cefs, there is no doubt he would have placed that account among the chief of his wonderful relations.

The following experiment, made by Mr. Walsh, in prefence of the Academy at Rochelle, for evincing the circuit of the electric matter which iffues from the torpedo, deferves to be quoted.

A living torpedo was laid on a table, upon a wet napkin; round another table ftcod five perfons infulated; and two brafs wires, each thirteen feet long, were fufpended from the cielingy filken ftrings. One of the wires refted by one end on the wet napkin, the other end was immerfed in a bafon full of water, placed on a fecond table, on which stood four other bafons, likewife full of water. The first perfon put a finger of one hand into the water in which the wire was immerfed, and a finger of the other hand into the fecond, and fo on fucceflively till all the five perfons communicated with one another by the water in the bafons. In the laft bafon one end of the second wire was dipped, and with the other end Mr. Walsh touched the back of the torpedo, when the five perfons felt a fhock, differing in nothing from that of the Leyden experiment, except in being weaker. Mr. Walsh, who was not in the circle of conduction, felt nothing. This was feveral times fuccefsfully repeated, even with eight perfons; and the experiment being related by M. de Signette, mayor of the city, and one of the fecretaries of the Academy of Sciences of Rochelle, and published by him in the French Gazette, the account becomes the more authenticated.'

The Difcourfe ends with an addrefs to Mr. Walsh, on prefenting him with the medal.

< Mr. Walsh,

In confequence of the approbation of the choice made by the council, fo unfeignedly expreffed in the countenance of every gentleman prefent, it remains, that in the name, and by the authority, of the Royal Society of London, formed for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, I deliver into your hand this Medal, the prize you have fo meritorioufly obtained; not doubting, fir, of your grateful acceptance of fo honourable and unperishing a memorial of their efteem, and of the fenfe of their obligations to a perfon, who in fo diftinguished a manner has contributed to promote the great ends of their inftitution. And, in the fame refpectable name, let me add, that they are so much perfuaded of your abilities to aflift in their grand work, the Interpretation of Nature, that they earneftly call upon you to continue your liberal and fpirited labours.

With pleasure they understand that you have already turned your views to the electric gymnotus, that other wonder of the waters, an animal poffeffed of powers fimilar to thofe of the torpedo, but of superior energy; and the Society flatter themfelves, that fo much light will be gained by that inquiry, that you will be enabled foon to make a farther discovery of the myfteries of nature. Her veil, fear not, fir, to approach. Animated with the prefence of this illuftrious and fuccessful Body, I will venture to affirm, that nature has no veil, but what time and perfevering experiments may remove. In the inftance before us, view the progrefs of the powers of the mind; view the philofophers of the early ages, like the "children of the world," amufed and fatisfied with the stories of the torpedo; as incurious about their authenticity, as about the causes of such extraordinary effects. This animal ferved thei for an emblem, or an hieroglyphic, for a figure of speech, or an allufion of pleafantry; at beft as a theme for a copy of verfes. But the world, rifing in years and in wisdom, rejects fuch trifles. The interpreters of nature, in the adult state of time, make experiments and inductions, diftruft their intellects, confide in facts and in their fenfes: and by these arts drawing afide the veil of nature, find a mean and groveling animal armed with lightning, that awful and celeftial fire revered by the ancients as the peculiar attribute of the father of their gods,'

7

r

It must be confeffed, to the honour of fir John Pringle, that he endeavours, as much as lies in his power, to animate the Royal Society in the profecution of natural knowledge; and if praise bestowed in the most ingenuous and agreeable manner, can prove an incitement to their induftry, the address with which he annually accompanies the prize medal ought to be productive of the most useful confequences.

VIII. A Grofs Impofition upon the Public Detected; or, Archbishop Cranmer vindicated from the Charge of Pelagianifm. Being a brief Anfaver to a Pamphlet, intitled, A Differtation on the 17th Article of the Church of England. In a Letter to the Differta. tor. By the Author of Pietas Oxonenfis, and of Goliath flain. Svo. 6d. Dilly.

THIS

HIS writer, who boafts of having flain Goliath, feems upon this occafion to have thrown his dart without effect. His weapon is, telum imbelle fine itu. The principal point in difpute is this. The author of the Differtation on the 17th Article, mentioned in our Review for Auguft 1773, had occafion to fhew, that Bradford's Treatife on Election, which he

fent

fent to Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, whilst prifoners in Oxford, had not the fanction of those three martyrs, which he earnestly desired of them in a letter to Ridley, wherein he fays: Here withall I fend unto you a little treatise, which I have made, that you might peruse the same ;, and not only. you, but also ye, my other most deare and reverent fathers in the Lord for ever, [meaning Cranmer and Latimer] to give to it your approbation, as ye may think good. All the prisoners hereaboutes, in manner, have fene it and red it: and as therein they agree with me, nay rather with the truth, fo they are ready and will be, to fignifye it, as they fhall fee you give them example *.* The Differtator, fpeaking of this letter, obferves, that the author of Goliath Slain †, was not justified in his remark, that Bradford would not have written to these bishops, unless he had been assured, that their sentiments correfponded with his own.'

Strype, in his Life of Cranmer, mentions this piece of hiftory in the following terms: Bradford wrote a treatise on God's Election and Predeftination, and fent it to thofe three fathers in Oxford for their approbation. And, theirs being obtained, the rest of the eminent divines, in and about London, were ready to fign it also.' B. iii. c. 45.

