weakness or incapacity. Lord Lyttelton, he fays, fpoke with great eagerness and volubility, but with little force of argu

ment.

"I liftened with great attention, but could collect nothing that mesited the leaft notice, except his attempt to perfuade the Houle, hat the facility with which the Miniftry filled the laft fubfcription for Five Millions, was a proof of the vaft credit of Government, and confidence of the Nation; for, faid his Lordship," Merchants never part with their money on precarious fecurity."-From this mode of reasoning, I am apt to fuppofe that Lord. Lyttelton is totally unacquainted with the nature of thele Subfcriptions. If he will take the trouble to be a little better informed, he will learn, that Government Subscriptions are filled, not by any dependence on the fecurity, but by a spirit of Gambling. The Subfcribers never intend to keep a fingle farthing of the fum they fubfcribe for; many of them fell it immediately, and of them as foon as they can poffibly get rid of it to advantaged the Buyer has the fame object in view: he hopes the Stocks will rife, and that he fhall gain half per cent. by the transfer. Does Lord Lyttelton fuppofe, that in the famous year twenty, thofe who bought South-fea frock at fix or feven hundred per cent, depended on the folid foundation of the South-fea Company? No: they law it was a bubble, they knew it would burft: but they were tempted by the profpect of gain to run the rifk of its laiting one day longer. If the fubfcribers to the last Eve millions were obliged to keep their Stock, Lord North would not have Faifed a fingle fhilling. Hence I infer, that a few gambling Jews lending their money in this manner to Government' is no proot of fubitantial National Credit. On the contrary, it proves nothing more, than that the fubfcribers depend entirely on the national spirit of Gaming; and in that they are not deceived. Upon the whole, Lord Lyttelton's fpeech was little more than an incoherent gingle of words, devoid of argument, and tending only to increase our national misfortunes."

How his Lordship's speech, if nothing but an incoherent jingle of words, fhould tend to enereafe our national misfortunes, we do not comprehend. Surely an incoherent jingle muft be very harmlets in its political confequence! But perhaps, it will be found, on reflection, that our author's pretended-confutation of his Lordship's argument is itfelf nothing but an incoherent jingle of words. For, admitting with him, that Government fubfcriptions are at first filled by moneyed men, through a spirit of gaming; nay that the ftock paffes thro' repeated transfers, from that fpirit. Where does it reft at laft? In the hands of gamblers? No-We readily grant that if the fubfcribers to the last five millions could not have found purchaters, among the really-monied men, in the body of the people of England or of Europe, fufficiently fatisfied with the Government fecurity, to hold it, Lord North might not have been able to raise the laft loan. Such a circumftance

would have proved, that the fecurity was generally judged precarious.

precarious. But the contrary was the cafe. They had readily got rid of every fhilling, and to advantage.--Surely this writer will not pretend that the property of all the ftockholders, is .conftantly at market at the ftock-exchange! That all the ftockholders in Europe are Gamblers! If not, his reply does not affe&t his Lorfhip's argument at all. He infers, and very juftly, that a few gambling Jews lending their money to government is no proof of fubftantial national credit. - Very true, but that thofe few gambling Jews fhould be able to fell their stock at confiderable profit to the many Chriftians, who are no gamblers, is a very fubftantial proof of national credit. In remarking, not with the greatest respect, on his Majesty's fpeech from the throne, he carps at that very proper expreffion of trufting in divine Providence for the fuccefs of his arms in fuppreffing the rebellion. "From his Majefty's trufting in divine Providence, charity obliges me to fuppofe that he believes his carrying fire and fword, fpreading ruin and devaftation, among his American fubjects, perfectly confonant with the religion of Jefus Chrift."- -From this infinuation it appears, that our author would have all Christian monarchs adopt the scheme of Rouffeau and Soame Jenyns, and disband their troops; which would be totally ufelefs, unless they were to carry fire and fword, to fpread ruin and devaftation among the enemy. We should not have taken the trouble to expose arguments fo puerile, and infinuations fo frivolous, were not they recommended by an eafy, fpirited ftile, and fpecioufnefs of reafoning that is likely enough to delude the fuperficial reader. We must not take our leave of this plaufible letter, however, without giving the writer's concluding fcheme for a reconciliation with the Americans.

