lence. Among thefe, we can by no means overlook the excellent fermon of the Bishop of Lincoln, at St. Paul's, on the day of Thanksgiving*; a discourse replete with juft and patriotic fentiments, expreffed with elegance and vigour. In the Charge of the Bishop of Durhamt, delivered at his Vifitation in 1797, the ftate of the times, and the duties refulting from it, are in a very ftriking manner explained and enforced. It affords one of thofe pleafing pictures of the paftoral care of a Bifhop, which will more ftrongly affect fome minds, than the cogent arguments which may be produced in favour of the office. Nor muft we omit to mention Dr. Barrow's Sermon on the Faft, to commend which once, is not enough. It is not one of those where patriotic fentiments excufe defects; the manner is worthy of the matter. Two difcourfes have been published feparately by Mr. Magee of Dublin, either of which might have served to make him noticed as an able and judicious teacher. The one was preached before an Affociation formed in Dublin for difcounte nancing vice, and promoting religion§; the other on the National Thanksgiving in Ireland, for deliverance from invafion. As we noticed both very much at large, we need not further expatiate upon them, but fhall merely repeat our general recommendation. Such are the best theological productions which our prefent volume comprifes. They contain abundant means to gratify the wife, and inftruct the ignorant. In pointing them out we have enjoyed a pleasure as well as fulfilled a duty; and in perufing them we have pre-occupied an advantage which we wish our readers to partake. METAPHYSICS. So few at prefent are the cultivators of this foil, that no great produce can be expected at any single * No. III. p. 275% No. HI. p. 265. + No. IV. p. 438. ‡ No. VI. p. 684. harvest harvest. Lord Monboddo indeed, (whom we unwittingly flew last month, though we wish him as much life as he himself can defire) makes powerful efforts to reinftate the wisdom of the Greek philofophers upon thefe fubjects. Through five volumes in quarto, of his Ancient Metaphyfics*, he has now purfued, without concluding, his learned investigation; and it will proceed rather from the redundance than the deficiency of his difcuffions, if the metaphyfics of Plato and Ariftotle are not re-established in their original reputation. If we may be allowed to unite the kindred fubject of Morality with this, we must here mention Dr. Croft's Commentary, on fome paffages of our two moft eminent moralifts. Such dif cuffions, properly conducted, are liberal and ufeful, tending to place truth ultimately, on the fureft and most ample bafis. HISTORY. Though we did not witnefs the commencement of Mr. Gutch's publication of A. Wood's Hiftory of Oxfords, we were glad to announce the conclufion of it. That a work fo frequently confulted fhould have been fo long before the public, only in a Latin tranflation, which the author himfelf difapproved, is a fingular literary fact. By the care of this editor we now poffefs the work as the writer wished it to ftand, and with his laft corrections and improvements. In compiling a confiderable part of the Hiftory of Scotland, Mr. Pinkertons has given a laudable example: has fought with diligence for new materials, and has digefted them with fagacity and care. Some peculiarities both of plan and ftyle, which we could not approve, do not prevent the work from being, on the whole, both creditable to the author, and ufeful to the pub No. VI. p. 658 ↑ No. VI. p. 656. + No. II. p. 183. No. IV. p. 345.. lic. The intereft which Mr. Rofcoe's able work excited, for the fate and fortunes of the Houfe of Medici, the period in which they flourished, and the learned men with whom they were connected, prepared the way for the Memoirs of that Houfe by M. Tenbove, as tranflated by Sir Richard Clayton. The work though never completed by the author, has fufficient merit to make the translation a valuable acquifition to English literature. Among books that bear any reference to Hiftory, few can be more important, at the prefent moment, than the Memoirs illuftrating the Hiftory of Jacobinifmt, written by the Abbé Barruel, and published both in French and English. The grand confpiracy against Religion, Virtue, and human Society itself, which has proved the fcourge of the prefent age; that confpiracy, by which Providence at once difplays the depravity of impious men, and makes it work out its own punishment, is here difplayed in its machinations and progrefs among the