DRAMATIC.

Q

ART. 18. The Fashionable Friends; a Comedy, in Five Acts as performed by their Majeflies' Servants at the Theatre-Royal, Drury-Lane. 8vo. 85 pp. 2s. 6d. Ridgway. 1802.

In the Advertisement prefixed to this Comedy, we are told that it was found among the papers of the late Earl of Orford, and, " remaining unclaimed in the hands of his executors for five years, was brought forward, at the request of Mr. Kemble, on the TheatreRoyal, Drury-Lane." The editors alfo complain of the extraordinary abufe which has been lavished upon it. We believe, however, that this performance had a fair hearing, and a decifive condemnation, before any unfavourable remarks upon it appeared in the public prints. If the publication of it is defigned as an appeal from that fentence, we are not among those who would vote for its reverfal. In this Comedy, "intrigue is plot." It would be unjust to add that," obfcenity is wit;" for fcarcely an attempt at wit appears in the whole drama. Why extraordinary abufe fhould be lavifhed on it, we cannot fay; as it has the ordinary defects of modern Comedies, defect of plot and incidents, of character and manners, of wit and humour. It wants even the eccentricity and bustle which characterize the Farces in five Acts of the new fchool; and for this greatest fault, in the eyes of a modern audience, it was decifively condemned. Requiefcat in pace.

NOVELS.

ART. 19. The Moral Legacy, or fimple Narratives. 8vo. 359 PP. Miller. 1801.

In the Introduction to these moral tales, we are told that they were felected from the papers of a benevolent friend, to whom the editor was executor; but this form of publication is, we conceive, only the vehicle by which they are brought before the public. The editor himfelf is, we understand, the author, and has probably adopted this mode of communication, in order to give a greater probability to the ftories introduced. Each ftory is defigned to exemplify the effects of fome striking foible in the human character, of fome evil propenfity, or fome flagrant vice; each fufferer is fuppofed to relate the progrefs of his errors, and trace the fource of his misfortunes. The characters introduced are, the Gamefter, the Paffionate Man, the Envious Woman, the Vain Man, the Libertine, the Prodigal, the Mifer, the Enthufiaft, and the Adulterefs. The narrations are plain and unadorned, but, for the most part, interefting, efpecially the two laft; and they are all perfectly moral and inftructive. With the exception of the Enthufiaft (who, as being im prudent rather than guilty, is relieved from all his difficulties) each of thefe parties is involved in diftreffes the most poignant and irretrieva ble; which the humane friend of the editor is fuppofed to have alleviated, but could not remove. We should not do justice to these sto.

ries by prefenting the reader with partial extracts, but can fafely re commend them as affording a rational amusement, and (to young perfons efpecially) very falutary examples.

ART. 20. The Soldier of Dierenftein, or Love and Mercy. By H.S. H. 8vo. 18. 6d. White. 18oz.

the M.

of

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A pleafing and interefting ftory, though told in affected language, the fcene of which is the caftle where our Richard Cœur de Lion was confined.

ART. 21. Eight Hiftorical Tales, curious and inftructive. 8vo,

4s. 6d. Johnfon. 1801.

In " a prefatory Invitation" the nameless author calls us to turn awhile from the artful fictions of the novel-writer to the volume before us." In general, we do not object to turn away, and to turn our readers away, from most of these idle or mischievous productions of the prefs, called novels. But whither fhall we turn for "profit as well as pleafure?" Not, we think, to fuch volumes as this; in which the fentiments are fo trite, and the ftyle fo humble, that few readers, befides reviewers, will have patience to toil through more than one of thefe" eight curious and inftructive Tales."

ART. 22. The Life of Mofes; defigned for the Amusement and Inftruc tion of Youth. By a Lady. 12mo. 75 pp. 1s. 6d. Button, 1802.

A fancied history built on the foundations afforded by the Scriptures, in the ftyle of Jofeph, and feveral others. The fentiments are pious, and the outline filled up with ingenuity; the language, though not faultlefs, fufficiently good to be admitted, with the apology which is prefixed to the whole; namely, that "the author is young, and in adverfity." We could wish to caution the young author against the clafs of friends who approve the anecdote and expreffions at the bottom of p. 6; but we shall not more particularly explain our objections, left we fhould be, in the Blighteft degree, injurious to her, The ftory is conducted, in five Books, to the point when Mofes was divinely appointed to the high truft of conducting the Ifraelites out of Egypt. There it very properly ceafes, the remaining narrative being too full in the original, and of too facred a nature to be interwoven with a fictitious narrative,

MEDICINE.

