medy, who confines his resources to any fingle specific method of cure, or to any particular preparation of mercury. The difeafe comprehends a great variety of symptoms, fome of which are eafy, and others very difficult to cure; we are also in poffeffion of numerous preparations of quickfilver, fome of which are applicable, in a more peculiar manner, to fome symptoms and conftitutions, and others to others. These various circumftances give ample scope for the exercise of Mr. Howard's ingenuity. After enumerating the various preparations of mercury, and the advantages and difadvantages of each in particular cafes, Mr. H. defcribes the two general methods of cure. In the one, the patient is clofely confined to his chamber, in the other, he takes exercise in the open air, and follows, with a few reftrictions, his ordinary mode of living. The former, from its confequences, is called falivation; the other, the alterative courfe. What the Author fays of these two methods, demands the serious attention of the Faculty. We do not remember to have any where met with fuch judicious remarks on the subject as are to be found in this part of the work; and confequently we do not hefitate in pronouncing it the most rational treatife on the lues veneTea (the circumftance of the gonorrhea above mentioned being excepted) that hath appeared fince the time of Aftruc. We hope the Author will not long with-hold from the Public the remainder of a work which cannot fail of being highly inftructive to the ra tional practiser; to whom alone, and not to empyrics, this publication is peculiarly adapted.

ART. XXI. A Differtation on the Origin and Progress of the Scythian's or Goths. Being an Introduction to the ancient and modern Hiftory of Europe. By John Pinkerton. 8vo, 3 s. 6d. Boards. Nicol. 1787.

MR

R. Pinkerton divides the prefent performance into two Parts. The first is employed in fhewing that the Scythians, the Getæ, and the Goths, were only one people ;-that they came from present Perfia by a north-weft progrefs into Europe, fo that Scandinavia, inftead of being the country whence they fprung, muft in fact have been almoft the last that received them;-that the Thracians, Illyrians, Greeks, Italians, Germans, and Scandinavians, were all Scythians or Goths. In the fecond Part, the Author fhews that the Germans are neither of Sarmatic nor Celtic origin, but that they were originally Scythians; which he proves from the identity of their languagefrom the teftimony of ancient authors and from the fimilarity of their manners. The whole concludes with chronological tables of fome remarkable events during the progrefs of the Goths over Europe.

Such

Such is the outline of Mr. Pinkerton's Differtation; whence it is easy to perceive, that the generally received opinions of modern hiftorians must be refuted, before the facts here mentioned can poffibly be established. In this part of the work, he difplays great ingenuity and much learning; but he frequently introduces abuse. An author, who has been mifled, or has formed falfe opinions through the mifreprefentations or uncertainty of hiftorians, may furely be refuted without being called ignorant, rafh, ill advised, &c. Such epithets may induce readers to with-hold part of the applaufe they would otherwife beftow on a truly ingenious and learned writer.

Mr. Pinkerton has examined with great attention the ancient hiftorians; he has, with judgment, rejected whatever bears the appearance of fable; and he has carefully avoided thofe etymological rocks and fands on which (to ufe his own words) many antiquarian fhips have foundered. Yet in tracing the origin of nations, he acknowledges with Sheringham, " Linguarum cognationem, cognationis gentium præcipuum certiffimumque argumentum effe." We hefitate in allowing the fimilarity of language to avail fo much as Mr. Pinkerton thinks it does; it is a good collateral proof, but to rely on it as the præcipuum certiffimumque, the chief and most certain, would perhaps lead us on thofe very rocks and quickfands which are to be carefully avoided in exploring the ftraits of antiquity. We could have wifhed Mr. Pinkerton to have given us definitions of the terms clothes, body, and foul, of a language, where he fays, When a fpeech changes, it is in many centuries, and it only changes clothes, not body and foul."

With refpect to our Author's chronology, we perfectly agree with him in thinking that the Scriptures were never intended to inftruct us in that fcience. Indeed the difagreement of different MSS. is a fufficient proof how little the Scripture chronology can be depended on. Mr. Pinkerton's chronological table begins 4000 years before Chrift, with the reign of Menes, the firft King of Egypt. His thoughts on the deluge are confonant with fome of his peculiar opinions which we have noticed on former occafions. He fays, the latest and beft natural philofophers pronounce the Flood impoffible; and their reafons, grounded on mathematical truth and the immutable laws of nature, have my full affent. The Jews believed the earth a vaft plain, and that the rain came from a vast collection of waters above the firmament (Genef. i. 7.), as the earth floated on another mass of waters (Genef. vii. 11.); both of which were opened at the Deluge. As fuch waters are now mathematically known not to exift; and the earth is found spherical; the effect muft cease with the caufe.'

