Mr. Rouffeau was ever more in his fenfes than he is at prefent. The former brilliancy of his genius, and his great talents for writing, are no proof of the contrary. It is an old remark, that great wits are near allied to madness; and even in those frantic letters which he has wrote to me, there are evidently strong traces of his wonted genius and eloquence. He has frequently told me, that he was compofing his memoirs, in which juftice fhould be done to his own character, to that of his friends, and to that of his enemies; and as Mr. Davenport informs me that fince his retreat into the country, he has been much employed in writing, I have reafon to conclude that he is at prefent finishing that undertaking. Nothing could be more unexpected to me than my paffing fo fuddenly from the clafs of his friends to that of his enemies; but this tranfition being made, Iuft expect to be treated accordingly; and I own that this reflection gave me fome anxiety. A work of this nature, both from the celebrity of the perfon, and the ftrokes of eloquence intersperfed, would certainly attract the attention of the world; and it might be published either after my death, or after that of the author. In the former cafe, there would be no body who could tell the ftory, or justify my memory. In the latter, my apology, wrote in oppofition to a dead perfon, would lofe a great deal of its authenticity. For this reafon, I have at prefent collected the whole ftory into one Narrative, that I may fhew it to my friends, and at any time have it in my power to make whatever use of it they and I fhould think proper. I am, and always have been, fuch a lover of peace, that nothing but neceffity, or very forcible reafons, could have obliged me to give it to the public, • Perdidi beneficium. Numquid qua confecravimus perdidiffe nos dicimus? Inter confecrata beneficium eft; etiamfi male refpondit, benè collocatum. Non eft ille qualem fperavimus; fimus nos quales fuimus, ei diffimiles. Seneca de beneficiis, lib. vii. cap. 19.' MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For NOVEMBER, 1766. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 11. A Reply to the Letter to the Rev. Mr. Caleb Evans; occafioned by his Two Sermons on the Deity of the Son and Holy Spirit. 8vo. 8d. Buckland. HERE are fome judicious animadverfions in this Reply, and many which we apprehend will contribute very little towards a right elucidation of the fubject in difpute between this ortho-ox gentleman, and his heterodox opponent, the letter-writer,-Our unknown Author, however, will certainly diffint from the judgment of the Monthly Reviewers, on this occafion, as he feems to have entertained a very indifferent opinion of i, as well as of their im artiality; from their having commended George Williams's Attempt, which He difapproves :-thus Swift has it. That was EXCELLENTLY obferved, fays I, when I read read a paffage in an author, where his opinion agrees with mine: when we differ, I pronounce him to be a blockhead." POLITICAL. Art. 12. Short Confiderations upon fome late extraordinary Grants, and other Particulars of a late Patriot's Conduct. Almon. 8vo. Is. We find nothing in thefe confiderations but what has been a thousand times repeated, viz. that Lord Chm and Lord C-d-n ill fupport the character of patriots; that it is impoffible, either for the crown, or the people, to fubfiit long, under their unlimited gratifications; that they are beggaring their fovereign for their own purposes, and rioting in the vitals of their country, at a time when all orders of men are diftreffed, from the highest to the lowest. The Author closes his Confiderations with a fhort addrefs to the late great commoner, and concludes with the following paffage: But I will referve the defcription of your fluctuating opinions of men, and time-ferving courtship of individuals, for another occafion; my intent being, at prefent, only to lay impartially before the public, the dawnings of your new acceffion to office, that from your economy, mideration, and difinterestedness, they may judge what the crown and the people are to expect from you, when you fhall open the feffion of parliament in the plenitude of your power.' Art. 13. An Addrefs to the People of England: fhewing the Advantages arifing from the frequent Changes of Minifters: With an Addrefs to the next Administration. 8vo. Is. 6d. Almon. The short duration of our late inch-of-candle administrations, as they are here humouroufly filed, have afforded our author a fubject for the exercife of an ingenious, ironical pen; by the dextrous ufe of which he attempts to prove, how preferable temporary fhort adminiftrations are to tedious and fettled ones, and that the former are infinitely more beneficial to the nation, than the latter. He aims many farcastical strokes at the great Patriot; and in his addrefs to the next administration, says a number of droll things on a very serious subject,—the prefent fcarcity of provifions, and confequent miferies of the poor. Art. 14. A Letter to a Noble Lord, concerning the Complaints and Neceffities of the Poor. