is rather a Converfation-piece than a Comedy. The Converfation is, however, natural, decent, and moral; and if the work does not abound with all that variety of business, plot, fcenery, character and humour, which are requifite to gratify the tafte of an English audience, it is, nevertheless, not an uninterefting performance; and may certainly rank among those which are diftinguifhed by the appellation of Genteel Comedy.

Art. 27. A Treatife of the Theory and Practice of Perfpective. Wherein the Principles of that most useful Art, as laid down by Dr. Brook Taylor, are fully and clearly explained, by means of moveable Schemes adapted for that Purpose. The whole being de figned as an eafy Introduction to the Art of Drawing in Perspect ive, and illuftrated by a great Variety of curious and inftructing Examples. By Daniel Fournier, Drawing-Mafter and Teacher of Perspective. 4to. 10s. 6d. fewed. Nourfe.

It is a common obfervation, and founded on undoubted experience, that the greatest difficulty in attaining the knowlege of any art or fcience, confifts in forming an adequate idea of its fundamental principles, and of the technical terms employed in it; for this idea being once obtained, the reft will be very eafy, and the student will, with a little practice, become a compleat mafter of the whole. Every Author, therefore, who attempts to explain any of the arts or fciences, and is defirous of rendering his work ufeful to the Reader, should ufe his utmoft endeavours to render the fundamental principles very plain and intelligible; for the value of his performance will, in a great measure, be proportionable to his fuccefs in this particular: and yet we know not how it is, moft Authors neglect this important point, and haften to the more curious parts of the fubject, leaving the learner to Aruggle with almost unfurmountable difficulties. Perhaps they may confider the elements of an art or science as objects beneath their notice, and therefore leave the explanation of them to those who are not fuch thorough mafters of the fubject. But this is an error of the first magnitude: for the elements are a collection of the general principles that extend to the different parts of a science; and to understand the most suitable manner of delivering these principles, requires a previous knowlege of their ufe, and various application. The elements, therefore, of a fcience, can never be well laid down, but by those who are thorough mafters of it.

Convinced of this truth, we perufed Mr. Fournier's book with pleasure, as he has laid down the Principles of Perspective in a very plain and intelligent manner; and applied them to Practice in a method equally natural and easy. The moveable Figures he has -conftructed, give the Reader a true idea of the fubject, and consequently remove the greateft difficulty that attends the Theory of Perspective.

B

Art. 28.

Art. 28. A Sketch of the Life and Character of the Reverend and Pious Mr. Griffith Jones, late Rector of Llanddowrer, in Carmarthenshire, the first Projector and Conductor of the Welfo circulating Schools, throughout the Principality of Wales. 8vo. 6d. Oliver.

From this account, it appears that Mr. Griffith Jones was a perfon of uncommon endowments, and a most affiduous and fuccefsful·labourer in the Lord's Vineyard. We fincerely with that fuch examples were lefs extraordinary.

Art. 29. Edifying Thoughts on. God's paternal Heart, St. Tranflated from the German of C. H. Bogatzky. 12mo. 2s. 6d. bound. Richardfon, &c.

A recommendation of German Divinity will feldom be expected from the Monthly Reviewers.

MUSICAL.

Art. 30. Înfructions for playing on the Music Glasses, with a Copper plate, reprefenting the Order and Manner of placing the Glaffes, with fuch Directions for performing on them, that any Perfon, of a musical Turn, may learn in a few Days, if not in a few Hours. By Mifs Ford. Price 8 s. with the Music; without the Mufic 3s. Fourdrinier.

The Reviewers do not understand this use of the Glaffes.

ADDENDA to the POLITICAL.

Art. 31. Thoughts on the Times. To be continued occafionally.
No. 1. containing, 1. The Crifis, addreffed to the Members of
Parliament. No. II. The first Letter from Count**
No. III. The Second Letter to Count ****.
Briftow.

8vo. Is.

Contains a variety of Obfervations, which might, perhaps, have proved agreeable to the palate of the public, had the Author put lefs opium into them. The vehicle, too, in which he has conveyed them, would have appeared more elegant, had he condefcended to attend a little more to the circumftance of Orthography; for Beau-fpelling makes but an indifferent figure in Politics: but this defect, which chiefly occurs in the Proper Names, we would fuppofe to be the fault of the Printer.

SINGLE SERMONS.

HRIST's Nativity the good Tidings of great Joy to all People.

By John Clarke, Rector of Collingtree. Fuller.

2. Concio

2. Concio ad Clerum in Synodo Provinciali Canturienfis Provincia, habita ad D. Pauli, Die 6to. Novembris. A Gulielmo Friend, S. T. P. Ecclefiæ Chrifti Metropolitica Cantuarienfis Decano. Juffu Reverendiffimi et Commiffariorum. Barker.

3. A plain Sermon on the Gospel Terms of Salvation,at St. Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey in Surry. By Farmery Maltus, Curate of the faid Parish. Lewis, in Pater-nofter Row.

4. Before the Mayor and Corporation of Chefter, October 25, being the Annive: fary of his Majefty's Acceffion. By Edward Manwaring, A. M. Prebendary of Chester. Longman.

