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 extension 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 exifted for a series of years, to fee how they have operated upon those 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 fo often made by fufferers under them, as by unconcerned theorists, who preferve no measure when it fuits them to raise an alarm. Let any temperate man judge whether an enemy to excife laws does not defeat his own purpose, by starting the following objection to this act: In time of war it may be used 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 moft 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. cool. or iscol. if arrefted ?'

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 arrest at defiance, the remedy might have been stated as worfe than the disease.

MISCELLANEOUS.

N.

Art. 38. The Memoirs of Mrs. Sophia Baddeley, late of Drury-Lane Theatre. By Mrs. Elizabeth Steele. 12mo. 6 Vols. 18s. 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 fhould confider that if this practice continues, the caufe of pleasure, your facred caufe! mult, in confequence, greatly fuffer. Ye priefteffes of Cyprus, who will then dare to facrifice at your altars? Gallants, beware! look fharp! take care!" For, fooner or later, all will out; and then, brothers, uncles, fathers, aye and grandfathers too, will ftand expofed, as in thefe

G 2

volumes,

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

Spectatum admiffi rifum teneatis?

Adad! even REVIEWERS them felves may not be fafe!

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

We have repeatedly given our fentiments on fhort-hand fyftems. This performance confirms as in our former opinions. Mr. Blanchard's short-hand may doubtlefs be easily 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 course 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 prefs, feveral 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.

R

The Poft Chaife Companion: or. Traveller's Directory through Ireland, &c. By W. Wilfon, Dublin. 8vo. 1786. This very ufeful compilation, for all travellers in Ireland, contains a defcription and fhort hiftory of Dublin; a detail of all the roads in that kingdom, with their dilances, &c. defcriptions of cities, towns, noblemen's and gentlemen's teats, public buildings, cafties, ruins, churches, rivers, harbours, mountains, lakes, &c. &c. Jifts of judges, circuits, poft office, exprefs table, and rates of postage: tables of the diftances of the cities, boroughs, market and feaport towns, from each other, with indexes, &c. The work is adorned with engravings of the Giant's Causeway, the water-fall of Poll a-Phuca, and a neat map fhewing the Irish roads, &c. &c. G.2 Art. 41. A Panegyric on Frederick III. King of Pruffia, &c. &c. &c; Tranflated from the French (which is annexed) of M. Laureau, Hiftoriographer 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 fyle, and their language fhould be ornamental, 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

↑ 7th : boards, Richardson.

idiom

A

idiom fo clofely, that he frequently obfcures the English expreffion, Would our limits permit, we could prefent our readers with fufficient extracts in confirmation of our opinion. R_m

Art. 42.

A Letter to the Proprietors of the Undertaking for recovering and preferving the Navigation of the River Dee. By John Manley, Efq. 4to. bd. Owen. 1786.

Relates to a difpute between the proprietors and the committee who are in the preient, management, concerning a due statement of the accounts of the undertaking; which feem by no means to anfwer their expectations. We need only remark that there are fecrets in all administrations, which naturally generate oppofitions; and thus men are held to their duty.

POLICE.

Art. 43. The Reports of the Commiffioners appointed to examine, take, and ftate the public Accounts of the Kingdom, prefented to his Majefty, and to both Houses of Parliament; with Appendixes complete. By John Lane, Secretary to the Commiffioners. Vol. 3*. 4to. 1. 10s. Boards. Cadell. 1787.

We are glad to find, by the appearance of this third volume, that the gentlemen, who undertook the execution of the important truft of examining into the ftate of the national accounts, have fteadily profecuted their labours. The public are here prefented with three reports, relative to the manner of paffing the accounts of the cuf toms in the office of auditors of the impreft,-to the charges of the management of the custom duties in the port of London for 1784,and to the payments of the officers of the customs at the out-ports, and to other charges of management incurred on account of the cuf tom revenue for 1784.

R—m

Art. 44. Ember Days Exercife: or, the true and falfe Minister delineated; in a Differtation on the Importance of the Ministry. 8vo 6d. Buckland.

Mystical cant, puritanical feverity, and methodiftical uncharitablenefs are here mixed up by the hands of ignorance and fpiritual pride into a potion, which cannot but be highly offenfive to a found mind. Art. 45. Obfervations on the Rev. Andrew Fuller's late Pamphlet, entitled, The Gospel of Chrift worthy of all Acceptation. In which it is attempted farther to confirm his leading Idea, viz. that Faith in Chrift is the Duty of ALL Men who hear the Sound of the Gofpel; by proving, that the univerfal Calls and Invitations of the Gofpel are founded on the Universality of Divine Love to finful Man, and on the Death of Jefus Chrift as a Propitiation for the Sins of the whole World. By a Lover of all Mankind. 12mo. 9d. Buckland, &c.

This pamphlet may be of fome ufe, in enlarging the conceptions of thofe narrow-minded Chriftians, who think the kingdom of heaven no larger than the fynagogue of their own little flock. E.

For the first volume, fee Review, vol. lxxii.-for the fecond volume, fee Review, vol. lxxiv.

of

Art. 46. Sermons on several important Subjects; adapted both to the Family and the Clofet. By the late Rev. James Webb. 8vo. 3s. 6d. fewed. Buckland. 1785.

