can fupply oxygen to the metals, and thus calcine them without extricating hydrogenous gas.

Mr. Higgins next proceeds to confider the calcination of me tals by the mere agency of heat and air, and gives a neat abstract of the various hypothefes formed upon that fubject. He then examines feveral experiments with regard to the calcination by fteam, and anfwers the objections that have been made to the decompofition of water. He next confiders the folution of me→ tals, and their precipitation by each other. He concludes with an analysis of the human calculus. The labours of Mr. Higgins upon this most important fubject are not more fuccessful than thofe of his predeceffors:

• Mild mineral alkali may be taken in large dofes, and continued for a length of time with impunity to the moft delicate conftitutions, only obferving a few circumftances; but this alkali, in a cauftic state, muft very often be attended with mifchievous confequences. Befides, if we confider that it must enter the mafs of blood before any part can reach the bladder, and the fmall portion of the dofe taken fecreted with, the urine; and, laftly, the action of cauftic alkali upon animal fubftances, we fhall be at a lofs to know on what principle caustic alkalies have been recommended in preference to the mild, Soap itself might as well be prescribed at once; for foon after caustic alkali is taken, it must be in a faponaceous ftate. Fixed vegetable alka should be avoided, and the preference given to the other two alkafies. As it is evident that alkalies have no real action on the ftone in the bladder, though their efficacy has been experienced in alleviating the difeafe when timely administered, their mode of action is only explicable in the following manner: They either prevent the generation of the fublimate in the fyftem, or elfe keep it in folution in the mafs of fluids; and, being in the utmost degree of divifibility, its ultimate particles are capable of pafling through the most minute emundtories, by which it is carried off by other fecretions as well as by the urinary. Thus the urine, not being faturated with this matter, acts as a folvent on the ftone; and, as the moft foluble parts are first washed away, it in time falls into fragments of irregular furfaces, which, by their friction, irritate and inflame the bladder, as has been obferved by feveral practitioners. Allowing that the fublimate is the cementing fubftance in the calculas, and judging from the effects of alkalies upon it, their modus operandi in the conftitution, it remains now to inquire into the origin of the calculus. The im mortal Scheele has found this fublimate in the urine of different perfons, and hence inferred that it was a common fecretion; but it still remains to be ascertained whether there be a greater quantity of it procured from the urine of patients who have the misfortune to labour under this diforder, than in that of those who never felt its pangs. If this latter fhould not be the cafe, another path lies open for our refearches, which promifes moft fuccefs. May not a deficiency of volatile alkali in the conftitution be the caufe of concretions in the bladder, kidnies, &c. or, which must have the fame effect,

too great a proportion of acid, which, uniting with the alkali, may take up that portion which would have kept the fublimate in folution until conveyed out of the fyftem by the urinary and other fecretions, and may not this be the phofphoric acid? If this latter fhould be the cafe, an increase of microcosmic salt must be found in the urine; but if the former, a decrease of the volatile alkali, and no increase of the neutral falt. The fmall quantity of phofphoric acid found in the calculus proceeds from the folubility of microcofmic falt. Do not volatile alkali and phosphoric acid conftitute a great part of the human frame? and is there not a procefs continually carried on to generate thefe in the fyftem? and is not this procefs liable to be retarded or checked by intemperance, &c. which may vary their quantities and proportions and may not a due proportion of these be neceffary to a vigorous and found conftitution? If fo, no wonder that an increafe or deficiency in either or both of these should be productive of feveral diforders.'

Our author is particularly fond of explaining the action of the integrant particles of fubftances upon each other, by the affiftance of figures and diagrams. This affords fcope indeed for the imagination, but it is scarcely confiftent with the fober pretenfions of philofophy. We cannot conclude without heartily wish-、 ing Mr. Higgins fuccefs in the career of investigation.

ART. VIII. Sonnets to Eliza. By her Friend. 4to. 2s. Murray. London, 1790.

OUR

UR English writers have seldom fucceeded in the laboured conftruction of the fonnet, which, like many other difficulties, is not worth the pains it requires. Inftead therefore of adhering to the genuine measure and intricate rhymes of the original fonnet, that name has been given by many to any poem on a tender or fentimental fubject, without attending to the meafure in which it is written. It is in this view that we are to confider the fonnets now before us; they confift generally of four, five, or fix ftanzas of four lines each, of which the second and fourth lines rhyme, the firft and third do not, and feem to be the effufions of a fenfible and elegant mind.

As a fpecimen of the work we shall select the two following fonnets:

To ELIZA.

You ask me what is love; hear all I know:
It is not Reason's, 'tis not Nature's child-
Thus fpeaks the experience of fix thousand years-
Reafon's too proud, and Nature is too wild.

Yet

Yet barbarous Nature has been known to feel,
And proud Philofophy has learn'd to reft,
When pierc'd by Fate's inexorable sting,
In fweet dependence on another's breast.
When fenfe and intellect together join,
The harmonious union forms the angel Love;
Reafon muft regulate life's mad career,

And teach the headlong paffions how to move.
The effect depends upon its caufe; and thus
What's perfect must be lov'd: 'tis thus we fee
The chain divine hold on; and hence

The effect is feen in me, the caufe in thee."

On THOM MSON.

To ELIZA.

BENEATH the jeffamine bower, where roses twine
In Nature's fragrance rich, is Thomson laid;
He charms with elegance the foul of Tafte,

Or lulls the throbbings of the love ftung maid.

