ftate in which it is; there is nothing that implies an endeavour in the inactive body. Mr. Young, in his pamphlet, fays, The whole account of vis inertia is a feries of inconfiftencies.' It is fomewhat extraordinary that this feries of inconfiftencies* fhould have been admired for an hundred years, by every true philofopher in the world; and that the vis inertia fhould now first be called a forcelefs force. This expreffion we objected to, because it is a mere play on words. With refpect to the term vis inertia, it may be oblerved, that the idea annexed to it, or intended to be expreffed by it, was entirely new, viz. an inherent property in bodies never before defcribed; it was neceffary therefore to apply to this new idea a new term, and no one presented itself, nor could be chofen, with more propriety, than vis inertia; because it not only exprefles the innate tendency of matter to remain in the fame state, but alfo implies a refiftance which is obfervable in all material bodies to every effort or impulfe made on them in order to alter their state of rest into a state of motion, or the contrary. But, notwithstanding the propriety of the word, every objection must vanish, when the term is defined, and when we know the idea which the Author expreffes by it.

From thefe and fimilar reflections, we thought that Mr. Young had misapprehended or mistaken the true meaning of the great philofopher; and we thought alfo that a logomachy was fufficiently apparent, when a forcelefs force led the van of a series of inconfifiencies.

*They were first published in 1687.

R-m.

+++ Dr. Hamilton, Profeffor of Midwifery at Edinburgh, has favoured us with a few lines, occafioned by our notice of the reduced plates of Smellie's Midwifery, p. 240 in our Review for September. The Doctor charges us with a mistake, but he does not clearly inform us in what we are mistaken. From the publication, it was impoffible to learn that the plates, on a reduced feale, had been published twice, before they appeared with Dr. Hamilton's name, viz. in or about 1778, with an edition of the Midwifery; and again in a 12mo edition of the fame work at Edinburgh by Elliot, 1784. It is not our custom to review new editions of books, unless they are published with additions, either of the Author, or of a learned editor. The two editions of the Midwifery appeared without the editor's name; confequently they came not before us; and we noticed the prefent edition of the plates (the very fame plates that had been published in the two editions above mentioned) because it appeared with the respectable name of Dr. Hamilton. D:

1st A conftant Reader of the M. R.' defires to be informed, which treatife on fhort-hand the Reviewers would recommend, as the moft eafy and effectual for faithfully taking down oral eloquence, &c.-Were we to anfwer this enquiry, it would not only be quitting our profeffional line, but it might expofe us to the refentment of all thofe writers on the fubject, to whom the preference was not given.We have many times, in our Notes to Correfpondents, requested our Readers to spare themfelves, and us, the trouble of inquiries of this nature, as we are determined never to expofe ourselves to the inconveniencies

16

veniences which might arife from our anfwering them.-Not to infift on the impropriety of fubjecting us to a tax, which no one hath a right to impofe.

The fame Correfpondent wishes to know, whether Dr. Wendeborn's publication [Vid. our Foreign Literature for Sept. laft, p. 229] is translated into English.-We have not heard of any translation. He also recommends a new pamphlet on the unfitnefs of imprifonment for debt, as proper for our notice. We wish the gentleman had mentioned either the name of the author, or publisher: but our collector will enquire for it.-We acknowledge the politeness of this unknown Letter-writer; and are forry that we cannot oblige him, with respect to the firft object of his inquiry.

Although we are much pleafed with, and obliged by, the friendly admonition contained in the Letter figned Candidus, we fcruple not to declare, to this refpectable Correfpondent, our firm affarance that, were we not more ufefully employed (as we truft we are, in the honeft and immediate difcharge of the public duty in which we are engaged), we could eafily, and fully, defend every fentiment to which he objects, in our account of Mr. Newton's Meffiah: but we have refolved to admit no religious controverfy into the Review, in which the Reviewers themfelves may be confidered as parties. We defire, however, that this Correfpondent, while he holds us excused from all theological contention with him, will accept our kind acknowledgment of his truly candid letter.

tit T. C.'s objection relates to Mr. Dawson, and not us. As far as is confiftent with the limits of this work, we freely made our remarks on the tranflation of, what appears, a more material paffage than that relative to tithes, and which is equally inconfiftent with the account in the New Teftament: thofe remarks will apply to the other paragraph of which T. C. takes notice. By what art of construction the new tranflation can be reconciled with the account in the Epiftle to the Hebrews, we will not enquire. For this Mr. Dawfon is accountable. We will just add T. C.'s farther remark: However ingenious Mr. Dawfon's criticisms may be, it fhould feem that they cannot be fupported without fuppofing a palpable contradiction in Holy Writ, rather than admit which, I doubt not he would give up his opinion of the paffage, even allowing that it might bear his interpretation.'-For our account of Mr. Dawson's tranflation of Genefis, fee Rev. for Aug. laft, p. 140.

H.

We have taken fome pains, in our researches concerning Quintus Sextius;-the refult will appear in our APPENDIX.-This to Clericus.

N. B. The Letters of fome other Correspondents remain to be noticed in

our next.

Errata in this Number

P. 342. par. 2. line for ferrugineous, & form

THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For DECEMBER, 1787.

ART. I. Hiftorical Memoirs of the IRISH BARDS. Interfperfed with Anecdotes, and occafional Obfervations on the Music of IRELAND. Alfo an hiftorical and defcriptive Account of the mufical Inftruments of the ancient Irish. And an Appendix, containing feveral Biographical and other Papers, with felect Irish Melodies. By Jofeph C. Walker, Member of the Royal Irish Academy. 4to. 13s. Boards. Payne, &c. 1786.

TH

HE prefent rage for antiquities in Ireland furpaffes that of any other nation in Europe. The Welsh, who have no contemptible opinion of the antiquity of their poetry and mufic, are left among the younger children of the earth, by Mr. Walker, and the writers of the COLLECTANEA DE REBUS HIBERNICIS. Indeed there is no antiquity fhort of the creation that can gratify these authors *. In the tenth year of the laft Belgic monarch, a colony, called by the Irifh Tuatha-de-Danan, of the pofterity of Nemedius, invaded and foon after fettled themfelves in Ireland.' Now, we hope that every curious reader is well acquainted with this period and perfon; if not, we refer them to Warner's Hiftory of Ireland, vol. i. where they will find the first mention of the Bardic profeffion. Mr. Walker, more modeftly, fuppofes that the true ara of the orders of Druids and BARDS in Ireland, was the landing of the Milefians in that kingdom.This is evident from tradition.-Yet our hiftorians obferve a profound filence (fays the Author) with respect to the Bards, till Tighernmas fucceeded to the monarchy, anno mundi 2815.' This, our Readers will doubtlefs recollect, was during the middle of the fiege of Troy.

Mr. W. fays, it is the fashion of the day to queftion the antiquity of Irish MSS.;' and we fee plainly, in England, that it

* It is left to the learned in Bulls, not of the name of JoHN, to determine, whether the Author of Memoirs of Irish Bards, and Irish Music of remote antiquity, as well as of the inftruments of the ancient Irish, can without a folecism fay, that his work has novelty to recommend it.' Vide Pref,

is the fashion of the day to give them an antiquity and a credence, in Ireland, that we are unable to allow. If the Irifh afk too much respect and reverence for these fables, the English will certainly give them too little.