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 6d. Bladon. The noble lord here addreffed, is the Earl of Chatham; who is loudly called upon to exert his admirable talents, for the relief of his indigent miferable countrymen; and to endeavour, by wholesome comprehenfive laws, not only to alleviate their prefent diltress, but to avert the heavier evils with which the increase of tillage and decrease of palturage threaten them and their pofterity. It is a fenfible little tract. Art. 15. A true Hiftory of a late foort Adminiftration. 8vo. 6d. Almon. This is a fhrewd parody on 6 a fhort account of a late fhort adminiftration,' of which we gave an extract in our Review for Auguft, p. 160. To which this Mr. Tother fide hath added, a view of fome other measures which he fays the modefty of the author of the fort account hath induced him to over-look. From this view, the parodist, draws, on the whole, the following conclufion: That the nation, Mr. Rouffeau was ever more in his fenfes than he is at prefent. The former brilliancy of his genius, and his great talents for writing, are no proof of the contrary. It is an old remark, that great wits are near allied to madness; and even in those frantic letters which he has wrote to me, there are evidently ftrong. traces of his wonted genius and eloquence. He has frequently told me, that he was compofing his memoirs, in which justice fhould be done to his own character, to that of his friends, and to that of his enemies; and as Mr. Davenport informs me that fince his retreat into the country, he has been much employed in writing, I have reafon to conclude that he is at prefent finishing that undertaking. Nothing could be more unexpected to me than my paffing fo fuddenly from the clafs of his friends to that of his enemies; but this tranfition being made, I uft expect to be treated accordingly; and I own that this reflection gave me fome anxiety. A work of this nature, both from the celebrity of the perfon, and the ftrokes of eloquence intersperfed, would certainly attract the attention of the world; and it might be published either after my death, or after that of the author. In the former cafe, there would be no body who could tell the ftory, or justify my memory. In the latter, my apology, wrote in oppofition to a dead perfon, would lofe a great deal of its authenticity. For this reafon, I have at prefent collected the whole ftory into one Narrative, that I may fhew it to my friends, and at any time have it in my power to make whatever use of it they and I fhould think proper. I am, and always have been, fuch a lover of peace, that nothing but neceffity, or very forcible reafons, could have obliged me to give it to the public, • Perdidi beneficium. Numquid quæ confecravimus perdidiffe nos dicimus? Inter confecrata beneficium eft; etiamfi male refpondit, benè collocatum. Non eft ille qualem fperavimus; fimus nos quales fuimus, ei diffimiles. Seneca de beneficiis, lib. vii. cap. 19.' MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For NOVEMBER, 1766. RELIGIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL. Art. 11. A Reply to the Letter to the Rev. Mr. Caleb Evans; occafioned by his Two Sermons on the Deity of the Son and Holy Spirit. 8vo. 8d. Buckland. HERE are fome judicious animadverfions in this Reply, and many which we apprehend will contribute very little towards a right elucidation of the fubje&t in difpute between this ortho-ox gentleman, and his heterodox opponent, the letter-writer.-Our unknown Author, however, will certainly diffint from the judgment of the Monthly Reviewers, on this occafion, as he feems to have entertained a very indiffe rent opinion of i, as well as of their impartiality; from their having commended George Williams's Attempt, which He difapproves :-thus as Swift has it, That was EXCELLENTLY obferved, says I, when I read read a paffage in an author, where his opinion agrees with mine: when we differ, I pronounce him to be a blockhead." POLITICA L. Art. 12. Short Confiderations upon fome late extraordinary Grants, and other Particulars of a late Patriot's Conduct. 8vo. IS. Almon. We find nothing in thefe confiderations but what has been a thousand times repeated, viz. that Lord Chm and Lord C-d-n ill fupport the character of patriots; that it is impoffible, either for the crown, or the people, to fubfiit long, under their unlimited gratifications; that they are beggaring their fovereign for their own purposes, and rioting in the vitals of their country, at a time when all orders of men are diftreffed, from the highest to the lowest. The Author closes his Confiderations with fhort addrefs to the late great commoner, and concludes with the following paffage: But I will referve the defcription of your fluctuating opinions of men, and time-ferving courtship of individuals, for another occafion; my intent being, at prefent, only to lay impartially before the public, the dawnings of your new acceffion to office, that from your economy, moderation, and disinterestedness, they may judge what the crown and the people are to expect from you, when you fhall open the feffion of parliament in the plenitude of your power.' Art. 13. An Addrefs to the People of England: fhewing the Advantages arifing from the frequent Changes of Minifters: With an Addrefs to the next Administration. 