We must therefore conclude, that, although the fyftem appears to be formed on much good authority, there may be great difficulties to encounter when it comes to be carried into execution. There are various methods of painting, as-in oil, water-colours, diftemper, fresco, crayons, enamel, and in varnish; each of which is calculated for different purposes; all are convenient in the feveral branches of the art; and every one has its particular merit, as well as its inconvenience.

Ever fince the revival of painting, it has always been the conftant endeavour of artifts to give luftre and permanency to their colours. In many cafes they have fucceeded; but so often have they been difappointed by inventions which wear a specious appearance, that they generally find themselves obliged to return to the old beaten track, which commonly anfwers the purpose tolerably well; and when it fails, it is from ufing tinctures, varnish, or colours, that feem brilliant, but have not been fairly tried, or by being laid on in an improper manner, for the fake of expedition.

With regard to the ftyle of this curious performance, it may, perhaps, by the lovers of concifenefs, be deemed fomewhat too diffufive, too much abounding with repetitions; but, on the whole, the Abbé REQUENO's work will be very acceptable to those who are fond of the hiftory of the graphic arts, and of knowing what improvements they have undergone, by new inventions, or from the recovery of old ones that have been loft.

ART. XXIII.

Réponse de M. de Calonne a l'E'crit de M. Necker, &c. i. e. M. DE CALONNE'S Anfwer to M. Necker's Tract published in April 1787, containing an Examination of the Accounts of the State of the Finances, as delivered in 1774-6, 1781-3, and 7; with Remarks on the Refolutions of the Affembly of the Notables. 4to. 10s. 6d. Boards. Debrett. 1788.

TM

O enter into a particular detail of the controverfy between M. Necker and M. de Calonne, would afford little entertainment to the generality of our Readers; and perhaps none of them would think themselves interested in the fubject. In his Requête au Roi, [See Rev. vol. lxxvii. p. 362.] M. de Calonne attempted to clear himself from the imputations that had been caft on him; in the prefent work he vindicates his condu&t ftill farther, and fhews the errors which, according to this reprefentation, M. Necker has committed in his ftatement of the public accounts.

M. de Calonne is naturally earneft and vehement in the juftification of his conduct, and he feems, from the openness of his language, to be fincere in what he advances in fupport of the measures in which he had been concerned when in power, and

in clearing his reputation; the reflections, however, which he cafts on M. Necker, do not, in our opinion, tend to confirm his general affertions. He who has a well-grounded confidence in. his own innocence and uprightnefs, will feldom, if ever, have recourse to the abuse of other men, in order to make his own merit the more confpicuous; nor will the difcerning Public give much credit to a defence which calls to its aid the feeble help of defamation. To the auditors of the public accounts in France, we must apply for a review of the statements given in the work before us, fince we are not poffeffed of fuch documents as would be neceffary for the examination of the receipts and expenditures of the kingdom, as here specified, although the Author has added, in the appendix to his book, 20 pièces justificatives [vouchers], to which, in the course of his detail, he conftantly refers.

The appendix, befide the papers juft mentioned, contains an answer to the fourth chapter of M. Necker's treatife on the adminiftration of the finances of France, and an abftract of M. de Calonne's plan for improving the finances of France, prefented to the King in August 1786, whence it appears that he [moft probably the firft] recommended the convening the affembly of the notables. These two pieces will afford pleasure to the politician; and M. de Calonne's animated and vigorous style, which diftinguishes thofe parts of his performance that are not occupied in calculation, muft neceffarily meet the approbation of every judge of elegant and nervous writing.

As we must not enlarge on this article, we fhall close it with an extract from the conclufion of M. de Calonne's work. In the paragraph preceding the paffage we have in view, the Author reflects on fome perfons who have cenfured his manner of living in England, the country where he has taken refuge.