"As to any proposal of Subjection to Great-Britain, it will certains ly be rejected with a finile. The Americans believe themselves, at this moment, totally independent of all the world. If therefore we mean to treat with them at all, the first Preliminary Article must be, a formal declaration of their Independence; the fecond, an affurance that our Troops fhall be immediately withdrawn; the third, as a matter of form rather than of neceffity, that a general Act of Repeal and Oblivion shall be moved by the Miniftry as foon as poffible; and the fourth, that the Sufferers in America fhall be indemnified by Great-Britain.

"How extravagant foever thefe preliminaries of a treaty of peace with America may appear to all our fire-brained, fhort-fighted Politicians, I verily believe America will liften to no other; and I am also perfectly convinced, that the time will come, when this infatuated Country will repent, in fack-cloth and afhes, that they were not pro. pofed.'

Our Author has repeatedly told us in the course of his letter, that he verily believes, and is clearly of opinion about, a number

number of ftrange things that are, at laft he tells us he is perfectly convinced of what fad things will happen in time to come. Now tho' his belief may be well grounded and his opinion juft about what is, we cannot conceive, how he can be perfectly convinced of what will be. Opinion and belief may be reafonably founded on probabilities or poffibilities, in fpeculation; but perfect conviction can arife only from actual demonftration, and paft experiment.

K.

An Account of the Life and Writings of William Dodd, LL. D. 8vo. IS. Williams and Hingefton.

A well-written and evidently an authentic account of the Life and Writings of the unhappy Divine; who, having paid the debt he owed to public juftice, demands the tear of commiferation, equally due to the weak nefs of humanity.

"The evil that men do, lives after them,

The good is oft interred with their bones."

It will, yet, not be fo, we truft, with the memory of Dr. Dodd; whofe public usefulness in life is fo generally acknowledged, as to compenfate, in fome degree, for the crime which incurred his death. There are, indeed, among those who well knew this unfortunate man, fome that hold both his boasted moral deeds and religious motives to be at leaft problematical : but, be this as it may, his defection is undoubtedly permitted by providence as a ftriking example to others, of the neceffity of acting as well as of fpeaking or writing well. But we cannot moralife better on this melancholy fubject than has the prefent accurate Biographer; to whose pamphlet, therefore, we refer the reader; felecting only the following paffage, containing a general sketch of the Doctor's character as a writer, a preacher, and

as a man.

"From the number and variety of Dr. Dodd's publications before enumerated, it will be clearly perceived, that his industry has been very great, and his abilities not to be contemned. If his genius does not entitle him to rank with the first writers of the age, he is very far from finking to an equality with the numerous race which daily iffue from the prefs. It is probable, had he confined his attention to fome fingle branch of literature, without permitting his mind to wander over fuch a variety of fubjects, which in the end could only tend to diffipate his thoughts, and confine his views to a flight and fuperficial knowledge of things, he would have stood foremost in that department which he should have made choice of. To whatever extent his abilities may be allowed to reach, it is certain, without unremitted industry, he never could have executed fo many works with any degree of credit; VOL. V. PPP

and

and some must be allowed to rife above mediocrity. Amidst the varietyof his engagements, in the feveral capacities of Preacher, Writer,. Tutor, and Man of the World, it is rather to be wondered at that he fhould have been able to do any thing well, than that all should not be excellent. In the Pulpit he was enabled to exert his talents with the greatest fuccefs; there it was at all times in his power to convince, to perfuade, to amufe, and to inftruct. He feemed to have uncontrouled authority over the human breast, and could when he pleased excite fuch paffions as he wished to draw forth; infomuch that he has frequently been known to melt his hearers into tears, and thofe hearers perfons of the first name in kingdom for abilities, and fome of them not under any predilection for either the preacher or the fubject of his harangue. His iermons, divested of the advantages of his own oratory, lofe much of the effect which they produced on their delivery, but still are to be confidered not as unworthy the attention of mankind; and it has been afferted, their good effects have been experienced in many inftances. As a Poet, though he frequently amufed himself in that walk, his compofitions are not to be esteemed otherwife than the mere amusements of an idle hour; and indeed his own opinion of his talents in that branch of Literature was but low; a Poet, he himself declared, was a rare production, and that he did not presume to affect that high character.

