An Address to Lord Grenville in behalf of the inferior || sisting of no less than twenty pages, whom he also beneficed Clergy. 32 Pages. Whilst the church continues to receive without scruple into her ample and capacious bosom, the indolent, the ignorant, and the discontented, from all other professions, and from all ranks, the number of poor clergy, and also of inferior beneficed clergy, will necessarily be very great. The persons to be ordained should be restricted, and regulated, after an actual survey had been taken throughout the kingdom, of the means which exist to provide for its ministers; and above all the practice should be abolished, of publicly offering livings to the highest bidder. Then, and then only, something may be devised in support of the clergy, and the respectability of the established church. The present address is in general well worded, and fraught with just intelligence; though sometimes the author forgets the dignity of his subject, and borders on the ridiculous: styles Britanniarum Pacificator. The volume contains twelve Discourses, which at least will not tire the reader on account of their length. The language in which they are written is good: but from a Bachelor of Divinity we should have expected a greater depth of argument, and of theological erudition. We par◄ ticularly refer to the Sermons on Easter-Day, WhitSunday, and Trinity-Sunday. The citations from Scripture are very frequent, and for short Discourses very long. The Confirmation Sermon, that was preached at Waltham, before the Bishop of London, in 1799, possesses considerable merit. Sermons, chiefly designed to recommend the practical Morality of the Gospel, and intended for the use of Family Devotion. By a Layman, Svo. 317 pages. This volume contains twenty-three Sermons, besides an Introduction on Family Devotion; which Discourses, as being the composition of a Layman, deserve every indulgence, and much praise. The able manner, however, in which they are written, shew that the author of them is fully competent to the task he has undertaken, and we therefore particularly recommend them to the perusal of our readers. The second Discourse, on The Progress of Divine Revela-` tion, is well conceived : In Egypt more especially," says our author, "the most authentic historians agree, that every thing was God, but God himself; the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fishes of the sea, the sea itself, and the earth also, the stars of the firmament, and every other creature of God's power and munificence, were the general objects of religious adoration: the Maker and Preserver of the World was unknown, in any other light than as a God of the Hebrews." "In attending to our duties, we render the greatest service to the state. Think then, my Lord, how it must grieve us, to relax in those endeavours. A very few years ago we were enabled to ride about, and look to the spiritual and temporal wants of our parishioners: but now, be the size of our parishes whatever they may, we have been obliged to part with our horses; (and only one poor animal did the best beneficed among us attempt to keep) thus in these times of the greatest affliction, when our parishioners want our consolation most, we are incapacitated from extending it to them. When the critical situation of the constitution, both in church and state, demand that our exertions should be most zealously put forth, to silence the enemy, we are scarcely enabled to exert them at all; for many of us are now advanced to that time of life, that we are not able, like a young Exciseman, to make the routine of our duties a foot walk. With many of us, consolidated churches make up our humble pittance; We perused the Discourse on the Sacrament with others of us have a chapel of ease appended to the Mother particular satisfaction; the Address to Communicants Church; there of course we must attend, at one period of all descriptions, to the disobedient, to the timid, of the day; and humble pedestrians we must be in the to the indolent, to the wavering in Faith, to the amservice: but in the progress of it, it is more than likely,bitious, to the revengeful, is written with energy, and we must turn out of the way, to make room for our great farmers, mounted upon their high mettled hunters; not going to the same place, but to a feast; Sunday being the grand day of carousal. The things, my Lord, ought not to be so." Certainly a pedestrian clergyman would find it more pleasant to exchange situations with the farmer; but would he not then, scamper away to a feast of roast beef and plumb pudding ?-Indeed the whole of the above remarks remind us of the song in Family Quarrels, "As how it was stupid for either to walk, Before they could reach their abode.