furgeon, for inftance, who fhould diffipate his attention on aftro nomy, botany, and mechanics, would ever improve the art of healing! With refpect to the literary character of the age, and without the leaft intention of depreciating the merit of the fathers of natural knowledge, there may be no injuftice in fuppofing, that modern Europe may at any time furnish as many cotemporary names, as will match in number and merit with all thofe handed down to us from antiquity.

ART. III. Some Obfervations and Remarks on a late Publication intitled, Travels in Europe, Afia, and Africa; in which the real Author of this new and curious Afiatic Atalantis, his Character and Abilities, are fully made known to the Public. 8vo. 2 s. 6d. Stockdale. 1732.

THE

HE Travels here referred to are mifcellaneous in their nature, and written in an agreeable manner, though as we intimated, there feemed to be fome latent political object in view; and the key to them is profeffedly offered in thefe Obfervations. The prefent animadvertor is Captain Jofeph Price, who fome months ago publicly addreffed Mr. Francis in a letter, complaining of perfonal iil treatment*; and who renews his correfpondence by attributing thefe travels to an agent employed by Mr. Francis to traduce the character of Governor Haftings; which agent he defcribes and treats with great afperity and contempt, under the name of Mackintosh. The accufations and recriminations of thefe Eaftern gentlemen feem to acquire a common ftrength by their currency, to the depreciation of their refpective perfonal vindications. Captain Price may poffibly have fuffered very ill treatment, and he expreffes himself with as imprudent and blameable a degree of acrimony now, as he did on the former occafion. The indifferent reader, who only aims, if poffible, to difcover the truth, will not imbibe the warmth of the Author's refentments; he may attribute his anger to the weakness of his caufe; if an enemy, he may derive great advantages from the Author's heat; or, if as a friend, he gives a more favourable interpretation to his afperity, it is an act of courtesy to which he can lay no claim.

Leaving the merits and demerits of individuals to be fettled how they may, our Readers will not be difpleafed to fee what notice Captain Price takes of the general defcription Mr. Mackintosh gives of the way of life of the English in Bengal † :

The fifty-fifth letter of this author is a ftrong but highly caricatare likeness of the manners of the Europeans in general who serve in Alia. The pomp and state he reports them to live in, comes but to the fhare of thofe few who live long enough to rise by flow degrees,

See Rev. Vol. LXV. p. 458. + Vid. the preceding Article.

and

and after many years fervice, to the higheft offices in the state. The lazy and indelicate cuftom of being dreffed and undressed in the manner he defcribés, never is practifed by any but fuch as grow very cor pulent, and not always by them: it was a fight fo rare, that I always ufed to ridicule and laugh at the very few lazy good-natured fellows, whom I faw indulge themselves in it. The very pointed defcription which he gives and applies generally, made me endeavour to recollect from whom he drew it; and now I remember that he was lodged and boarded gratis, in the most open, generous, and friendly manner, by a plump, good-natured, hospitable foul as ever exifted, who loves a convivial life, and a fmart Cleopatra, as well as Mark Anthony ever did, but without his vices. He was introduced to the acquaintance and protection of this tunbelly facetious fon of Bacchus, by Parfon Yates; and every part of this jolly fellow's houfe was as open and free to his friends as to himself; and know. ing, as I do, the forward impertinence of this abufer of the laws of hofpitality, I am convinced that his affurance has carried him into the most private apartments of this child of good nature, which unfeasonable intrusion of his fprung the hen bird, and gave him the opportunity to fee the gentleman drefs or be dreffed. In general, the young gentlemen, as foon after their arrival as they can, mufter money to buy a horse, ride from a little before daylight until eight o'clock, then breakfast, and go directly to the public offices, where. they write hard until two or three o'clock at noon, then dine, and if all their daily business is done, they drink tea, visit the ladies, and perhaps dance with them, or fup with them, or, which is more common, attend them in their vifitings, which is always in the evening; after which they go home, and are fatt afleep by twelve o'clock. Gaming and drinking is not known to the younger fervants, who value a character with their fuperiors; and thofe among them (which are by no means few) who early feel the powers of ambition, give up thofe innocent and powerful indulgencies, to the fevere ftudy of the country languages, and reap, in early employments of trust and confequence, the advantages the loving and merry rogues give up to the attendance on the ladies.- Mr Mackintosh knows that the former are mostly North, and the latter South Britons, or from Teague or Taffyland-fellows who never begin to think of making money, until they can dance and dangle after the ladies no longer.