"At no period of Dr. Dodd's Life was he influenced by the rules of economy. A mode of living far beyond the bounds of his income, a fonduefs for fplendor and gaiety, and a total inattention to all the maxims of worldly prudence, united together, had contributed to embarrals his circumftances, and oblige him to have recourfe to almost any means of gitting rid of the difficulties of the prefent moment. An expensive man foon lofes the fenfibility which is the guardian and protector of his honour. He acquires a habit of trifling with engagements which ought to be held facred; and feels no une finefs at dife miffing his creditor without payment of their demands, aud fometimes even without an apology.

"Whenever a perfon leaps the pale which delicacy prefcribes in affairs of this nature, he has advanced into the path from which it may not be in his power to recede. With certainty it may be faid, that when he has learnt to neglect the cenfure of the world, every deviation from the rule of right becomes eafy and familiar to him, and he acts that without reluctance, which, if he cafts a retrofpect to the fenfations he felt before he firft learnt to cofider a flight departure from his word as trifling, he would have reflected upon with horror. The gradation from the lowest to the highest crime is more imperceptible than is generally fuppofed; flight and apparently triffling departures from the dictates of honour, and the fanctity of engagements, foon become familiar to the imagination; and as they cease to be objects of disgust, they foon lofe their quality of creating dread and apprehenfion. When this happens to be the state of a perfon's mind, he will feel little reluctance at availing himself of any means which may offer, to extricate him from an embarraffing fituation; and, having quietted his confcience by the fophiftry of his having no intention to defraud, he foon epncludes that he may fin with impunity, and efcape detection."

*See his Volume of Poems, p. 102.

Thefe

These reflections are applied with much apparent propriety to the cafe of Dr. Dodd; in whole behalf the writer expatiates, nevertheless, with much tenderness, if not with partiality. In fuch a cafe, however, it is the fide on which he best might err.

A Letter to Meffrs. Fletcher and Peach, of the City of London; on their Negotiation with Dr. Dodd; which has unhappily deprived Society of a valuable Member, and a useful Minister of the Gospel. 4to. 1s. Kearsley.

An ill-judged and impudent attempt to blacken the character of the gentlemen, mentioned in the title-page, for the concern they took in the profecution of Dr. Dodd. Ufury and forgery, fays this letter-writer, may fometime or other be made equally criminal in the eye of the law, and therefore there is now the fame moral turpitude in both. Hence is deduced an innuendo that all money-lenders are ufurers, and deferve condemnation in foro confcientia as much as thofe who are guilty of forgery. -We are apprehenfive it would be very pernicious to fociety if fuch falfe diftin&tions were generally inculcated. Political juftice looks no farther than the law: and even the dictates of religion tell us "the tree is known by its fruit."-Away at once with all religion and morality, if fpecious pretences to either are to excufe capital crimes.

This is, indeed, the moft inconfiftent advocate we ever met with. He admits the guilt of the delinquent, the juftice of his condemnation, and yet talks of his fuppofed crime, and his fuperior understanding, having created him enemies, who, because they envied, abufed him.-If this gentleman envied the Doctor's fuperior understanding, he must be himself a very filly fellow, indeed: the whole tenour of the unhappy man's life demonftrating the want of it.-We do not deny that his talents of preaching and writing were adapted ad captandum vulgus. In pitying the weakness of the poor Doctor, therefore, we cannot help pitying the folly exhibited on this occafion by that many and-thallow-headed monfter the Multitude.

A Monftrous Good Lounge. 4to. is. Bew.

The careless rhapfody of fome freshman or under-graduate, whofe lounging fit has here thrown off a tolerable antidote to the spleen.