children; and will occafionally ferve to refresh the memory, if not to enlarge the understanding, of thofe who may be engaged in their inftruction.

MONTHLY

CATALOGUE,

For OCTOBER, 1791.

EAST INDIA AFFAIRS.

Art. 25. The Ship's Hufband; a Narrative; being a State of Facts. Addreffed to the Honourable Court of Directors of the East India Company, the Ships Hufbands, and Commanders and Officers in that Service. By Capt. John Walfby. Svo. PP. 97. Richardfon, &c. 1791.

25.

RELYING on the circumftances of the cafe here reprefented, as we are warranted in doing while they ftand uncontroverted, Capt. Walby appears to have been jockied out of his just expectations of the command of an Indiaman, in a manner in which no one, who values a character in life, would expofe himself to be detected. This narrative profeffes to be fuch a detection; in the course of which fome fecrets are expofed: we learn, for inftance, that the command of Indiamen is a matter currently negociated on a clandeftine principle of bonour, in violation of public engagements, or what may be called bonefty! It is against breaches of this kind of honour, that the prefent appeal to the public is made.

Art. 26. An Addrefs to the Proprietors of Eaft India Stock, and to the Public: containing a Narrative of the Cafes of the Ships Tartar and Hartwell, late in the Company's Service. With Remarks on the Conduct of the Company's Shipping Concerns, and the Partnership which the Public have in the Profits. By Mr. John Fiott, of London, Merchant. 8vo. PP. 129. 25. Richardfon. 1791.

More fecrets difclofed! The foregoing tra related to the practice of jobbing the command of veffels; this, to the appointment of veffels. It is well known that when men are affociated in public capacities, they will conduct them felves in fuch a manner as none of them - would venture to do as private individuals. The conduct of the Company in the arbitrary choice of thips, and their total inattention to economy in their agreements for freight, have feveral times been feverely arraigned; and wherever public business is made fubfervient to private interefts, appeals to the public may be expected from those who apprehend themselves injured; and, in the words of this appellant hence we fee rich fervants, and a poor Company.'

NAVAL AFFAIRS.

Art. 27. A View of the Naval Force of Great Britain: in which its prefent State, Growth, and Conversion, of Timber; ConAtruction of Ships, Docks, and Harbours; Regulations of Officers

Q.3

and

and Men in each Department; are confidered and compared with other European Powers. To which are added, Obfervations and Hints for the Improvement of the Naval Service. By an Officer of Rank. 8vo. pp. 203; with an Appendix, pp.74. 5s. Boards. Sewell. 1791.

This volume contains a variety of information, and defultory obfervations and hints, collected, as the author informs us, from memorandums made at different times, on naval concerns; they appear to be the dictates of good fenfe aided by experience, and calculated to form our naval establishments into a fyftem. It may be hoped that the importance of the general fubject will recommend them to all the attention which they will be found to merit. Books of this kind, written by men of experience, and integrity, may be of the utmost confequence to the public.

FRENCH REVOLUTION.

Art. 28. Mémoire de M. de Calonne, &c. i. e. Memoir of M. de Calonne, Minifler of State, against the Decree published on the 14th of February, 1791, by the Affembly, calling itself National. 410. pp. 36. 2s. 6d. Spilfbury. 1791.

M. de Calonne's anger against the National Affembly of France has by no means fubfided, nor even been diminished, fince his former publications: on the contrary, the decree of that body, of the 14th of February, has raifed it into fury. He abfolutely raves almost as loudly as Mr. Burke. The decree in queftion is that by which M. de Calonne, jointly with the Duc de Polignac, was condemned to reftore the fum of 800,000 livres, which had been appropriated to his ufe by order of the King, &c.-He argues against the injuftice and illegality of this decree; he declares that the facts, on which it was founded, are falfe: he justifies the conduct of himself and of M. de Polignac: he remonttrates with indignation against this retro-active feverity of the Affembly; and points out the confequences which, in his opinion, muft follow from their conduct.-Refpecting the facts which are here ftated, we can offer no opinion:-the reasoning, with which they are accompanied, is the fame that has been advanced in M. de Calonne's larger work *, on which we spoke our fentiments very fully. Of course, we need not here repeat them.

BIOGRAPHY.

