in terms, fo we truft it is impoffible in fact-that is, toleration of perfecutors." p. 11. the text is liaiah Ivii. 21. " there is no peace faith my God to the wicked."

ART. 37. A Sermon preached in the Parish Church of Trinity, in the Minories, on February 28, 1794; being the Day appointed for a Public Faft. By Henry Fly, M. A. F.R. S. Minifter of the faid Parish. 8vo. 25 pp. 1s. Rivingtons. 1794.

This excellent fermon difcuffes with equal candour and energy the corruptions in fociety to which fhould be referred the existing difcontents. The reader who peruses the very juft eulogium here paffed upon the natural, conftitutional and religious advantages of Great Britain, connected with the manly remonftrance against prevailing iniquities, muft receive impreffions highly favourable to the increase of his patriotism and his virtue.

ART. 38. The Judgments of God in the Earth are Calls for us to learn Righteoufnefs. A Sermon preached at St. George's Church, Botolph Lane, London, on Friday the 28th of February, 1794; being the Day appointed by Proclamation for a general Faft and Humiliation before Almighty God, for obtaining Pardon of our Sins, and for averting thofe beavy judgments which our Manifold Provocations have moft justly deferved. By William Reid, A. M. Vicar of Takeby in Effex, Chaplain to the Rt. Hon. Jane Countess Dowager of Rothes, and Curate of the faid Church of St. George, Botolph Lane. Published by Defire of the Congregation. Is. Rivingtons, London. 1794.

We give Mr. Reid full credit for his good intentions, and can only lament that his abilities are not calculated to ferve the cause he has undertaken to fupport. It is ftrange that clergymen will fuffer themselves to be perfuaded by the partial applaufes of those who are not judges, to fubmit their crude and unfinished productions to the rigid telt of criticism. There are many worthy men, who can come pile agreeable and useful fermons, and fuch as, when well delivered, will have a tolerable effect, who are by no means fit to appear before the public in the character of authors. Years of hard ftudy, and great practice, are indifpenfably neceffary to qualify a man for this arduous function. Cenfure is always painful to us, but this, which is meant rather as caution, than as cenfure, will, we truft, be not ill received by the junior part of that refpectable profeffion; and will render them lefs hafty in appearing at the bar of the public, before they are duly qualified.

ART. 39. A Sermm preached in the Parish Church of Carshalton, in the County of Surry, on the 28th of February, 1794, being the Day appointed for a general Faft. By William Rofe M. A. F. R. S. Rector of Carshalton and of Beckenham, in Kent. Published by Defire of the Parishioners. 2d. Edition. Is. Rivingtons, 1794.

This difcourfe abounds with proofs of the good fenfe and piety of its author. The neceffity of humiliation and repentance is here very forcibly infifted upon from the analogy which our danger and our vices bear to thofe of the different nations recorded in fcripture, whofe timely reformation has faved them from their enemies and themselves.

ART. 40. Lukewarmness in Religion a Source of Faction in the State. A Sermon preached in the Epifcopal Chapel of Stirling, February 27, 1794, by George Gleig, A. M. Edinburgh, Creech.

To publish a fermon preached on a faft day, is to go a step further than preachers in general think neceflary, and to do all that a preacher can do, towards accomplishing the purposes of the authority that enjoined the faft. And among the many fermons which, to the credit of the clergy, have been given to the world on occafion of the late fait, we have feen few which, in our judgment, were more proper for the occafion than that now before us. The fermon does not feem to differ materially from other compofitions of the fame kind in point of style: its moft peculiar feature is a careful attention to, and pertinent obfervations on, the prevailing manners of the age. Its object is to prove, that the people of thefe kingdoms are far too generally "luke-warm in religion"; and thence rendered also far too prone to faction.

ART. 41.The Sentiments and Condu&t becoming Britons, in the prefent Conjecture; a Sermon preached in the Church at Canongate, on account of the general national Faft, February 27, 1794. From Joel i. 6.-15. By Robert Walker F. R. S. E. Senior minifter of Canongate, and Chaplain of the Chamber of Commerce of Edinburgh. 8vo. 45. pp. is. Creech, Edinburgh: Dilly, London: 1794.