• Shall it,' fays he, be imputed to me as a crime that I enjoy the confolations afforded me by the reception I have met with in a nation of whofe goodness I have daily proofs, and with whofe virtues I have continual opportunities of becoming more intimately acquainted? a nation, liberal, and accuftomed to reflexion, where thoughts elevate themselves above the eftablished rules of thinking, where difgrace at court is not deemed any difhonour.-Here I am beheld with compaffion, and am overwhelmed with kindness and courtesy: here I am treated with even greater diftin&tion than I could with for: here I find intelligent men of every description; and here I can make useful observations on the arts, the commerce, and the industry of the people, without violating the facred rights of hospitality: in fine, here, I hope, I have true friends! Let not this enco

* See our account of this excellent work, Review, vol. xxv. page 542.

mium, free as the country in which it is written, aftonish or offend any one. As diffimulation never entered my mind, I could not at this time conceal a truth which is infeparably joined with the true fentiments of gratitude.'

As M. de Calonne feems to have cordially taken up his abode with us, we hope he will continue to feel himself happy in his new fituation, and never find caufe to repent his having exchanged the region of defpotifm for the land of freedom.

CORRESPONDENCE.

MR. De Lolme may reft fatisfied that we did not confider his late pamphlet as a party publication, nor did we enter into any enquiry whether he was in a merry or a grave mood when he wrote his large work on the British conftitution. A book may be very serious though written by a cheerful man; and it may be awkwardly humourous though written by a grave one. We endeavour to judge of the works that come before us by their intrinfic merits, not by extraneous circumstances. How far we have done juftice, in the prefent inflance, to all parties, the public will decide.

Mr. Woodhoufe obligingly informs us that thousands of acres in Berkshire and Hampshire, are watered by art, and encreased in value, double, or treble, by the practice; and that he has found, by his own experience, "that the fimpleft water, under proper management, is greatly advantageous, if the quantity merits any attention." These facts cannot be too generally known. The laft comes within the reach of our own experience.

We also agree with him in thinking that the practice of raifing potatoes from feed, is only ufeful for introducing new kinds. We alfo have feen them, the first year, as large as a hen's egg.

He further informs us, that he has known the common Acacia make, in this country, a fhoot of more than ten feet in one feafon.

Mr. Woodhoufe thinks, that the Baron de Courset's conje&ture concerning the use of the tap-root of trees [See M. R. April, p. 332] is not confirmed by his obfervations. Our correfpondent thinks he has obferved, that tranfplanted oaks, in which operation the tap-root is either cut off or injured, feldom shoot vigorously in an upright or perpendicular direction, but only in their lateral branches; whence he judges it natural to infer, that the different roots of trees maintain their refpective branches; the tap-root the top, and the lateral roots the lateral boughs; and, as all t.nd to fuftain, fo all contribute to fupport, or keep fteady, the whole elevated mafs-all acting as levers, or ropes, like the poles and lines of tents, to refift every lateral preffure.'

This laft remark we conceive to be perfectly juft, but we are doubtful how far the former are well founded. That tap roots, in general, tend to encourage the top-thoots feems to be contradicted by what is obfervable of the whole clafs of coniferous trees, which, in general, fhoot upright in an uncommon degree, though they have no tap-roots at all-being entirely maintained and fupported by la

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teral fibres. As to the oak, our obfervations do not accord with those of our ingenious correfpondent. We have frequently feen untranfplanted oaks that were found and healthy, branching wide and low; and transplanted oaks, fpiring to a great height: we have, no doubt, alfo frequently feen the cafe reversed. In fhort the fpiring upright, or branching out laterally, feems to depend on circumftances, little if at all connected with the prefence or abfence of the tap-root, as we think could be eafily proved by innumerable facts, were it requisite for us to enter on the subject.

GENTLEMEN,

Bell Savage, London, July 2, 1788.

I must take the liberty of correcting a small mistake in your Review for April laft, Page 335, where you mention a French treatise on a method of watering meadows.

You there fay you believe that Mr. Bakewell is almost the only perfon in this country who has carried on this mode of improvement to any confiderable degree, by art.

