ers in the public funds, which makes a deduction of 3 millions per annum. Notwithstanding the great lofs which, it is natural to imagine, England muft fuftain by the independence of the colonies, and the free trade of Ireland, yet he remarks, that it is yet in her power, by commerce, and by virtue of her own natural products, to maintain her refpectability, and increafe her riches, fuppofing that he was alfo deprived of her poffeffions both in the Eaft and West Indies. He next proceeds to enquire with what countries the balance of trade may be fuppofed to be againft, or in favour of England. By Ruffia, Sweden, and Denmark, the Jofes. It is much difputed, refpecting Germany, on which fide the balance lies. It appears, at firft, to be decidedly in favour of England; both the quantity and value of goods exported from hence to Germany, being much fuperior to thofe imported. But it must be obferved that Germany is a confiderable gainer upon many of these articles, by difpofing of them again to the adjacent countries; and alfo that feveral forts of goods are entered at the Custom-house, as imported from Holland and Italy, which are the produce of Germany. With France the lofs is very confiderable; for although the balance appear in the books of the Custom-houfe much in favour of England, yet the immenfe contraband trade greatly preponderates in favour of France. He further fuggefts, that by the fuppreffion of fmuggling, and a prudent commercial treaty, both nations might be benefited, and the occafion of perpetual contentions taken away. Both these objects are now accomplished; and every friend to humanity, every lover of his country, muft wifh them to anfwer the intended purposes. This chapter contains much interefting matter, which cannot be further noticed without exceeding our prefent limits. In his account of the manufactures of the kingdom, he expreffes his admiration at the high degree of perfection to which they are arrived; at the incredible number of hands employed; and the expedition, elegance, and cheapnefs of the goods. We think, however, that he is mistaken when he afferts, that the foreign woollen cloths are fcarcely inferior to the English, and feems surprised that the latter fhould be fo much preferred. Nor can we agree with him in the affertion, that foreign dies or colours, are in general preferable. It is readily allowed, that in the black die we are much excelled by the Dutch; but as to moft other colours and particularly fearlet, blue, and garnet, we excel them both in the vividness and fixedness of the colours. The foftnefs of the feel, which he commends in the Dutch cloths, proceeds merely from their loofer contexture, and this again proceeds from their not being fo firmly milled; in confequence of which defect, though there manifeftly arifes a confiderable faving faving of materials to the manufacturer, yet the cloth is by no means fo ftrong; and, the nap being eafily fretted off, a coat appears much fooner threadbare. (The remainder of this work to be confidered in a future Article.) 78,568. MONTHLY CATALOGUE, For SEPTEMBER, 1787. PHILOSOPHY. Art. 20. An Examination of the 3d and 4th Definitions of the First Book of Sir Ifaac Newton's Principia; and of the Three Axioms or Laws of Motion. By Robert Young. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Becket. 1787. 'THE HE whole account of the vis inertie,' fays this writer, is a feries of inconfiftencies; and the more it is attempted to be explained, the more incomprehenfible it will be found.' The very name in his opinion is a contradiction, and fignifies nothing. Á force of inactivity,' he afferts, is the fame as a forceless force.' Sir Ifaac Newton defines the term vis inertia, without the leaft ambiguity or obfcurity, to be, that innate tendency qua corpus unumquodque, quantum in fe eft, perfeverat in ftatu fuo, vel quiefcendi, vel movendi uniformiter in directum;' i. e. by which every material body whatsoever, as much as is in itfelf, perfeveres in its proper ftate, either of reft or uniform rectilineal motion. Mr. Young forces into the definition the word endeavour, and the definition implies, in his opinion, that every body at reft endeavours to continue at reft.' This endeavouring to continue at reft, caufes a long metaphyfical difquifition, at the end of which our Author concludes, That bodies do not endeavour to remain at reft while they are at reft.' Newton never had any fuch thought; he plainly meant, that every body has a natural