As this performance is given as an Introduction to the ancient and modern Hiftory of Europe,' we hope to be farther entertained by the future productions of this learned, though fingu

lar historian.

MONTHLY CATALO G T E,

For OCTOBER, 1787.

POLITICAL.

Art. 22. Remonftrance of the French Parliament to the King, on the pernicious Tendency of the Stamp Duty, &c. &c. Translated from the French. 8vo. I S. Robinsons.

T will be difficult to read the title of this publication without a fmile, and making a whimfical comparison between the panegyrical eulogiums of the North Americans on their great and good ally, who fo liberally affifted in refcuing them from an odious ftamp duty; and the pathetic remonftrance of his own parliament against duties of the fame nature which he determined to impofe on bis own loving fubjects! The nature and extent of the kindness on the one part is not yet eventually decided, and the event in the prefent cafe, is fomething like a political judgment coming home to political craft and moral abfurdity! But though it is too late to make any new reflections on the general conduct of princes, it is pleafing to find that it is not yet too late to wifh fuccefs to popular efforts toward emancipation. It is quite unneceffary to enter into a fubject that has been fo convenient to all the public papers, during the long vacation at home.

Art. 23. M. Neckar's Anfwer to M. De Calonne's Charge againft him in the Affembly of the Notables. 8vo. 2s. 6d. Debrett. Where a new officer fucceeds to a department by the removal of another, his first object is to recommend himself; and he affumes fome merit by depreciating his predeceffors as much as he can. M. Neckar, finding himself involved in the cenfures paffed by M. Calonne on the inaccuracies of former statements of the revenues of France, expoftulated with that minifter on the fubject, in letters which are here produced: when, not being fatisfied with his explanations, he has now, as is ufual in fuch cafes, made his appeal to the Public. He is not however unapprifed of the decifion likely to be made, where the contest is to be decided by dry calculations: he observes, that already fome folks are heard to fay, What are all these quarrels to us? What have they to do with our prefent interefts? The paft is gone, and nothing is of lefs confequence to the nation than to determine whether M. de Calonne or M. Neckar was right or wrong: the question does not deferve that we should undergo the tedioufnefs of fuch a controverfy.'

From the language of this tranflation, we think ourselves, in fome measure, warranted to conclude, without having feen the original, that it has been rather too hastily performed, to do full juftice to the pen of the very able author.

Art. 24. The Speech of Mr. Wilkes in the Houfe of Commons, May 9th, 1787, refpecting the Impeachment of Warren Hastings, Efq. 8vo. 1 s. Robinsons.

Mr. Wilkes undertook the good-natured, and we hope the juft, task of defending the Governor General from the many articles of

accufation

accufation accumulated against him, by pleading the uniform, fuccefsful, and profperous tenor of his Indian adminiftration, the fentiments entertained of him in the Eaft, and the frequent warm votes of approbation and thankful acknowledgment that he received to the last from his principals. All thefe, indeed, speak a language to tally different from the declamation and acrimony fo lavishly difplayed in the parliamentary impeachment. It is almòft needlefs to add, that the fpeech is conceived in terms characteristic of the orator's well-known abilities.

Art. 25. An Examination of Mr. Pitt's Plan for diminishing the Public Debts by means of a Sinking Fund. 8vo. 1s. Stockdale. 1787. This, to any one who understands common accounts, will appear to be a plain matter of calculation; fhewing the operation of the prefent fcheme for buying up the national debt, and in what time it will be effected.

Art. 26. Pou-Ron: an biftorical and critical Enquiry into the Phyfiology and Pathology of Parliaments. Including a new Plan for a conftitutional Reform, in two Parts. Recommended to the ferious Perufal of all political Societies, Conventions, Delegates, Volunteers, Electors, and Reprefentatives. By a Freeholder. 4s. Boards. Stockdale. 1787.

8vo.