Mr. Walker ventures, by way of Introduction, to depict to his readers the prefent Phænomenon of the political world, a mighty people converted into a horde of banditti, in the words of the Minister's fpeech on the opening of the Seffion. The body of the fermon is divided into five heads, fuited to the duty of the day, and after pointing out the contraft between our government and that in France, the author concludes thus "when ye have made the comparison, then weigh, both in your underftanding, and in your feelings, whether treasure-even Blood, can be expended in a worthier caufe, than in refifting the attempts of thofe who would rob us of the bleffings of time, and of the profpects of eternity."

MISCELLANIES.

ART. 42. Eays on Education; or, Principles of Intellectual Improvement confiftent with the Frame and Nature of Man. By John Weddell Parfons, A. B. Vicar of Wellington, in the County of Hereford.

Izmo.

222 pp. 45. Cadell, 1794.

By

By an advertisement prefixed to this volume we are informed that "the fubject matter of thefe effays appeared in two publications about three years ago; that prefs errors had rendered the meaning of feveral paffages in one of the books unintelligible, and that on account of the writer's great distance from the prefs, a fecond correction was impoffible. He informs us that he has now incorporated the whole, and with corrections and additions endeavoured to make the Effays more worthy of the attention which they were at firft honoured with."

The first Effay contains Comparative Obfervations on Government and Education, and in it the author gives it as his opinion that the prevailing difpofition and manners of a people have more influence on their political welfare than any peculiarity in their form of government: from this he infers, that a reformation of men and not of Government that a reducing them to a congenial temper with the government which they themselves produced, is the meafure moft wanted and urgent. Hence he draws a conclufion, that the obvious force and use of education confists in its being calculated to render the temper of the people conformable to their mode of go

vernment.

The next Effay is on Public Education, and by this it appears that the author thinks public fchools, under due regulations, are preferable to any other. This is followed by thoughts on the Revolution in English Education, which, before the reign of Queen Elizabeth was martial. On the causes that produced this alteration, there are fome fenfible remarks. This Effay is followed by Thoughts on the disproportionate State of Genius to Science, and on the Investigation and Application of Genius, which concludes the volu ne, in which among much that is vifionary and irrelative to the fubject, there are fome judicious and fenfible hints. Mr. Weddell fhould avoid fuch fentences as " Many may revert with pleasure to the by-gone days of Education, &c." and not dig for fuch words as obtund, abberations, exerete, &c. when he may find a plainer and better phraseology on the furface,

ART. 43. Amusement Hall; or an Introduction to the Attainment of ufeful Knowledge. By a Lady. 12mo. 2S. Gardiner. 1794.

A very proper book to be put into the hands of children, many interefting hiftorical anecdotes are interfperfed in the form of converfation and at the conclufion is a dialogue, introduced as a fpecimen of a larger work, the object of which is to render Sacred History familiar to youth.

ART. 44 Obfervations on Frauds practifed in the Collection of the Salt Duties, and the Mifconduct of Officers fairly flated, by W. Kanderste gen, Efq. 8vo. Is. Reading (no date) London, Robinfons. The object of this pamphlet is fufficiently clear from the title page, and the author has adduced a number of facts, which it becomes thofe

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BRIT. CRIT. VOL. IV. JULY, 1794.

whose

whofe reputations are involved, from their connexion with the Revenue, and the mode of collecting it, to refute.

ART. 45. Obfervations on the State of English Prifons, and the Means of improving them, communicated to the Rev. Henry Zouch, a Justice of the Peace, by the Right Honourable Lord Loughborough, now Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Published at the Request of the Court of Quarter Seffions, held at Pontefra&, April 8, 1794, 4to. Is. Stockdale.

