Art. 30. The History of Henrietta Mortimer. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55.

fewed. Hookham. 1787.

Were the merits of a novel to lie in its intrigo, as Mr. Bayes expreffes it, in the heaping of incident on incident, and that in defance of established rules, the hiftory of Henrietta Mortimer would be a capital performance indeed! The plot of it is as extravagant as that of a Spanih comedy, in which there is ufually fuch a multiplicity of events, that the mind is kept continually and painfully on the ftretch, in order to retain or retrace them. Such a compofition has little to recommend it to notice. There can be no delineation of character there can be no difplay of fentiment. The pages are taken up in twifting, and then endeavouring to untie a knot, which, after all, the ingenious twister is generally obliged to cut.

From the style of this novel, we fuppofe it to be the production of a female pen. Mr. Selby is a gentleman of a pretty fortune.'Lady Sophia is never down till nine o'clock;' and fo forth. Art. 31. The Hiftory of Mifs Greville. By the Author of Interefting Memoirs *.' 3 Vols. 12mo. 7s. 6d. fewed. Cadell. 1787. We have feldom perufed a novel with which we have been better pleafed, or more affected, than with the prefent; and we regret that the limits of our Review will not permit us to expatiate fo much up. on the merits of this production as we could wish. Many and beautiful are the paffages we could felect for the gratification of our readers, did not this reafon prevent us. Some of the fcenes are drawn with exquinte tenderness and pathos, the fentiments are pure and virtuous, and the language in which they are clothed is for the most part elegant. We are not of opinion that the Author has altogether proved what he was defirous of illustrating-the poffibility of overcoming a first attachment. After frequent and great ftruggles in the mind of the heroine to acquire a victory over her unhappily-placed affections, many and deep regrets appear to disturb her happinefs and interrupt her tranquillity. Mrs. Keir holds a dif tinguished place among the novelifts of the prefent age; and what age has abounded more in this fpecies of writers? It is beyond the power of any one, endued with the fmalleft fhare of divine fenfibility,' to rife from the perufal of thefe volumes without feeling his heart meliorated, his affections expanded, and directed to their proper objects, and his virtuous inclinations confirmed.

Art. 32. The Minor; or Hiftory of George O'Nial, Efq. 12mo. 2 Vols. 55. fewed. Lane.

In this ill-written book, the Author has reprefented human nature in the most ugly and unfeemly fhapes. His perfons can only be compared, in filthinefs, with the fauns and fatyrs of poetic days.

EDUCATION, SCHOOL Books, &c.

Art. 33. The Locking Glafs for the Mind; or intelle&ual Mirror. Being a Collection of Stories and Tales, chiefly tranflated from L'Ami des Enfans. 12mo. 2s. 6d. bound. Newbery. 1787. As M. Berquin's Children's Friend has gained fuch univerfal applaufe, this felection from that work will meet with general appro

* See Rev, vol. lxxiv. p. 307.

bation.

bation. The ftories are told in eafy, flowing language, and are well calculated for the entertainment and inftruction of young readers. Art. 34. The Rational Dame; or, Hints towards fupplying Prattle for Children. 12mo. Is. 6d. fewed. Marfhall. 1786. ` A very rational' compilation for young perfons of both fexes, containing defcriptions and plates of quadrupeds, reptiles, infects, &c. The defcriptions are short and clear; but they would, perhaps, be more fuitable to young understandings, if the language were lefs technical; few children, for inftance, can tell what is meant by digitated animals, the larvae of gnats, the pupe of butterflies,'

&c. &c.

Art. 35. La Bonne Mère. Contenant de petites Pieces Dramatiques, &c. i. e. The Good Mother. Containing little Dramatic Pieces, each preceded by the Definition and followed by the Moral, between the Good Mother and her two Daughters, &c. By M, Perrin. 12mo. 3s. 6d. bound. Law, &c. 1786.

Books of education in our own language have lately encreased in an extraordinary degree, and French collections " à l'ufage de la jeuneffe," and "à l'ufage des écoles," are coming out very frequently. The prefent is on a plan, which, we think, has not yet been adopted. It confifts of little dramas, each preceded by a definition (in a converfation between the Good Mother and her two daughters) of the leading title of the play: for inftance, in the drama of The Benevolent Young Lady,' the Good Mother afks her children what benevolence is? and if their anfwers do not quite agree with her ideas, the explains them farther. These are followed by the moral of the play, which is, in our opinion, a good thought, and, as well as the definitions, executed in a commendable manner. After this are given hiftorical sketches and anecdotes fuitable to the preceding drama; but many of the anecdotes, &c. have been already published in productions fimilar to La Bonne Mère.

