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To vindicate the American democracies from all objection, the theory of Montefquieu, wherein a small territory is made an effential property of their forms, is combated and refuted.

In the fifth Sketch, the Author advances feveral thoughts concerning the balance of power. In America, he fays, the balance of Europe will not apply. What may in future be the cafe we know not; but it is evident that America would not fo eafily have thrown off the English yoke, had France been neutral.

Religion forms the fubject of the fixth and laft of thefe pieces. The Author here justly cenfures the American conftitutions for tolerating only Chriftian fects; but he appears, in fome degree, to contradict himself, for, in a subsequent page, he acknowledges that the State of Maryland gives liberty to every man to worship God in the manner which he thinks moft acceptable to him. Religion, he feems to think, makes no part of the government of a state, and that univerfal toleration fhould therefore be allowed.

Though we coincide with this ingenious Writer in most of his opinions, we must nevertheless obferve, that his Sketches feem to be the hafty production of a precipitate pen, guided by a hand not yet fufficiently under the controul of calm and deep reflection.

TRADE and COMMERCE, &c.

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Art. 18. A Letter to the Court of Directors of the Society for improv ing the British Fisheries. With a lan for the Erection of Villages. Humbly fubmitted to their Confideration. 8vo. Is. Cadell. 1787.

This writer feems well acquainted with the fubject, and we hope his judicious remarks will be duly attended to by the Directors. He condemns the plan for erecting buildings at the expence of the Society, and propofes to let out land on building leafes of twentyone years; he chufes this method in preference to that of feuing (a particular mode of granting leafes in perpetuity), because he thinks this would lefs thwart the prejudices of the inhabitants. We fear, however, that by endeavouring, in this refpect, to avoid one inconvenience, he would fall into another. The granting of feus might not perhaps accord entirely with the aristocratic ideas of an Highland laird: but would not the idea of building on the precarious tenure of a short lease be difliked by the people who muft form the fettlements? We think the Directors of this benevolent Society will find more difficulty in properly applying their funds to the purpofes intended than they feem to have been originally aware of; but it is to be hoped, that by a cautious attention to circumstances, and firmness in the execution of the plans they may at last adopt, they will prove more fuccefsful than thofe who have engaged in fimilar undertakings, in former times. An-n

AGRICULTURE.

Art. 19. Suggestions for rendering the Inclosure of Common Fields and
Wafte Lands a Source of Population and Riches. By Thomas Stone,
Land and Tythe Surveyor, Bedford. 8vo. Is. 6d. Robinsons.
1787.

A well-meant performance, intended to open the eyes of people who, incapable of reafoning themselves, are apt to be affected by

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vulgar prejudices. Those who are accustomed to accurate inveftigation, will here meet with very little to make amends for the trouble of reading; but to others it may be of fome ufe, and prejudicial to none, as it is, at the worst, an harmless performance. We are very glad to find that the vulgarifms we had occafion to reprehend in Mr. Stone's Effay on Agriculture (See Rev. for March, p. 257) do not occur in the prefent work. An-n

Art. 20. Enclosures a Cause of improved Agriculture, of Plenty and Cheapness of Provifions, of Population, and of both private and national Wealth; being an Examination of two Pamphlets, entitled, the one, A political Enquiry into the Confequences of enclofing Waste Lands, and the Caufe of the prefent high Price of Butchers Meat, &c.-the other, Curfory Remarks upon Enclosures, by a Country Farmer t. By the Rev. J. Howlett, Vicar of Great Dunmow, Effex. 8vo. 25. Richardfon. 1787.

Mr. Howlett once more fteps forth as a champion in the cause of enclosures, and he weilds his arms with his wonted force and adroitnefs. The first pamphlet above-named appeared to us to be written with fo much spirit and ingenuity as to deferve an answer; and we are bound to make our beft bow to the reverend vicar for the compli ment he has paid us in giving it that answer, which we freely acknowledge to be full and fatisfactory. We are no friends to defpondency, and are always happy when we meet with an author who gives good reafons for making us cheerful and contented with our prefent fituation; and to few have we been more obliged in this refpect than to Mr. Howlett.

The writer of the pamphlet, to which this is chiefly an answer, had endeavoured to prove,

"Ift, That the enclosures which have taken place in the course of the last thirty years have already advanced the price of butchers meat three halfpence in the pound more than the advance of price on other things; and

"2d, That should all the wafte lands in the kingdom be enclosed and cultivated, the price of butchers meat would be raised to ninepence, or a fhilling in the pound."-Mr. Howlett, on the contrary contends, and we think fully proves,

ift, That the affertion that the price of butchers meat is advanced three halfpence in the pound, in the courfe of the last thirty years, more than the advance of price on other things, IS NOT

TRUE.