8vo. Is. 6d. Almon. The short duration of our late inch-of-candle administrations, as they are here humouroufly filed, have afforded our author a fubject for the exercife of an ingenious, ironical pen; by the dextrous use of which he attempts to prove, how preferable temporary fhort adminiftrations are to tedious and fettled ones, and that the former are infinitely more beneficial to the nation, than the latter. He aims many farcaftical strokes at the great Patriot; and in his addrefs to the next adminiftration, fays a number of droll things on a very serious fubject,-the prefent fcarcity of provifions, and confequent miseries of the poor. Art. 14. A Letter to a Noble Lord, concerning the Complaints and Neceffities of the Poor. By a Country Gentleman. 8vo. 6d. Bladon. The noble lord here addreffed, is the Earl of Chatham; who is loudly called upon to exert his admirable talents, for the relief of his indigent miferable countrymen; and to endeavour, by wholefome comprehenfive laws, not only to alleviate their prefent diftrefs, but to avert the heavier evils with which the increase of tillage and decrease of palturage threaten them and their pofterity. It is a fenfible little tract. Art. 15. A true Hiftory of a late foort Administration. 8vo. 6d. Almon. This is a fhrewd parody on a fhort account of a late fhort adminiftration,' of which we gave an extract in our Review for Auguft, p. 160. To which this Mr. Tother fide hath added, a view of fome other reafures which he fays the modefty of the author of the fort account hath induced him to over-look. From this view, the parodist, draws, on the whole, the following conclufion: That the nation, which in the preceding two years, had been benefited [by the pre ceding adminiftration] 200,000 1. per annum, was impoverished by the laft adminiftration*, in the fpace of one year, 240,000l. which is the intereft of eight millions!' He adds, The public, which had beheld them advanced to office with furprize, felt a warm indignation at the oppreffions which it had fuffered from their measures, and faw, with the jufteft pleasure, a part of them, at leaft, deprived of the power of augmenting the diftreffes of the ftate.' He finally concludes, That ⚫the nation has too feverely felt the effects of their incapacity and profufion, either to wish for or to fupport, fucceffors of fimilar principles and abilities. It is not our bufinefs to enter into the merits of this minifterial controverfy; but we cannot help obferving, that the objections brought by the author of this true history, feem to be urged with more fpirit, than regard to candor and moderation. In particular, what he fays concerning the repeals of the cyder and American ftamp-bills, is expreffed with fo much party-virulence, as plainly fhews his defign to run down the gentlemen of the fort adminiftation, at all events, right or wrong. To be fure, where a writer engages in the fervice of any party, there is nothing like going through ftitch with his work! If, fays he, in a parenthefis, we add their increase of expences to their diminution of the income.' Art. 16. Obfervations on Affairs in Ireland, from the Settlement in 1691, to the prefent Time. By Nicholas Lord Viscount Taafe, Is. 6d. Griffin. 8vo. Another Edition of the fame Tract. 8vo. 6d. Cavell. This is a curious account of the present state of the Roman-Catholic intereft in Ireland, and is very fpeciously drawn up by the noble writer, who is of that perfuafion, and a fufferer for it: as being there by deprived of thofe national honours and advantages which he might have enjoyed as an Irish peer, had he not been difqualified by his religion.That the Roman-Catholics of Ireland fhould complain of the political hardships and restraints under which they have been laid, is extremely natural; and if we could, with fafety to ourselves, afford them the relief which they have, of late, fo earnestly folicited, no candid Proteftant would, we are perfuaded, hesitate a moment, to grant them all that they can reasonably afk. But every intelligent Proteflant will be very cautious in liftening to the artful reprefentations of thefe natural enemies to our ineftimable liberties, both civil and religious. Do we not know what manner of spirit the Roman Catholics of all countries are poffeffed of? Do we not know that it is an intolerant and a perfecuting fpirit? And is such a spirit to be trusted? In Ireland, it is at prefent happily fubdued, and put under an effectual reftraint; and would it not be madnefs in us to unrivet the shakels with which our forefathers, prompted by dear-bought experience, have wifely confined it ?We readily allow that many of the grievances complained of, on the part of the Irish Roman-Catholics, are indeed grievous to them, and very heavy burthen; but they may thank themselves for all thofe fufferings which are here fo pathetically enumerated; and which, after all, i£ thoroughly examined into, will not, we apprehend, appear altogether fo unreafonable or impolitic, on the part of our government, as, to a fuperficial enquirer, may at first fight appear. In fine, we think Lord Taafe's pamphlet may be fully anfwered, perhaps in every particular, and we hope it will be fairly answered by fome able hand, to the en |