When I first read this, I found my jealoufy much excited, but especially fo yesterday, when I heard, from a person of veracity, that Mr. Bakewell actually came into Gloucestershire, to the village of South-Corney, on purpose to learn this art.

In our parish we have near three hundred acres of land watered by art (or what we call winter-drowned), which have been fo watered above twenty years. This land, I am told, before the water was turned over it, was none of it worth more than ten fhillings per acre, and now the worst of it will let for two guineas.

I know you will not be forry to hear that this moft excellent art is much practifed in feveral parts of this county. Eight or ten of our labourers are out all winter, upon different ftreams in the county for the purpose of inftructing others in this mode of ufing the water. A few years ago a Captain Ogilvie took one of these men with him into Scotland. Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, took another into Derbyshire; and two others were laft winter but one at Warwick for the fame purpose.

I will just take the liberty of mentioning more particularly to you, the degree of perfection it is brought to in this place. In November, the water is made to run rapidly over the meadows, for about a fortnight at a time, till the end of February, when the grafs is always fufficient to take any kind of cattle. This fpring feed is frequently let to farmers, out of the parish, for twenty-five fhillings per acre, till the firft of May; then the water is turned over again for a few days; and in fix weeks time a crop is cut, of at least two tons per acre: then the water is again turned over, and an excellent crop of latter-math fucceeds.

Mr. Bakewell, before he came hither for inftructions, used the water in a very different manner to the above. He confeffed that he used to let the water ftagnate upon the land the greatest part of the winter. But a ftagnation is what the farmers here avoid as much as poffible, for the more rapid the water, the greater the

crop.

I fhould be happy to be called upon to give a more full and mimute account of this most advantageous mode of cultivation.

Though

Though I am curate of the parish, I fhould not think my time much mifemployed, if I could by any means forward this invaluable improvement. I am, Gentlemen,

Your humble Servant,

THOMAS WRIGHT.'

We are much obliged to Mr. Wright for his correction, and the useful information his letter contains, which we have published entire for the benefit of our readers. There are no doubt many useful practices in agriculture, confined, like this, to a particular corner of the country, where they are practifed with much profit, the knowlege of which ought to be more generally diffused; and which we are happy to think will probably be the cafe in time, fhould the laudable fpirit for enquiry continue, which now prevails. We think Mr. Wright would confer an obligation on the Public, if he would draw up a diftinct account of the practice and effect of watering more particular than the above, and communicate it to the Bath Society-or fome other fociety who publish agricultural tranfactions or to the "Annals of Agriculture."

+*+ We are obliged to Mr. Wales for informing us, that a certain reverend gentleman has declared, in a public company, that he "had been applied to, for an account of his volume of fermons, to be inferted in the Monthly Review." Mr. W. is hereby affured, that no fuch overture ever came, or could possibly come, from the editor of this Review; nor has it been the custom of its authors to permit any writer to be his own Reviewer, in their publication. No fuch practice can be allowed, in a literary journal of reputation, on any terms or conditions; nor can such assistance be accepted, by us, from ANY QUARTER WHATEVER.

Additional Articles to the Monthly Catalogue for JUNE, which were left out for want of Room.

IRELAND.

Art. 1. An hiftorical and critical Review of the Civil Wars in Ire land, from the Reign of Queen Elizabeth to the Settlement under King William. With the State of the Irish Catholics, from that Settlement to the Relaxation of the Popery Laws, in the Year 1778. By John Curry, M. D. 8vo. 2 Vols. 10s. 6d. Boards. Robin fons. 1786.

fome account of it We are informed C. O'Conor,' that

THI "HIS work was first published in 1775, and was given in our Review, vol. Iv. p. 444. by the editor of this edition, who figns himfelf the prefent work is greatly enlarged from the Doctor's manu) fcripts, with new matter taken from parliamentary journals, ftate acts, and other authentic documents; to which he has added, The State of the Catholics of Ireland, from the above period under King William to the relaxation of the Popery-laws in 1778. The Author dying two years after, deprived us of having this valuable work fo perfect, as if published under his own infion."

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