal, or whether, confidering with what affociates they are to be united, there is not great danger of their being rendered utterly hardened and abandoned. The reflections here offered are not indeed new, but they are important; the arguments are collected into one view, and they fufficiently fhew that it is greatly defirable that the point fhould be maturely confidered by thofe who have it in their power to effect fome alteration in the prefent method. If the writer's style and man-` ner are not always the most accurate and judicious, every one must be pleafed with the apparent goodness of his heart, and the benevolence of his prefent defign. Muft not all fober perfons affent to fuch obfervations as the following? It were highly to be wished that legiflative power would direct the law rather to reformation than feverity: that it would appear convinced that the work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishments familiar, but formidable, Inilead of our prefent prifons which find or make men guilty, which inclote wretches for the commiffion of one crime, and return them, if returned alive, fitted for the perpetration of thoufands; it were to be wifhed we had, as in other parts of Europe, places of penitence and and folitude, where the accufed might be attended by fuch as could give them repentance if guilty, or new motives to virtue if innocent. And this, not the increafing punishments, is the way to mend a ftate nor can I avoid even queftioning the validity of that right which focial combinations have affumed of capitally punishing offences of a flight nature.--Whether is it from the number of our penal laws, or the licentioufnefs of our people, that this country fhould fhew more convicts in a year, than half the dominions in Europe united? Perhaps it is owing to both; for they mutually produce each other. When by indifcriminate penal laws a nation beholds the fame punishment affixed to diffimilar degrees of guilt, from perceiving no diftinction in the penalty, the people are led to lofe all fenfe of diftinction in the crime, and this distinction is the bulwark of all morality :-it were to be wished then that power, instead of contriving new laws to punish vice,-inftead of cutting away wretches as useless, before we have tried their utility, inflead of converting correction into vengeance,-would try the reftrictive arts of government, and make law the protector, but not the tyrant of the people. We should then find that creatures, whofe fouls are held as drofs, only wanted the hand of a refiner; we fhould then find that wretches now ftuck up for long tortures, left luxury fhould feel a momentary pang, might, if properly treated, ferve to finew the flate in times of danger; that, as their faces are like ours, their hearts are fo too; that few minds are fo bafe as that perfeverance cannot amend; that a man may fee his laft crime without dying for it; and that very little blood will ferve to cement our fecurity.' Should it be thought that these fentiments are in any particular extended rather too far, it must alfo be allowed that they contain much truth, humanity, and equity. Art. 37. The Key to Abfurdities; containing the Author's private Thoughts of fome late Proceedings. Svo. 1 s. Davenhill. The Author profeffes himself to be a small freehelder of flex, and his profeffion is probably true. He appears to be a plain, lettered man, of a good natural understanding, of a laudable public fpirit, and, in political matters, zealous for government, ia oppofition to the adherents of Mr. Wilkes, the Gentlemen who ftyle themfelves Supporters of the Bill of Rights, and all the outs in general, whom he confiders as a fet of wicked factious people, who have only their own private interests and party-ends in view. The avowed principles of thefe fons of edition, as he deems them, and the arguments that have been brought in fupport of their proceedings, are what he means by abfurdities; and his own frictures upon thofe principles and arguments are the Key which is to unlock or lay open the faid abfurdities, and expofe them to public view, contempt, and abhorrence. He talks like an honeft man, though his language is not elegant, nor always grammatical; nor is there any thing new in his remarks. At the end of his pamphlet we find an account of the oppofition that has been made by the wicked fpirit of party, to a very good fcheme, as he ftates it, for rebuilding the jail at Chelmfford, on a more convenient and more wholefome fpot of ground than that on which the prefent old building ftands. If the cafe be really as he reprefents it, and we fee no reafon to queftion the vera G4 city city of his report, the Effexians who oppofed, and fruftrated, fo laudable a fcheme, must have been Effex Calves indeed! Art. 38. Schemes fubmitted to the Confideration of the Public, more efpecially to Members of Parliament, and the Inhabitants of the Metropolis. 8vo. I s. Browne. 1770. Although this fchemer is a very bad writer, he appears to be a fenfible obferver of what paffes in the world, and to have thrown out fome hints that might be highly ufeful to the public, if duly attended to, and improved upon. His fchemes are I. For removing the public executions of criminals for the county of Middlefex, from Tyburn; and for feveral ufeful regulations of the fame. II. A general act of parliament for making openings, and rendering more commodious the different ftreets, lanes, alleys, &c. in London, Westminster, and Southwark, &c. to fave the expence of fo many Separate acts, for every trivial improvement. III. An act for regulating and prefcribing the rates of land-carriage, and porterage of goods from the Inns; and for preventing provifions, game, and other commodities from being fpoiled or loft, for want of being speedily and duly delivered. The Author fays, he is informed that not lefs than 20 tons of provifions are annually spoiled at the different inns in this metropolis. IV. A new road from the bridge, near Clapton, to the Oxford road, between Shepherd's Bush and Acton. V. A new regulation of militia, chiefly with a view to the fecurity of London, in cafe of an invafion. VI. An enlargement of Billingfgate fifh-market: this feems a very proper fcheme, and the execution of it may be highly expedient. VII. The removal of Smithfield market out of the city: equally neceffary. VIII. A new regulation of St. James's Haymarket. IX. Improvements relating to St. James's Park, with a plan for opening certain communications through it, to accommodate the inhabitants of the environs of the Park. X. A new regulation of the nightly watch, in the capital; in order to leffen the frequency of houfe-breaking and street-robberies. XI. A fcheme for putting a stop to the tranfportation of convicts, and for employing them on the public roads of this kingdom. Art. 39. A Collection of the Protests of the Lords of Ireland, from 1634 to 1770. 