'conteft;"" when (fays the writer before us) he not only had given no proof of fo black a charge, but when he had granted that the continuance of peace was prevented by the mad ambition of the French *rulers." Mr. M. then examines, and anfwers, the objections of his opponent as they apply to the different chapters of his work. The refufal to mediate is juftified on various grounds, and even from fome of the expreffions of Mr. Belfham himfelf. The violent affertion, that Louis Seize " was a traitor to the conftitution which he had fworn to defend," is properly anfwered by referring to the conftitution itself. The charges against the British government, in various refpects, are then difcuffed and refuted. The Alien Bill is very juftly vindicated, by ftating that France had a law full as ftrong, and confequently could not have any right whatever to complain. The infamous decree of December 15, 1792, could not, Mr. Marth clearly fhows, have been occafioned by any thing which pafled in the British Parliament; which met only two days before, and could not have paffed any bills till fome days afterwards. He also gives fome ftriking inftances of the conduct of the French Executive Council, which Mr. B. had commended as "temperate," and "highly laudable." Among other circumstances, the fecret orders to General Miranda, for the invafion of Holland, is ftrongly and justly relied on, as a proof of their hoftile difpofition. The negotiation between Lord Grenville and M. Chauvelin is then fully examined; and we wish it were poffible to include within our limits a more exact account of Mr. Marfh's remarks on this part of the fubject, particularly thofe on the refufal to receive M. Chauvelin's new credentials. From the attempt of Dumouriez to negotiate, Mr. Marth has shown that the Executive Council can claim no merit; nor could the miffion of Maret, who gave no intimation that he had any propofals to make, be noticed by adminiftration. A juft reprehenfion of his antagonist's manner of quoting clofes this clear, argumentative, and, to us at least, fatisfactory work; which we recommend to all who have perufed the prior Hiftory, as an admirable fupplement and fupport to that public-spirited and excellent publication. ART. 37. A fort View of the Preliminaries of Peace, figned O&. 1, 1801. 8vo. Is. Hatchard.” 1801. The writer fenfibly afks whether the fituation of this country made peace defirable, and whether the conditions obtained are fuch as that fituation demanded? The first question may surely be answered without hesitation in the affirmative, even by those moft tenacious of the honour of their country. To reply to the fecond, the author takes into confideration our different dominions, finances, industry, commerce, and foreign relations. Having done this, with much good temper as well as good fenfe, he decides alfo in favour of the second queftion; nor have we any great fcruple in avowing ourselves to be of the fame opinion, ART. ART. 38. Confiderations on the Right of the Clergy of England to a Is. 6d. The author has taken considerable pains, and exhibited a wide extent of reading and power of argument, to illuftrate a question which many think might as well never have been started. The clergy, as a body, certainly fmile at a propofition, which is very far from roufing their ambition. We doubt not that were their votes to be required and registered, a vast majority would be found to think with this intelligent writer, who difputes their right to a feat in Parliament. MISCELLANIES. By ART. 39. Elements of Perfpective; containing the Nature of Light and Colours, and the Theory and Practice of Perspective, in regard to Lines, Surfaces, and Solids, with its Application to Architecture. To which are added, Rules for Painting in Transparent Water-Colours. John Wood, Mafter of the Drawing Academy eftablished at Edinburgh, by the Honourable the Board of Trustees for Manufactories, &c. Second Edition. 8vo. 132 pp. 18 Plates. 6s. Cawthorn, Strand. 1801. This author feems to prove himself deftitute of genius in paint ing, when he endeavours to fhow that nothing can be done without rules; what becomes of theory, when remote diftances are to be delineated, or lines in fhowing trees of unequal heights? unless in deed he would have them confift of avenues, fuch as they once had at Versailles, where every afpiring leaf and branch fuffered amputation, as foon as it departed from the gardener's line of perfpective. He fays that genius always decides rafhly; if this author can teach those who do not poffefs a talent, to draw correctly, he will be one of the greatest of genuiffes. He that has the spirit of painting in him, will decide by the eye in one moment, what a geometrician would require a day to perform by rule. When an artift is employed to paint fcenery for the ftage, a knowledge of the art of perfpective is indifpenfably neceffary; but as the best of hiftoric painters