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than the little comedies and novels with which young perfons in the higher ftations are generally entertained."

The whole will is extremely curious and entertaining. Need we add, that the author was a teacher of arithmetic? He endeavours to fecure the performance of the different devifes; but the whole is rather a lecture on the great power of compound intereft, than a plan likely to be executed.

Confidérations fur l'Ordre de Cincinnatus, ou Imitation d'un Pamphlet Anglo-Américain. Par le Compte De Mirabeau. 8vo. 5s. in Boards. Johnson.

Authors have feized with eagernefs on the independence of

America, as the fcene in which every visionary scheme, either of finance or government, may be realifed. In this new world, the world which the French have aided the Americans to acquire, they have offered their affistance to govern: in this moment of liberty, their enthusiasm was eager to dis play itself; for it was fuppofed that enthufiafm, in favour of American liberty at leaft, might be allowed; but congrefs has looked on them with a cool fufpicion, and the ardor of their efforts is found to be difpleafing to their own rulers. The fpark of liberty imported from America might be raised into an alarming conflagration at home. The prefent work, which probably on this account was published here, contains feveral pieces relative to this new kingdom, or rather this imperfect union of different ftates. The principal one relates to the new Order of Cincinnatus, which, under the appearance of a patriotic union of the defenders of their country, in cur author's opinion, conceals defigns hoftile to its liberty. The, number which compofes this body cannot be less than ten thoufand, as they have adopted the French officers who have ferved in America; and, fince its first inftitution, have ad-. mitted honorary members. The count fuppofes, that this numerous fociety will join in every defign; and, as the honours ares hereditary, the flighteft misfortune refulting from the union will be a rifing nobility, a body of patricians, diftinguished by the deferts of their ancestors, if not by their own. Perhaps there were really few more noble acts than Washington's refignation of his command: if it was inferior to that of Sylla, it was because he had borne his faculties more meekly,' and had lefs to fear from the mortifications of difappointed ambition, or the revenge of a mutilated party. The fituations were in many refpects fimilar; yet the fame man is now prefident of this fufpected fociety. The count de Mirabeau's ad drefs to him on this fubject is animated and ftrong.

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day on which it was determined to admit honorary members, Washington, fo great when he returned to the station of a fimple individual,-Washington, the first citizen and benefactor of a people whom he had freed from flavery, wifhed to diftinguifh himielf from that people! Why did he not fee, that his name was beyond all diftin&tion? Hero of the revolution which broke the chains of half the world, why did he not depife the dangerous, the guilty, the vulgar, honour of being the hero of a party?'

In this language, the count examines the feveral rules which connect this famous fociety, or rather, if our author is not miftaken, this infamous confederacy; and it must be acknowleged that, in many parts of them, there are fufpicious paffages, either accidentally or defignedly interfperfed. But, though we allow the full force of the count's fufpicions, the guilt may be in fome measure evaded.—A fuccessful revolution is no longer a rebellion, as an established herefy becomes a reformation; fo that we must use the popular language on this fubject, though the event has not in reality changed our former opinions.

Those who are moft converfant with the politics of the American continent perceive that, instead of one empire, these new states are divided, jealous of each other, and each affuming the fupreme power, with little regard to the authority of. that body, which the urgency of impending deftruction conftituted, and which was fupported during the common calamities. Another body, with fome inherent power of its own, became therefore neceffary, to connect the disjointed limbs, and to make a respectable whole of feveral infignificant parts. This probably would have been one effect of the new order; and it would have been a falutary one: that it was anticipated by feveral of the ftates, feems probable, from their oppofition to its establishment. In its prefent fituation, America may be a commercial nation; but it will be ever at the mercy of an intriguing or warlike prince. It can never be great, powerful, or even fecure, except it be more perfectly united.

The next tract in this volume is the Letter of Monf. Turgot to Dr. Price. It contains, in our opinion, fome trifling fpeculations on what America may be, and the fteps which the ought to purfue; but little of confequence enough to induce us to analyfe, or make any extracts from it.

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Dr. Price's pamphlet, on the Revolution of America, and the Means of rendering it useful to the World, is next tranflated, with notes, by count de Mirabeau. The pamphlet itfelf we have already reviewed; and the obfervations contain about eighty pages. The first part of these is a commentary,

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the latter confifts of notes on detached paffages. The chief objects of the commentary are the degree of power to be allowed to congrefs, and the commerce of this new empire. On the neceflary power, the count differs from our countryman; but we apprehend America has already decided the question, by leaving its national affembly very little, and that little dif puted. The deftructive effects of commerce have exercifed the powers of every fuperficial declaimer; and our author, who deferves a fuperior title, is content to mix with the fervile herd. Let the merchant, who builds his ware-houses, conftructs veffels, and fpeculates in different attempts, prefer, if he pleases the gloomy calculations of the counting-houfe, to the sweet view of nature, the interefting riches of the country. Do not disturb him: let his property be as facred as that of others, let his liberty be inviolable under the protection of the laws. But he is an inhabitant, not a citizen of your empire. He has preferred the world; when he chufes it he fhall have a country. He will, at fome period, convert his money into land; and this change, favourable to your fpirit and your manners, will be the ultimate ambition of all your inhabit, ants. Confequently, without violence, without reftraint, without laws, prohibitions, or injuftice, you will place in the highest estimation, this innocent and fraiernal art of agricul ture, which increases population, nourishes the fpirit of freedom, fupplies defenders to their country, advice to its affemblies, arbitrators of difference, friends of virtue, and, fince riches must be regarded, real riches which may increase without danger, and whofe contagion is by no means formidable.'-What a pleafing but delufive image, and how inconfiftent with the views of the author's governors, who have kindled the flames of war in every quarter of the world, merely to extend its commerce! Both extremes may be equally fatal; but language as plaufible and animated may be employed in the recommendation of commerce, properly regulated, which connects the most diftant quarters of the globe, and forms one harmonious family of nations, feparated by unfathomable feas, and tracklefs deferts.