He touch'd the Seasons with a mafter's hand,
Defcriptive poetry then gain'd a height
Unknown to man, e'en tho' the Mantuan bard
Through Nature's wild wood took his rural flight.
But chief he lov'd to view the glittering gloom
Where icy Winter chills the poet's wing:
"Midft fcenes like thefe his fairy fancy rang'd,
Beyond the richness of the budding Spring.

With dignity he trod the mournful stage,

Though not like Shakespeare's glow'd his tragic fire;
Yet Sympathy muft own his heart was warm,
And Sigifmunda's woes can grief inspire.

But moft when Britain's freedom is his theme
The poet thunders, and his gen'rous zeal
Abforbs the poet's in the patriot's fame,

The glowing champion of the public weal.'

The author appears to have endeavoured at compreffing his thoughts as much as poffible; from this caufe he has not always avoided obfcurity. His fubjects are various and interesting; and there reigns through the whole that plaintive tone of fenfibility which is ever pleafing to the virtuous mind.

N

ART.

ENG. REV. VOL. XV. MARCH 1790.

1

ART. IX. Examination of a Sermon preached at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, London, before the Right Hon. the LordMayor, the Judges, Aldermen, and Sheriffs, on Sunday, May 25, 1788, being the First Sunday in Trinity Term, by the Rev. Richard Harrifon, Chaplain to his Lordship. 8vo. Is. 6d. Johnson. London, 1789.

ON the first Sunday in Trinity term Mr. Harrison took the opportunity of bringing forward the difputes on this holy, mystery. Had he only given his opinion on the fubject, without any invectives against thofe who differed from him, but with an earnest exhortation that they would be open to the truth, no objection could have been made, either to the time or occafion. For if controverfial fubjects ever should be introduced, public occafions, and the prefence of public characters, seem, of all others, the best calculated for them. But it must be confefsed we too often meet with fuch harsh epithets, as profane, scorn<ful unbelievers' impiously daring to affert' impious mortals, who diveft the great Author and Founder of our faith of his divinity,' &c. Where this language is ufed against men who, however mistaken, feem many of them to mean well, religion can never be benefited. Hard names and anathemas may be neceffary to fupport popish impofitions; but the Church of England fhould appeal to reason and scripture, and exhibit that moderation with the want of which it has fo often had occafion to accufe papасу.

But if Mr. Harrifon's antagonist is at all eminent for his modefty, the perpetual accufation of a want of common-sense, in a fermon well received by a respectable audience, feems not only indecent to the preacher, but his hearers. Unfortunately as long as Chriftians are divided in this celebrated controverfy, which we must expect to be the cafe till the prediction of happier days fhall be accomplished; the fame dull rotine of argument and invective is the only profpect we can look to. On one fide an appeal to fcripture and an exclufion from all pretenfions to Christianity in fuch as deny its plain meaning; on the other, logical reasoning on a subject its defenders admit cannot be comprehended by human reason; a metaphorical language introduced into holy writ, and the defenders of a fyftem fupported by at leaft as many learned and honeft men as the former, accused of afferting abfurdities, and defending, for the fake of preferment, contradictions the most palpable. Satisfied as we are with the establishment as it now is, and wifhing that diffenters of every defcription may for ever experience the moderation they have fo long been indulged in, we fhall be fparing of reviving those

animofities

animofities which have hitherto been the chief obstruction to the influence of genuine Chriftianity; and having acquainted our readers with the defign of this Letter to an Athanafian Christian,' fhall refer fuch as wifh for further information to the performance itself.

ART. X. An Effay to direct and extend the Inquiries of patriotic Travellers; and further Obfervations on the Means of preferving the Life, Health, and Property, of the unexperienced in their fournies by Land and Sea. Alfo a Series of Questions interefting to Society and Humanity, neceffary to be propofed for Solution to Men of all Ranks and Employments, and of all Nations and Governments, comprising the most ferious Points relative to the Objects of all Travels. To which is annexed a List of English and Foreign Works intended for the Inftruction and Benefit of Travellers, and a Catalogue of the most interesting European Travels which have been published in different Languages from the earliest Times down to Sept. 8, 1787. By Count Leopold Berchtold, Knight of the Military Order of St. Stephen of Tuscany, &c. &c. 8vo. 2 vols. 125. London: printed for the Author, and fold by Robinsons. 1789.

THE

HE nature of this publication is fufficiently fet forth in the above ample title. The author, after having, in the first part of his work, given very proper general directions for travellers, proceeds to the various fubjects which he wishes to be the object of theft inquiries. These we shall enumerate, as an inducement to our readers to peruse the work, and to contribute, as far as they can, to further the benevolent and patriotic views of the writer.

The following are the fubjects he proposes for the Inquiries of the traveller: Geographical account of the country, and regifter of lands, population, ftate of the peafantry, agriculture, cattle, woods, mines, manufactures, inland and foreign trade, colonies, fisheries, conftruction of merchantmen, laws and administration of civil and criminal juftice, police, charitable eftablishments, education; origin, manners, and cuftoms of the nation; women, religion, and clergy; nobility, governmer t, taxes, and imports; finances, land-forces, navy, conftruction of men of war, fovereign, general rules. Count Berchtold has not fatisfied himself with faying that such are the subjects of inquiry, but has entered minutely into every particular in each, fo that no one can be at a lofs how to conduct his investigation.

The Count in this work has fhewn what might be done to increase the knowledge, and promote the happiness, of mankind; N 2

but