His notes on this letter, as on all other, mark the bafeness of the man's difpofition; otherwife he would never have referved a card of invitation to a concert, fent him by the Governor's lady, whilst yet a mere franger in the place, in order to exhibit it to the world, as a proof of the profligacy of the inhabitants of Bengal.-(I hope that they will take care what ftrangers they treat fo kindly, after Mr. Mackintosh's book thall reach them.) When he obferves that the gentlemen introduce their hookers, and fmoke in the company of the ladies, why did he not add, that the mixture of fweet fcented Perfian tobacco, (weet herbs, coarfe fugar, fpice, &c. the finoke of which they inhale by means of the long tube or fnake, comes through clean water, and is fo very pleafant, that many ladies take the tube and draw a little of the fmoke into their mouths; and almost all ladies REV. Oct. 1782. like

S

like the smell of it, as it goes off dire&ly, and never remains in their cloaths, or the furniture of the rooms.

To fum up the whole criminality of the charge, the Company's fervants up tea, dine at two, drink a few glaffes of wine, fmoke fweet-fcented tobacco, wear clean linen, kifs a girl, and go to fleep. Even Mr. Mackintofb's fair cousins would not condemn a young fellow for doing all this. For my part, in thirty years refidence, I never could find out one fingle luxury of the Eaft fo much talked of here, except fitting in an arm-chair, fmoking a hooker, drinking cold water (when I could get it), and wearing clean linen.

Hear me, you English mothers and daughters; grudge not to your fons and brothers the above indulgences; it is all that nineteen in twenty of them ever enjoy, for leaving of your paternal and fraternal embraces in the bloffom of life, to end their days in a foreign Jand, and never see you more. It includes their fins too. For let this mouth-piece of party, and vile fcandalizer of private character, fay what he will, as many Englishmen go from Bengal to Heaven, in proportion to their number, as do from Great Britain; but it is a national misfortune to lament the loss of a Clive and Vanfittart dead, whom our popular orators abused whilft living, and the fame men now turn their venomous, half-informed eloquence, against a Haftings.. -May God forgive them for the fin of proftituting fuch fuperior parts to fo vile a purpose !'

With refpect to the principal object of this snappifh publication, Captain Price honeftly confefles that he was born in Wales, that he was fuckled with Welch milk, and that it cofts him fome trouble to keep quiet the Welch devil within him: we believe him; but, as friends, we wish him to fight this turbulent internal foe more manfully with his own weapons, by tranfferring the refentment he spends in vain abroad to this his wort enemy at home. An angry man exposes himself intirely to the mercy of an artful antagonist.

ART. IV. An Hiftory of Birmingham, to the End of the Year #78c. By W. Hutton. 8vo. 7 s. 6d. Baldwin. 1782.

T muft, we think, be an agreeable object of literary attention, for the leisure of an intelligent inhabitant of any confiderable town, to collect materials toward fuch a work as that now before us. If fuch a perfon has a tafte for antiquity, and hiftorical researches, refidence will afford him opportunities of improving temporary circumftances, which a ftranger even of fuperior talents cannot, perhaps, attain; and if an inhabitant, thus qualified, entertains a proper conception of the business he undertakes, we can easily difpenfe with any peculiarities that do not affect his industry and fidelity.

. The Writer of this hiftory of Birmingham, who we believe may be an entertaining companion, has in all likelihood told us 4

every

every thing he could find relating to the town; he has even done more, for he feldom mentions a subject, or defcribes an object, without ufhering it in with due form by fome general reflections, more or less leading to it. Though these incidental reflections are fometimes pertinent, yet the defire of enriching the work with fentiment, is apt to hurry him into frivolous remarks, and puerile terms of expreffion. However, as he thinks justly upon most subjects, he will oftener amufe his townsmen by interfperfing his dry matter with mifcellaneous remarks, than offend them by that Aippant affectation of witty turns, which may chance to difguft readers more acquainted with the modes of authorship.' We will frankly confefs, that the pertnefs betrayed in an ill-judged preface, gave us a difagreeable impreffion of the Writer, until a little better acquaintance reconciled us in fome measure to the humours of an author fashioned at Birmingham.