The detached notes are on air balloons, for no work now can appear without fome mention of thefe exhibitions; on the reprefentation of Great Britain in parliament; and on the kind of commerce beft adapted for the Americans. The two laft fubjects are not eafily affected, either by the fpeculations of Dr. Price, his commentator, or reviewer. On the firft, we may perhaps be indulged with a few reflections, fince the count communicates to us the obfervations of a very refpectable chemift and philofopher, the duc de Chauines.

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Monf. de Mirabeau expreffes his furprize, that the English hould have paffed fo rapidly from the most abfurd incredulity, and the most inexplicable indifference on this fubject, to an unexampled enthusiasm for the most ignorant pretenders." It has indeed roufed the indignation of many, and we have expreffed our's in very ftrong terms, that Mr. Lunardi, for having afcended in a balloon badly made, and indifferently filled, which would scarcely have lifted him, if he had not discharged all his apparatus, and changed his gallery, should have received greater honours than Cook ever experienced.' Blanchard, the rival of Lunardi, in his popularity, has not, in our author's opinion, higher pretenfions to the honours heaped on him. The count's complaifance attributes the contempt of the English philofophers to the indignation felt, on feeing a plan, which fhould have been improved by filence and attention, transformed into a fafcinating and childish fpectacle.'-May we be allowed to add, that fome part of their inattention arose from having forefeen difficulties, in their nature infurmountable, which would probably prevent the fcheme from being applied to any ufeful purpose.

The duke's memoir contains a fhort history of the different aeroftatic globes, and the means of procuring the inflammable air defigned to fill them. He explains too, the proposal of that very intelligent academician, monf. Meunier. His balloon contains a little one filled with common air; fo that, in the higher regions, when the inflammable air expands, it expels the atmospheric air, which adapts the balloon to that state of the atmosphere into which it has arifen, and prevents the escape of the more precious fluid. The common air is to be again fupplied, when neceffary, with a pair of bellows in the gallery. We ftrongly fufpect that this plan is, at prefent, theoretical but the objections which we perceive to it are not infurmountable; and it is probable that the machine may, in

this

way, be rendered more permanent. Perhaps the power of directing it is ftill wanting. The difficulties which we mentioned to this improvement, fuggefted themfelves alfo to the duke, and he is at laft reduced to the following expedient. As we know, fays he, that at different heights, the currents of air move in different directions, and, as we can raise or lower the machine at pleasure, we muft fearch for these currents which are favourable to our courfe. This is indeed a precarious plan; but, in reality, our power over the height of the machine will limit the experiment, as we do not find that it can be exerted but at the expence of the materials. It feems not to have occurred to Monf. Meunier, the author of the above improvement, that, so soon as his common air is once

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exhausted, it must be fupplied from that rarefied ftratum in which the balloon is, and confequently cannot contribute to fink it. We must then have recourfe to, we fear, a weak expedient, the oar, or to the discharge of the ballast; in either way, the expedition must be foon at an end. The ufes of balloons, defcribed by the duke, are nearly the fame as those which we have formerly mentioned. The fteadiness of this machine cannot be fufficiently great, to take any good aftronomical obfervation by its means; and we want not its affistance to draw the plan of a country.

We fear that the greater part of this work is fplendid but delufive, plaufible but erroneous. Time, and time only will draw off the veil, which different caufes have spread over the political part of the fubject: the philofophical will perhaps yield to the next fashion, which ftrongly engages the imagination.

Confiderations on the Order of Cincinnatus; to which are added, as well feveral original Papers relative to that Inftitution, as alfo a Letter from the late M. Turgot, Comptroller of the Finances in France, to Dr. Price, on the Conftitutions of Ame rica; and an Abftra&t of Dr. Price's Obfervations on the Im portance of the American Revolution; with Notes and Reflec tions upon that Work. Tranflated from the French of the Count de Mirabeau. 8vo. 45. Jewed. Johnson.

WE

E have given a general account of the work in the preceding article, and our prefent business is chiefly to examine the tranflation; for the additions are very inconfiderable: : we have obferved only two short notes which the tranflator claims as his own. From the comparison which we have been enabled to make, we cannot object to the fidelity of the tranflation; but we fometimes perceive an affected ornament, not warranted by the original. The language of the count, relating to the new order, is animated and indignant, though clear and precife: the tranflator frequently foars above him; and fometimes feems to be loft in the clouds into which he is raised. The most frequent fault, however, is want of neatnefs and fimplicity; but it does not very often occur.

In our former article we have given a little specimen of the author's defire to bring back the age of innocence and feclufion; that each man may drink of his own wine under the tree which has produced it. With the deftruction of commerce, public debts are alfo to be paid. In this manner he addreffes the Americans; and we shall felect the following pa

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