fince his death, and contains an account of his method of working the object glaffes of refracting telescopes truly fpherical.

To this volume is prefixed a catalogue of many new philofophical publications and natural curiofities, which have been prefented to the Society during the courfe of the year 1769; such as the memoirs of fome of the foreign academies, as well as the works of feveral individuals published both abroad and at home; whofe civilities are here properly acknowledged by the addition of the names of their respective donors.

MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For A PRI L, 1771.

POLITICAL.

Art. 14. Thoughts on the late Transactions refpecting Falkland's Ifland. 8vo. 1 s. 6d. Cadell. 1771.

T

HE few writers who treat difpaffionately of public affairs, are intitled to the thanks of their fellow-citizens; but it is not fo with those who would scatter fedition, or who would exalt the prerogatives of the crown by overthrowing the liberties of the people. In this latter clafs we are unwilling to place the Author of the performance before us; notwithstanding that, as the champion of the Miniftry, he attempts to vindicate its conduct in relation to the late tranfactions with Spain; and that he confiders those who have cenfured it as the bellowers of faction.'

Though perhaps there is no great force of argument, or strength of reafoning in the pages before us, we must, however, be candid enough to remark that their literary merit is very confiderable. The following fpirited animadverfions on a famous political writer will, no doubt, entertain many of our Readers.

An unfuccefsful war, fays our Author, would undoubtedly have had the effect which the enemies of the Miniftry fo earnestly defire; for who could have fuftained the difgrace of folly ending in misfortune? But had wanton invafion undefervedly profpered, had Falkland's Inland been yielded unconditionally with every right prior and pofterior; though the rabble might have fhouted, and the windows have blazed, yet thofe who know the value of life, and the uncertainty of public credit, would have murmured, perhaps unheard, at the increase of our debt, and the lofs of our people.

• This thirst of blood, however the vifible promoters of fedition may think it convenient to fhrink from the accufation, is loudly avowed by Junius, the writer to whom his party owes much of its pride, and fome of its popularity. Of Junius it cannot be faid, as of Ulyffes, that he fcatters ambiguous expreffions among the vulgar; for he cries bawock without referve, and endeavours to let flip the dogs of foreign or of civil war, ignorant whither they are going, and careless what may be their prey.

Junius has fometimes made his fatire felt, but let not injudicious admiration mistake the venom of the fhaft for the vigour of

the

the bow. He has fometimes fported with lucky malice; but to him. that knows his company, it is not hard to be farcaftic in a mask. While he walks like Jack the Giant-killer in a coat of darkness, he may do much mifchief with little ftrength. Novelty captivates the fuperficial and thoughtlefs; vehemence delights the discontented and turbulent. He that contradicts acknowledged truth will always have an audience; he that vilifies eftablished authority will always find abettors.

Junius burst into notice with a blaze of impudence which has rarely glared upon the world before, and drew the rabble after him as a monster makes a fhow. When he has once provided for his safety by impenetrable fecrecy, he had nothing to combat but truth and juftice, enemies whom he knows to be feeble in the dark. Being then at liberty to indulge himself in all the immunities of invifibi lity; out of the reach of danger, he has been bold; out of the reach of fhame, he has been confident. As a rhetorician he has had the art of perfuading when he feconded defire; as a reafoner, he has convinced those who had no doubt before; as a moralift, he has taught that virtue may difgrace; and, as a patriot, he has gratiñed the mean by infults on the high. Finding fedition afcendant, he has been able to advance it; finding the nation combustible, he has been able to inflame it. Let us abftract from his wit the vivacity of infolence, and withdraw from his efficacy the fympathetic favour of Plebeian malignity; I do not fay that we fhall leave him nothing; the cause that I defend fcorns the help of falsehood; but if we leave him only his merit, what will be his praife?

It is not by his livelinefs of imagery, his pungency of periods, or his fertility of allufion, that he detains the cits of London, and the boors of Middlefex. Of ftyle and fentiment they take no cognizance. They admire him for virtues like their own, for contempt of order, and violence of outrage, for rage of defamation and audacity of falsehood. The Supporters of the Bill of Rights feel no niceties of compofition, nor dexterities of fophiftry; their faculties are better proportioned to the bawl of Bellas, or barbarity of Beckford; but they are told that Junius is on their fide, and they are therefore fure that Junius is infallible. Those who know not whither he would lead them, refolve to follow him; and those who cannot find his meaning, hope he means rebellion.

