that if any one thinks it worth while, he may fee what grounds there are for these accufations, and with what truth and judgment they are laid before the public; and I shall freely fubmit my cause to the verdict of common candour and common fenfe.

As Profody and Metre is a fubject in itself exceeding dry and unentertaining, and especially Hebrew Metre, which, I am afraid, is also very unedifying, and likely to recompense our trouble with little acquifition of knowledge; I had fo much regard for my readers, as to take care to give them as little caufe of difguft as poffible. I determined to fay only what I thought moft to the purpose; and to say even that in as few words as I could. The firft argument I endeavoured to express with as much brevity, as might be confiftent with clearness: the Confutation I contrived to bring within the compafs of four pages in quarto; and if it had threatened to run to double the number, I believe, for that very reafon I fhould not have ventured upon it. But alas! with all my care I have not been able to avoid, what I fo much apprehended: you complain, and you feveral times repeat your complaint, † that I fatigue you, that I make you fick to death. I flatter myfelf, that your stomach muft be peculiarly delicate and faftidious: for upon examination I find, that the whole that I have written upon this fubject makes but ten pages in octavo. But whatever you may feel, does it become You to utter this complaint? I will not return the compliment in kind; but I have read, indeed I have! above three hundred pages of your's upon the fame fubject. Whenever I begin to exceed that number; you may then perhaps be allowed to complain, and cry out, Ohe jam! with fome fort of decency. But till then, I really think, that you are obliged in common justice to give me a patient hearing: efpecially when I aflure you, that what I now fend you, was principally intended for your particular fatisfaction, by placing before you in a clearer light, if I could poffibly do it, fome points that are in difpute between us.

And here I muft beg leave to abide by my former method; that of combating general and fundamental principles only, thofe upon which the whole caufe refts, and, which removed, the whole muft fink. Were I to undertake to confute every auxiliary argument, and to anfwer every incidental objection, there would be no end to it: I fhould much exceed the bounds above prescribed; I fhould never hold out myself; and what would become of You? It is merely for your relief and my own, that I proceed thus: not out of an artful diffimulation, or with a defign of declining the force of any argument, which I may

pafs over in filence. For fhould there be any fuch argument, among all that have been hitherto publicly advanced in support of this Syftem, either by yourself or others, which, after having confidered what I fhall here fay, you fhall think of importance enough ftill to urge in defence of it; I declare myself ready to answer it, and in fuch a manner, as I am perfuaded will be fatisfactory to every unprejudiced person.'

Mr. Edwards's Latin Epiftle was mentioned in our Review for August 1765, p. 162. Dr. Lowth's Anfwer is dated the 20th of the November following, but was not published till within this month or two.

Effays Moral, Religious and Mifcellaneous, to which is added a Profe Tranflation of Mr. Browne's Latin Poem, De Animi Immortalitate. By J. H. 8vo. 2 vol. 6s. White.

T

HESE effays will be read with little fatisfaction by those who cannot difpenfe with the embellishments of genius and fancy; nor will they be perufed with much edification by those who can fatisfy themselves with mere utility; for the Author has fometimes enlarged too much on trifling fubjects: thus he has a differtation of fome length to enquire whether or no it be lawful and juftifiable, on the principles of morality and religion, to fay, and order fervants to fay, that we are not at home when we are.-The refult of this long and formal enquiry is nothing more than what was perfectly obvious and generally understood, that the denying ourselves by fervants does not always fignify that we are abfolutely from home, but that by custom the expreffion has acquired different fignifications, and may mean that we are not difpofed, or that it is not convenient for us to fee company. Thefe effays are not, however, always of fo trifling a nature, in the enquiry whether, and how far, the opinions of the world are to be regarded in the regulation of our moral conduct, a cafe of fome importance is adduced, and the arguments on each fide are conducted with clearness and judgment: this therefore we shall select as a specimen of the work. With regard to the question, whether a man fhould conftantly follow his own judgment, or vary his conduct according to the fentiments of others, the Author is of opinion, that this is to be decided as all other great questions ought to be, viz. by examining and weighing the confequences on both fides, and then determining for that courfe, which will produce the greatest happiness upon the whole.

favs he, for inftance, that a man was perfuaded it with a woman as a wife, without the fanction

of matrimony, as enjoined in the country where he refided; which fanction he would willingly avoid, on account of the inconveniences attending it, and which, in fome countries, and under fome laws, are very great; and that the woman was as fully convinced as he of the lawfulness of fuch a conduct; they are then to confider, whether what is gained be more than what is loft by it.

The principal, and perhaps only, advantage is, that as the contracting parties engaged themfelves, without the intervention of civil or ecclefiaftical authority; they can (if it be found convenient or eligible) diffolve their contract, without being subject to the almoft infurmountable difficulties, that attend the application to thofe powers; and which powers, in fome cafes, cannot, confiftently with their rules and forms, relieye them, how reafonable foever it may be that they fhould be relieved, by feparation. And this advantage is greatly heightened, in their imagination, by reflecting on the many unhappy pairs legally united, who drag on their heavy chains, without any hope but from death; and who (it may be) thought themselves well fuited, before experience had convinced them of the contrary. And thefe confiderations, no doubt, prejudice many against the state, who would otherwife marry.

