makes this apology: The reader is defired to excufe fome inaccurate and coarfer forms of expreffion, which were yielded to, out of perhaps an over defire of being plain.' MISCELLANEOUS. 62. A Letter to Dr. Samuel Johnfon, on his Journey to the Western Illes. By Andrew Henderfon. 8vo. IS. Williams. We need fay no more of this curious Letter, than that the author afferts, upon his own authority, his knowledge is fuperior to Dr. Johnson's in feveral particulars, whom he even challenges to a "logomachy", in Greek, Latin, or English; ac-. companying this heroic defiance with the following diftich, which we infert as punctuated in the original, Incipe tu doctor, vis tu contendere mecum We are glad to find that this formidable champion allows the doctor the honour of firing first; but as we are willing to prevent the confequences of fo unequal a combat, we would advife Mr. Henderson to perufe a diftich entirely in the ftyle of the preceding, which would feem to have been written on a fimilar occafion, and even addreffed to a perfon of his own name. • Define, Hendriades, nil certius fcripto fibyllo Quam quod hic eft doctior: non tu contende cum illo.' If any perfon difpofed to logamachy, fhould object to the propriety of the word fibyllo, it may be anfwered, that fuch contractions are not unfrequent in monkish poetry. Besides, it is probable, that the author purpofely used an exceptionable expreffion, with the view of affording employment to the fcholaftic humour of the perfon to whom he was writing. 63. Experiments, Refearches, and Obfervations, on the witrous Spar, or Sparry Fluor. Tranflated into English from the French of M. Boullanger. 8vo. 1s. Bew. These Obfervations farther elucidate the nature of the vitrous fpar, and may prove acceptable to the lovers of natural history. 64. The complete Gazetteer of England and Wales; or, an accurate Defcription of all the Cities, Towns, and Villages in the Kingdom: fhewing their Situations, Manufactures, Trades Markets, Fairs, Cuftoms, Privileges, principal Buildings, Charitable and other Foundations, &c. &c. And their Diftances from London, &c. with a defcriptive Account of every County, their Boundaries, Extent, natural Produce, &c. Including the chief Harbours, Bays, Rivers, Canals, Forefts, Mines, Hills, Vales, and medicinal Springs, with other Curiofities, both of Nature and Art, pointing out the military Ways, Camps, Caffles, an1 ́ other Remains of Roman, Danish, and Saxon Antiquity. Two Vols. 12mo. 75. Robinson. The usefulness of gazetteers is fo univerfally allowed, that it would be fuperfluous to offer remarks on that fubject. We have feen works of this kind very well executed, when they have comprehended an account of every country in the known world; but the brevity which is rcquifite in the execution of thofe performances, however it may be fatisfactory with regard to the accounts given of diftant countries, does not admit of fuch minute explanations of what regards our own as curiofity, and frequently neceffity, requires we should obtain. The prefent work, therefore, if executed with care, cannot but be acceptable to the public. Having examined the defcriptions of a great variety of places with which we are intimately acquainted, we have found no errors but fuch as candour will excufe in a work fo difficult to be rendered perfect; and we have met with a great number of remarks which convince us that care has been taken to get information of very recent alterations; we doubt not, therefore, but the present publication will be found exceedingly serviceable in extending useful information to individuals, which they could not before obtain without much pains and expence. 65. Various Methods to prevent Fires in Houfes and Shipping, &c. 8vo. 25. Evans, Pater-nofter Row. We are here presented with an historical detail of fires, which have happened in London and other parts, for many years back. Obfervations are alfo made on the negligence of architects in building houfes; and to the whole is added, an account of the best methods hitherto invented for preventing that dreadful calamity. 66. An Appeal to the Fockey Club; or a true Narrative of the late As the affair which is the fubject of this Narrative, is of very little importance to the public, we fhall leave it to the determination of thofe to whom Mr. Fitz-Gerald has referred it. 67. An Efay on the Art of Newspaper Defamation. 8vo. 6d. Newspaper defamation, from its frequency and injustice, has become deservedly defpifed, and malevolence now iffues from the prefs with as little effect as the arrow from the nerveless arm of Priam; yet ftill the practice is difgraceful to a civilized state, and fhews that the generous fons of freedom, when under the protection of impunity, can riot, unprovoked, in licentioufnefs of the moft illiberal and inhuman kind. It is a happiness to individuals that this monster has defeated its own purpose; but the difregard even of obloquy may in the end prove injurious to public virtue. 68. A Peep into the principal Seats and Gardens in and about Twickenham, with a fuitable Companion for those who wish to visit Windfor or Hampton Court. 8vo. Is. 6d. Bew. A very proper gratification for thofe who are troubled with the impertinent curiofity of peeping. * THE CRITICAL CRITICAL REVIEW. For the Month of April, 1775. ARTICLE I. The History of Great Britain, from the Restoration, to the Acceffion of the House of Hannover. By James Macpherfon, Esq. Two Vols. 4to. 21. 25. Cadell. 1. Original Papers; containing the Secret Hiftory of Great Britain, from the Refloration to the Acceffion of the House of Hannover. To which are prefixed Extracts from the Life of James II. A written by Himself. Two Vols. 410. 21. 