ART. 23. Anatomical Plates of the Bones and Mufcles, diminifbed from Albinus, for the Ufe of Students in Anatomy, and Artifts; and accom panied by explanatory Maps. By Robert Hooper, M. D. Fellow of the Linnean and London Medical Societies, Afifant Phyfician to the St. Mary-le-bane Infirmary, &c. &c. 12mo. 28 pp. 55. Mur. ray and Highley. 1802.

Thefe Plates are defigned as a fupplement to this author's Anatomift's Vade Mecum, They are neatly engraved; and, confidering

their diminutive fize, afford a better representation than we should have expected of the bones and muscles.

According to the author's plan, thefe Plates are to be followed by others, illuftrative of the form and fituation of the vifcera, bloodveffels, nerves, and absorbents. We would recommend them to be upon a larger scale; as we conceive it to be fcarcely poffible to give clear and accurate delineations of the blood-veffels, nerves, &c. in duodecimo plates. Anatomical engravings of thofe parts are of little utility when reduced to the miniature fize.

ART. 24. An Inquiry into the Efficacy of Oxygene, in the Cure of Syphilis. To which are fubjoined, a few general Obfervations on its Application, in various other Disorders. By Charles Platt, Surgeon to the New Finsbury Difpenfary, and Member of the Royal College of Surgeons, London. 8vo. 99 pp. 2s. Mawman. 1802.

Our attention has of late (as the author remarks in his Introduction to this pamphlet) been very commendably excited, by an ingenious mode of exhibiting oxygenous fubftances as a remedy against fyphilitic complaints. Thefe faline fubftances are allowed to poffefs great activity, and to be capable of producing confiderable changes in the animal economy; but, after an impartial appeal to experience, the author is compelled to declare, that they cannot be regarded in the light of fpecifics, as their advocates, Mr. Scott, Dr. Beddoes, Mr. Cruikfhank, and others, have afferted them to be. From a variety of cafes, the writer of this tract has felected four, as examples of the inefficacy of the nitrous acid, two in proof of the infufficiency of the oxyge nated muriatic acid, and two as inftances of the unavailing adminiftration of the oxygenated muriate of potafh. These cases, so far as they go, are decifive; but we wish the public had been prefented with the general results, in a tabular form, of all the author's trials. The obfervations relative to the employment of oxygenous substances in venereal complaints, are followed by fome pertinent remarks on the modern pneumatic doctrine." Have the aerial remedies," he asks, * fucceeded, where others of known efficacy have failed? Have they acted fpecifically in the removal of a fingle difeafe? Or have the promifed advantages been commenfurate with the fanguine expectation of their advocates?" If the language of truth and fincerity be adopted, we shall have the mortification to find most of these enquiries anfwered in the negative. Although this pamphlet does not contain fo large a mass of evidence as Mr. Blair's Effays, noticed in fome of our former numbers, it is nevertheless creditable to the author, who, in his investigation of this important fubject, appears to have been actuated rather by a love of truth, than by a fpirit of controverfy.

ART. 25. A Treatife on Brown's Syftem of Medicine. Tranflated from the German of H. C. Pfoff, M. D. Proffor in the University of Kiel, by J. Richardson, Author of Thoughts on Education. 8vo. I 80 pp. 2s. 6d. Jones. 1802.

From Scotland, its native place, the Brunonian doctrine has tra- velled over great part of the continent. In Italy it has found many

advocates;

advocates; and in Germany two translations of it have appeared, one by Dr. Weikard, another by Dr. Pfaff, to whose translation the prefent Treatife is prefixed.

Dr. Pfaff's labours are highly commendable. At the fame time that he has endeavoured to put his countrymen in poffeffion of Brown's opinions, he has taken the pains to examine them by the tests of reafon and experience; and, divelled of all partiality, has fhown that the new doctrine is, for the most part, erroneous as to its principles, and too often hurtful, if not dangerous, in practice.