— And therefore this moral must forcibly strike "We should manage our jack-asses, just as we like, While trotting along the road.” Sermons upon various Subjects and Occasions. By the Rev. George Somers Clarke, B. D. 8vo. 168 pages. Much as we admire and respect the character of Mr. Addington, we must be allowed to suspect the motives of a clergyman, who in the plenitude of this statesman's power, modestly prefixes to a volume of Sermons, a Dedication to the Prime Minister, con a truly devout spirit;-its conclusion is very impressive: "On the other hand, if your mind is the seat of calm contentment, come; for you are in a fitter state to converse with God:-if you are beloved by friends, come; learn to requite them by good offices; if you enjoy the tender praise; if you are happy, come, and testify it by your blessings of domestic comfort, come, and offer up your gratitude! We trust the author will soon, in a subsequent edition, give his name to a work which reflects so much honour upon it. An Enquiry into the Necessity, Nature, and Evidences A well written and correct View of the Evidences contained in the Old and New Testament, divided into thirty-four chapters. The intention of Mr. Robinson, which he has ably executed, is to exhibit in a plain and popular manner, the incompetency of Reason as a religious instructor, by a brief elucidation of the several parts of which Revelation is composed, and by proving the strength and solidity of the grounds on which mankind are expected to accept and believe it to be the Word of God.-We have only to add, that we wish it had formed part of the plan of the author, to have entered more at large into the important Book of Revelations, as he appears compe-moirs on the subject of Egypt than that under our tent to have treated on it with advantage. A Summary Account of Leibnitz's Memoir, addressed to It appears that Leibnitz, the celebrated German philosopher, and antagonist of Sir Isaac Newton, conceived a project for the conquest of Egypt, which he communicated to Lewis XIVth, more probably from the notion that France was the only power upon which he could prevail to attempt the enterprize, than from desire to see it exalted above all other countries. He appears to have supposed that the conquest of Egypt by a Christian power, would draw after it the downfal of the Turkish empire, and restore the inhabitants of Syria, Asia Minor, and Greece, to liberty, Christianity, and all the blessings of civilization. to the designs of France upon Egypt, by shewing us how very long such designs had been in agitation. The existence of such a memoir is a curious historical' fact, but not very important on any other account. The French government possesses much better meconsideration. And we think an author would have done more good in collecting the information which has been thrown out of late respecting the nature and importance of that country, than in giving the collection made by another a hundred years ago. A very good statement of the argument in defence of our refusal to evacuate Malta is given by the abridger, after finishing his account of the memoir. A Reply to some Financial mis-statements in and out of Of a set of criticisms respecting statements of figures, and items in accounts, no analysis can be made which would be intelligible; we must therefore, confine ourselves to the account of the object of this pamphlet, the opinion which we have formed of the justness of its criticisms, and of the ability with which they are reported. The object is to vindicate the financial estimates made to the house of commons by the Chancellor of the Exchequer; and the statements produced to the House of Peers by Lord Auckland, from the attacks of Mr. Cobbet in the Political Register, and of Lord Grenville in parliament. The first and greatest part of the pamphlet, is devoted to Mr. Cobbet, who, in a series of letters in his register, had endeavoured to prove that the estimates of the public revenue pre To fire the ambition of Lewis XIV. to undertake this exploit, he promises him his favourite object of universal arbitration, or supremacy; which is all, he says, that can be meant by universal monarchy, since universal conquest or government is an idea perfectly ridiculous. He points out the facility of conquering Egypt; and for this purpose describes minutely the state of the Ottoman empire; the state of Egypt,sented by the ministers were too great, and the estiboth physical, political, and moral; he names the quantity of troops which would be necessary; and describes the mode of transporting them, and of employing them after they are landed. He points out minutely the value of Egypt, the riches of its own soil and climate; and the advantages which the situation of it affords for obtaining possession of the Red Sea, and of India, of Syria, and finally of the best part of the Turkish empire. Leibnitz's memoir furnishes in the most complete manner all the information which was then possessed by Europe respecting these objects. He seems much more carefully to have considered his subject than the writers of political pamphlets in the present day. Circumstances, however, have considerably altered in the situation of these regions since the date of Leibnitz's memoir; we know many essential particulars with regard to them which were not known to him; the events which have happened since his day, and the illumination which has been conveyed, have taught us to judge more accurately of certain political movements, and we are not of opinion that any one will derive much information on the question of Egypt from the production of Leibnitz. A This pamphlet is not a translation from the Latin original, but an abridgement, giving the outline of the plan, and a sketch of the notions of Leibnitz on the subject. The abridger has taken this trouble with a view to call the attention of England more strongly VOL. II. mates of the public expenditure too low; who charged them, in consequence, with a design to mislead the nation, attempting to shew that it was, under their administration, in a thriving situation, while in reality it was the very reverse. This pamphlet examines all the particulars