tendency to perfevere in the ftate in which it is. If a body be at reft, it will remain at reft; or, which is the fame thing, it has in itfelf a tendency (but it does not endeavour) to remain at reft. From this view of the fubject, Mr. Young feems to have been engaged only in a logomachy; and his mistake, probably, arifes from a mifapprehenfion of Sir Ifaac's idea. LAW. Art. 21. The whole Proceedings on the Trials of two Informations exhibited ex officio by the Attorney General against Lord George Gordon: one for a Libel against the Queen of France, the other for a Libel on the Judges. Alfo The Trial of Thomas Wilkins for printing the last mentioned Libel, Tried at Guildhall, June 6, 1787, before Judge Buller. Taken in Short-hand by Jofeph Gurney. 8vo. 28. Gurney. Cagliostro received a meffage from M. Barthelemy (the Charge des Affaires at our court in the abfence of Count d'Adhemar) requesting that he would attend at the French ambaffador's, in confequence of a permiffion granted to Caglioftro, to return to France. Lord George Gordon went with Caglioftro. The next morning a paragraph (Cogan New Jerier, 4,283. (N.) paragraph appeared in the Public Advertiser, ftating that Caglioftro waited on M. Barthelemy, accompanied with Lord George Gordon and M. de Erouville,-that Mr. B. expreffed a defire to speak to Cagliostro in private, to which Caglioftro would not fubmit,-that Mr. B. then read a letter from France [the fubftance of this letter is not mentioned], of which Caglioftro requested a copy, but was refused, and the paragraph concludes thus: A great deal of converfation then enfued upon the fubject, which will, in all probability, give rise to a full reprefentation to the King of France, who is certainly very much impofed on. The Queen's party is ftill violent against Comte de Caglioftro, the friend of mankind and De Breteuil-Le Sieur de Launey-Titon-De Brunieres-Maitre Chefnon --Barthelemy-and Dazimer, are the mere inftruments of that faction. The honour of the King of France, the juftice and judgment of the Parliament of Paris, the good faith of the citizens, and the good name of the nation, are all attaintea by the pillage and deten. tion of the property of Comte de Cagliostro.' : This paragraph and another fubfequent to it, nearly of the fame purport, were proved by Mr. Woodfall to have been written by Lord George Gordon; whom the jury pronounced guilty of libelling the Queen of France, and the French Ambaffador. The other libel of which Lord George was found guilty, was a pamphlet, entitled The Prifoners petition to Lord G. G. to preferve their lives and liberties, and prevent their banishment to Botany Bay.' It was proved that Lord George had written this petition himself, and that Mr. Thomas Wilkins had printed it. They were both found guilty. MEDICAL. m Art. 22. Obfervations on Medical Elearicity, containing a Synopfis of all the Difeafes in which Electricity has been recommended or applied with Succefs. By Francis Lowndes, Medical Electrician. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Nicol, &c. 1787. A Catalogue of fuch cafes, as have fallen under Mr. Lowndes's notice, in which electricity has either perfectly cured the difeafe, or given great relief. The Author has alfo added fome ufeful directions for applying electricity in particular cafes. Art. 23. Set of Anatomical Tables, with Explanations, and an Abridgmen of the Practice of Midwifery. By William Smellie, M. D. A new Edition, carefully corrected and revifed, with Notes and Illuftrations, by A. Hamilton, M. D. F. R. S. Profeffor of Midwifery at Edinburgh. 8vo. 6s. Boards. Elliot. 1787. The original edition of Dr. Smellie's Midwifery was given to the world, in three volumes octavo, at feparate times; and was illuftrated with plates, as large as the life, which were published in one large volume royal folio, accompanied with a fhort explanation of the figures, and references to the three volumes of the general fystem. Dr. Hamilton has here reduced the figures fo as to bring them into an octavo fize, whereby the original intention of Dr. Smellie is fruftrated. It is on a perfect knowledge of the fize and proportion of the the bones that the whole practice depends; and on that account, by Mr. Foot's fenfible remarks on Mr. Hunter's new opinions were written, as we obferved in our first account of them (See Rev. vol. lxxv. p.104.), with no fmall degree of acrimony; this circumftance hath called forth, among other opponents, Mr. Trye, who 303. makes a feeble attempt to refute Mr. Foot's obfervations; had Mr. Trye attended to what we faid on fympathy when Mr. Hunter's book was before us, he could not, furely, have defended Mr. H.'s opinion, or have blamed Mr. Foot for cenfuring it. Mr. Trye fays, that Mr. Foot has been very attentive to the advice" Throw dirt enough, and fome will ftick:" Mr. Trye himself has not neglected the maxim. Di Art. 25. Strictures in Vindication of fome of the Doctrines misrepre fented by Mr. Foot, in his two Pamphlets entitled "Obfervations upon the new Opinions of John Hunter, in his late Treatife, &c. &c." By T. Brand, Member of the Corporation of Surgeons, &c. 2s. 6d. Nicol. 