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zd, Granting it to be true, that our enclosures cannot have occafioned it.

3d, Allowing even both, that there is not the finalleft probability that the enclosure and cultivation of all our waftes and commons would raife the price of butchers meat to ninepence, or a fhilling in the pound. And

4th, Admitting all the three facts, that fill our Author's arguments against enclosures would be inconclufive.'

Each of thefe propofitions he demonstrates in detail with a force of argument which it will not be easy to fubvert.

* Vid. Rev. vol. Ixxiii. p. 460.

† Vol. lxxv. p. 148.

The

The Country Farmer and the London Committee, appointed to confider the causes of the high prices of provifions, are favoured in their turn with fome remarks which will not afford them a high degree of fatisfaction.

IRISH CATHOLIC s.

An-n

Art. 21. A Letter from the Moft Reverend Doctor Butler, titular Archbishop of Cafhel, to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Kenmare; relative to the Bishop of Cloyne's Prefent State of the Church of Ireland.' 8vo. 6d. Coghlan.

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Dr. Butler warmly afferts the fincerity of Catholic bishops in tak, ing the test of allegiance required by the government, and juftifies the oath they take at their confecration, which he fays is taken by them both in Catholic and Proteftant ftates throughout the world, and which being of almoft eight hundred years date, there has been fufficient time for every fovereign to know the meaning of it.

This is the principal object of the prefent publication. The Author propofes to leave other matters to a public and formal anfwer to the Bishop of Cloyne's ftrictures, which he fays maft be given; and which, perhaps, is given: for we have seen an advertisement of "a juftification of the Roman Catholic religion *, in answer to the Bishop of Cloyne." The publication itfelf hath not yet fallen into our hands.

MILITARY.

N.

Art. 22. A Hiftory of the Campaigns of 1780 and 1781 in the Southern Provinces of North America. By Lieutenant Colonel Tarleton, Commandant of the late British Legion. 4to. 11. 6s. Boards. Cadell. 1787.

Colonel Tarleton's hiftory commences with D'Estaing's fruitless attack on Savannah, in the Autumn of 1779, and then proceeds to give a minute detail of all the military operations in both the Carolinas and part of Virginia, until the furrender of York-town and Gloucester, Oct. 19, 1781, when Lord Cornwallis, with his whole army, fell into the hands of the Americans: that memorable event which crowned the military toils of the American Fabius with final fuccefs, and gave INDEPENDENCE to America!

In most of the tranfactions here recorded, Colonel Tarleton was perfonally concerned; fo that their authenticity, the most material circumitance in all historical narratives, cannot (we fuppofe) be called in queftion; and, in order to confirm what he has advanced, he has regularly inferted, at the end of each chapter, and in connexion with the preceding details, many original letters from the commanders in chief, and other officers. Of thefe, the difpatches to government, which have been published in the Gazettes, with proclamations, general orders, &c. make the most confiderable part, though there are likewife a great number of private letters, especially from Lord Cornwallis to Colonel Tarleton, which have not before been published: most of them contain temporary directions and private intelligence, relative to the marches, difpofition, detachments, &c.

By Dr. Butler.

of

of the two armies, and other communications, which tend to explain the feveral plans of operation.

That the narrative might not be interrupted by a detail of fuch events as occurred in the fouth, after Lord Cornwallis had left those parts open (and to which parts the American General, Green, did not neglect the opportunity of directing his views), the Colonel has judi. ciously added an account of them, in his appendix; they are given from good authority, and, generally, in the words of the respective commanders.

The work is enriched with fome explanatory maps and plans, efpecially thofe relating to the battles of Camden and Guildford, and the fieges of Charles-town and York-town, befide a large general map of the country.

The volume is hand fomely printed, and, on the whole, notwithftanding fome imperfections, which good judges have hinted to us, does credit to the Author as an officer. A Reviewer, who is only a man of letters and not a man of war, cannot pretend to speak with critical precision of the merit of a work of this kind, especially where the remoteness of the fcene places the objects beyond every point of view that might ferve to render them diftinct. R- mr

POOR.

Art. 23. The Abridgment of a Plan for an honourable, effectual, and permanent Relief for all the Poor of England. By a Lady. 4to. 2s. Hookham. 1787.