Mr. (not Dr.) T. Warton deduces the Bardic inftitution from the Eaft. And Colonel Vallancey says, that all that was brought into Ireland by the Milefians" has an Oriental origin." Traditions are given as evidences that "the arts of poetry and mufic obtained among the Milefians both before and after their arrival in Ireland." After this we have all the wild and conjectural rites of Druidical colleges and inftitutions of immemorable periods.' Then the fcattered fragments concerning the difcipline and function of Bards are fcrupulously collected from the poets, and given as "confirmations ftrong as proofs of holy writ:" the Author indifcriminately fweeping into his Bardic or Poet's corner whatever he can find, be it true or falfe, probable or improbable. Even the nonfenfe of the Abbé du Bos has not escaped his broom. The Abbé had no doubt but that the ancients accompanied finging and declamation with a baffe continue, or thorough bafs! So that, befide the difficulty of tranflating and of afcertaining the antiquity of these poetical Irish witnesses, the Author's materials for filling a large book being fcanty, they have been eked out with the dry, formal compliments to friends, and the parade of great reading, difplayed in the notes, with the pomp and liberality of a German commentator. Even the common-place incredulity of Horace, Credat Judæus, Appella, which would have been an excellent motto for the title-page, has the space of three lines allowed to it in the text, with a whole line in the notes for the learned reference of Hor. lib. i. fat. 5. But notwithstanding these innumerable proofs of the Author's acquaintance with books in all the living as well as dead languages, they only remind us that he is a young book-maker, and has not yet read enough to know what has been already often quoted, and what is ftill worthy of a place in a new book written with tafte and elegance.

The dress of the Irish Bards has been thought as worthy of inquiry and differtation as the wardrobe of an Afiatic prince, or European Damer; as if the luxury of truife, or fhoes, was ever known to a wild Irish minftrel.

Next to that, in tracing the extreme antiquity, and folemn use of the Irish Howl, or CAOINE, the death fong, the Conclamatio, Hullaloe, Anglicè Hullabaloo (we fuppofe), the appearance of immenfe learning has been expended.

Bardeffes were not to be found in all these enquiries; but the Reader is made ample amends by an account of the melting

sweetness of female voices in the chorus of the funeral fong." These females, we are told, were taken from the lower claffes of life, and inftructed in mufic, and the cur fios (or elegiac meafure), that they might affift in heightening the melancholy which that folemn ceremony was calculated to infpire.-Thefe are ftill employed in Munfter and Connaught at funerals, finging, as they flowly proceed after the hearfe, extempore odes,-and expoftulating with the cold corfe, for relinquishing the bleffings of this wicked world.'

Here mufic and poetry are ftill united, and form, as in high antiquity, a kind of Androgyne. Dr. Browne *, when he complained of their feparation, and Fontenelle †, when he fuppofed that mufic would never be restored to its former miraculous powers till re-united in a fingle individual, were ignorant of the beauty and even exiftence of these extemporaneous compofitions. It was very natural, that the nation polifhed at the moft early period of time, should now abound with the moft civilized common people in Europe.

The wifdom contained in the PSALTERS OF TARA, of CASHEL, and of other places; the MUR-OLLAVAN, or univerfity of Teamor; the patronage of the munificent and accomplished Concovar Mac Neffa, King of Munfter, whofe character fo much refembled that of Hiero, King of Sicily, all account for the uncommon politeness and urbanity with which the natives of Ireland hough their neighbour's cattle, nay ham-ftring and even maffacre their neighbours themfelves. Can we wonder that a nation which has had fo many men of profound erudition, unfhaken integrity, and fplendid abilities,' who, like Orpheus, foftened and inftructed them with harp and fong, fhould furpaís the rest of the world in focial and cofmopolite virtues? And if we confider, that in days of old (according to Faid' y Mac Dair), each King chofe a Filia for his companion' (and perhaps a Fille), we may the more eafily account for him and his fubjects being uncommonly humanized and tender-hearted, as well as their defcendants. Whatever poetry, romance, legends, or tradition can furnish to excite the reader's wonder, has been carefully ac cumulated in Mr. Walker's book. Nor do the hiftories of the renowned Seven Champions of Chriftendom, of Guy Earl of Warwick, or of Jack the Giant-killer, abound with more romantic and marvellous circumstances than Mr. Walker's Memoirs. But this true believer in the gospels of Keating, Curtin, O'Halloran, and Warner, no more doubts the truth of their narrations, than a child does of those that he finds in the Tales of the Fairies, or Gulliver's Travels.

We fhall leave the Irish and Scots to afcertain the existence

* Differt.

+ Effais de Troublet.

Gg 2

of