On the other hand, the difadvantages of this illegal kind of union are, ift, To the man, difreputation with all who hold matrimony as a facred inftitution; that is, with the bulk of mankind, and with whom he must have intercourfe, or renounce all fociety to thefe he will frequently be obliged to justify his conduct, and generally will fail in that endeavour, on account of their different fentiments, or, as he will call them, prejudices; and at beft, muft forfeit the efteem of many worthy people, whofe good opinion he would be very glad to poffefs and cul

tivate.

2dly, To the woman, infamy, with far the greatest part of both fexes, who will not fcruple, how unjustly foever, to rank her with the most abandoned; and even the more confiderate, who make proper diftinctions, and allowances, will be afhamed of her acquaintance, and not dare (for their own fakes) to justify her, or be known to converfe with her; fhe herfelf will want the confidence, that always accompanies acknowledged innocence, and will be obliged to spend most of her time alone; as The will not be received in reputable private company, nor regarded nor treated in public, on the common terms of polite, not to fay honeft people, and muft fometimes (if the fcruples not however to appear) fuffer either pofitive or negative infults: the man alfo muft fhamefully fubmit to fee thefe indignities offered to the woman he loves, or refent them, which may draw

од

on worse confequences; to all which he expofes himself, and her by his conduct, and to a conftant repetition of them.

3dly, To the children, illegitimacy, with its train of evils, whether regarding their perfonal characters, or legal interests : these are brought into the world under peculiar difadvantages, fuch as (it is highly probable) their parents would have thought fome reproach to themfelves, had it been their own case; at leaft, could not but have wifhed it otherwise.

Now, let these people remonftrate, that "it is a foolish world in which they live; and that they think it unreasonable to fubject themselves to the idle opinions and cuftoms of it, with all its inconveniences, when they know better, and could establish more reasonable laws, if they had the modelling of them; and as it is, why fhould they not govern themselves by such as their own judgments dictate, and in which their own confciences acquiefce?"-Be it fo-the question is not what is lawful, but what is expedient? If they live alone, fecluded from the rest of the world, all might be well: but they live in fociety; and this fociety will think and fpeak of them, and act towards them, according to their own fentiments and cuftoms; nay, if you pleafe, prepoffeffions.-What then? Is the good opinion, the efteem, the friendship, and are the good offices of this fociety, in which you live, and muft live, worth having, or not? If not, you are right in fatisfying your own confcience only, but if they are, what value do you fet on thefe benefits? For here is the proportion to be fettled; if you rate the advantages procured, by cynically perfifting in your own way of thinking and acting, higher than those you lose by it, nothing more is to be faid you act wifely. But if on mature deliberation, you find that more is forfeited than gained, then you act foolishly for your

felves.

To all which may be added, that a good man (and fuch is the character affumed) will not be fo happy with lefs, as with more, power of doing good; and therefore, the weight and influence he will gain or lofe, by different ways of acting, are alfo to be taken into the account. Now if he cannot prefume, that he shall prevail on people to alter their fentiments, laws, and cuftoms, (which, if he is right, would be a great thing indeed) then perhaps he may find it neceffary, to move quietly with the stream; and guide his own veffel, and direct his neighbours, as well as he can, affifting them with his skill and advice; which be kindly received, when they fee him embarked in the fame voyage, and not affecting a different course, or oppofing the current.'

From this fpecimen the Author may obtain the credit of being man of fenfe and obfervation, though he is too much attached he hackneyed formality of argument, and is too deftitute of

Spirit and imagination to please. His tranflation of Browne's poem on the Immortality of the Soul has at leaft the merit of being clofe and literal.

IN

Conclufum of the Account of Sermons to young Women.

N our laft number we gave a general character of these excellent fermons, with fome extracts from them, and shall reckon ourselves extremely happy, if what we have faid has contributed in any degree to excite a general curiofity to peruse them. As friends to fociety we think it incumbent upon us to recommend them warmly to our Readers, and we flatter ourselves that 'every man of taste and virtue will agree with us in our fentiments concerning them; we are confident that every woman of virtue will.

As we are no ftrangers to the feelings and apprehenfions of thofe parents who have daughters to educate in an age of fo much levity and diffipation, we think all fuch are under peculiar obligations to the Author, whoever he is, who has affifted them in the arduous task of female education with fuch friendly counfel, and judicious admonitions.

Having, in his fourth fermon, attempted to put the fair fex upon their guard against dangerous connexions, a diffipated life, and books of a corrupting tendency, he endeavours, in his fifth, to point out that fociety or converfation, and in following ones those talents or accomplishments, which will contribute at once to fortify them against fuch fnares, if they fhould fall in their way; to fubdue any propensities that might expofe them too rafhly to their influence; to ftrengthen their virtuous refolutions; and to fupply inexhaufted fources of folid, rational, and refined entertainment.

After treating briefly in his fifth fermon, of thofe early friendfhips, that ufually lead to the moft intimate communications, our Author procceds to give his young readers fome advice in regard to the more general commerce of focial life. In order to form habits of fobriety, and a spirit of sedateness, no way inconfiftent with innocent mirth, he advises them to refort frequently to the company of the fober and fedate, who are to be found chiefly among fuch as are farther advanced in years than themfelves. A refpect for fuperior age, when poffeffed of fuperior difcretion, will often prove, he obferves, a feasonable restraint on the wildness of more youthful fallies.

The converfation of people older than yourfelves, fays he, will be often accompanied with lefs joy at the moment; but afterwards it will make abundant compenfation. It will produce

more