Rather an hiftory of the war, during Mr. Pitt's adminiftration, than a review of that gentleman's moves and actions, (as is intimated by the motto to this pamphlet) while he guided the helm of the ftate. The author is warm in his commendations of the great man; and, indeed, it is obfervable of all who have written for or against this popular minifter, that neither the one or the other are wanting in ardour, whether their pens were employed in praifing or abufing him. As to the merits of this performance,-the facts are fuch as the author could collect from the public gazettes, &c. which he has digefted into a continued narrative; his ftyle is not ill fuited to the nature of hiftorical compofition; but his language is often very incorrect: and he has fome expreffions much below the dignity of his fubject. Yet, on the whole, this tract contains no unentertaining fummary of our public affairs during Mr. Pitt's adminiftration; the particulars of which feem to be honeftly and candidly repre fented. Art. 32. The Univerfal Mentor; containing Effays on the most important Subjects in Life; compofed of Obfervations, Sentiments, and Examples of Virtue; felected from the approved Ethic Writers, Biographers, and Hiftorians, both ancient and modern. By Sir John Fielding, Knt. 12mo. 3s. Millar. Tho' this indefatigable magiftrate is much employed in the care of the police, and in correcting the depraved morals of that immoral neighbourhood in which fo vigilant a guardian is happily fituated, he has, nevertheless, found time to empty his private common-place-book for the benefit of the public. Having, in his younger days, had the misfortune to lofe his fight, he had recourse to study, as the only means of beguiling that time which otherwife might have hung heavy on his hands; and in the course of his pursuit of knowlege, he made this collection of obfervations, opinions, apophthegms, fentiments, anecdotes, &c. which he has ranged under proper titles, and introduced by a dedication to the Earl of Bute. If we thought there was any want of this kind of compilations, we should not fcrupie to recommend the prefent work for the ufe of young readers. Art. 33. A Letter to a Friend, on his having Thoughts of marrying a Lady of the Roman Catholic Religion. 8vo. 6 d. Noon. Many invincible objections may be brought by every confiftent proteftant, again't having too intimate a connexion with those who are attach'd to the church of Rome; but the arguments here made use of to diffuade a Proteftant gentleman again marrying a Roman Ca tholic lady, are not merely thofe arifing from a difference in religious fentiments in general; the article of confelin alone, being a fuffi cient bar, in our author's opinion. He particularly argues from a Popish book entitled A Manual of Spiritual Exercifes, or Inftructions for for Chriflians; in which, among other spiritual exercifes is, An Examination of Confcience, &c. wherein the examinant is, with a most beaftly immodefty, interrogated on fuch lafcivious points as are not fit to be mentioned even in a brothel. We cannot, therefore, think of defiling our page with any extract from this filthy Exercife, which the letter-writer fets down as more likely to fully the imagination and debauch the heart, than the groffeft publications of the most avowed libertines. What a door, fays he, is here opened to defigning and lewd priests, by thefe fhameful queftions, to effectuate the bafelt purposes? How eafily do they break down all the barriers of modefty, penetrate into the inmoft receffes of the foul, and with an exactness exceeding that of the beft thermometer, take the precife degree of warmth of the penitent's conftitution!-The lat privilege of humanity, that of keeping one's thoughts to one's felf, is mercilessly torn away, and the whole foul bared and laid naked to the wanton infpection of the confeffor.' The author goes on to expatiate very warmly on this delicate, or rather indelicate article; and concludes with earnestly afking his friend, if he can fubmit to take a wife whofe religion obliges her to enter into fuch difcuffions with another man, as decency and modefty would make infupportable even to her husband; which excites in her mind the most loofe and libidinous ideas; which lays her under the neceffity of familiarifing her mind to fuch execrable and loathfome vices as human nature revolts at the very thought of 'It is really an abfurd and fhocking practice, thus (on a religious pretence especially) to contaminate young and innocent minds, with the knowlege of fuch crimes as, otherwife, they might never have been acquainted with. Ve dum prohibebant Jubere viderentur. Art. 34. Gulielmi Hudfoni Flora Anglica, exhibens Plantas per regnum Angliæ fponte crefcentes; Diftributas, fecundum Syftema Sexuale: cum Differentiis fpecierum, Synonimis autorum, nominibus in colarum, folo locorum, tempore florendi, Officinalibus Pharmacopæorum. 8vo. 6s. 6d. in boards. Nourse. We have here a pretty numerous lift of English plants; in defcribing and claffing which Mr. Hudfon hath adopted the method of Linnæus. He confeffes himself alfo indebted to the following gentlemen for the affiftance they have occafionally afforded him, in procuring materials for the execution of the work. Meffrs. Alchome, Bolton, Collinfon, Lyons, Miller, Watfon, Wilmar, and particularly Mr. Stillinfleet. The author appears to have taken confiderable pains, notwithstanding which, he feems to be fenfible of, and thus modeftly apologizes for, the unavoidable defects of his performance. Cæterum quamvis nihil fciens prætermiffi quod confere potuit elucidando rem fubjectum, non labori peperci, nullam occafionem neglexi confulen A gentleman who has obliged the public with feveral performances relating to natural history, agriculture, &c. which have been duly noticed in Our Review, di, herbaria ficca evolvendi et plantas vivas examinandi et defecandi, ut opus omnibus numeris abfolutum prodiret; confcius fum tamen me nullo modo fcopum attigiffe, prafertim quoad claffem cryptoguamium, quæ ad hæc ufque tempora quantum fio, obfcura manet, et mihi plurimum moleftia creavit. In uno iftius claffes ordine, viz Fungorum me multum deficere agnofco; nec fine aliis Dilleniis, aliis Micheliis extricare fe quifquam poterit, cum hunc ordinem experientia edoctus affirmare poffum, ut Linnei verbis utar, etiamnum Chaos effe, nefcientibus Botanicis in his quid fit fpecies, quid Varietas. Art. 35. The Compleat Italian Mafter; containing the best and eafieft Rules for attaining that Language. By Signor Veneroni, Italian Secretary to the French King. Newly tranflated into English from the laft Dutch edition, revised and improved from that of Bafil. Large 12mo. 5s. Nourse. The character of this book has been long established. The tranflator has improved it by the following useful additions; 1. An introduction to fyntax. II. A treatise on expletives, compound words, capitals, and ftops. III. An effay on Italian poetry. IV. A reformation of the dictionary; by correcting the errors of the former edition, expunging the multitude of barbarous words, and fubftituting others in their ftead, from the celebrated Dizionario della Crufca. Art. 36. The polite Lady: or a Course of Female Education; in a Series of Letters from a Mother to a Daughter. 12mo. 3s. Newbery. Very proper for the perufal of young ladies at the boarding school; being calculated not only for their inftruction, but for their amufement also the style of the letters is easy and natural; and the precepts are agreeably illuftrated by a number of little familiar examples. Some flight defects may be observed in the work; but who breaks a butterfly upon the wheel? Art. 37. A Letter to a Merchant at Bristol, concerning a Petition of S T -, Efq; to the King, for an exclufive Grant to the Trade of the River Senegal. By a Merchant of London. To which is prefixed, a Copy of the Petition. 8vo. Is. Kearfly. Monopolies are undoubtedly, as the writer of this pamphlet has well expreffed it, that canker of industry, that disease, under which no commerce can long furvive; and therefore we are glad to fee fo ftrenuous' an oppofition to Mr. T's endeavours for engroffing the trade of this important part of our new acquifitions. The letterwriter has ftrictly examined the foundation of that gentleman's claim to fuch a privilege, and feems to have clearly fhewn the injury which it would occafion to the African commerce.- -We have great re spect fpe&t for Mr. T's character both as a merchant and as a man ; but we could wish the fervice he rendered to the government and to his country, by the share he had in the conqueft of Senegal, rewarded in any other way, than by an addition to the number of exclufive charters with which our trade is already but too much clogged. Art. 38. Memoirs of the Bedford Coffee-house. By a Genius. 12mo. 2s. fewed. Single. Among the vaft multiplicity of fchemes formed by the literary genius's of the age, for railing contributions on the public, it is ftrange that the Memoirs of the Bedford have not long ago been thought of. At length, however, here they are; and they have afforded as much entertainment as could be expected from fo light and frivolous a fubject. Some truth we know they contain; more fiction we greatly fufpect; but whether true or falfe, the materials are put together in a lively manner; the ftyle, tho' incorrect, not being totally deftitute of fpirit, nor of that variety of expreffion fo neceffary in delineating a variety of characters. Art. 39. Preliminary Articles of Peace, between his Britannic Majefty, the moft Chriftian King, and the Catholic King; figned at Fantainbleau, November 3, 1762. 8vo. Is. and Harrison. Coram non judice. SINGLE SERMONS. Owen IN the cathedral church of Hereford, at the anniversary meeting of the three Choirs of Worcester, Glocefter, and Hereford, September 15, 1762. By Gibbons Bagnal, M. A. prebendary of Hereford, and mafter of the free-school. Hawes, &c. 2. The Chriftian a new Creature in Chrift: -from Cor. ii. v. 17. By John Riland, A. M. curate of Sutton-Cold-Field, in Warwickfhire. Baldwin. 3. On the Wisdom of Providence in the Adminiflration of the World. Before the university of Oxford, on the anniversary of his majesty's inauguration, Oct. 25, 1762, at St. Mary's. By John Rotherham, M. A. Fellow of University College, and one of the preachers at his majesty's chapel at Whitehall. Sandby. ERRATA in our laft Month's Review. Page 321, 1.33, for from read to. 322, 1. 9, after veffel, infert there. 339, 1. 34, for or in fact, read not to call it. APPENDIX TO THE MONTHLY REVIEW, VOLUME the TWENTY-SEVENTH. A philofophical and critical Effay on Ecclefiaftes. Wherein the Author's Defign is ftated; his Doctrine vindicated; his Method explained in an analytical Paraphrafe annexed to a new Verfion of the Text from the Hebrew; and the Differences between that new Tranflation and the received Verfion accounted for in philological Obfervations. By A. V. Defvoeux, Chaplain to his Majesty's Regiment of Carabineers. 4to. 15s. 6d. fewed. Hawkins. HERE is fcarce any book in the whole Canon of Scripture, concerning which there is fo great a diverfity of opinion among Commentators as that of Ecclefiaftes. The generality of Interpreters look upon it as a very dark and intricate performance, the true meaning of which it is almost impoffible to ascertain. Many imagine that they find passages in it unworthy of the Holy Ghoft; that it contains the feveral doctrines of the Atheists, the Epicureans, and the Sadducees; and that fome places are quite inconfiftent with others. Some confider the book of Ecclefiaftes as a dialogue, or a dif pute, between a good and religious man on the one fide, and an impious Sadducee on the other. Grotius looks upon it as a collection of the feveral opinions of wife men concerning happiness; and many Interpreters, both ancient and modern, are of opinion, that the true defign of it is, to reprefent earthly things as having no manner of real value, in or der to infpire us with a defire of heavenly things. VOL. XXVII. Hh The |