which Mr. Cobbet says ought to be made deductions from the minister's estimates of the revenue, and endeavours to shew that they ought not. He examines too the particulars which Mr. Cobbet says ought to have been included in the estimates of the public expenditure, and contends that they ought not. The author convicts Mr. Cobbet very certainly of ignorance, which truly it was not difficult to do. For every one, at all acquainted with the public accounts, saw at once the futility and absurdity of many of his objections; and were only amused with the excessive self-satisfaction with which the man seemed to regard his own financial knowledge. We were not surprized at the failure of Mr. Cobbet in financial atchievements. But we must confess that the result of Lord Grenville's attempt to invalidate the statements of the ministry did astonish us. That a man who has received the education of his fordship, who has enjoyed his extraordinary opportunities of knowledge, and who is so puffed off as a man of talents, should demonstrate that he knows so very little about finance as to come forward with a pompous undertaking to expose the papers laid by his F Majesty's Ministers before the parliament of Great and Lusian heroism, was compelled, in age, to wander through the streets, a wretched dependent on casual contribution. One friend alone remained to smooth his downward path, and guide his steps to the grave, with gentleness Java, who had accompanied Camoens to Europe, after and consolation. It was Antonio, his slave, a native of having rescued him from the waves, when shipwrecked at the mouth of the Mecon. This faithful attendant was wont to seek alms throughout Lisbon, and at night shared the produce of the day with his poor and broken-hearted master. Blessed, for ever blessed, be the memory of this amiable Indian! But his friendship was employed in vain : Camoens sank beneath the pressure of penury and disease, and died in an alms-house early in the year 1579. He was buried in the church of Saint Anne of the Franciscans. Most of the observations, therefore, in this pamphletscription, which, for comprehensive simplicity, the transOver his grave Gonçalo Coutinho placed the following inare just. But the author is not much accustomed to lator ventures to prefer to almost every production of a sicombine and arrange ideas on this subject, otherwise hemilar kind : might have conveyed a much greater degree of clearness and perspicuity into his disquisitions, which would have made the pamphlet much more useful For truly any person who is not fully as well qualified to examine the subject himself, as the author, will neither be much instructed nor amused by the performance. It would appear however that it was approved of by some persons very much interested in the reception of its positions, since it was handed about gratis to the members of parliament. HERE LIES LUIS DE CAMOENS: HE EXCELLED ALL THE POETS OF HIS TIME. There is so much justice in the paragraph that immediately follows this, that we are tempted to cite it. "It has been justly observed, that the fate of Camoens, considered in a political view, bears an intimate connection. with that of his country. The same degradation of national sentiment, which suffered such a man to become a beggar and an outcast, not long afterwards plunged PortuVis-gal into the lowest disgrace, and reduced her to the abject state of a conquered province. So true it is, that the decline of public spirit in matters of taste is a certain indication of political decay." Poems from the Portuguese of Luis de Camoens, with Remarks on his Life and Writings. By Lord count Strangford. 12mo. It is a remarkable circumstance in the Literary annals of this country, that while, from the first dawn of Literature in the west of Europe, till the beginning of the eighteenth century, Great-Britain can enroll many of the proudest names of her nobility among her classical writers, since that time very few indeed of that order have written at all, and none have attained any eminence, either as poets, critics, or historians. The names of Surrey, of Roscommon, of Dorset, of two Dukes of Buckingham, are found among the British poets; but without meaning any affront to living peers, we are apt to give their productions of the present day the qualified praise of being very well for a Lord. The cause of this, though not of very difficult investigation, would lead us too far from our present subject, which is to congratulate the country on the prospect of enrolling another illustrious name among her poets, and seeing a young nobleman directing his Jeisure, not to the usual recreations of the turf and gaming table, but to the successful cultivation of a talent, which enables him to display at the same time an elegant and classical taste for polite literature, and the more valuable possession of a moral and benevolent heart. As a proof of the latter, we select the following affecting extract from the preliminary remarks: "The latter years of Camoens present a mournful picture, not merely of individual calamity, but of national ingratitude. He whose best years had been devoted to the service of his country, he, who had taught her literary fame to rival the proudest efforts of Italy itself, and who secined born to revive the remembrance of ancient gentility CANZONET.-page 45. I WHISPER'D her my last adieu, I Cold show'rs of sorrow bath'd her eyes, For love, at other times suppress'd, I saw him weeping in her eyes, The sight which keen Affection clears, To me, it pictur'd hope; and taught STANZA.