Our Readers may not perhaps be displeased with the following fpecimen of his attainments in ethics, and his management of fimilies, from the account of the air, foil, &c. of Birmingham:

"I do not know any author, who has reckoned man among the amphibious race of animals, neither do I know any animal who better deferves it. Man is lord of the little ball on which he treads, one If we do not allow him to be amhalf of which, at least, is water. phibious, we deprive him of half his fovereignty. He juftly bears that name, who can live in the water. Many of the disorders incident to the human frame are prevented, and others cured, both by fresh and falt bathing; fo that we may properly remark, "He lives in the water, who can find life, nay, even health, in that friendly element."

The greatest treasure on earth is health; but a treasure, of all Other property is best rated others, the leaft valued by the owner. when in poffeffion, but this can only be rated when loft, We fome. times obferve a man, who, having loft this inestimable jewel, feeks it with an ardour equal to its worth; but when every research by land is eluded, he fortunately finds it in the water. Like the fish, he pines away upon fhore, but like that, recovers again in the deep.

Perhaps Venus is reprefented as rifing from the ocean, which is no other than a bath of the larger fize, to denote, that bathing is the refiner of health, confequently of beauty; and Neptune being figured in advanced life, indicates, that it is a prefervative to old age.

The care of disease among the Romans, by bathing, is fupported by many authorities; among others, by the number of baths frequently discovered, in which, pleasure, in that warm climate, bore a part. But this practice feemed to decline with Roman freedom, and never after held the eminence it deferved. Can we fuppofe, the phyfician ftept between difeafe and the bath, to hinder their junction; or, that he lawfully holds, by prescription, the tenure of fickness in fee?

The knowledge of his fingular art of healing, is at prefent only in infancy. How far it may prevent, or conquer difeafe; to what

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measure

measure it may be applied, in particular cafes, and the degrees of ufe, in different conftitutions, are enquiries that will be better underftood by a future generation.

As we have paffed through the water, let us now invefligate her fifter fluid, the air. They are both neceffary to life, and the purity of both to the prolongation of it; this mall difference lies between them, a man may live a day without water, but not an hour without air if a man wants better water, it may be removed from a dilant place for his benefit; but if he wants air, he muft remove himfelf- · The natural air of Birmingham, perhaps, cannot be excelled in this climate, the moderate elevation and dry foil evinces this truth; but it receives an alloy from the congregated body of fifty thoufand people; alio from the smoke of an extraordinary number of fires ufed in bufinefs; and perhaps, more from the various effluvia arising from particular trades. It is not uncommon to see a man with green hir or a yellow wig, from his conftant employment in brafs; if he reads, the green veftiges of his occupation remain on every leaf, never to be expunged. The infide of his body, no doubt, receives the fame tincture, but is kept clean by being often washed with ale. the fair fex. likewife are fubject to the fame inconvenience, but find Some of relief in the fame remedy.

Man is a time-piece. He meafares out a certain fpace, then flops for ever. We fee him move upon the earth, hear him click, and perceive in his face the ufes of intelligence. His external appearance will inform us whether he is old-fashioned, in which cafe he is lefs valuable upon every gambling calculation. His face alfo will generally inform us whether all is right within. This curious machine is filled with a complication of movements, very unfit to be regulated by the rough hand of ignorance, which fometimes leaves a mark not to be obliterated even by the hand of an artilt. If the works are di rected by violence, deftruction is not far off. If we load it with the oil of luxury, it will give an additional vigour, but in the end clog and impede the motion. But if the machine is under the influence of prudence, the will guide it with an even and a delicate hand, and perhaps the piece may move on 'till it is fairly worn out by a long courfe of fourfcore years.

There are a fet of people who expect to find that health in medicine, which poilibly might be found in regimen, in air, exercise, or ferenity of mind.

There is another clafs amongst us, and that rather numerous, whofe employment is laborious, and whofe conduct is irregular. Their time is divided between hard working and hard drinking, and both by a fire. It is no uncommon thing to fee one of thefe, at forty, wear the aspect of fixty, and finish a life of violence at fifty, which the hand of prudence would have directed to eighty.

The strength of a kingdom confits in the multitude of its inhabitants; fuccefs in trade depends upon the manufacturer; the fupport and direction of a family, upon the head of it. When this ufeful part of mankind therefore, are cut off in the active part of life, the community fultains a 1 fs, whether we take the matter in a national, a commercial, or a private view.

• We