Art. 29. The Life of Thomas Paine, the Author of the RIGHTS OF MAN. With a Defence of his Writings. By Francis Oldys, A.M. of the Unive: fity of Philadelphia. 8vo. PP. 125. 2s. 6d. Stockdale. 1791.

Extremely abufive, and evidently written in the bitter fpirit of party oppofition. How far the public may depend on the facts here produced, we cannot judge, as, exclufively of the information here given, we know nothing of Mr. Paine's private hiftory. The Defence of his Writings here faid to be fet up, as the lawyers phrase it, is a take-in: in this part of his title-page, Mr. Oldys is ironing, as

* See Rev. New Series, Appendix, vol. iii p. 564. and vol.iv. p.210.

Mrs.

Mrs. Slipflop would fay. His pamphlet, however, if we except his outrageous treatment of his heroe's character, is generally well written.

LAW.

Art. 30. The Trials of the Birmingham Rioters, at the Court-house, Warwick; before the Hon. Sir Richard Perryn, Knt. one of the Barons of his Majesty's Court of Exchequer, August 23, 1791, and the following Day. 8vo. Is. 6d. Ridgway.

Publications of this kind feldom attract much of the Reviewer's attention: but we generally infert at leaft their titles, that our catalogues may not appear deficient.

EDUCATION.

Art. 31. Lettere di diverfi celebri auctori Italiani, &c. i. e. Letters on various interefting Subjects, by celebrated Italian Authors, collected by A. Vergani, for the Ufe of Students in that Language. 12mo. pp. 263. 35. bound. Baldwin. 1791.

Thefe letters are, in general, well felected. They would have been read with much more pleasure and fatisfaction, perhaps, if the editor had not omitted the dates. The orthography of the most ancient has been modernized; and, on the whole, the publication feems well calculated to be useful in making students in Italian acquainted with fpecimens of the most elegant epistolary prose in that beautiful language.

SLAVE TRADE.

Art. 32. Reflections on the Slave-trade; with Remarks on the Policy of its Abolition. In a Letter to a Clergyman in the County of Suffolk. By G. C. P. 8vo. pp. 56. 1s. 6d. Knott. 1791. It is irkfome to controvert fentiments in which we generally concur, which we must applaud, and which we wish to fee prevail as the motives of human conduct: but a benevolent man, in his tudy, lays down fuch principles as he conceives ought to direct the actions of men, and then is aftonished to find that mankind at large act, in many inftances, diametrically in oppofition to them. In fhewing the weak parts of fuch fpeculative reafoning, we truft we fhall not be mifconftrued into a difapproval of the theory, nor be fuppofed to triumph over any fallacies which we point out.

The flave-trade is now an old fubject: but thefe Reflections are the dictates of a worthy heart, which eftimates all other hearts according to a confcioufness of its own integrity. The author confiders the trade in flaves as a moral evil, a religious evil, and a political one; it is certainly all three; and we are forry to add, that it is one of thofe evils which the mafs of mankind never were, and in all probability never will be, fufficiently enlightened to eradicate. We think our author often mistaken in arguing from right to fact: thus he declares, I cannot conceive that it ever was the intention of the Creator of the world to place his creatures in a state, where their very existence muft depend folely upon mutual violence, rapine, and deftruction.' Yet are they not actually fo placed over a great part of the globe, where civilization, and the establishment of wholefome laws, have not altered their condition ? Again:- Is

the African a member of fociety, or is he not? The advocates for the flave-trade contend, that he is ft 11 in a state of nature, an unfociated favage. I contend on the contrary, that he is a member of fociety, and as fuch intitled to the benefit of civil inftitutions, to liberty, and to fecurity.' We, fcarcely understand what it is for which the author contends in this paffage. Bring the African here, and he will be entitled to the civil inftitutions in force here: but at home, he enjoys all to which he is entitled, according to the ufages that prevail in his own country; and they appear to be, what the author declares to be contrary to the intentions of his Creator; wanton butchery, or fale into captivity, from neither of which it is in our power to releafe him, notwithstanding this writer addsthat the benefits of fociety were never intended to be confined within the narrow limits of countries, but to extend over the face of the globe, the equal right of all mankind.' They are evidently intended to extend fo far as they take place.