German Illuminifts. A rapid but ufeful sketch of these enormities had been given by Profeffor Robifont; the prefent volume is rendered still more valuable by a greater ftore of materials, and a more perfpicuous arrangement. A fourth volume is expected, which will complete the work. To thofe who would rather look back upon our own particular misfortunes, and their fecret connection with thofe by which they were fo feverely avenged in Europe, we recommend Mr. Boucher's View of the Caufes and Confequences of the American Revolution S. The bafis of this work is formed by thirteen difcourfes, preached in America between the years 1763 and 1775; but the Preface, and other acceffory matter, determine it to the prefent class. As a writer of hiftorical facts, Mr. Boucher ftands among thofe who relate what they themselves have feen; a circumftance of great moment, whenever, as in the prefent cafe, the character of the author is clear of all fufpicion. Hiftory does not prefent many pictures more melancholy than that which Captain Francklin has produced, in defcribing the reign of Shab Aulum. This unfortunate Prince, old, blind, and retaining only a fhadow of authority, dependent, even for fubfiftence, upon a foreign power, feems deftined to put a final period to the glories of the houfe of Timour. His Hiftory is compiled from the beft authorities, and affords an awful' leffon. From the Sanfcreet records of ancient Hin doftan, General Vallancey and Mr. Maurice have, drawn fome curious information refpecting the British iflands. Thefe they have refpectively fubmitted to the prefs, and they are calculated to excite attention. The chain of modern events muft alfo be continued; and the Rev. C. Willyams, by giving his narrative of the Weft-Indian Campaign in 17945, has fupplied a link which hitherto had been wanting. The History of Inventions and Difcoveries, by Profeffor Beckmann || of Gottingen, having obtained fome celebrity on the Continent, has been well tranflated by Mr. Johnston, and added to the ftores of English literature. BIOGRAPHY. When a biographer fhall be found capable of doing justice to the various talents and merits of the first Lord Mansfield, we fhall probably receive a life calculated to rank with the best productions in that department of letters. Mr. Holliday, whofe work We could with that this author had, in fome inftances, been more guarded in his expreffions; and the times in which he preached these fermons mult furely have required it. Paffive obedience, as he defines it, means only due fubmiffion to legal authority. Yet the term is odious, as implying ufually fubmiffion to defpotifm, and therefore should have been avoided. + No.VI. p. 606. No. III. p. 258. we lately noticed, confined himfelf principally to the occurrences belonging to the legal life of his great fubject, and produced a work rather formed for the inftruction of the ftudent, than the gratification of the general reader. Another author, himfelf anonymous, has endeavoured to call together all the names. of living writers; and if his fuccefs in obtaining accurate information had been equal either to his candour, or to his diligence in muftering names, his work would have been truly valuable. The difficulty of the attempt excufes, in fome measure, the defects in the performance of it. Another writer extends to the prefent age in general his collection of Biographi cal, Literary, and Political Anecdotest, a book rather of amufement than authority; but acceptable, doubtJefs, to many, on account of the fecrets which it feems to impart. The records of human life are diffigured not only by the faults of the fubject, but by the errors of the compilers; and many a man, with all his imperfections, has lived much better than his life has been afterwards defcribed. ANTIQUITIES. The ftudy of antiquities, which to many appears dry and dull, would be a path of flowers, could it be always illuftrated by fuch works as that which commences our prefent volume. The Roman Antiquities at Woodchefter, delineated by the skilful hand of Mr. S. Lyfirst, will long "live in defeription," and look teffellated on plates; while the work thall ferve as an example for the delineation of fimilar Remains. Other Roman fragments, of lefs beauty, but not devoid of attraction to the curious enquirer, have been illuftrated by the Rev. Mr. Warner. Thefe are the Antiquities difcovered at Baths, fome of which had *Literary Memoirs of living Authors, No. II. p. 212. ‡ No. I. p. 1. p. 611. No. VI. p. 689. + No. VI. alfo |