-page 49. I SAW the virtuous man contend I saw the Passions' pliant slave His course was Pleasure's placid wave, And I was caught in Folly's snare, There surely is some guiding pow'r CANZON.-page 52. WHEN day has smil'd a soft farewell, And while my lone step prints the dew, I see her, as with graceful care I meet her mild and quiet eye, God knows how fervently! Such are my hours of dear delight, The Works of the Right Honourable Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Including her Correspondence, Poems and Essays. Published by permission from her genuine papers. 5 vols. 12mo. pp. 1548. "As a preliminary observation," says the editor of these volumes," it may be necessary to inform the public, that no single production, either in prose or verse, already printed and attributed to Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, had ever received the sanction of herself, or her representatives. It is for that important reason, a respect due to the literary world, to inform them, that no letter, essay, or poem, will find a place in the present edition, the original manuscript of which is not at this time extant, in the possession of her grandson, the Most Noble the Marquis of Bute." This observation, which is evidently intended to give consequence to the present publication, would have perhaps been more fairly expressed, if it had in fewer and less ambiguous words told us that all the letters, &c. formerly published and attributed to Lady Mary are here proved to have been her genuine productions, and are re-printed from the originals in the possession of the Marquis of Bute, with such additions as, for whatever reason, his lordship was pleased to make. For such is the real history of these " works," divested from an apparent intention to cause the world to believe that they are all now published for the first time. The three volumes of letters published in 1763 are consequently the most important part of the works," and although the additional matter be very considerable in quantity, it will not in quality, or in interest with the public bear any comparison with the former. The "Letters of Lady Mary," it may yet be remembered, were at one time very popular; it was the fashion to read and to quote them, and it is not too much to say with Dr. Smollet, that they evinced "the sprightliness of her wit, the solidity of her judgment, the elegance of her taste, and the excellence of her real character." But it ought at the same time to be added that many of the descriptions of eastern luxuries and beauty are such as cannot be tolerated in an age of decency, and were far better calculated for the French than the English press. Among the books fit to be perused by the female world, a prudent guardian will surely hesitate long, before he can admit the "Letters" of Lady Mary' Wortley Montagu. Prefixed to the works now before us, are "Memoirs" of Lady Mary, by the editor, Mr. Dallaway; a gentleman, we are persuaded, amply qualified to have done justice to the subject, had he not heen restrained by considerations of delicacy which we are very willing to admit as an apology on his part, while we must at the same time confess our disappointment. These memoirs are written in one unvaried strain of panegyric, a compliment which few human beings, and certainly not Lady Mary, have deserved. Her letters, however, if studied with a view to her personal character, will in some degree supply the defi ciencies of the biographer; for in them we see, under the affected superiority of the female philosopher, the mere woman, vain, conceited, and volup→ tuous in her better days, and at the close of life, of honesty, please themselves with that of being generous, peevish, discontented, an exile from the society of because whatever they get on the road, they always spend which she was once "the glass of fashion," and per- Her history, rightly considered, would be more instructive at the next ale-house, and are still as beggarly as ever. petually complaining that life did not yield more than it was intended to yield, without the cultivation of there what mortifications and variety of misery are the to young women than any sermon I know. They may see more solid principles than she was accustomed no unavoidable consequences of gallantry. I think there is no entertain. In these "Memoirs," too, we find to rational creature that would not prefer the life of the strictmention of her son, although some of the blanks in est carmelite to the round of hurry and misfortune she has her letters may probably be filled up by his name, and gone through. Her style is clear and concise, with some although it will appear to every attentive reader, strokes of humour, which appear to me so much above whence he derived that depravity which induced him her, I can't help being of opinion the whole has been to reside in Turkey, to keep a seraglio, and to realize modelled by the author of the book in which it is inserted, the picture of sensuality drawn in such vivid colours. who is some subaltern admirer of hers. I may judge We are indebted, however, to Mr. Dallaway, for wrong, she being no acquaintance of mine, though she has married two of my relations. Her first wedding was some articles of literary history in these memoirs, par-attended with circumstances that made me think a visit not ticularly respecting the quarrel