5. At St. Clement Danes, January 17, 1762, occafioned by the Death of the Right Rev. Father in God Dr. Thomas Hayter, Lord Bifhop of London. By the Rev. Richard Stainfby, Chaplain to the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Norwich, and Lecturer of St. Mary lé Strand. Gardner. 24 d.

In Answer to Mr. Pilkington's Enquiry into the meaning of our Declaration, in the laft APPENDIX, page 515, where fpeaking of his Controverfy with Mr. Fothergill, viz. " that we had fubjects of more importance to attend to,"we conceive it to have been fufficiently intimated, that we were engaged to the public for the dispatch of so much business, as would not allow us to enter into a debate, concerning points of doctrine which have been so often, and fo diffufively treated, by abler pens.-The Salvation of Mankind, we truft, is out of the question.

k

** A Letter has been received, apprizing the Reviewers of a Miftake in their Number for November, 1761, page 334; where, in a Note, it is implyed that Dr. Pemberton wrote under the Name of Philalethes Cantabrigienfis, in the Controversy there mentioned. But, on the contrary, the Letter-Writer affures us, that this Philalethes was the Antagonist of Dr. Pemberton, as well as of Mr. Robins; and that it was not certainly known who the perfon was who wrote under that name, as he never thought fit to disclose himself.

N. B. An account of the Work, entitled Universal Reftitution, will be inferted next Month; this Article, as well as fome others, having been retarded by the indifpofition of one of our Affift

ants.

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For MARCH, 1762.

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The Hiftory of John Sobieski, King of Poland. Tranflated from the French of M. l'Abbè Coyer. 8vo. 6s. in Boards. Millar.

TH

H E firft accounts of Poland, like those of most other countries, are involved in obfcurity, and over-run with fiction. A people whom the Romans thought not worth the conquering, ftood but little chance of having their events recorded in the Annals of Hiftory. Indeed the Hiftory of the original inhabitants of Poland would, as Voltaire obferves of another people, be little more interefting than that of the wild beafts of their country. The ancestors of the Poles were the antient Sarmatians, and they did not lofe that name till about the fixth century. Their dominions were very extensive. "It is fomething furprizing (fays our Hiftorian) that a barbarous people, without a leader and without laws, fhould ftretch their empire from the Tanais to the Viftula, and from the Euxine fea to the Baltic; boundaries prodigiously diftant, and which they enlarged still further by the acquifition of Bohemia, Moravia, Silefia, Lufatia, Mifnia, Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and the Marches of Brandenburg." That they did extend their dominions over the countries abovementioned, is beyond a doubt; but that they were without a leader, or without laws, are affertions which we believe our Author would find it difficult to maintain. Most of the Northern Emigrants moved in Clans or Companies, which evidently implies their confociation. The customs of these focieties answered the end of laws, and those customs therefore might properly be called their laws. That they were without a leader is ftill more improbable than that they were without laws. All the excurfions of Barbarians, that Hiftory could give any particular account of, appear to have been REV. March, 1762. M

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conducted by fome diftinguished Hero, to whom the Savages, for a time, deputed that power; though after they became mafters of the countries they attacked, they withdrew it. The Sarmatians, till the middle of the fixth century, are not known to have had any King. "About the "About the year 550, Leck formed a defign of civilizing them, though he was but a Sarmatian himfelf. He begun with cutting down trees, and erecting himself a dwelling. Other huts were foon raised round this model; the nation, hitherto erratic, became fixed; and Gefna, the first city of Poland, took the place of a forest, Leck foon drew the eyes of his equals upon him, and by difplaying talents fit for government as well as action, he became their mafter, with the title of Duke, when he might as easily have affumed that of King." In this inftance again the Hiftorian overfhoots himself, for certainly Leck would have found it more difficult to have. gained the title of Ruler than that of Leader, from a people who had never been under fubjection.

<<< From the time of this Leader down to the prefent age, Poland has been fucceffively governed by other Dukes, by Vaivods, now called Palatines; by Kings, Queens, and QueenRegents, with the intervention of frequent Inter-regna." Sure never was any Crown difpofed of in fo many different ways as that of Poland! fometimes it has been fold, fometimes balloted for, and fometimes run for. "In 804 the Poles being embarraffed about the choice of a Governor, offered their Crown as a prize to the best runner; a practice antiently known in Greece, and which did not appear to them more fingular than to annex the Crown to Birth. It was won by an obfcure youth, who took the name of Lesko II. The annals of that age fay that he retained, under the Royal Purple, the modefty and gentleness of his former fortune, and was fierce and audacious only when he took the field against the enemies of the state."

The following inftance of chufing a King is not less extraordinary than the laft mentioned. After the death of Popiel II. who left no iffue, violent contests arose about the right of dominion, "till the nation, grown weary of tearing itfelf in pieces, (a thing which it had not done in a more uncivilized state) faw the neceffity of taking speedy refuge under the government of a fingle perfon. The candidates met at Crufwick, a village in Gujavia, where an inhabitant of that country received them in his ruftic cot, entertained them with a frugal repast, and displayed a found judgment, an honest and humanę