Although these fermons will not bear criticifm, they do not deferve to undergo the moft rigorous teft. They were not intended for publication by the Author; and are now printed from notes that were taken by one of his hearers at the time they were firft delivered from the pulpit. They appear to have been extemporaneous effufions, though there is a regular plan purfued through all; and the Author never lofes fight of the darling objects of his fyftem-which is Calvinism of the ftricteft fort.

Between those who are too wife in their own conceits to become fools in the fcripture fenfe, and those who are too foolish to become wife in any fenfe, religion is exposed to a struggle which its better friends cannot avoid lamenting, though it is to be feared that their efforts to prevent it will always prove ineffectual. B-k.

SERMONS.

I. Delivered in Chrift-Church, Philadelphia, June 21, 1786, at opening the Convention of the Proteftant Epifcopal Church, in the States of New-York, New-Jerfey, Pennfylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and South-Carolina. By the Right Reverend Father in God William White, D. D. (then Rector of Christ-Church and St. Peter's) now Bishop of Pennfylvania. 8vo. 6d. Philadelphia printed. Londonre printed by Rivingtons. 1787. An American bishop is an object of great note! While that country retained its connection with Britain, no fuch office could be introduced now that a feparation is effected, we find it eftablished ! With what views we allow not ourselves to enquire-But prefent our readers with the following advertisement prefixed to this difcourfe :On Sunday the 4th February 1787, William White, D. D. and Samuel Provost, D. D. were confecrated in the Archiepifcopal chapel, Lambeth, BISHOPS; the former of Pennsylvania, the latter of New-York; on which occafion the Archbishop of York prefented them, and his Grace, together with the Bishops of Bath and Wells and Peterborough, united with the Archbishop of Canterbury in the inpofition of hands.' Dr. White is, henceforth, Bishop of Pennfylvania; but, we prefume, not Lord Bishop; nor does he appear at the prefent to affume much prelatical dignity, for his fermon has the modeft octavo form: and, though of greater length than we generally find epifcopal difcourfes extended to, bears only the price of 6d. His text is in the 45th Pfalm, 14th verfe. He writes fenfibly, and expreffes him felf with a degree of energy. He appears to be what we call orthodox, and poffibly involves more of church and churchifm in his reafoning, than will entirely agree with the fimplicity of Christianity, or, in its confequences, with the juft liberties of mankind. However probable it may be that the pfalm relates to the times of the Meffiah, there is fomewhat fanciful (and what, from a different quarter, would be called fanatical), when Dr. White applies the clothing of wrought gold, mentioned in his text, to what he terms the admirable forms of the English church. We mean not by this to detract from the merit of thofe compofitions, feveral of which

are

are admirabie; and we will add in favour of this preacher, that he feems to have an acquaintance with the Spirit of Chriftianity, and a zeal for real religion, diftin&t from thofe forms, and articles, and other appendages, which are merely of human contrivance. Conformably to this, he expreffes a wifh for a review of the ecclefiaftical offices.' Again he says, God forbid that we should contend for an invariable adherence to any thing confeffedly refting on man's authority; and farther obferves, that the mild grace of charity will do more for the edification of the church, than the understanding of all myfteries and all knowledge' This is liberal and Chriftian! If fuch fentiments are heartily cherished and acted on, it will not only prevent much oppreffion and mischief, but greatly contribute to the advancement of virtue and happiness. Hi.

II. Mausoleum Sacrum: or, the Redeemer's Sepulchre. Preached at St. Thomas's Square, Hackney, on the opening of a new Burying Ground in an adjoining Garden. By Samuel Palmer. 8vo. 6d. Buckland.

In the preface to this difcourfe, the Author endeavours to vindicate thofe Proteftant Diffenters who have burying-places of their own, and to recommend it to fuch as have not.' One principal argument, employed for this purpose, has been lofing its ftrength for feveral years, and we truft is ftill gradually weakening. The eftablished clergy, for the greater part at least, are now too candid and liberal, we apprehend, to oppofe the interment of diffenters in their burying grounds. Other reafons are here mentioned which will differently affect different minds. A few parts of the burial-fervice (though on the whole excellent) are no doubt exceptionable, and pity it is, that no attempt is made for a little alteration, which would, we fuppofe, be acceptable to all confiderate people, as the paffages referred to have rather a deceitful and dangerous tendency. Mr. Palmer confiders it as hardly confiftent with the principles of non-conformity, that diffenters fhould countenance their ufe by uniting in that fervice. But we enter not farther into the debate. The fermon before us is plain, ferious, and ftriking; contrafting the ideas of the fepulchre and the garden, and directing to the right improvement of that frailty and uncertainty which attends human life and all its enjoyments. The text, John xix. 41. III. The Tabernacle of God with Men. Preached at the opening of a Meeting-House at Walthamstow, June 6, 1787. By Henry Hunter, D. D. 8vo. 15. Murray.

A diffufe, popular, but not inelegant paraphrafe on the text, Rev. xxi. 3, 4. with fomething fubjoined on the occafion. We have that opinion of Dr. Hunter's good fenfe, that we believe he would have been as well pleafed with Mr. Fletcher (the perfon to whom it is dedicated), had that gentleman not folicited its publication; though rather than be fatigued with repeated importunities, the preacher fubmitted to it, well knowing that a man can neither get nor lofe much reputation by printing a fingle difcourfe.

It is impoffible, he fays, for any one to think more humbly of this fermon than the Author; whence we may infer, that, as a compofition, he does not expect it to be greatly applauded.

N. B.