which he gives fuch admonitions as the fashions extort, on that far from unimportant fubject. LAW. It is with pleasure that we commence this class at prefent, with a laborious and valuable compilation of a learned author, now defervedly in the fituation of a Judge, at Madras. This is Mr. Gwillim's work on the Laws and Cafes of Tithes. It amounts to four volumes, and is acknowledged to be an important acceffion to the profeffional library. Other legal works of equal importance have not lately come before us. We have, however, to mention Mr. Peake's Compendium of the Law of Evidencet, a book of merit,, which has illuftrated, though it has not exhausted, that fubject of daily recurrence. Of a more confined nature is the learned treatise of Mr. Abbott, on the Law relating to Merchant Ships; it is, however, a found and ufeful work. That much-agitated fubject, the Poor Laws, has lately employed the pen of Mr. H. B. Dudleys, who, as an active magiftrate in Effex, has had many opportunities of knowing their operation, and afcertaining their defects. It is, however, a fubject to which hitherto no fagacity has, proved fully equal. Other remarks on it we have lately feen, but little worthy of notice. While the intended Bill for regulating the Refi-. dence of the parochial Clergy remains in fufpence, they who feel an intereft in the queftion will do well to confider with attention the facts, ftatements, and reafonings laid before the public in the Speech of Sir William Scott. We felt it a point of duty to give the best analyfis we could form of it; but to the Speech itself every one fhould have recourfe, who wishes to be fully informed. On a matter fo com ‡ No. VI. p. 661.. plex and difficult, there will be many difcordant opi nions; but that fuch a bufinefs could not be committed to better hands few will hefitate to pronounce. Mr. Hook's tract, entitled Anguis in herba*, relates to the fame question; but is rather a vindication of the clergy against fome particular calumnies, than a difcuffion of the general topic. A well-intended tract, on the subject of Dilapidations, comprised in Six Letterst, may conclude our prefent account of books.connected with the fubject of Law. POLITICS. In this clafs, many confiderations unite at prefent, to give the first place to a work originally foreign. Mr. Gentz's book, on the State of Europe, before and after the French Revolution, written in anfwer to the profligate and impudent tract of Hauterives, is in itfelf a moft argumentative and mafterly performance; and is rendered ftill more valuable in the English translation, by the Preface of Mr. Herries, the tranflator, defending the Navigation Act and the Maritime Law of England. To have found fo juft and powerful an advocate for Great Britain in the court of Prussia, is an advantage beyond expectation; and if any thing can open the eyes of Europe to the impofitions and falfehoods of France, it must be the intervention of fome neutral reasoner, like Mr. Gentz, with fagacity to diftinguish, and courage to declare, the real state of facts. Mr. Rofe's publication on the Civil Lift is, virtually, an official document, clear and fatisfactory in its statements, and cogent in its reafonings. On the more general topic of finance, Mr. D. Wakefield's anfwer to Mr. Morgan's Comparative View, is a tract of great ability. A part of his confiderations, which had been borrowed from us, we thought it right to re + No. I. p. 96. No. II. p. 211. claim; but the liberal ftyle of his reply convinced us, that he was ready to acknowledge whatever he thought it expedient to borrow. The Peace long occupied the attention of political writers; but its probable effects on the commerce of this country have not, we believe, been better calculated, than in a pamphlet which we noticed in October laftt. This writer was well fatisfied with the state and afpect of things. Not fo Lord Grenville; who, in a Speech of great ability, attacked in particular the Convention with Ruffia, and spoke of many impending evils, which we truft will be averted. The well-exercifed pen of Mr. Bowles has appealed with force to the public, against the unqualified panegyric on the late Duke of Bedfords; and against the fymptoms of Jacobinifm which thowed themselves during the general election. That pure and genuine Jacobinifm fhould exift in Europe, after the dreadfui experience of its tendencies in France, would not be credible, had it not at the