Happy would it be, if we could carry into univerfal execution all the moral, religious, and political principles here laid down, which every confiderate man will agree to be neceffary to the perfection of civil fociety; and did the accomplishment of fuch a grand fcheme of univerfal philanthropy reft with us, the reproach of employing flaves would not long exist:-but while we may lament that the one half of mankind neither understand, nor would affent to, moral, religious, and political truths, if propounded to them, our intercourfe with other nations must be regulated according to their notions of things. Even in lands where we have gained fome alcendency, as in the Eaft, we find it an indifpenfible obligation to accommodate our maxims of conduct to the ideas and habits of the people. When another nation determines to go to war with us, they oblige us to cut the throats of as many of them as we can, to fave our own; and, not to fhrink from the direct fubject, it is nugatory to investigate the motives of Negroe wars, or to deny their right to fell their captives; and we cannot but fmile to find this author gravely cenfure their practices, by quotations from Montefquieu and Blackflone! All that we have to do, is to convert evil to good, as far as we are able, in our concerns with them. Totally to renounce all dealings with them, is doing no good to the objects of our compaffion, but infinite injury to ourselves. We must in this cafe quit abtract reafoning, and act fo as to fupport our rank among the rival nations by whom we are furrounded, and who will inftantly feize every advantage which we neglect; and if we ufe our flaves well, it is a real kindness to purchase them out of worfe hands. What begins in flavery, then, will foon relax into common fervice for common protection.

How men reafon in their clofets, will appear in the following

extract:

The African, I fuppofe, is as fenfible of the bleffings and advantages of peace, and of the horrors and devaftations of war, as the mott civilized European. And as harmony feems more natural to the human frame than difcord, I conclude that the African, paraking of the fame nature as the European, has the fame inclina

tions and propenfity to the one, as diflike and averfion to the other. Perhaps I am led to this opinion rather by the dictates of my own heart than a strict adherence to fact; but whatever may be the difpofitions of individuals, however fanguinary the minds of fome members of every community are, I can fcarcely conceive that any body of men, collected into a compact of government, and actuated by the first and most natural of all impulfes, the defire of happiness, will prefer a fyftem of everlasting rapine and plunder, to the contrary one of perennial peace, harmony, and good order. I fpeak not now of thofe fierce and numerous bodies of banditti who infeft the wild deferts of Arabia, and bid defiance to the civil power. I speak not of those hordes or tribes of wandering Indians, who, like the old Patriarchs, live in caves and deferts, upon the roots of the earth. I fpeak of large and populous nations, of extenfive and numerous communi❤ ties, who are bound by fyftems of laws, and rules of policy, which we have no reafon to ridicule and defpife. Whence then the perpetual fcene of war and defolation that fills the States of Africa with blood? From what caufe, from what fource, does it originate? It originates not from the difpofitions of the natives; not from the fituation and proximity of the refpe&tive States; not from the manners and cuftoms, the policy or religion of the country. It originates in the inftigations of wicked and profligate men, from the rewards that are offered, from the gilded bait that is hung out and eagerly taken by thefe deluded wretches. The Kings or Chieftains of each principality are bribed to attack, plunder, and carry away each other's fubjects. Here then lies the onus of guilt: the Captains of the flave fhips are the primary caufe of that perpetual fcene of depopulation, rapine, and violence, which, contrary to the nature of things, to the pacific difpofition of the natives, to Religion, Juftice, and Humanity, is kept alive with unabated ardour on the coast of Africa.'

Had this writer deemed it neceffary to inquire minutely into the interior state of Africa, before he wrote, he would perhaps have quitted the fubject. So far as we can rely on concurring information, the cafe is far different from what is here reprefented. The European flave-fhips compofe but a small portion of the chapmen; the great trade for flaves is with the Moors of Barbary, and with the Afiatic powers, particularly the Turks, by a current inland traffic that does not come under our obfervation.

The scheme here propofed, of fuperfeding the use of black flaves, by transferring our convicts from Botany Bay to the fugar islands, is not more mature than this view of the flave-trade. Suppofing we had a fufficiency (which God forbid !) to furnish them with a full fupply of defperadoes, could fo many thousands of men, verfed in European arts, and void of all principle, be harboured with as little hazard, as the fame number of lefs corrupt Negroes;

* Is it poffible this writer can have Africa in his eye, under fo poetical a defcription!

+ The numerous Eaftern harams are ufually guided by black eunuchs.

or