2s. Cadell. T (Continued.) HESE works are fo intimately connected with each other, that it is obvious they ought to be examined in conjunction. If reviewed otherwife, and a repetition of facts be avoided, either the narrative of the hiftorian will be facri ficed to the Original Papers, or the latter prepofterously rendered dependent on the authority of the former. Befides, by fuch a method, we should be precluded from closely collating the History with the evidence on which it is founded; a confequence directly repugnant to the object of our enquiry. For these reasons, wherever Mr. Macpherson has placed any portant tranfaction in a new light, we shall produce the pasfage in the Original Papers from which his information is derived; not omitting, at the fame time, to give fuch quotations from those papers, as, though not effential to general history, may gratify the curiosity of a reader who is inquifitive with respect to materials of this kind. im In the beginning of the Hiftory, Mr. Macpherson delivers the following juft representation of the character of Charles II. when he afcended the throne. VOL. XXXIX. April, 1775, T • The The difpofition and character of Charles, as far as they were then known, were well fuited to the times. Attached to no fyftem of religion, he feemed favourable to all. In appearance deftitute of political ambition, his fudden elevation was more an object of admiration, than of jealousy. Accom modating in his profeffions and eafy in his manner, he pleafed even those whom he could not gratify. Men, from principle, enemies to monarchy, were prejudiced in favour of the perfon of the prince. Thofe in whom fear might excite averfion, loft their hatred, in his apparent forgetfulness of paft injuries. Though a lover of diffipation and pleafure, he could bear confinement, and had a talent for bufinefs. Though naturally unfteady, he could affume the appearance of firmness; and his quicknefs of apprehenfion was mistaken, by the fuperficial, for uncommon abilities of mind. Adhering ftrictly to no principle himself, he was not much offended at the want of it in others. He gained the profligate by indulgence; by his good-nature and attention, he flattered the pride of the virtuous. Infinuating, diffembling, but frequently judicious, he came upon mankind, through the channel of their ruling paffions; and till his profeffions of regard to men of oppofite principles became too common to be thought fincere, he gained the affection, if not the esteem, of his fubjects." The memoirs of king James have enabled the author of the prefent Hiftory to correct an error of former writers, relative to the marriage of that prince with Mrs. Ann Hyde; whereby it appears that king Charles was not unacquainted with his brother's refolution, fome time before the match was concluded. The anecdote is thus related in the Original Papers. When his fifter, the princefs royal, came to Paris to fee the queen-mother, the duke of York fell in love with, Mrs. Anne Hyde, one of her maids of honour. Befides her perfon, fhe had all the qualities proper to inflame a heart less apt to take fire than his; which the managed fo well, as to bring his paffion to fuch an height, as, between the time he firft faw her and the winter before the king's reftoration, he refolved to marry none but her; and promifed her to do it: and though, at first, when the duke afked the king, his brother, for his leave, he refused, and difwaded him from it; yet, at laft, he oppofed it no more; and the duke married her privately, owned it fome time after and was ever after a true friend to the chancellor, for feveral years. • The chancellor was faulty, in not getting all the destructive laws, in the long rebel parliament of Charles I. repealed; which, moft were of opinion, might have been done, and fuch a revenue fettled on the crown, as would have fupported the monarchy, and not expofed it to the dangers it has fince run, Whether out of overfight or fear, the monarchy would not need need a parliament uncertain; or from fear of the king's bringing in the Roman Catholic religion. The duke apprehends the laft. In all other things he fupported the crown's aathority to the height.' King James's memoirs refute the fufpicion which was entertained, of the duchefs of Orleans being poifoned. It was fufpected, fays he, that counter-poifons were given her. But when he was opened, in prefence of the English ambaffador, the earl of Ailesbury, an English phyfician and furgeon, there appeared no grounds of fufpicion of any foul play. Yet Bucks talked openly, that he was poifoned; and was fo violent as to propofe to foreign minifters to make war on France.' The author delineates the characters which occur in the Hiftory, in expreffive colours, and generally fuch as are con formable to the reprefentation of preceding writers. The minifters who compofed the council denominated the Cabal, are particularly distinguished by their harsh and difcordant features; nor can we object to the portrait drawn of the prince of Orange, when he makes his first appearance in the annals of Britain. The prince of Orange began now, for the first time, to dif play a character as fingular in itfelf as the fortune of his life was extraordinary. To a gravity and filence which diftinguished his early youth with the prudence thought peculiar to years, he joined a firmness in all his measures that bordered on obftinacy. Without a conftitution for pleasure, his chief object was an ambition for power and a great name. Deftitute of those brilliant parts which dazzle the world, he acquired weight with mankind by the folidity of his understanding. His perfonal courage was tempered with circumfpection and coolnefs; his flowness in action corrected by his perfeverance. In his carriage and manner he was rather refpectable than dignified, more decent than amiable in his private life. Phlegmatic in his difpofition, he' was fubject to no paffion in the extreme; and the fame caufe that exempted him from vice, obfcured the luftre of his virtues. Born with abilities for the cabinet, but with no great talents for the field, his policy, perpetually at war with his fortune, at length prevailed; and though he fcarce ever won a battle, he frequently reaped all the advantages of victory from defeat. Though he cannot be accufed of wanton tyranny, he was fond of power; he facrificed his virtue to his ambition; and, without any glaring injuftice, frequently defcended to meanneffes to accomplish his favourite defign. He was happy throughout his life in his opponent. The mad bigotry of James II. might have furnished a field of triumph for abilities more circumfcribed than those of the prince, as the former had at once to contend with the favourite paffions of his own people, and the art of T 2 his |