quoted by Michaelis, and where alfo the Syriac verb is the very fame that he mentions, and, as in his firft proof, they are Hora undecima Sabbato exeunte et dominicâ ineunte. Here the Syriac verb for inlucefcere, (which Affemani to prevent mistake has paraphrafed by exeunte and ineunte) cannot possibly refer to the fubfequent morning light, and only, as Michaelis rightly points out, to the approach of the night, at which the first day of the Jewifh week commenced. This is therefore a decifive proof of that practice among the Syrians, which Michaelis has pointed out, and which led St. Luke into the impropriety of ufing Two in the fame manner and fenfe; if indeed it be an impropriety in Greek, and if the Greeks could not apply that verb to the approach of the light of the moon and ftars at night, juft as well as to the dawn of Sun-rife in the morning; which we apprehend they could do, although it might not be fo common. Accordingly not only. Virgil celebrates Lucentemque globum Lunæ, but in Alex. Aphrodis. aqwriolos is applied as an epithet to the moon, to fignify lunam non lucentum, and aspofans is used to mean ftellis refplendens. In too many cafes the prevalence of our own cuftoms renders us blind to the propriety of phrases adapted to customs in ancient ages different from our own; nevertheless both Hammond and Le Clerc, after others, have in the prefent cafe explained TEOWOXE in St. Luke, as thus referring to the light of the Moon and Stars at Sun-fet. So that, after all, there may not be any neceffity whatever for thus afcertaining the practice of the Syrians, or for recurring to a Syriasm, in order to vindicate and explain the meaning of spwaxe in St. Luke: but if others judge that there is fuch a neceffity, Michaelis in his fecond proof (when the page is corrected) has done it decifively. Upon the whole, we at leaft learn hence what strange work one learned Hebraist has made of his own arguments and evidence and alfo into how many other ftrange errors his learned tranflator has fallen, through a mere error in the number of a page in Affemani. It fhould teach us all to attend more in reading, and to reason less in haftily writing.

We might ftilladd, that the proofs which Mr. Marth has produced, in order, as he thinks, to fupply the fuppofed deficiency of all thofe in Michaelis, are by no means fufficient to afcertain the ufe of the Syriafm in queftion by the Syrians, even if Michaelishad been deficient in his own proofs: for that from Caftellus's Lexicon, being only the opinion of an European author, and not there pointed out as an original phrafe, actually employed by any Syrian writer, and thofe alfo from the Syriac tranflation of the Greek teftament, being again taken not from an original Syriac compofition, but being only tranflations, may be

mere

mere imitations of the phrafe mpwone as used by St. Luke: they cannot therefore prove the exiftence of fuch an application of inlucefcere, in original Syriac compofitions. So that here again Mr. Marth has not done juftice to Michaelis, whofe oriental fpeculations are always ingenious and pleafing, although not always fo folid as in the prefent cafe.

We have felected thefe two inftances, in which the opinion of the original author appears to us preferable to that of his commentator, becaufe in general we think it otherwife; and because it was to be apprehended that the weight of a judgment, in most cases correct, might, in thefe inftances also, gain af fent, to the injury of truth. Having faid this, we cannot allow ourselves to expatiate further upon a work which offers matter for fpeculation almost inexhauftible. Our opinion of the author and tranflator has been already given.

ART. XIV. Tithes, politically, judicially, and juftly confidered. Addreffed to the Clergy of the University of Cambridge; with Strictures upon the Farnham Hop-Bill; in which the Neceffity of a General Commutation of Tithes is demonftrated, Modes of Commutation are propofed, and the proper Meafures pointed out for obtaining fuch as may meet the public Will. By a Pluralift, 8vo. 185. pp. 45. Marfom, 1794.

THE Author opens his book with a dedication to the University of Cambridge, and in ftrong language urges the Univerfity to fupport the ecclefiaftical revenues by exerting an influence over their reprefentatives, whom he accuses of not guarding the rights of the clergy, particularly in the Farnham hop-bill. He calls himfelf" one who has long fought the hard fights of equity, and therefore fpeaks from fore experience." (See dedication.) Sore is he indeed, and to this foreness we must attribute his charging the courts of equity with fo phiftry and evafion, and with denying to the clergy every right or relief. (See Proem. add. p. 3.) This language concerning the courts is as unjust as it is indecent, efpecially when it is confidered, that in an eftimate made of the Tithe Caufes tried in the Courts of Equity it was found that of feven-hundred fuch caufes, fix-hundred and fixty had been determined in favour of the Clergy(155). He estimates the number ofClergy in this kingdom at eighteen-thousand, and states that the revenue of each, if equalized, would amount only to about seventy-five pounds per a annum. He contends that Tithes are not only a very bad provifion

provifion for the Clergy, but are likewife injurious to the public, and in proof of the latter he fays (153) that for Eighteen years past the quantity of corn, which before that period was confiderably more than what was neceflary for the confumption of the Inhabitants of this Ifland, is fo far diminished that our markets are dependent on other Countries for their supply."

To render this argument at all forcible, the author should have previously shown that Tithes were not in exiftence till within the period of eighteen years above-mentioned. Having ftated various grievances and difficulties under which the Clergy labour in their Tithes, our author proposes to redress them by a general commutation bill.-We cannot agree with him in the efficacy of this expedient: we conceive that no mode of commutation that we have yet seen or heard of, (and we have much attended to the subject) is more free from difficulties, or can, fo well fecure a permanent maintenance to the Clergy as Tithes.