1787. Virulence is the characteristic of the disease which is the subject of this controverfy; it is alfo the characteristic of the pamphlet before us. The moft judicious part of Mr. Foot's obfervations on Mr. Hunter's new opinions remains unanfwered by Mr. Brand. As a pupil of Mr. Hunter, it was laudable in our Author to defend the tenets of his mafter; but he is very unequal to the task. Independent of his cenfures on Mr. Foot, this heated writer attacks Sharpe, Gataker, and Pott, men who have been ornaments to their profeffion, and whofe acknowledged veracity and integrity would not fuffer them on any account to infert what Mr. B. calls a falsehood, in their ufeful publications. When Mr. Sharpe fays, I have lately met with an inftance in a body I diffected, &c.' there is not the leaft ground for doubting that Mr. Sharpe had diffected the body. It is too great arrogance and prefumption to attribute every improvement in anatomy and furgery to one man. Art. 26. Obfervations on Poifons; and on the Ufe of Mercury in the Cure of obftinate Dyfenteries. By Thomas Houlton, M. D. A new edition. 8vo. 1s. 6d. Elliot. 1787. In the 71ft volume of our Review, p. 390, we noticed the first edi tion of Dr. Houlton's Obfervations; the prefent edition is encreased with four additional papers fimilar to the former. REV. Sept. 1787. S EDU EDUCATION. Art. 27. A new Syftem of Reading; or the Art of reading English, practically exemplified in almoft every Word in ufe, and farther illuftrated from the Beauties of the whole Bible. By Mr. du Mitand. 12mo. 35. 6d. bound. Law. 1787. Mr. du Mitand dedicates this work to Mr. Raikes of Glocefter, 'and would think himself fully recompenfed, and completely happy, if it prove in any way ferviceable to the Sunday fchools. The Author had not, perhaps, fufficiently confidered, that thefe laudable inftitutions were intended to inftruct poor children in the great truths of the Chriftian religion, and to curb the prevalence of vice and immorality, by inftilling into the minds of the rifing generation the genuine principles of piety and virtue, but by no means to teach elocution, or oratory. Whether this publication can anfwer the purpofe of teaching either Englishmen or foreigners the true pronunciation, is doubtful. A foreigner, who has obtained a proper pronunciation of our language is rara avis in terris; and, if we may judge from fome of Mr. du Mitand's rules, his pronunciation is not perfectly polite. Ea,' he fays, founds like long, as mean; or like ee, as clear,' p. 3. What difference there is between e long and ee is not eafily deter.mined. Mr. du Mitand accentuates conventicle thus, conven ale, p. 68. Enterprize, thus-enterprize, p. 70. Museum, thusmufum, p. 110. With refpect to pronunciation, the Author has the following rule; When e ori are preceded by c or t, the last fyllable 'is pronounced as if written bus; as, herbáceous, oftentatious, pronounce herbafbus, oftentafhus,' p. 166. On the whole, however, confidered as a fpelling-book, Mr. du Mitand's publication is, perhaps, inferior to none. SUNDAY SCHOOLS. Art. 28. A bort Abridgment of the Bible; with Reflections, and a Catechism of Questions. 24to. 8d. fewed. Baldwin. 1787. Certain detached ftories from the Bible are here given, in a fimple ftyle. The reflections and catechifm are well intended to imprefs on the minds of children the doctrines which the portions of Scripture, here collected, contain. POETRY. Art. 29. Poetical Elays. By the Rev. William Atkinson, M. A. Fellow of Jefus College, Cambridge. 4to. 1s. Wallis. 1786. This Writer attempts the fimple ftrains of paftoral dialogue, but, in our judgment, with no great degree of fuccefs. In endeavouring to avoid unfuitable elegance, he ceafes to be poetical, and exemplifies the character, Serpit bumi tatus nimium timidufque procellæ. So |