fame time been proved to originate, not fo much in error of understanding, as in malignity of foul. Mr. Capper's Statifical tract, will be found to contain fome ftatements deferving of attention, and if not to be received with implicit confidence, may yet be confulted with advantage. HISTORY. After proceeding with Mr. Maurice through the laborious researches of his Ancient Hiftory and Antiquities of Hindoftan, we have feen him commence a more popular career in his Modern Hiftory of the fame regions**. The first volume is already completed, carrying the chain of events nearly to the clofe of the fourteenth century; that is, exactly to the point where the most interefting part of the fubject commences. See No. V. p. 583. No. I. p. 93; III. 331. *• No. 1. P.; V. 479 + No. IV. p. 441. I No. V. p. 5+3• No. IV. p. 367. ¶ No. L. p. 84 The The enterprifes of the European nations in India, and more efpecially the rife and progrefs of the British Empire in that country, will excite the liveliest attention; and will reward, it may be hoped, the efforts of the hiftorian. A work of actual and eager intereft, is the narrative of the British Expedition in Egypt, written by Sir Robert Wilfon*. With the unaffected energy of a foldier, this author does juftice to the achievements of the British forces, repels the calumnies of the enemy, and shows in their true light fome tranfactions, over which partial hiftory will endeavour in vain to throw a veil. The falfe statements of Regnier, refpecting the fame campaign, are alfo combated in a feparate tract, by an officer who withholds his name. A very different account of Egypt has been the subject of Profeffor White's labours. The Arabic Compendium of Abdellatif, has received from that profound fcholar fuch illuftrations, as few others are qualified to give; and the means of comparison between the ancient state of that country and the prefent, are thus prefented to the public. The British Expediton to Holland, though from circumstances lefs fplendid than that to Egypt, deferved in many refpects to find a faithful hiftorian; and found it, we conceive, in Dr. Walb. His Narratives, though not the record of triumphs, is full of intereft from a different caufe; and we feel for the foldier in his difficulties, not lefs than we participate in his fucceffes. The Elements of General Hiftory, as given in the two volumes of Mr. Tytler||, lead the reader by the hand through many ages and countries. To abridge is not difficult; but to abridge with taste and fpirit is a talent far from common. As thefe Lectures illuftrate Civil Hiftory, fo the fame fervice would have been rendered to Ecclefiaftical History by those of Dr. G. Campbell, had he been as cautious or as candid in that work, as he was in his No. II. p. 107; No. II. p. 175• * No. VI. p. 585; No. II. p. 146. IV. 360. No. III. p. 237. other other productions; or had not thofe Lectures paffed through other hands, in their progrefs to the public eye. That they contain paffages unworthy of the general character of the author, we have fhown in the proper place. BIOGRAPHY. The revivers of European literature are themfelves reviving in new fplendour, by the labours of Englith biographers. Poggio, feverely cenfured by fome writers, but certainly a zealous benefactor to letters, has received vindication and applause, from the pen of Mr. Shepherd, who, emulating the fame of Mr. Rofcoe, has produced a literary life, introductory, in point of time, to the Lorenzo of that author. Mr. Churton, known by fome valuable publications in Divinity, has lately published the Lives of the principal Founders of Brazen-Nofe College, Oxford. Such benefactors to mankind as Bishop Smyth, and Sir Richard Sutton, certainly are fubjects well deferving the celebration of a learned biographer. The melancholy catastrophe of the life of the unfortunate Louis XVI. has appeared in Italian, at an English prefst; partly tranflated from the affecting narrative of Clery, and partly augmented by original information, obtained from Mr. Edgeworth. There are few invented Tragedies in any degree fo affecting, as the real anecdotes of that Royal Sufferer and his Family. ANTIQUITIES. The antiquities of language being as well worthy of notice as those of buildings, habits, or manners, we fhall begin this article with Mr. (now Dr.) Leyden's republication of an ancient tract, entitled "the Com No. IV. p. 374 + No. III. p. 283. ‡ No. I. p. 92. playnt |