Junius is an unufual phænomenon, on which fome have gazed with wonder and fome with terror; but wonder and terror are tranfitory paffions. He will foon be more closely viewed or more attentively examined, and what folly has taken for a comet that from its flaming hair fhook peftilence and war, enquiry will find to be only a meteor formed by the vapours of putrefying democracy, and kindled into flame by the effervefcence of intereft ftruggling with conviction; which after having plunged its followers in a bog, will leave us enquiring why we regarded it.'

The prefent publication is not entirely free from that disgusting petulance and affectation, which generally characterize the performances of its Author. Filled with that little vanity, which fo frequently attends on contemplative and retired men, he delivers his oracles with an air of the utmost authority; and feems to confider

himself

himself as feated on the pinnacle of the temple of wifdom, from whence he looks down with a fapient difdain on the reptiles that crawl below him.

Art. 15. An Examination of the Declaration and Agreement_with the Court of Spain, relating to the Reflitution of Falkland's Ifland. 8vo. 1 s. Bingley.

This performance has but a fmall portion of literary merit; yet its defects, in this particular, are amply compenfated by its candour, good fenfe, and public fpirit.

Art. 16. Reflections upon the prefent Difpute between the Houfe of Commons and the Magiftrates of London. Svo. 1 s. Bladon. 1771. According to the fpirit of our conflitution, the members of the Houfe of Commons aught to hold no language but what the people fhould hear, or be informed of. They are elected for the purpose of fupporting the general rights of the nation; and when they complain that their fpeeches are publifhed, it is naturally to be fufpected that they are inclined, in fome refpect, to betray their conftituents. The publication however before us, in compliment to adminiftration, would vindicate the Houfe of Commons in their late transactions with the magistrates of London. It is written with no extraordinary ftrength of argument, or elegance of compofition; yet, from its style and manner, we fhould be apt to afcribe it to a person of fome eminence in the literary world-the Author of Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland.

Art. 17. An Aldrefs to the House of Commons of Ireland. By a Freeholder. 8vo. Is. No Publisher's Name. Advertised by Almon.

Contains fome pertinent hints for the protection of Ireland against invafion, which, the Writer thinks, is to be apprehended on the commencement of any future war; and which, according to the reprefentation made of the prefent ftate of the country, it is by no means enabled to repulfe. Hence he juftifies the augmentation of the army, infifts on the burden and inefficacy of militia in a country, the majority of the inhabitants of which are Catholics, and points out proper fortifications to be made and garrifoned, to render any defcent on that ifland abortive.

Art. 18. An Addrefs to the People of England, on the present State of the British Legislature; pointing out the Caufes of the prefent Difturbances. 8vo. I S. Griffin. 1771.

When the forms of a free government outlast the ends for which they were inftituted, they become a mere mockery of the people for whofe welfare they ought to operate.

The delegates of a people never lofe the confidence of their conftituents without deferving it; and whenever this unhappy circumftance takes place, no good can be expected in any point of view, until the people are referred to a new choice. If, when they obtain this opportunity, they can again mifufe it, let their own reflections fuggeft to them what they deferve; but then let them not be fo totally void of fhame as to complain of the venality of those men to whom they fell themselves.

The difpaffionate Addrefs now before us traces the public difquiets from their natural and obvious caufes; the electors first bafely bartering away their votes, and the purchafers afterward proflituting and be

traying

traying their truft, to reimburse themselves, in the mean capacity of ministerial agents: at which the people, ftrange to fay, are furprifed, and angry!

Our Author calls upon the British electors, therefore, to let the year 1774, when the next general election takes place, be the grand æra of British freedom.-But, alas! addrefes of this kind will be little regarded, perhaps little read, by those who should profit by them; and hence, it is to be apprehended, our political redemption can only be effected by fhort parliaments, which, if any thing can, will fpoil the markets at which our national rights are boug it and

fold.

One thing, with refpect to this fenfible Addrefs, gave us peculiar pleasure in perufing it; viz. to obferve fuch constitutional principles enforced by the pen of an officer in the regular forces; and we hope there are many more, gentlemen in the army as true well-wishers to their country as this worthy Writer: fuch men will, in all exigencies, aft in fuch a manner as becomes its real friends and defenders.

NOVEL s, &c.

Art. 19. Sentimental Tales. 12mo. 2 Vols. 5 s. fewed.