In a word, this compilement is well adapted for the entertainment and improvement of young ladies, in particular, who are learning the French language; yet it may alfo be read with advantage by youth of both fexes. We with, indeed, it had been more correctly printed.

LAW.

Art. 16. The fuperintending Power of the Magiftrate, and the dif cretionary Power of Parish Officers, in the apprenticing of Parish Children, confidered. With a fhort Addrefs to Thomas Gilbert, Efq. relative to the Repeal of the Poor Laws. 8vo. Whieldon. 1787.

This pamphlet originated on the following occafion : One of the churchwardens, and one of the overfeers of a parish, refusing to concur in executing indentures for putting out two parish children as apprentices, the other overfeer complained of this condat, and the parties perfifting in their refufal, the juftices levied a fine of twenty fhillings upon each of them for negligence of office. An action of trefpafs was brought by the overfeer who had been fined, again it two of the juftices for levying the penalty without jurifREV. July, 1787.

G

diction i

diction; and the caufe being tried at the Summer affizes 1786, at Huntingdon, a verdict was given for the plaintiff, fubject neverthelefs to the opinion of the court of Common Pleas, in matters of law arifing on the trial. At Michaelmas term, this court, without having the cafe fully argued before them (as it is represented), ordered the verdict to be confirmed.

66

The defendants now appeal to the public, and ftate, that by 43 Eliz. fec. 5. “It shall be lawful for the churchwardens and overfeers, or the greater part of them, by the affent of any two justices of the peace aforefai, to bind any fuch chudren as aforefaid to be apprentices, where they shall fee convenient." It was argued against them at Huntingdon, that the greater part required by the act was wanting; two officers being for binding, and two against it: that the required affent of the juftices is fubfequent to the application of fuch officers; fo that their interference previous to an application was extra-judicial: that the application must be voluntary, not compulfive; for the officers may refufe to bind fuch children apprentices with impunity and that therefore the profecution must be deemed oppreffive and malicious.

The defend ints now reply, that the feveral fections of a statute are to be compared together to obtain the complete meaning of them; for that the moment the will of the fubject can impede the will of the legislature with impunity, that moment the will of the legiflature ceafes to be a law: that though the law vefts a difcre. tionary power in the officers to bind paupers, where they may fee convenient, to bird them fomewhere is their duty; that the officers have a difcretionary power to relieve the impotent, either in a workhoufe or out of it, but they have no difcretionary power to ftarve them; therefore, as fect. 2. inficts a penalty of twenty fhillings on officers who are negligent in their office, an officer refufing to bind out children is liable to the penalty.

The court however did not adopt this conftruction; and the fault is imputed to the counfel retained in the court of Common Pleas, who did not enter into the propofed investigation.

The charge of oppreffion and malice, ftarted by the counsellor for the plaintiff at Huntingdon, gives rife to a fevere remonttrance for fo unfounded and wanton an exercife of language.

EXCISE LAWS.

Art. 37. An Appeal to the Common Senfe of the Nation: containing fome remarks upon "An Act for repealing certain Duties upon Wines imported, and for granting new Duties," &c. fhewing that no Englishman, as the Law now ftands, is fafe in his Bed, unless in Prifon. By S. Purlewent, of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo.

Wilkie. 1787.

By the at 25 Geo. III. c. 59. f. 39. perfons giving or ufing a false permit for the removal of foreign wine, muft forfeit 500l. By f. 40. the fame penalty is impofed on forging, or ufing forged certificates of recognizance. And by f. 41. in every action for the faid penalties, fufficient bail fhall be given. It is contended, that, by thefe claufes, a perfon is punifhed before he is tried that the most vir s man is placed in a worfe fituation than a common pickpocket,

:

houfe

houfebreaker, or highwayman; and ruffians are furnished with the means of tearing him from his wife and family, at a moment's notice.

No friend to liberty can confiftently argue for an extenfion of excife laws, nor can any friend to his country with that smuggling fhould be carried on with impunity: fmuggling being not only, as it is tenderly extenuated, cheating the king, but a fraud upon every honeft man who is taxed for the fupport of government. When, therefore, we fee the poffible abuse of the powers directed to fupprefs fmuggling, held out in a tremendous light, it is but natural to turn back to fuch revenue laws as have existed for a series of years, to fee how they have operated upon thofe who have been fubject to them. In fuch a retrospect we shall perceive, that to give them due effect, they are not to be rendered vexatious; and that the complaints of them have not been so often made by fufferers under them, as by unconcerned theorists, who preferve no meafure when it fuits them to raife an alarm. Let any temperate man judge whether an enemy to excife laws does not defeat his own purpofe, by ftarting the fol lowing objection to this act: In time of war it may be ufed as a political engine to ruin the nation; and is attended with this convenience to your enemy, that the perfon who chufes to make use of the ftatute may employ it without fufpicion and without detection. The wifeft fchemes may be fruftrated, the best plans the best of minifters can form, rendered ufelefs by it. An hour may be of the most important confequence to the falvation of this nation, and yet by this act you have armed your enemies with a power of feizing every naval and military officer at that very critical moment when their country calls for their affiftance. God knows, many of those brave fellows are not always in the most affluent circumstances. Where then are they to find bail for 500l. 1cool. or 1,col. if arreled ?'