8vo. 2 s. 6d. fewed. Almon. 1771. The Editor affures his Readers that the prefent series of thefe protests commences with the firft upon record. Suppofing the collection to be complete, there is no occafion to fay any thing more in its recommendation. Mr. Almon has alfo published a Supplement to the protefts of the English Lords, price 1 s. which brings that collection down to June 1770. Art. 40. Some Proposals for firengthening our Naval Inflitutions. In a Letter to the Right Honourable Lord Anfon. By a Sea Officer. Written in the Year 1759. 8vo. Becket. 1771. The propofals in this letter are highly chimerical and romantic. It is, furely, very neceffary, that thofe, who enter into the navy, fhould be properly inftructed in every branch of knowledge, which has a reference to the marine. But, for this purpose, we must not In 2 volumes 8vo. 12 S. erect erect univerfities on board our fhips of war. The fpeculations of philofophy do not, fuit with the din of arms; and lectures on aftronomy and optics will not fupport our naval fuperiority. Art. 41. The Squire and the Parfon, with the Interlude of the Poulterer. Izmo. I S. Wheble. A mere collection from the News-papers, of the proceedings, relative to the general meeting of the Westminster electors, in October laft, the Remonftrance, the Inftructions, and the fquabble with Edridge the poulterer. The title feems to be purely of the catchpenny ftamp. POETICAL. Art. 42. Grace triumphant. A facred Poem, in Nine Dialogues, wherein the utmost Power of Nature, Reafon, Virtue, and the Liberty of the Human Will, to adminifter Comfort to the awakened Sinner, are impartially weighed and confidered; and the whole fubmitted to the serious and candid Perufal of the Rev. Dr. Nowell of Oxford, the Rev. Dr. Adams of Shrewsbury, and the Author of Pietas Oxonienfis. By Philanthropos. 8vo. 2 S. Birmingham, printed for the Author, and fold by Johnfon in London. 1770. Philanthropos fays, he was once a ftrenuous advocate for the dignity, and purity, of human nature; and expected to obtain the Divine Favour, by a conformity to the rules of natural religion; but being brought under fome long and very fevere exercifes of the mind, and being in a wonderful, and gracious manner brought to the knowledge of Chrift, and the joys of his falvation; he thinks it his duty to give some account of thefe things, and to bear his teftimony to the glorious truths of that Gofpel, which once was his averfion; but now the delight and joy of his foul. As he delights in poetical productions, he hath attempted the subject in rhime and being advifed to publish it by fome perfons of knowledge and experience in the ways of God; he fends it into the world, not wholly without hopes, that it may be made useful to perfons of fimilar experiences with his own and be a means of administering comfort to the dejected foul.' : The foregoing paffage may ferve to give an idea of the Author's principles; thofe that follow may be taken as fpecimens of his poery. Speaking of the Redeemer, he ftyles him. A God Equal in dignity, command, and power, P. 77. If thou canst believe P. 78. Almighty Grace to reafon will not bend; With wrath he drives them, or with love he draws, P. 116. Many, no doubt, among the followers of the Author's late friend the learned and pious Mr. Hervey, who approved the plan, and corrected part of this work,' will be greatly edified by thefe Dialogues; while others, ftrangers to fuch convictions, experiences, and feelings, will find themselves, on perufal of them, in a fituation fomewhat fimilar to that of rather a better poet than Philanthropos, when he fays grace; To laugh, were want of goodness and of g But to be grave, exceeds all power of face." Art. 43. A Monody on the Death of the Reverend Mr. George Whitefield. 4to. 6d. Miller. Expecting nothing but trash on this fubject, these few pages very agreeably disappointed us. The monody is indeed unequal, but it is in many places truly poetical. And grief fincere inftructs the shell In accents fad and flow to fwell; With mifery is in unifon. The ftrong expreffion in the laft line but one must be obvious to every ear. I love thee, maid of folemn eye; Thy cheek with briny forrows worn, To me is amiably forlorn, Though there no tints of purple lie. There is a fingular elegance and happiness in the amiably forlorn; but then the following flanza has more faults, than the preceding one has beauties: Thy leaden lid, thy fober brow, Thy treffes darkly brown, That in difhevel fqualid flow Thy ivory neck adown. In leaden lid there is too great a jingle of the fame found. Squalid dishevel conveys an inelegant idea, ill adapted to the mufe of melancholy; and the laft word of the laft line enfeebles it too much. Thee in the filent tomb impal'd. The word impal'd is here wrested from its common fenfe and acceptation; nor will every reader eafily difcover what the Author means by it. He defcribes the archangel's trumpet in a manner which cannot perhaps be exceeded, when he fays the clangors loud and long Mock the foft thunder's puny tongue. Art. 44. An Elegiac Poem on the Death of the Rev. Mr. George Whitefield. 4to. 6 d. Wills. The Author of this poem profeffes that he does not care a pin for the Reviewers; and the Reviewers, for their part, are under no little concern that they do not stand in a more refpectable light with fo extra |