This projector next confiders fome of the different modes of commutation that have in fome cafes been adopted-against a fixed money payment he ftates (164) that money decreases in value. Against a payment in coin, or its value in money, according to the market price, he ftates, ft. Collufions in fixing the price. 2d. That it is unreafonable to pay the Clergy in any one product. 3d. That corn is often low in price compared with other neceffaries of life. And 4th. The great variety in its local value. We agree with the author that these two modes are fufficiently objectionable, though we cannot think that he is fo happy as he might have been in felecting his objections.

He proceeds next to recommend fome plans of commutation. His first plan is (p. 168) that an eftimate be made every 7th year, by two commiffioners (chofen one by the land owners, the other by the Patron, Incumbent, and Ordinary) of the value of the produce of the farms in each parish, and one tenth of the faid value be annually paid to the parfon for the fucceeding feven years. Appeals to the Quarter Seffions and King's Bench to be allowed. His fecond plan is, That government take the prefent church revenues, and pay out of the exchequer annual ftipends to the feveral orders of Clergy.-We will ftate an infuperable objection that will apply to each of the above modes. Estimates of the value of the produce of each farm in every parifh, muft be occafionally taken by the commifhoners: and it may be asked whence are they to obtain information of the quantity or value of this produce? The answer is, from the parties interested: the Farmers themfelves. We may ob

ferve further on the latter mode, that, (if adopted) it would turn an independent Clergy into ftate penfioners, which no friend of genuine liberty can with.

When the enclosure of any common fhall take place, the author recommends to the Clergy to accept an allotment of Land in lieu of Tithes. For the objections to this mode, which we cannot here detail at length, fee a pamphlet entitled, Obfervations on a General Commutation of Tithes for Land; or, a Corn Rent; Printed by Cadell in 1781.

The author profeffes to be the champion of the Church, but his zeal, if honeft, which it furely is not, is fo little tempered with prudence, that the Clergy are not likely to thank him for his fervices. He is, at beft, one of those who catch at the inevitable and obvious difficulties of Tithes, but have not the judgment to difcern either the obftacles previously to be furmounted, or the greater evils that a commutation would introduce. He is not fatisfied with ftating, but aggravates the difficulties attendant on Tithes, and in order to fecure an a bolition of them, he earnestly advises the Clergy to petition Parliament, and left any doubt fhould arife of the fincerity of his advice, he ftyles himself a Clerical Brother. But an intermixture of the cant of modern pretended philofophers, event in the title page, and feveral other fymptoms, mark him fora falfe, or pretended brother.-The world, by woeful experience, is now become too wife to be fraternized, and be it remembered that neither the Clergy, nor indeed any one poffeffed of property, need go far for an awful lesson on this fubject. It is well known that one of the first outrages committed in France, on the rights of property, was inveigling the Clergy to a conceffion of their right to Tithes, and they were led to this act of Felo de fe by a promife of an adequate compentation. This was foon reduced to a bare fubfiftence. The fequel we need not relate. One principal part of the policy of this concealed Jacobin, for fuch we doubt not he is, (and not much concealed either) is to fet the inferior Clergy against the fuperior. This point he particularly labours in his Proemial addrefs. He is, without doubt, perfectly well informed that the Parochial Clergy in France were made the great engine to overthrow the higher orders. But in candour he should have mentioned, that as foon as they had done that service they were overthrown themfelves. The cafe however is, too different here to give any effect to his infidious attempts. We trust that all thofe will be baffled who write or act on the fuppofition, that English minds can be influenced by the fallacies which have corrupted the French.

I

ART.

ART. XV. The Hiftory of the Reign of George III. King of Great Britain, &c. from the Conclufion of the Sixth Seffion of the Fourteenth Parliament, to the End of the Seventh Seffan of the Sixteenth Parliament of Great Britain in 1790. Vol. III. 8vo. 5s. Printed for the Author. by T. Evans. 1794.

TH

HOUGH the former volumes of this work were publifhed long before the commencement of our Review, we have thought it our duty to infpect them on this occafion. They afford, indeed, a very curious example of the progrefs of the human mind, from youth to age, not only in a literary but a moral view. The first volume which was published in the year 1773, exhibits all the ardour and vehemence of youth. The author, in that volume, is a Whig of the most violent defcription, and outrageously clamorous for Wilkes and Liberty. The second volume bears the marks of more mature judgment, and is, confequently, more temperate, guarded, and cool; and in the third volume, which is now before us, we evidently discover the teftinefs of age. The author feems in humour with fcarcely any of the parties which have appeared of late years in this country. He is decidedly adverfe to the American war, and treats, we think, with too much feverity, the Ministry who conducted it; yet he is equally fevere on Mr. Fox and his party with refpect to the famous Coalition, and the no less celebrated India Bill. The present Ministry, he has, however, treated with almost uniform refpect, and has not cenfured them in any inftances, except thofe of the Commutation Tax and the Spanish Armament in 1790. The author' manifefts, indeed, in the laft volume, more of the keen and farcaftic temper of Tacitus, than of the candour and liberality of Livy. While we fay this, we muft, however, add, the work is executed with ability and spirit; and that the observations of the author are often folid, and always pointed and forcible. The ftyle of this last volume is alfo fuperior, as might be expected, to that of the two former, and the history seems on the whole to be more laboured.

We have compared the facts very carefully with fuch documents as we ourselves have had occafion to collect, and it is but justice to fay, that nothing of importance appears to have been omitted, and that the compilation is made with accuracy and fidelity, and apparently from good materials, though we have to complain of one inexcufable deficiency, the want of proper references, which we hope, in a future edition the author will fupply in all the volumes.

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