We are forry to obferve a beginning tendency to introduce thofe quaint and unintelligible titles to books, which were fo common in the last century, but which we thought the founder judgment of the prefent age had wifely laid afide. The Diverfions of Purley, and PouRou are recent examples of this fort; both abfolutely require an immediate explanation, and convey no idea whatever to the Reader. It appears that this Author, in the courfe of his reading, had difcovered that the Egyptians expreffed the executive power by the two fyllables Pou-Rou. This, he fays, means populi rex, and not populus rex, which last he holds in detellation. We should be forry to see this enigmatical mode of making title-pages prevail.

Nothing can be more wild than the ideas of liberty which were, fome years ago, propagated in this country, or more chimerical than the plans of reform in the conftitution, that have originated in those ideas; and though fome men of talents countenanced them from particular views, yet as that delirium is now nearly over, we think little more is wanting to bring the people to their fenfes, than a small portion of time for obfervation. The Author of this work has taken the trouble to collect a great many proofs of the ruinous confequences that have refulted to communities and ftates, by indulging notions concerning government, fimilar to thofe that were lately very fafhionable. His account of the British conftitution, though extremely defective as to its original form, is entirely fufficient to prove that nothing could be more oppofite to its fpirit than those plans of reform, as they were called, which were fo much agitated two years ago. This Author, however, who endeavours to prove that all power refided originally with the King, gives an idea of our early conftitution as defective as the fyftem of thofe who derive all power from the people. A good account of the fundamental principles of the British conftitution in its infancy, with an historical deduction of its changes, REV. Oct. 1787.

Ꮓ

is much wanted. If written without prejudice, by a man fufficiently informed, it would prove a very interesting performance.

This Author's plan of reform confifts of certain contrivances to extend the power of the crown, to increase the influence of men of property, and to curtail the power of the people. Strange, that fuch noxious political weeds should spring up in a land of freedom! They fhould be tranfplanted to Algiers or Morocco; the foil there will fuit them much better.

Art. 27. Thoughts on the Caufe of the Increase of the Poor, and of the Poor's Rates; with fome Hints towards a Remedy: offered to the ferious Confideration of all landed Gentlemen throughout the Kingdom; and particularly to the Members of both Houfes of Parliament. 8vo. 1s. Debrett.

This Writer afcribes the increafing burden of deftitute poor to the miftaken policy of the landed gentlemen, in aggregating small farms into large ones; and of courfe refers the remedy of the evil to the authors of it. The most natural and obvious caufe of the increase of the poor, as well as their expence, and perhaps the only one to be affigned, I take to be the abforption of the fmaller farms into the greater, and the depriving, or not allowing, the common labourer a fmall portion of land to his cottage.' Thefe have indeed frequently been aligned as the caufes of the indigence of the lower orders of the working poor; and their being overlooked is no proof of mistake in the imputation. The defire of gentlemen and their ftewards to cafe themselves of trouble, and the avarice of farmers in grasping every thing into their own hands, feems not to have occurred as the chief caufe, of which the difufe of fome old wife laws firft laid the foundation. We need only then have recourfe to the same spirit as pervades thefe old laws, and by adapting it to the prefent exigency, the remedy will foon follow.' Every one will allow, that fo material an alteration in the conduct of landlords could not take place, without producing fome new confequence; we find a cotemporary increase of poor attended with a greater increase in the price of the fmaller articles of provifions, than other caufes can naturally account for. There is no wonder, then, that plain understandings, not biaffed by perfonal intereft, nor mifled by amufing fpeculations, should fuppofe a correfpondence between these two feries of events. Such is the cafe with respect to the writer now before us; and we have only to hope, that in the public affembly of the nation, the public intereft will at length fwallow up all partial interested modes of perfonal conduct, instead of trifling with our welfare and aggravating our grievances by political quackery.

LAW.

Art. 28. Proceedings at the Affizes at Thetford, March 18, 1786, and March 24, 1787, in the Trial of William Hurry, Merchant, Yarmouth, on an Indictment preferred against him by John Watfon, Mayor elect of the faid Borough, for wilful and corrupt Perjury: and in the Action agaiaft the faid John Watfon, then Mayor of the faid Borough, brought by the faid William Hurry, for a malicious Profecution of him by the above Indictment: with the Substance of Mr. Partridge's Opening in the first Trial: and the Speeches at

large