This is a very valuable and important communication, and will doubtlefs have confiderable efficacy with thofe in whofe power and whofe duty it is, ferioufly to confider its contents. No point will be found to have efcaped the notice of the Right Honourable author, which involves the health, the reformation, and the security of criminals,

ART. 46. An Italian Warning to the British Critic, or an elucidation of the British Critic's Review of Mariottini's tranflation of Paradice Loft. See No. X. being No. II. of val. 3. published last month. 8vo. 36. pp. Is. 6d. Owen, 1794.

It is not eafy to fatisfy an author and his friends with the praises given to his work. This pamphlet has the appearance of being written by a very near friend of the Sig. in queftion: and the offence given is the mixture of fome very temperate fuggestions of improvement with much commendation. We fufpect that English readers will prefer what he calls British nonfenfe, to what he doubtless reckons Italian fenfe. is at leaft much cheaper; for his pamphlet, or advertisement, of 36 pages, cofts as much as our whole monthly lucubration,

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ART. 47. A Statement of Facts, relative to the behaviour of the Rev. Dr. Parr, to the late Mr. H. Homer, and Dr. Combe, in order to point out the Falsehood and Malignity of Dr.Parr's attack in the British Critic on the character of Dr. Combe. 8vo. 38. pp. 1s. Payne and Edwards, 3794.

With a difpute which is fo perfonal between two individuals we have no right to interfere. The title-page above recited implies much warmth, and for warmth allowance must be made. We are well affured that the Gentleman attacked in it can and will moft fully repel every imputation thrown upon his moral Character. For ourselves, conceiving that we had no concern in any thing beyond literary merits or demerits, we have ftudioufly avoided making ourfelves parties in the conteft, and have, as appears from the pamphlet itfelf, fhown every difpofition to do juftice to the Gentleman who originally thought -himself aggrieved.

FOREIGN

FOREIGN CATALOGUE.

FRANC E.

ART. 48. De la Compofition des Payfages, ou des Moyens d'embellir la Nature autour des Habitations champêtres; fuivie de Reflexions fur les Avantages de la Contiguité des Poffins rurales, et de la Diftribution en petites Cultures, pour détruire les abus qui dérivent des groffes Fermes, et pour transformer les Journaliers en Cultivateurs. Par René Girardin, Réfident à Ermenonville. Nouvelle édition. A Paris. 1793.

"Much," obferves our author, has of late been faid and written on the fubject of Gardens. But in its ordinary fenfe the word Garden prefents the idea of a piece of land inclofed, drawn out in right lines, or, at least, formed according to fome regular manner.Now this is by no means the generic term which I would be underftood to ufe, fince the exprefs idea that I fhould wish it to convey is, that there should be no appearance either of an enclosure or of a garden, inafmuch as every artificial arrangement can only produce the effect of a geometrical plan, and, of course, never can have that of a picture, or of a beautiful decoration."

We are, therefore, not to expect in this work an account either of ancient gardens, or of English, Chinese, or any other gardens whatever, or of the divifion of land into gardens, parks, or farms, or, in fhort, any examples taken from individual places, because examples ferve only to multiply copies. It is the author's object to point out the means of embellishing or enriching nature in general, whofe combinations, being infinitely varied, will not admit of claffification.

A

But if on the one hand all affectation of fymmetry fhould be carefully avoided, on the other diforder and caprice are as little calculated to form a beautiful picture on land, as they would be on canvas. picturefque effect, and what the French understand by la belle Nature, muft have their foundation in one and the fame principle, the latter being the original, of which the former is the tranfcript. Now this principle is, to ufe the words of our author, que tout fait enfemble, et que tout foit bien lie. Having explained this principle in both its parts, and having fhown the inconveniencies refulting from a fervile imitation, Mr. G. in the next place, proceeds to give an account of the different materials conftituting a landscape, and of the difcriminating characters of particular fituations. The feveral articles which enter into the compofition of a landfcape, are, plantations, waters, and fabrics.. By this laft term are understood, in painting and architecture, all kinds of buildings and ftructures whatever it is the generic word.

To what are here called the details nearly the fame principles are applicable as to the whole: for they are fo many objects, each of which is intended to have its peculiar effect and destination. The

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