This lady, whofe fympathetic feelings for the miferies of poverty, are greatly to her honour, propofes county workhouses, with four for the metropolis; and because the attention of gentlemen is engroffed by legislation, racing at Newmarket, and by the gaming-table, the proposes to veft the management of thefe poor-houfes in ladies. She gives a plan for conftructing the houses, and sketches out the domeftic œconomy of them, with many other propofals and hints, more humane in fpeculation than (in our opinion) practicable.

DRAMATIC.

N.

Art. 24. The Death of Dion, a Tragedy. Written by Mr. Thomas Harwood of University College, Oxford. 8vo. Is. 6d. Scatcherd and Whitaker. 1787.

If the Author of this piece feels a propensity to this fpecies of compofition, we are afraid that he has not waited to diftinguifh between inclination and the true dramatic talent. Should he be refolved to perfift in this career, we would advise him to read with diligence thofe authors who have beft fucceeded in dramatic dialogue, and have practifed the great fecret of uniting fimplicity with dignity, and of giving a natural air to the most adorned and fhining paffages. There are many objections to this piece. The very title fets out with an error: why call it the Death of Dion? The catatrophe is discovered at once. Addifon called his piece CATO, and not the DEATH of CATO. All critics have agreed in finding the fame fault with Otway's Venice Preferved, or a Plot Difcovered. We proceed from the title to the Dramatis Perfonæ, and there we find a name which no actor can pronounce, Tcetes. This looks uncouth

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to the eye. The verfification requires that it fhould be TICETES,
and why not print it fo? As to the fable, it turns upon the defign
of Calippus, who has lived in friendship with Dion, and honours
his virtues, but thinks his ambition dangerous. He is determined
therefore to cut him off; and for this purpose his plot is formed in
the first act but how? A foldier is called in with the ufual word of
command, WHAT HO! and receives orders to bring the chosen band
before Calippus. A body of foldiers foon comes forward: expecta-
tion is raised, but difappointed. Calippus fays, My friends, pre-
pare to follow,' and all go out with a flourish. The confpiracy
is thus formed, and remains in ambush, till it is time to put an end
to the drama. In the last act, Dion fends for Calippus, who imme-
diately enters with Lycon and Soldiers. Dion fays to Calippus, Here
⚫ repofe thy vengeance;' which is by no means a natural expreffion.
Lycon cries out, Then fall: Delay is cruelty ;' and Dion is instantly
ftabbed. Calippus and his confpirators leave him to utter his laft fen-
timents, and the piece concludes. The true dramatic paffions are
never excited; no fituation rifes to terror, and pity is no where
touched. The fentiments throughout are trite; the language aims
at finery, but reaches nothing but the quaint and the unnatural. The
diction is of courfe always feeble, and very often ungrammatical.
To give a ftring of quotations merely to exhibit blemishes, would
be both tedious and painful. We wish the Author better fuccefs in
his next attempt.
M...y.

Art. 25. Nina, or the Madness of Love: a Comedy, in Two Acts,
tranflated from the French by the Author of Maria, or the Gene-
rous Ruftic. 8vo. 1s. Elliot and Co. 1787.

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This piece is dedicated to the Hon. Mrs Hobart; and in a preface the Author tells us, that it is founded on a real fact; the account of which is as follows. At a village in the neighbourhood of Rouenne in Normandy, the unfortunate NINA contrives to wait her GERMEIUL, to whom, with the confent of her parents, fhe had promised her hand. Previous to the celebration of their intended nuptials, he was fummoned to Paris. On the day fixed for his return, NINA repaired to the fpot appointed for their interview; but inftead of her lover, found the melancholy tidings of his untimely fate: GERMEIUL was no more. Nina, unable to fuftain this awful ftroke of Providence, loft her fenfes. In vain has friendship united efforts with those of time to foothe her forrows, or recal her reafon. NINA ftill expects with anxiety the return of GERMEIUL, and each revolving day vifits the fpot appointed for their interview.'-The bare relation of the facts is pathetic; and no wonder that a drama founded upon it has made its way to the stage. A young lady who has loft her fenfes, and retains nothing but the memory of her lover, and of the place where she was to meet him, cannot fail to awaken the tendereft fympathy. That, day after day, she stills expects to fee him, is a circumftance that goes directly to the heart. That a piece, reprefenting a calamity like this, fhould be intended for the English ftage, there can be no wonder. It has an intrinfic value that fets it far above the pantomime plays which have been lately imported from France. It is to be regretted that the race which a number of tranflators have been running with Lady W, did not leave fuf

ficient

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