feldom introduce many buildings in their defigns, it becomes with them a secondary object, as it is fcarcely poffible to reconcile lines with human figures. That a general knowledge of the art is requifite, cannot be difputed; and as this gentleman profeffes in his Preface to fimplify more elaborate works, we fhall proceed to examine how he has fucceeded. In the first place, his defcription of the human eye is concife and fatisfactory; how light produces vifion is ingenioufly defined; and the principal objection to the article is, in the terms not being quite fo familiar as a learner would require, which objection applies through the book. It is im poffible to afcertain the accuracy of many of this author's definitions, without a series of practical experiments; fome are fo clear, that common obfervation will confirm them; but that numbers of the examples are ufelefs to an artist, and merely ferve to confound his ideas, and cramp cramp his genius, appears very plain. In plate 14, there are palpable" errors. The pedeftal, fig. 111, has a front of parallel lines, although the left fide is fhown in perfpective, near one quarter of its breadth, Fig. 112, is in too violent declenfion. The whole of plate 16, is totally and fundamentally deceptive, and indeed common juftice muft pronounce againft the profeffor, and engraver of them. Sir Joshua Reynolds, by pfing lake for tranfparent colour and otherwise, has left us mere fhadows of his original works; let the author then expunge lake from his lift of colours. He fays, that the light of clouds thould not be entirely white; many of the ancients put on their white in maffes to catch the light, and thus produce more brilliancy. The di rections for colouring landscapes are, with fome exceptions, judicious, ART. 40. The Cambrian Directory, or Curfory Sketches of the Welsh Territories; with a Chart, comprehending at one View the advifeable Route, beft Inns, Diftances, and Subjects worthy of Attention. 8vo. 4s. 6d. Hurt. 1800. The Welsh Territories is rather an odd appellation, and indicates fome fingularity in the author; but we can affure the reader and trayeller that, allowing for a few eccentricities of manner and of style, this will be found a very uíeful Welth Itinerary. It is perhaps deferving of still greater praife, for the author never omits to point out and defcribe, with greater precifion than is ufual in fuch performances, every local curiofity, cuftom, and manufacture of the place through which he paffes. ART. 41. Ellays and Notes on Husbandry and Rural Affairs. By J.B Bordley. 8vo. 591 pp. 10s. 6d. Dobfon, Philadelphia. 1799. To American critics we must leave the care of pronouncing a judgment upon this book, as far as it relates to the peculiar foils, the climate, and the crops of America. To Mr. Young (meaning, we prefume, the well-known Secretary) the author is moftly indebted for his knowledge of the prefent ftate of agriculture, and the modes of practice in Europe: it was a happy first thought, which led Mr. Young to make his farming-tours, for collecting facts of the then exifting ftate of husbandry in England." P. iii. Concerning the happinefs of this thought, and the credit due to this collection of facts, there are various opinions among English agriculturifts; but, concerning Mr. Young's own experience," (p. 62) we believe there is put one opinion; namely, that fuch an experience, upon a scale fufficiently exgenfive, would break the richest farmer in the kingdom. We find in this bulky volume little information in many words. Of what value are fuch leffons as the following?" A large quantity of good meadow would yield much hay. It is a fin against good huf bandry to fell off the hay of a farm." The principal links in good farming are due tillage, proper rotation of crops, and manures." P.141. "Grafs is the fine qua non of live flock! the effential of dung! and therefore the nursery of corn, and of all farming products!" P. 512. At p. 382, we are treated with a political drean, fuch as agricultural theorifts frequently indulge in: "With the improvements in govern ment, ment, which the philofophical spirit of modern times is producing. the condition of mankind will be bettered, and in no circumftance will it be more perceptible than in their greater skill in all arts, as well in agriculture as others. Then will France be fully equal to fupply her own demands for wheat, and Spain and Portugal will be fo in no long time." If France is to wait for her full fupply of wheat till the fpirit of her philofophers has bettered the condition of mankind, we apprehend the will long continue an importing country. The laft 150 pages contain a multitude of recipes, extracted from various well-known authors; and, like the reft of the pages, fufficiently prove that the art of book-making is known in America almost as well as in England. ART. 42. The Beauties of Sentiment; or, Select Exercifes, from the and