Here, fays the writer of the pamphlet before us, all you have faid relative to Cranmer, Ridley, and Latimer, having teftified their difapprobation of Bradford's Treatife, is at once overturned by that very author, which you yourself have quoted.'-Strype's expreffion is ambiguous. This abfolute phrase, theirs being obtained, probably fignifies no more than the condition, upon which the others were ready to fign; agreeably to this expreffion in Bradford's Letter, fo they are ready, and will be to fignify it, as they shall fee you give them example.' If this conftru&tion may be admitted, the differtator's argument is not overturned by Strype, nor any impofition detected. But if Strype has in any degree mifreprefented the matter, the differtator was not obliged to follow him in his miftake. He had Bradford's letter before him, which Strype refers to as his voucher.

However, the differtator has not rested the matter on Bradford's Letter; but has produced one of Ridley's, and fome others of Bradford's in confirmation of his opinion. Ridley, in answer to a fecond letter of Bradford's, fays: If your requeft bad been beard, things, you thinke, had been in a better

* Martyr's Letters, p. 357, 358. Strype's Life of Cranmer, App. p. 195.

Goliath Slain, p. 99.

cafe

cafe than they be.' Thefe words, the differtator obferves, plainly imply, that thefe bishops had not given their fanction to Bradford's Treatife.

Again, Bradford, in a letter to certain men, not rightly perfuaded in the doctrine of election, written about five months. before his martyrdom, has thefe words: Hitherto I have not fuffered any copye of the treatife above specified to goe abroade; because I would fuppreffe all occafions fo farre, as might be, of any breach of love.'

If Bradford's Treatife, fays the differtator, had obtained the approbation of Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley, he would. not have been fo wary as not to have fent it abroad. Their authority would have added fo much weight to his opinions, that he could not have failed urging it upon his opponents.'

The differtator has advanced some other obfervations in favour of his opinion; but his opponent has taken no notice of them; confequently he has not detected the grofs impofition he pretends.

6

The author of this pamphlet proceeds to fhew, that Cranmer was firmly grounded in the doctrine of abfolute predef tination, from his being as Strype expreffes himself, the great furtherer and recommender to the king' of that catechifm, which was fet forth in the year 1553, intitled, Catechifmus, brevis Chriftianæ difciplinæ fummam continens; from his having invited into England Bucer and Peter Martyr, who were both of them very ftrenuous for the divine decrees, &c.' He then draws this conclufion, that our feventeenth article muft be framed upon the Calviniftic plan.

The truth of the matter, we believe, is this: our reform. ers were good men; but bad critics in points of theology: and were continually plunged in doubts and difficulties, and harraffed by oppofition. They faw the abfurdities of Calvinifm; but hardly knew how to extricate themselves from the perplexities attending the controverfy. They used expreffions of Scripture, which have apparently a Calviniftic fenfe, while they abfolutely difapproved of the principles of Calvin.

IX. A Dictionary of above Five Hundred Proverbs, or Proverbial Expreffions. For Learners of French and English. 16mo. 6d. Broke.

Cha

Hacun a fa marotte! that is to fay, Every man has his hobby-horfe! The author of this publication is faid to be a gentleman who has taken infinite pains to recommend and promote the study of the French language; and amuses himfelf in fuggefting thofe little hints and improvements, which feem to be cultivated for the benefit of the public.

This dictionary, though it is the smallest we remember to have feen, has coft the author more labour and and attention, than the curfory reader may probably imagine.

The Maforets are faid to have counted all the letters in the Bible, and to have afcertained the exact number of times, eich letter occurs. Our indefatigable compiler has employed him felf in fimilar purfuits. He has given us a list of above a thousand words in French and English, and informed us, how often they are repeated in Boyer's Dictionary. As, tenir 219 times, prendre 165, faire 136; over 335, take 205, go 186.

This elaborate enumeration is defigned to fhew, the learner, that when he confults his dictionary for the meaning of a French word, or a French phrase equivalent to an English idiom, he is not indolently and inattentively to fatisfy himfelf with the first example, which may strike his eye, but to trace the word in queftion through all its various acceptations. This catalogue is also intended to direct him to those words, which are chiefly used in the formation of French and English idioms į and confequently to thofe, which require his principal atten tion in the study of thefe languages.

This induftrious calculator has likewife reckoned up the num ber of words, which in Bailey and Johnfon's Dictionaries, are faid to be derived from the French. For example, in Bailey's, at P 894, at C 831, at Q51; in the whole alphabet 7670. In Johnson's, at P 692, at C 434, at Q41; in all 4812.

This computation is probably intended to give us a general notion of the proportional occurrence of each letter in the alphabet; which is a piece of knowledge very neceffary in the art of decyphering. But it is principally defigned to exhibit a view of the verbal auxiliaries, for which we are indebted to the French. Baney, and moft of our etymologifts, have produced French words, (and they might as well have produced Italian, Dutch, German, or Spanish) resembling English ones in fpelling and fignification, when they ought to have derived the latter from their proper sources, the Latin, or the Greek. We readily acknowledge, that we are obliged to the French for a great number of terms and phrases; fome of them used by men of tafte and learning; others only by the coxcombs of both fexes, who affect to speak à la mode de Paris: fuch as, connoiffeur, premier, étiquette, beau monde, éclat, vis-à-vis, petit maître, tête à tête, fracas, bon mot, billet-doux, bagatelle, manœuvre, je-ne-fçais-quoi, jeu d'esprit, mauvaise honte, eclairciffement, à propôs*, bon ton, chevaux de frife, rouge, A propos. Lord Ch-d's hobby-horse. VOL. XXXIX. Jan. 1775

E

defha