Happy then was it for the nation that this ftatute was not in being at the time of the late memorable bombardment of Gibraltar, when foreign wines fcarcely waited for formal permits. And if martial law in a garrifon had fet a civil arreft at defiance, the remedy might have been stated as worse than the disease.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Art. 38. The Memoirs of Mrs. Sophia Baddeley, late of Drury-Lane Theatre. By Mrs. Elizabeth Steele. 12mo. 6 Vols. 18. fewed. Hookham. 1787.

The fuccefs of Mrs. Bellamy's memoirs hath, no doubt, paved the way for thefe relative to her profeffional filter; and here too, as in the former publication, many are the names introduced, and many the reputations that are hack'd and hew'd," paft all mending. But, Ladies, you should confider that if this practice continues, the caufe of pleasure, your facred caufe! muft, in conte-, quence, greatly fuffer. Ye priefteffes of Cyprus, who will then dare to facrifice at your altars? Gallants, beware! look fharp! take care!" For, sooner or later, all will out; and then, brothers, uncles, fathers, aye and grandfathers too, will ftand expofed, as in these

G 2

volumes,

volumes, and pointed out by the finger of fcorn, and the eye

ridicule.

Spellatum admiffi rifum teneatis?

Adad! even REVIEWERS themselves may not be safe!

of

Art. 39. The complete Inftructor of Short-Hand. Upon Principles applicable to the European Languages, and alfo to the technical Terms used by Anatomifts; and more comprehenfive and eafy to write and read than any other Syftem hitherto published. By W. J. Blanchard, near twenty Years Practifer of the Art in Weftminiter-hall. 4to. il. Is. Author.

We have repeatedly given our fentiments on fhort-hand fyftems. This performance confirms us in our former opinions. Mr. Blanchard's fhort-hand may doubtless be eafily and expeditiously written by an adept in the art; and as to its ambiguity, our Readers may form their own thoughts, when we apprize them, that in the courfe of four hours from our first taking up the book, though totally unacquainted with Mr. Blanchard's fyftem, which is materially different from all others that we know, we were enabled to read a quarto page of writing in fmall characters, and to discover that the Author, intentionally we fuppofe, has omitted to infert in the explication which is placed on the oppofite page in letter press, several words and fentences occurring in the engraved page. Thus the explication of near the third part of the feventh line of the plate, at p. 39. is omitted in the eleventh line of the printed page; the words wanting are, and indeed if we confider the common punishments.' Not to mention others in the fame page, which we fuppofe were left to be fupplied by the diligent learner.

Art. 40.

The Poft Chaife Companion: or, Traveller's Directory through Ireland, &c. By W. Wilfon, Dublin. 8vo. 1786. This very useful compilation, for all travellers in Ireland, contains a description and fhort hiftory of Dublin; a detail of all the roads in that kingdom, with their diftances, &c. defcriptions of cities, towns, noblemen's and gentlemen's feats, public buildings, catles, ruins, churches, rivers, harbours, mountains, lakes, &c. &c. lifts of judges, circuits, poft office, exprefs table, and rates of postage tables of the distances of the cities, boroughs, market and feaport towns, from each other, with indexes, &c. The work is adorned with engravings of the Giant's Cauferway, the water-fall of Poll a-Phuca, and a neat map fhewing the Irish roads, &c. &c. Art. 41. A Panegyric on Frederick III. King of Pruffia, &c. &c. &c; Tranflated from the French (which is annexed) of M. Laureau, Historiographer to the Count D'Artois. By Henry Charles Chriftian Newman, A. B. of Trinity Col. Camb. 4to. 35. Kearsley, &c. 1787.

Panegyrics on great men, and worthy characters, ought to be written in an animated flyle, and their language fhould be ornanental, fublime, and perfpicuous. Such we find the French of M. Laureau we wish we could fay the fame of the tranflator's English. The fact is, that Mr. Newman has affected a grandeur of expreffion, but unfortunately he has not fucceeded; he has followed the French