between Lady Mary at all necessary, though I disobliged lady Susan by neglectand Pope, which is detailed with candour and ing it; and her second, which happened soon after, made fidelity; and for some original letters from her con- her so near a neighbour, that I rather chose to stay the temporaries, which are very accurately printed in fac-whole summer in town than partake of her balls and parties simile, and will on that account be an acquisition to of pleasure, to which I did not think it proper to introduce the libraries of the curious. you; and had no other way of avoiding it, without incur Volume I. consists of Lady Mary's letters, prin-ring the censure of a most unnatural mother for denying cipally of courtship; to Mr. Montagu and his mother, written before the year 1717, and a translation of the Enchiridion of Epictetus made by Lady Mary, when she was scarcely twenty years old, with the emendations of Bishop Burnett, to whom she submitted it. This will be regarded as a literary curiosity. The letters are chiefly important as developing the whimsical temper of Mr. Montagu and his intended bride, who appear to have conducted their courtship on principles not very common either with the grave or the giddy. Volume II. and part of Vol. III. contain her letters during Mr. Wortley's embassy to Constantinople, already published, and on which it is not necessary to offer any remarks. Then follow her letters to Mr. Wortley during her second residence abroad from 1739 to 1746. With these the reader will be amused, and well-informed in some points of local description, although we find it difficult to select any one epistle as a striking specimen of the talents for which she was admired in her early days. Vol. IV. continues the series of letters to 1756. Her attention was now much directed to the improvement of her daughter's family, and the observations on education, &c. are, if not all correct, at least well worthy of attention. She appears, too, to have devoted a considerable portion of her time to reading, of the miscellaneous kind; dealing out her opinions of modern authors, particularly novel writers, with great freedom. Perhaps the following may give our readers some idea of the entertainment they are to expect from this part of the collection. you diversions, that the pious lady Ferrers permitted to her fortune in making the conquest of two such extraordinary exemplary daughters. Mr. Shirley has had uncommon ladies, equal in their heroic contempt of shame, and eininent above their sex, the one for beauty, and the other wealth, both which attract the pursuit of all mankind, and have been thrown into his arms with the same unlimited fondness. He appeared to me gentle, well bred, well shaped, and sensible; but the charms of his face and eyes, which lady Vane describes with so much warmth, were, I confess, always invisible to me, and the artificial part of his character very glaring, which I think her story. shews in a strong light. The next book I laid my hand on was the Parish Girl, which interested me enough not to be able to quit it till it was read over, though the author has fallen into the common mistake of romance. Writers intending a virtuous character, and not knowing how to draw it, the first step of his heroine (leaving her patroness's house) being altoge ther absurd and ridiculous, justly entitling her to all the misfortunes she met with. Candles came, and my eyes Supposed from the title it could not engage me long: it was grown weary; I took up the next book, merely because I Pompey the Little, which has really diverted ne more than any of the others, and it was impossible to go to bed till it was finished. It is a real and exact representation of life, as it is now acted in London, as it was in my time, and as it will be (I do not doubt) a hundred years hence, with some little variation of dress, and perhaps of government. I found there many of my acquaintance. Lady T. and lady O. are so well painted, I fancied I heard them talk, and have heard them say the very things there repeated. I Qualmsick. You will be surprized at this, no English also saw myself (as I now am) in the character of Mrs. woman being so free from vapours, having never in my life complained of low spirits, or weak nerves; but our resemblance is very strong in the fancied loss of appetite, which I have been silly enough to be persuaded into by the phy"I received yesterday, Feb. 15, N. S. the case of books sician of this place. He visits me frequently, as being one you were so good to send to me; the entertainment they of the most considerable men in the parish, and is a grave, have already given me has recompensed me for the long sober, thinking, great fool, whose solemn appearance, time I expected them. I begun by your direction with and deliberate way of delivering his sentiments, gives them Peregrine Pickle. I think lady Vane's memoirs contain an air of good sense, though they are often the most inju more truth and less malice than any I ever read in my life. dicious that ever were pronounced. By perpetual telling When she speaks of her own being disinterested, I am apt me I eat so little, he is amazed I am able to subsist. to believe she really thinks herself so, as many highway-had brought me to be of his opinion; and I begun to be men, after having no possibility of retrieving the character seriously uneasy at it. This useful treatise has roused me TO THE COUNTESS OF BUTE. "Dear Child, 1752. He |