Wilkie. 1771.

In thefe fentimental productions are comprehended fome very warm ideas, and allufions to fituations rather fenfual than fentimental. The Author, in fome parts of his work, imitates S erne, with the ufual fuccefs of imitators. He has introduced a number of poetical pieces, both originals and tranflations*, and they are not the warft parts of the Tales in which they are interfperfed but even of thefe, in juftice to the public, we cannot fpeak in the highet terms of approbation.

5 s.

Art. 20. The Fault was all his own. In a Series of Letters. By a Lady. 12mo. 2 Vols. fewed. Riley. We are told that this is the production of a young Lady, of a promifing genius; and the work bears fufficient tellimony that we are not misinformed; for it abounds with the marks of an immature judgment, and yet affords proofs of a fine imagination. It is defective in plan, characters, and ftyle; but many good fentiments are interfperfed in it; and we meet with reflections that would do honour to the pen of a more experienced writer.

Art. 21. The Adventures of a Bank Note. In Four Volumes. Vols. III. and IV. 12mo. 5 s. fewed. Davies.

We refer to our fhort mention of the two former volumes of this droll performance: fee Review, vol. xliii. p. 152.-It appears that the public are to thank the humorous Burlefquer of Homer for the entertainment afforded them in the Adventures of a Bank Note. These adventures refult from the various transfers of the note, from one poffeffor to another; with the characters of its feveral proprietors, among whom are divers well-known remarkable perfonages of the prefent age, and of various ranks and complections.

Art. 22. Betfy; or, the Caprices of Fortune. 12mo. 3 Vols.

7 s. 6 d. fewed. Jones.

All improbability; yet not entirely deftitute of interefting scenes,

Particularly from Catullus,

himself as feated on the pinnacle of the temple of wifdom, from whence he looks down with a fapient difdain on the reptiles that

crawl below him.

Art. 15. An Examination of the Declaration and Agreement with the Court of Spain, relating to the Reftitution of Falkland's Island. 8vo. 1 s. Bingley.

This performance has but a fmall portion of literary merit; yet its defects, in this particular, are amply compenfated by its candour, good fenfe, and public fpirit.

Art. 16. Reflections upon the prefent Difpute between the House of Commons and the Magiftrates of London. Evo. 1 s. Bladon. 1771. According to the fpirit of our conflitution, the members of the Houfe of Commons aught to hold no language but what the people should hear, or be informed of. They are elected for the purpose of fupporting the general rights of the nation; and when they complain that their speeches are publifhed, it is naturally to be fufpected that they are inclined, in fome respect, to betray their conftituents. The publication however before us, in compliment to administration, would vindicate the House of Commons in their late transactions with the magistrates of London. It is written with no extraordinary ftrength of argument, or elegance of compofition; yet, from its style and manner, we fhould be apt to afcribe it to a perfon of fome eminence in the literary world-the Author of Memoirs of Great Britain and Ireland.

Art. 17. An Adrefs to the House of Commons of Ireland. By a Freeholder. 8vo. I S. No Publisher's Name. Advertised by

Almon.

Contains fome pertinent hints for the protection of Ireland against invafion, which, the Writer thinks, is to be apprehended on the commencement of any future war; and which, according to the reprefentation made of the prefent ftate of the country, it is by no means enabled to repulfe. Hence he juftifies the augmentation of the army, infifts on the burden and inefficacy of militia in a country, the majority of the inhabitants of which are Catholics, and points out proper fortifications to be made and garrifoned, to render any defcent on that ifland abortive.

Art. 18. An Addrefs to the People of England, on the present State of the British Legislature; pointing out the Caufes of the prefent Difturbances. 8vo. I s. Griffin. 1771.

When the forms of a free government outlast the ends for which they were inftituted, they become a mere mockery of the people for whose welfare they ought to operate.

The delegates of a people never lofe the confidence of their corftituents without deferving it; and whenever this unhappy circumflance takes place, no good can be expected in any point of view, until the people are referred to a new choice. If, when they obtain this opportunity, they can again mifufe it, let their own reflections fuggeft to them what they deferve; but then let them not be fo totally void of fhame as to complain of the venality of those men to whom they fell themselves.

The difpaffionate Addrefs now before us traces the public difquiets from their natural and obvious caufes; the electors first bafely bartering away their votes, and the purchafers afterward proflituting and be

traying