Brown maintains, that excitability is the fame equal undivided power throughout the whole fyftem; but the author fhows, that it is various, or at leaft differently modified in different organs. It is affirmed by Brown, that ftimuli act upon the excitability in one uniform manner, differing only in degree; but Dr. Pfaff proves, that their mode of action is, in many inttances, diffimilar, and their effect va◄ rious. The German Profeffor fhows, that the external things which act проп the body fland related to the excitability in other ways befides ftimulation [namely, by chemical attraction;]-that there are other agencies, befides the natural common ftimuli (on whose influence life and health depend) which act as causes of disease;—that the remote caufes of difeafe act on the fluids as well as on the folids;that increafed or diminished excitement by no means conftitutes the effence of disease, which confists in the affection of both folids and fluids, in refpect to motion, structure, and mixture; and that, in dif cafes, the excitement is feldom merely ftrengthened, or merely weakened, in the whole fyftem; whence it follows, that the divifion into two principal forms of difeafe (fthenic and afthenic) is wrong. The action of contagion, the crifes of difeafes, the paroxyfms of intermit tents, the effects of blifters, and other counter ftimuli, are all, as Dr. Pfaff pointedly remarks, infurmountable objections to the Brunonian fyftem; yet, in the therapeutical part (efpecially in what relates to the abufe of venefection, and other evacuations) he allows it to poffefs confiderable merit; and moreover thinks its author entitled to fome praife, for the general fimplicity of his methodus medendi, though he at the fame time acknowledges, that this fimplicity is, in many inftances, carried by much too far. Nor are his prefcriptions merely too fcanty; they are often highly improper; for example, he directs the fea-fcurvy to be cured by unfalted meat and wine, without the aid of acescent fubftances and fresh vegetables! And for droplies, he prefcribes no other remedies but opium and rum! In diseases of debility, he forbids the cold bath, not being aware of the difference between moderate and extreme degrees of cold, and between its momentary and continued application! For other fimilar remarks, highly ufetul in practice, we muft refer to the Treatife itself, which we would recom mend to our medical readers, as containing a juft expofition of the manifold errors and abfurdities of the Brunonian doctrine.

We perceive in the tranflation fome Germanifms, and fome negli gences in orthography; but, as they do not affect the fenfe of the author, it is not necessary to particularize them.

DIVINITY.

DIVINITY.

ART. 26. The Reasonableness of an Ecclefiaftical Eftablishment. A Sermon, preached in Lambeth Chapel on the 22d of August, 1802, at the Confecration of the Right Rev. Thomas Dampier, D. D. Lord Bishop of Rochefer, and published at the Command of his Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. By William Fofter, D. D. F. A.S. Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majefty, Fellow of Eton College, and Rector of Merewarth in Kent. 4to. 18 pp. Is. 6d. Payne. 1802.

1

The diftin&tion between private liherty and focial obligation, in religious matters, is in this difcourse very ably stated and illuftrated. The liberty of judging for ourfelves," Dr. Fofter fays, "is infeparable from our religious duties, and whilft employed in the forming, and fatisfying of our private opinions, is controllable by no authority, except a man's own confcience, and a proper fenfe of his duty to God. But when we tranfgrefs the natural limits of private judgment; when we invade the fame right inherent in other men as well as ourselves; when we prefume to dictate to the public at large, to pafs a cenforious, invidious, and uncharitable fentence on thofe who differ from us (more particularly if thefe form the lawful majority;) when we declare, and teach our opinions publicly, in a manner unauthorized by the laws of the land; it is then no longer a question of private liberty; but thus becomes a public act." P. 9. Dr. Fofter then explains the neceffity for public articles of faith, and a regular order of miniftry; and throwing in a ftrong, but delicate and juft teftimony to the merit of the prelate who was the object of the folemnity, draws to its conclufion a discourse well fuited to the fituation and character of the preacher.

J

ART.27. St. Paul no Arian; or the End of the Mediatorial Kingdom: a Sermon, preached on Sunday the 25th of April, 1802, in the Church of the united Parishes of St. Benet Gracechurch and St. Leonard Eaftcheap. By the Rev. John White Middleton, M. A. of Trinity College, Oxford, and Curate of the faid Church. 8vo. 19 pp. IS. vingtons, &c. 1802.

Ri

There is certainly an appearance of fupport given to the Arian doctrine by the paffage which this author has taken as his text (1 Cor. xv. 24-28) which if it were not more than counterbalanced by many diftinct and pofitive texts on the contrary fide, would have great weight. Mr. Middleton explains it, as reafon requires, that Jefus Chrift, as man, refigning his mediatorial kingdom, will, in that fenfe, fhow himself subject to the Father. That the paffage is obfcure and difficult is acknowledged on all hands, and it has been conjectured to involve a further mystery than is openly expressed in it; (fee Gilpin in loc.) but that Chrift, as man, is fubject to the Father, is in many places expreffed, though in the original dignity of the Godhead he is equal. Arianifm, however, is too mild an error for modern times. The Fathers of the Church had to combat against it, as the first effort to re

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