We feel inclined to characterize this as a good book with a bad name. Beauties, as a title, feldom announce any valuable work; Sentiment, as it has been of late years popularly understood, is a very naufeating thing;-the spawn of an imperfect morality, harched by affectation. No fuch matters, however, are here. The work is a very copious common-place book of paffages from a great variety of au thors: in the firft volume, confined to theological topics; in the fecond, extended to morality, literature, and a variety of other fubjects. The compiler certainly quotes many authors whom we should not have recommended, yet his felections are fo judicious, that we can seldom do other than approve the paffages. By clofe printing, a vaft abundance of matter is compressed under above fourfcore heads in each volume; and certainly they who have not many books, may find in this an ufeful fubftitute for various others; nor do we perceive that they will ang where be in danger of meeting with citations favourable to error. If the author be a diffenter of any kind, as feems to be the cafe, he is not, however, one of a bigotted or intolerant difpofition. He should have called his book Inftructive Selections, or almost any thing but what he has called it. ART. 43. The Method of educating the Deaf and Dumb, confirmed by long Experience. By the Abbé de L'Epée, tranflated from the French and Latin. 8vo. 7s. 6d. Cadell and Davies. 1801, The author of the original of this volume, has obtained great and deferved reputation in Europe, by his fuccefsful education of the deaf and dumb. He has published the fyftem which he has aufpiciously purfued, and it is impoffible not to exprefs great approbation, generally at leaft, with refpect to the rules here laid down. The Abbe, like the reft of his countrymen, in his explanation of his plan, is apt to wander a little at large in the fields of fancy. See for example, p. 62 of this work; when, in idea, he ranges the garden of Verfailles, and engages bis his pupils to do the fame. The work is admirably printed, and dedicated with adequate propriety to Lord Eldon; but it is much too dear. A fmall volume of 220 pages, ought not to be charged at the great price of seven shillings and fixpence. ART. 44. Introduction to the English Reader; or, a Selection of Pieces in Profe and Poetry. Calculated to improve the younger Claffes of Learners in Reading, and to imbue their Minds with the love of Virtue; with Rules and Obfervations for affifting Children to read with Pr priety. By Lindley Murray, Author of English Grammar, adapted to different Claffes of Learners. 1200. 35. 6d. Longman and Rees. 1801. Our pages bear ample teftimony, both to the ability and diligence of Mr. Murray. His different publications evince much found judg ment and good fenfe; and his Selections are very well calculated to anfwer the intended purpose. We have before given our opinion, that elaborate rules for reading well are generally chimerical. Perfection in the art muft depend on good tafte, improved by thought and prac. tice. What Mr. Murray obferves in his Preface is, nevertheless, worth attention; the precept with which he concludes is particularly fo; find out and imitate a good example, ART. 45. An Appendix and Key to Stackhoufe's Effay on Punctuation. Every apparent Intricacy in the Effay itself is removed by the Simplicity and Perfpicuity of this valuable Appendix; the original Intent of the Characters ufed in Punctuation is clearly demonftrated, by an analytical View of their Conftruction and mutual Reference; and a Syftem found ed thereon, which is at once facile, correct, and practical. By the Author of the Effay. 12mo. 44 PP. IS. Welt and Hughes. 1800, The Effay itfelf was noticed in our Review for Auguft, p. 329. The author in his title-page has precluded the neceffity of praifing his Appendix, which he there ftyles valuable, &c. He alfo concludes a fhort Preface thus: "The author, concluding he has now done his part for the advancement of a branch of grammar, in which both writer and reader are interested, takes his leave of it, with a with that the fubject may yet receive that attention from men of letters, which its importance merits." If we do not think quite fa highly of this-importance as the author himself, we are yet ready to praife his exertions. We have mentioned elsewhere, that the former Effay on Punctuation, which had very great merit, and, indeed, surpassed this in clearness, was the work of Mr. Robertson. ART. 46. Of Education founded upon Principles. Part the FirstTime; previous to the Age of Puberty. By Thomas Northmore, Efq. 25. Reynolds, 137, Oxford-Street, 1800. 12mo. There is no doubt that Mr. Northmore is an ingenious man, witnefs his "Quadruplet of Inventions," noticed by us in our xvth volume, p. 91; but on the fubject of education ingenuity has often erred, and he has here added a new inftance to the number. Speculations of this 3 |